After a great weekend at the Spring Fever Regatta it was time to head back home. About 1h from home the trailer start making more noise than usual and I pull over. This was just after leaving the Interstate and deciding to drive with the radio off. I pulled over and checked the trailer wheel hub temperature. First the left, everything OK, then right and it's sizzling. The entire bearing had collapsed and the hub was grinding against the axle. With about 1/2 inch play. I lifted the boat and trailer up and asked Michelle to check the tire, she was able to take it clean of the trailer axle. A few more yards or a turn and it would have been a disaster, I stopped with the wheel still on the trailer. And everything looking pretty much OK. I repacked the bearings last summer, so they were still greased and nice. However that did not help a complete failure, it must have exploded when I hit a pothole about a mile back.

So.... Always keep an ear on your trailer, and carry AAA. An AAA sponsored flat bead showed up in 30min and took the boat to my back yard. I even saved my car and some gas since I didn't have to tow the last bit. I'm glad I left the interstate for smaller roads when I did and I'm glad I was used to the sounds the trailer normally makes. And of course I'm real glad Michelle had AAA.