Pez Vela

Changing a flat in an unsafe spot is no one's idea of fun ... getting down the road quickly with this stuff is sometimes a good option. Now go buy that fishing tackle.

What safety issue do you worry about? The trailer pictured appears to be a good match for your boat. What is the trailer's load carrying capacity? Adding an axle to your existing trailer frame is a question for Wesco ... call them to satisfy your curiosity. I suspect that you'll be told that you don't need to ... nor can you properly do so. The 2nd axle would add load carrying capacity, but do you need that? The 2nd axle would add weight to your rig (consider wheels, tires, brakes and suspension components too) making it just that much heavier for your tow vehicle. Properly set up with a fixed percentage of the total trailer weight on your trailer tongue, adding an axle will actually increase your tongue weight and the corresponding load on your hitch. For the sake of example: assume that your boat and trailer combination weighs 5,000 lbs. and that you're set up with 10% of that as your tongue weight (500 lbs.) and the remaining 4,500 lbs. supported by your trailer's axle. If you add 500 lbs. for a 2nd axle with all it's components, your boat and trailer combination now weighs 5,500 lbs. To maintain the same 10% tongue weight distribution, your tongue weight will be increased to 550 lbs. (50 lbs. more than it was before). If you're concerned about your trailer's tongue weight, you may adjust it by moving your boat's position on the trailer, moving the axle's position on the trailer frame, or doing a little bit of both. No worries!

I would have inspected the transom as thoroughly as possible prior to purchase, subject to the reasonable limitations that the seller would have imposed. This would probably have consisted of removing one or more screws nearest to the bottom of the hull (transducer?) to check for water seepage. You should do this now at a minimum. How far should you go beyond that depends: Did you see any evidence of water intrusion in your preliminary inspection? Were any of the transom attachments installed by the owner, or were they all factory installed? Do Kencraft transoms have a history of water intrusion problems greater or less than other builders? Will you "slip" your boat or keep it on a trailer. I would not go crazy and rebuild your boat if no problems are apparent. Some people do nothing but work on their boats and never take them out. Others enjoy boating, but detest maintenance and preventative care. Find a happy medium ... whatever makes you happy is the correct decision. Boating is fun either way ... enjoy your new ride!

Stick with 5200 (sorry, I couldn't resist). I've removed a thru-hull transducer installed with 5200. No worries ... just needed a bigger wrench.

... a handy way to check the hubs is with a Raytek infrared temperature sensor. One of my best tools for finding little problems before they become big problems ... on the trailer or on the truck. Shoot the hubs at every pitstop and watch for any significant changes. Have a great trip!