Joe,

Doubt it would have helped. Matter of fact if the temps of the tires were high
enough it would have encouraged evaporation thus increasing pressure
considerably. Furthermore, the water would never have contacted the rim during
travel as centrifugal force would hold the water against the tread area, right?

Of course, the smaller the tire the more rotations it makes for a given speed.
I have learned to always use the largest diameter wheels/tires possible on
trailers. For a small trailer it could require an axle upgrade but would be
worth it, IMO.

BTW, I'd pull those hubs and take a real close look at the wheel bearings.
They probably got pretty warm on that drive???

Butch

Joe wrote: This past Summer, took our 15 foot fiberglass on a long road
trip
instead in the usual half mile to the marina. The tires are the small
4.80-8 utiltiy type tires, and needless to say, they overheated
badly.....
long story, but I'll be upgrading to a biger tire this Summer.

Here's my question. It seemed that the speed at which the load was
being carried created the heat. While pondering the trip home
(semi desperate and after a few beers) I considered filling the tires
with water (say 50%) in an attempt to dissipate the heat to the rims.

I never did this, but have pondered the the effects of water in a tire
at speed. Would the balance go for a bundle or would the water be
thrown evenly within the tire by the certifugal force?

I made the trip home by upping the pressure to 60 p.s.i. and by
driving slower.

Would water have helped of would I have been courting a disaster?