Seven Tips For Carefree Boat Trailering

Seven Tips For Carefree Boat Trailering

1.

Make sure when you are buying a boat, that you get a minimum

of 13 inch wheels and a drive on trailer. Most people spend

10,000 bucks for their boat and 300 on their trailer. You can't

enjoy the boat when you always are having trouble transporting

or loading it. Spend at least a $1,000 for a good trailer. Ask

around - talk to people before buying.

2.

If you already have one of those trailers that's a pain to

load your boat on, think about making some guide on's for it.

Two 2x4's five feet long covered with carpet attached to 4 inch

angle iron bent to attach to the trailer frame will cost about

50 bucks to make and install. Make sure before mounting them

that your boat is on trailer correct, then mount them carpeted

surface first flush against the side of your boat. This way

your boat will automatically center itself as you drive on the

trailer.

3.

If your boat is light in weight, small tires less than 13 inches

will probably do. I would carry a spare anyway, but if you have

a heavy boat with small tires, care two spares. Check your air

pressure often, inflate to maximum load pressure. At any sign of

abnormal wear, get them off the trailer and check for the reason.

4.

Always! Always! Put bearing buddy's on your trailer (big or

small) and also install bearing buddy caps to keep the grease

from being thrown all over your wheels.

5.

Always carry a set of spare wheel bearings. Frequent grease

with Lubriplate-Auto/Marine-Lub 'A' - Part number 12298 (tube

type). This fits into the heavy duty 3-way lever grease gun, made

by Lubrimatic Products Co., Omaha, NE 68110. Since I started

using buddies with this grease, greasing about every 3 trips, I've

never (knock on wood) had any trouble. I haul a bass boat

several thousand miles each year.

6.

If you are using a truck type vehicle with a bumper ball to

haul your boat, may I suggest having your ball welded to the

bumper. Also weld your bumper to the frame of your truck. My

trailer and boat kept working my ball loose. It also kept pulling

my bumper down crooked in relationship to my bronco. So I had it

welded. I also had them weld a couple large links of heavy chain

to my bumper about a foot on each side of my ball sticking out

from under the bumper. This was for the safety chains I installed

on trailer. In case something broke, I would not lose the trailer.

7.

Get a bigger winch, with a strong nylon strap and replace the

small one. Trailers don't come with ones large enough to do the

job right.

FREEBIE: I extended my trailer tongue by three feet using the

next size up square steel tubing. This allows me to keep my feet

dry during launching and also allows me to use shallow ramps

better. Make sure you put some sticky back rubber matting on it

so you won't slip. This can be purchased at most good boat

dealerships. Remember if you extent your trailer tongue you

will have to swing wider on right-hand turns!!