Are you planning a road trip with your boat, or simply visiting new waters away from home?
Here are some practical pre-towing tips to make sure that you get to and from your destination without towing hassles.
- Check your vehicles’ owner’s manual to insure that your vehicle has the correct towing capacity for the weight. The Gross Combined Weight Rating will give you the weight limit for the combined vehicle, loaded trailer and people and gear in the vehicle.
- Always make sure that your trailer hitch is rated for the weight of both your boat and the trailer weight.
- It is important to get your vehicle brakes inspected prior to towing a boat for a long distance. The same applies to getting the trailer brakes checked, especially if you have not used it for a while.
- Low air pressure in tyres are the main cause of blow outs, therefore it is important to always check the tyre pressure before every trip, and especially if the trailer has been parked for a while.
- Make sure that your trailer lights are receiving signal from your vehicle, check the brake lights, hazards and indicators.
- Ensure your boat is secured to the trailer by the bow and transom with tie downs.
- Ensure that there is no loose equipment or gear on the boat that may blow off while travelling.
- Your boat motor should be towed in a down position, especially if your boat trailer offers good ground clearance. Alternatively, should your trailer not offer the desired clearance, your outboard can be tilted up.
- Should you tilt your outboard, it is advised to tie a red flag on the propeller to indicate how far the outboard motor is sticking out behind the boat.
You are ready to hit the road and enjoy your time on the water!
