Trailering your boat this summer? – Here’s what you need to do to keep it on the road.
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by: Mike Fisher
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Each year thousands of boating enthusiasts, fishing guru’s and summer vacationers trailer their boat to a nearby lake or head to their weekend get away cottage and each year accidents by the dozens occur from a variety of failures or malfunctions. You see them on the side of the highways every year; a blown out tire, a boat and trailer separated from the tow vehicle and in a ditch next to the highway or sometimes flipped over on the side of the road. Sometimes it’s a multi-vehicle accident with cars, trucks and a boat all mixed up together. Someone usually gets hurt and sometimes there’s fatalities.
Well, if you’re planning to trailer your boat and it doesn’t matter whether it’s a pontoon boat, power boat, cruiser, a sailboat or even a small fishing boat, here’s what you need to check and fix before you hit the road.
Tires- Tires are probably the most common things to fail and cause someone to get stuck on the side of the road. The reason is because a lot of people store their boats and trailers outside and they sit in storage a good deal of time. The rubber gets old, loses pressure, cracks and so on. So check your tires for wear and cracks. If you don’t have at least an eighth of an inch of tread depth or if you see cracks in the tires and they should be replaced. Also, check the tire pressure. When your trailer sits in storage for long periods of time and the temperature rises and falls this causes the tire to lose pressure slowly over time. There should be inflation specifications on the side of the tire or check your boat and trailer owners manual. Make sure to inflate your tires to the proper tire pressure. Under inflated tires or over inflated tires can fail and keep you stuck on the side of the road for a long time.
Lights, wiring and connections - These can cause serious accidents if not working correctly. When they’re not working properly the people behind you don’t know when you’re stopping or turning. On highways, this can cause fatal accidents. Check to make sure the lamps are not burned out and make sure both filaments are in tact. Check the lamp housings to ensure the seals are not broken or deteriorated. Check the lamp sockets for corrosion. Apply a light coat of electrical grease around the base of the lamp and socket to keep out moisture and reinstall the lamps. Check the wiring to insure the ground connections are not corroded or broken. Also, check the wiring along the frame. Make sure that it’s in good condition and properly fixed to the trailer. Check the fittings and connections between the trailer and vehicle to make sure the male / female plugs are not corroded. If they are, they should be cleaned and reconnected. Have someone stand behind the trailer each time you hook up and make sure your running lights, brake lights and turn signals are working correctly.
Note: you should disconnect the trailer lights harness from the vehicle before backing the boat into the water. This will prevent the trailer lamps from shorting and blowing out.
Brakes – if your trailer is equipped with brakes, check the brake fluid. If it’s low, fill to the appropriate level with approved brake fluid. Check the brake pads or shoes to make sure that they are not worn and replace them if they are. Check the brake wire connections between the trailer and vehicle are in properly connected. They control the braking mechanism to apply or release the brakes as needed. Always check that the brakes are working properly before on a short test drive before towing at your boat at high speeds. Have a friend or family member stand behind and to the side of the trailer. Confirm that the brake and turn signal lights are working. If you’re not familiar with repairing brakes and replacing brake pads and shoes, take your trailer to your local boating center or trailer dealership.
Bearings - Bearings should be checked at least once per year to ensure they are properly greased. A frozen bearing can cause the wheel to lockup and the tire to blow out. Most trailer spindles have a dust cover that covers the bearing. Just remove the cover and inspect. Some have a zerk or grease fitting at the end of the spindle. You can add grease easily without disassembling the bearing assembly. If you don’t have a zerk fitting, the bearings need to be removed and repacked the old fashion way. If you’re not sure what I’m talking about then you need to take your trailer to your local boating center or a trailer sales and service company. The bearings should be checked and grease at least once per year. Always use a manual grease gun and replace the tang washer. They should not be reused. If you frequently use your boat and trailer, you should check them twice per year.
Coupler - Couplers get worn and more frequently become misadjusted so that the fit between the coupler and the hitch ball becomes loose. If you’re towing your boat and the coupler is loose it could bounce off the hitch ball and cause a serious accident. It’s happened. I’ve seen it. To avoid this kind of catastrophe, make sure the under side of the coupler is free from dirt and debris. Spray lubricant on the lever and clasp mechanism and also on the hitch ball. Check to make sure you are using the correct size ball for the coupler. They should be stamped the size. Make sure they are the same. Attach the coupler to the hitch. Close the lever and insert the safety pin. Confirm that the fit is tight and the tongue of the trailer cannot move up or down at all. If you have a wheel type coupler you can adjust it to tighten the fit. If you have a lever type, some have a nut on the underside of the coupler that can be adjusted to tighten the fit. If not, you should take your trailer to a boating center or trailer dealership for repair. Note: the pin is very important on the lever type of couplers and needs to be inserted. If the pin is missing, it needs to be replaced.
Winch - Make sure the winch is working properly and spay lubricating oil on the gears. This will keep the winch working freely for the entire boating season.
Tongue jack – grease the jack through the zerk fitting or pop the top cap and insert grease. This should be done at least once per year. Make sure that the jack operates freely all the way up and down.
Safety Chains - These are extremely important, especially if the coupler fails. I’ve seen a lot of trailers without them, but they are very important to have. They should be securely attached to the trailer, one on each side of the tongue and attached to side of the hitch. They need to long enough to allow the trailer to turn, but short enough to prevent the tongue of the trailer from hitting the ground if the coupler comes off the hitch.
Rollers - If your trailer is equipped with rollers, spray a little lubricating oil on the spindles. This will keep them rolling freely.
Frame - Check the frame of the trailer for cracks, especially at the weld joints. There should be no signs of cracks or fatigue. Frame or weld crack are generally not a problem, but when towing a heavy boat they can be. If you see any signs of cracks in the frame, take your trailer to your nearest boating center or trailer dealer for service.
General - your trailer should be hosed off after each use to prolong it’s appearance and to keep it in good working order. This is especially important if you using your boat and trailer in salt water. When storing or parking your trailer, you should never let the tongue rest directly on the ground. Use a cement block or wooden block to rest the tongue on. This will keep dirt and debris from accumulating in the underside of the coupler.
If you are unsure about any of the maintenance items or how to do them, take your trailer to your local boating center or your local trailer dealership. They will be able to assist you in servicing your trailer properly.
For more information on boat and trailer maintenance - check out http://www.boatfisher.com/boatMaintenance.cfm.
Always remember, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Don’t be one of those guys or families on the side of the road wondering what went wrong. Do the required maintenance and checks on your trailer before you hit the road and you’ll be on the water in no time.
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