Boat Trailering - Extra Work Or Expensive Damage

Boat trailering – extra work or expensive damage

You have had an enjoyable day at the lake and now it is time to go home. No one wants to stop the fun by having an accident with their boat. Below are some tips on common problems that occur and ways to head them off in advance:

1. Burnt wheel bearings – you sometimes see the trailered boat along the side of the road with this one. A little maintenance and preparation can keep your trailer and boat hooked to your vehicle for an easy trip home.

Each year inspect and repack your bearings, if they are damaged or worn replace them before taking a trip. You might even consider carrying a spare bearing set for that just in case event.

2. Blown trailer tires – When it comes to problems, this one is the easiest to prevent. Before going on an extended trip to your favorite water hole, be sure to check your tire pressure with a pressure gauge. You should check your tire pressure before leaving the house and after finishing at the lake and coming home. In addition, you should look at your tires for extensive wear, dry rot, radial wire sticking out of the rubber, slices, nicks or cracks. Any one of these items may become a problem before you get home. Every so often you should pull the boat trailer around the block to see if any problem exists.

3. Boats falling off of the trailers – The most embarrassing (and possibly the most expensive) thing that can happen is for your boat to fall off of the trailer due to improper strapping or cabling. This kind of problem is completely preventable and should never occur if care is taken during the binding of the boat to the trailer.

Take a critical eye to the straps or cables and make sure that they are properly installed and that there is no loose connections that need to be tightened.

4. Trailer connections – Take extra precautions to be sure that your trailer is properly connected to the hitch. This can be a very dangerous problem once you get on the road. Also, be sure that your safety chains are in use and that your trailer lights are plugged in and working properly. If they are not, it is an accident waiting to happen.

5. Trailering your boat- When you are backing your trailer into the water to recover your boat, turn off your radio and any other item that will distract your attention or make it impossible to hear as problems might be occurring. Check your trailers connection to the hitch or you may have to send in divers to recover the trailer before you can recover the boat. Also, roll down your windows so you can hear what is happening. You need to hear if your prop is scraping the ground and needs to be raised and you need to know if your trailer is far enough into the water to retrieve your boat without damaging the hull.