Your Performance Marine Parts Experts Know You Always Want a Safe Towing Experience

Stainless Marine your performance marine parts professionals would like to share with you these topics we thought would be of interest to you this month regarding the need for safe trailer tire pressure.

Your performance marine parts analysts know that having the proper air pressure in your trailer tires in important for a safe towing experience. Your performance boat engines analysts know it's important to know that your tires are rated for towing and properly inflated to tow your haul.

If you want to learn how to tow a boat you've come to the right place. With this guide, you can begin developing your trailering skills today.

Your offshore performance parts professionals know that trailer boating has a number of advantages over leaving your boat in the water at a marina or pier: you can take your boat to new and far-flung cruising grounds, launch at ramps close to different fishing spots, and often save money by keeping a boat on a trailer.

Wait a sec-if hitches are measured by class, why are we using qualifiers like “about,” and “up to”? Because these figures aren't as cut-and-dried as one might hope. Accessories like weight-distributing hitches can change the capacity.

Tongue weight should always be between 10 and 15 percent of the total boat-and-trailer package (gross towing weight, or GTW, which is the GCVW minus the tow vehicle's weight). If it is outside of these parameters, trailer sway is a distinct-and dangerous-possibility.

Driver comfort

There are many factors that add up to a great tow vehicle: don't forget driver comfort.

With a tow vehicle and a trailer boat sitting in your driveway, the next step is figuring out how to put the two together.

The next item to consider is how to roll down the road safely.

TOP 5 TIPS FOR SAFE BOAT TOWING

1. Before trailering, perform a full pre-tow safety inspection of your rig.

2. Tongue weight should be about 10- to 15-percent of your load. If it's not, the trailer might sway. Your outboard engine brackets specialists understand that swaying is extremely dangerous-if you detect sway in your rig, slow down immediately, pull over, and adjust your load.

Your Performance Marine Parts Specialists Say It Isn't Difficult to Master Towing Safety

You can find more information as well as get assistance on outboard engine brackets and on the need for safe trailer tire pressure at Stainless Marine.

3. Make sure your truck's load is level and even, too.

4. Make wide turns to avoid clipping a curb or other obstructions.

5. Leave extra following room between your vehicle and those in front of you. When towing a heavy load, braking distance may be significantly increased.

Whether you're putting your boat into the water or hauling it out, you'll have to master backing the trailer to get the job done.

Your high performance marine engine parts experts say that this is one aspect of trailering that's much easier to get a grip on by watching it happen, instead of just reading about it. So we strongly suggest checking out the video.

When you arrive at the boat ramp, pull out of the way of ramp traffic before you prep for the launching.

Back the boat down the ramp until the stern begins to float, and the engine outdrive(s) are sufficiently submerged to pick up cooling water.

At very busy ramps, you'll see a “courtesy dock” nearby. The idea of these is to keep traffic moving as quickly as possible. Though different rigs vary (and yes, this powercat certainly makes for an unusual rig), when you dunk the trailer for retrieval the front portion of the bunks or rollers should always be exposed, so the bow of the boat doesn't drift off to either side.

It always takes a bit of common sense and flexibility to determine the best way to get the boat onto the trailer, on any given day at any given ramp. But whenever you use the boat's powerplant(s) to push it onto the trailer, make sure the boat is properly aligned-and apply that power judiciously.

Ready for some more advanced info? Then it's time to watch Tips for Launching and Retrieving a Trailer Boat. When you do pull the boat out of the water, remember: don't stop right there on the ramp. Good trailer-boating etiquette dictates you should always strive to block the launch facility as briefly as possible, so pull up into the parking lot or off the side of the road before you begin preparing for the drive home.

Stainless Marine has more information on performance marine parts, outboard engine brackets, marine performance parts, and on the need for safe trailer tire pressure.

via Trailer Tire Air Pressure

via Boat Towing Guide: How to Trailer a Boat

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