Roll, Roll Your Boat With These Tips
When you have a trailerable boat, you can fish just about any waterway. Trailering gives you the chance to explore and fish where you want. Reeder-Trausch Marine is here to give you essential tips on trailering a boat.
Selecting the Right Trailer
So, you've found a trailerable boat that you want to buy at Reeder-Trausch Marine. Now it's time to figure out how you plan to tow it. The good news is that all of our new boats come with trailers, and while most of our used boats include trailers as well, there are a few exceptions.
If you want to choose a different trailer or upgrade, it's important to understand some basics. Some boat owners opt for a tandem-axle trailer, and certain boats are even required to have them due to their size and weight. Tandem-axle trailers track better on the road and are less likely to fishtail, providing added stability and safety.
Other trailer options include submersible trailers and roll-off trailers. Submersible trailers allow the boat to float freely when the trailer is submerged, making them especially easy for beginners to use.
Towing Your Boat
Once you have a trailer, it's time to take your boat on the road. By the time you reach this step, we presume you've ensured that you have a vehicle with the towing capacity to handle the weight of your boat and trailer. Many states also require trailers with a GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) of 1,500 pounds or more to be equipped with brakes on all four wheels. There are two types of trailer brakes: surge brakes and electronically activated brakes. Most trailers use surge brakes, which activate automatically when your vehicle’s brakes slow the trailer.
Having the right trailer hitch is also important. The weight of your boat and trailer should not exceed the weight capacity of the hitch. For example, a Class I hitch has a 2,000-pound capacity, while a Class IV hitch is rated for 10,000 pounds. There are three other classes in between, so make sure to use the right one for your setup. You also need to have the correct-sized hitch ball to match your trailer’s coupler—using the wrong size can cause the trailer to come loose while towing.
Maintaining Your Trailer
How often does your trailer need to be inspected? It depends on how often you use it, where it's used, and how hard it's used. At the very least, you should have your trailer inspected at the beginning of every boating season. If you don't use your trailer regularly, it's still a good idea to get it inspected annually. If you use your trailer frequently, especially in saltwater, you should inspect it more often throughout the season. It’s also a good practice to give your trailer a quick inspection every time you take the boat out, before putting it on the road.
Storing Your Boat and Trailer
Storing your boat and trailer is more than just placing them somewhere for the winter. Even if you have a place at home to store your boat and trailer, you might think twice about it when you realize how common boat and trailer theft is. Unfortunately, a boat on a trailer in your driveway is a sitting duck for thieves; there’s little to no security, and nothing stopping someone from driving up, hooking up, and driving away.
However, there are some precautions you can take if you want to store your boat and trailer at home. To start, remove the tires. It won't be easy to pull the trailer without tires, but the added benefit is that it helps the tires last longer. You can also chain the trailer to a tree or store the entire setup in your backyard or garage. If you must store it in the driveway, don’t let the hitch face the street, and remove the trailer’s license plate and taillights.
Get more information on everything boats and trailers when you visit Reeder-Trausch Marine today. We also offer storage units for rent at titanstorage.us if you prefer a secure off-site option.
