SEVEN TIPS FOR CAREFREE BOAT

SEVEN TIPS FOR CAREFREE BOAT

TRAILERING

1.Make sure when you are buying a boat, that you get a

minimum of 13 inch wheels and a drive on trailer. Most

people spend 10,000 bucks for their boat and 300 on their

trailer. You can't enjoy the boat when you always are having

trouble transporting or loading it. Spend at least a $1,000 for

a good trailer. Ask around - talk to people before buying.

2.If you already have one of those trailers that's a pain to load

your boat on, think about making some guide on's for it. Two

2x4's five feet long covered with carpet attached to 4 inch

angle iron bent to attach to the trailer frame will cost about 50

bucks to make and install. Make sure before mounting them

that your boat is on trailer correct, then mount them carpeted

surface first flush against the side of your boat. This way your

boat will automatically center itself as you drive on the trailer.

3.If your boat is light in weight, small tires less than 13 inches

will probably do. I would carry a spare anyway, but if you have

a heavy boat with small tires, care two spares. Check your

air pressure often, inflate to maximum load pressure. At any

sign of abnormal wear, get them off the trailer and check for

the reason.

4.Always! Always! Put bearing buddy's on your trailer (big or

small) and also install bearing buddy caps to keep the

grease from being thrown all over your wheels.

5.Always carry a set of spare wheel bearings. Frequent

grease with Lubriplate-Auto/Marine-Lub 'A' - Part number

12298 (tube type). This fits into the heavy duty 3-way lever

grease gun, made by Lubrimatic Products Co., Omaha, NE

68110. Since I started using buddies with this grease,

greasing about every 3 trips, I've never (knock on wood) had

any trouble. I haul a bass boat several thousand miles each

year.

6.If you are using a truck type vehicle with a bumper ball to

haul your boat, may I suggest having your ball welded to the

bumper. Also weld your bumper to the frame of your truck.

My trailer and boat kept working my ball loose. It also kept

pulling my bumper down crooked in relationship to my

bronco. So I had it welded. I also had them weld a couple

large links of heavy chain to my bumper about a foot on each

side of my ball sticking out from under the bumper. This was

for the safety chains I installed on trailer. In case something

broke, I would not lose the trailer.

7.Get a bigger winch, with a strong nylon strap and replace

the small one. Trailers don't come with ones large enough to

do the job right.

FREEBIE: I extended my trailer tongue by three feet using

the next size up square steel tubing. This allows me to keep

my feet dry during launching and also allows me to use

shallow ramps better.

Make sure you put some sticky back rubber matting on it so

you won't slip. This can be purchased at most good boat

dealerships. Remember if you extent your trailer tongue you

will have to swing wider on right-hand turns!!