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Hesitant about pulling a trailer behind your car? Here are some tips:
The merits of simply hitching boat and trailer on and off are many. But to
make trailering safe and simple, keep a check list like the one below in your
glove compartment and use it.
TRAILER: Check lock on tilt mechanism(if any), ratchet on winch,
nuts and bolts of wheels, lights and other parts attached to the frame.
Check length of safety chain: it should not be too tight, yet should niot
drag on the ground.
WHEELS: Have wheelbearings been lubricated lately? Consider
buying bearing buddies (Special fittings that allow easy greasing. Are
the tires inflated to their specifications (they are usually higher than
car tire pressure). Maker sure the tires are not dried out and
cracked.
ROLLERS: Are all bunks and rollers adjusted to support the boat
properly and are their nuts and bolts securely tightened?
LOAD: Make sure the load inside the boat is properly balanced and
secured. Is the whole load within the trailer manufacturers
specification and properly balanced to put the appropriate weight on
the hitch?
LIGHTS: Do you prefer to check them now or at night along the
road when it is dark? Most faulty lights are caused by corroded
contacts and blown bulbs.
EMERGENCY: Does your vehicle jack fit under the trailer with the
boat on it or is there a need for another jack? Do you have a spare
light bulb for the trailer and a spare fuse for the car?
LAUNCHING AND RETRIEVING:
Unhook the lights before rolling your trailer into the water. This
saves fuses. Back up from the left of the ramp or driveway because
visibility is better. Go slow because the stress on your hitch
mechanism is much greater than when driving along a straight road.
Watch the rear of the trailer, not the car, when backing up. Don't
back into the water so far to cover your exhaust. Make sure your
rear tires stay on firm ground. (It is an excellent idea to practice
backing up a trailer on an empty parking lot instead of tying up a
launch ramp for the afternoon.)
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