Before you head out to your favorite body of water, it’s prudent to review the essential equipment required for safely towing a boat.
This article covers critical components you need to use, such as safety chains, towing mirrors, sliding 5th wheel hitches, and tow ropes. It offers practical advice for boat owners to ensure a secure and stress-free towing experience as you travel to the waterway.
Vehicle Capability
Before you prepare to tow your boat, verify the vehicle you’re considering is up to the task. If the engine isn’t strong enough, you’ll need to find a more suitable option.
Consult the owner’s manual (or check with the manufacturer’s website if you don’t have the operating instructions and specifications handy) to learn the towing capacity of your SUV or truck.
Boating enthusiasts need to be aware of the gross vehicle weight rating or GVWR, which comprises the full weight of your vehicle, including gear, passengers, and fuel, plus towing equipment and the boat.
Know the vehicle’s “curb weight,” which includes passengers, fuel, and cargo. Then, you subtract the curb weight from the GVWR to understand the current towing capability.
Never attempt to tow your boat if its weight exceeds the vehicle’s towing capacity. Doing so could risk the safety of your passengers and people on the road around you. For example, you may not be able to stop in time to avert an accident. Towing an overweight boat can damage the tow vehicle. What’s more, if the boat’s too heavy, you may not be able to launch the boat or pull the boat out of the lake or ocean.
Essential Equipment for Towing Boats
Trailer:
You’ll need a trailer that works with your boat. Depending on your destination, the trailer should be compatible with freshwater or saltwater. A single axle trailer may suffice for smaller boats, but larger boats require multiple axles.
The trailer dealer can help you narrow down your options and ensure you have the correct length and width for your boat. Consult with the dealer to verify you have the right type of tow rope.
Towing mirror:
Install towing mirrors on your vehicle for better visibility, especially when towing a long or wide trailer.
Making connections:
A Class III trailer should suffice for loads as high as 5,000 pounds. But if the trailer, boat, and gear weight exceeds 5,000 pounds, you’ll require a Class IV or V trailer hitch.
Staying level:
Select the proper tow ball and drawbar, which must be at the correct height to ensure your boat trailer stays level with the road. Check your trailer’s tongue, which should be engraved with the right tow ball size.
Chains for safety:
Connect the trailer to your vehicle with safety chains that can support the weight of your boat. They provide a backup connection in case the coupler or tow ball fails.
Be seen:
Carry a trailer plug adapter to deliver power to the trailer’s turn signals, taillights, and brake lights.
Tire safety:
Store a properly inflated spare tire on your trailer. Carry a lug wrench to undo the trailer wheel’s nuts.
Minimize the hassle and danger of changing a tire on the roadside. Carry a tire changing ramp (used with twin-axle trailers). After loosening the wheel nuts, roll the good tire on the ramp to lift the bad tire above the ground without needing a jack to elevate the vehicle.
Bring a tire pressure gauge, to see if a tire is underinflated and then bring it back up to the proper setting. An underinflated tire is liable to get too hot, setting up conditions for it to burst.
Pro tip: Bring a spare set of wheel bearings if you need to change them on the road. If you can’t change them yourself, the mechanic you hire will appreciate that you have bearing replacements.
Using the Right Equipment, You Can Tow Your Boat More Safely
With some advanced preparation, you can ensure you have all the components on hand that you’ll need to successfully tow your boat to a river, lake, or ocean.
Happy boating!
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