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 not drag on the ground.

WHEELS: Have the wheel bearings 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?

MOTORS: I would like to skip this subject because this is "*QUIET* WATERS" talking. But just in case you do carry a noise maker, make sure it is securely tied either in or on the boat and that the smelly gas tank is closed.

LAUNCHING AN 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.)

LICENCE PLATE: Fine for not having a licence plate attached to the trailer in September 1997 in Ontario Canada was $105.00. I knew I had forgotten something!