This sunday I will be towing my 15' bass boat to the beach about 350 miles. I have a tranny cooler mounted under the skid plate and i have checked to fluid. Is there anything I should look out for or DO on this trip so I dont run into any problems. I also will be hualing a lot of gear (tools, coolers w/ ice and drinks, passenger, ect.). Thanks in advance.

 

Drive safely and below the speed limit on the interstate as I saw a guy lose his boat a while back from a good gust of wind and off the road he went rig, trailer, boat and all. Boats don't do well in wrecks!

 

I know I have a friend that was rear ended boat turned into a missle.

 

If there is a Power/Economy switch, leave it in Economy mode. That will lock up the torque converter sooner and longer, reducing the damaging heat generated by a slipping (torque multiplying) converter in Power mode. Or so I've been told by towing experts.

 

SOOO leave the ECT OFF???

 

Lock out OD!!

 

Take it easy, be safe, leave lots of room between you and the car in front of you, if anyone tailgates let them go around and play radar buster for you.

 

Yes, yes, write a note and put it where you'll see it everytime you start the car. TURN OFF THE OVERDRIVE!

 

When I had my '90 with the 3.0, I used to tow my bass boat (glass) or a 3000 lb camper frequently. Just watch your distance, give yourself plenty of time to stop (and to pull out!) and try to stay away from too many hills. The 18 wheelers will get tired of having to pass you!

And I'm SURE I don't have to remind you to remember the drain plug!!!

 

It's the trailer that usually gets you into trouble, not the tow vehicle. Trailers sit abandoned in the weeds most of their life, and then sporatically get heavily loaded and driven fast.

Make sure the boat is well secured to the trailer. Make sure the trailer tires are in good shape and well inflated. Check the trailer brakes for proper operation. Check the wheel bearings for slop and adequate grease. If it's an old ratty trailer, check the axle for rust failure.

Pull over after a very few miles and recheck everything. Pay attention to the wheel bearings! If they are scorching hot, go home. Retighten the boat straps and the hitch. Shake it side to side to see if the wheel bearings have losened (you'd be surprised how often they do).

If you want to be really smart, pull the trailer around tonight after work just to check the above things, and to remind yourself how it feels and drives with a trailer. Don't wait until Saturday morning to do the initial check and prep.

 

350miles is nothing. If it's highway, leave OD on, especially once you get to highway speeds. I only use ETC on the hills, but it's up to you. Let the road tell you what to do... watch your speed and your RPMs - if the RPMs get high, turn OD on/ETC off (in that order). If you feel like you're bogging down, turn ETC on/OD off (in that order). Any idea what your boat weighs? How long is the trailer? Braking will probably be you only real concern... and if the trailer is real long, you might need to pay a bit of attention to the handling. Heavy/long trailers can end up steering the truck if you're not careful.

Keeps as much of the weight over the axles as possible - load your boat over the trailer axle(s), and you rig over the rear axle if possible.

 

Like foxtrapper said, check the bearings and grease them up. Check the inflation on the tires and make sure there are no signs of rotting.

Remember to downshift when going down hills so you don't burn out your brakes. When I pull my 17ft 3,500 lb boat, I have noticed that my brakes warm up fast and I allow extra distance for stopping due to brake fade.

 

anytime the weight of the towed vehicle even APPROACHES the weight of the towing vehicle, you should have brakes on the trailer. Electric is best, but even surge brakes will save your *ss in an quick stop.

And ignore the guy that says use OD. It's NOT the miles, it's the HEAT!
Plenty of guys have burned up their OD in ONE TRIP.

 

I pull the boat all the time maybe once a week. However those are only for 30 mile trips or less. The boat and trailer probably only weigh 1350 lbs at most plus all the gear and im estimating 1800 lbs tops. Thanks for all the advice.

 

The only thing I would worry about would be the gapeing hole that'll be in your wallet from having to fill up with gas every couple hundred miles.

 

Just rembered watch out for the other drivers especally the idiots that will pull out right in front of you just because you are pulling a trailer (usualy they are the same ones talking on the cell and changing the radio station at the same time)