If you think water skiing, fishing, and cruising are the only activities you will participate in as a boat owner, think again. You’ll also do your fair share of towing, After all, your boat needs to be towed to the water before any fun in the sun can commence.
Boat towing adds a new layer of complexity to driving your average car or truck. While the boat trailer moves and brakes with your SUV or truck, it is a separate vehicle. Not only will boat towing impact your turning radius but your braking speed, too. With a boat in tow, you’ll need to drive more conservatively than you would on the average day.
If you’re looking for information on towing packages, the ins and outs of hooking up your trailer, and much more, look no further.
Understanding Your Towing Package
The term “towing package” describes all the attachments on your vehicle that help you safely tow a boat.
While you might have a vehicle suitable to tow a boat, the features of your towing package will depend on the size of your boat and the type of boat trailer you choose. Consider these features of your vehicle’s towing package:
Towing Hitch Class
The size of the trailer hitch you need depends mainly on how heavy your boat is. Towing hitches are measured by class.
- Class I: Also called bumper hitches, these hitches are designed for boats under 2,000 pounds.
- Class II: Used for boats that weigh up to 3,500 pounds
- Class III: Used for boats weighing up to 5,000 pounds
- Class IV: Used for boats weighing up to 12,000 pounds
- Class V: Used for boats weighing up to 18,000 pounds
Tongue Weight
As a rule, your hitch’s tongue weight should be 10 to 15 percent of the total weight of your boat and trailer.
If your tongue weight is insufficient, you’ll have reduced control on the road and experience more sway while driving.
Towing Capacity
To tow a boat safely and comfortably, your vehicle must stay in control while towing your boat trailer. Make sure your vehicle’s towing capability meets the class of your trailer with this quick guide:
- Cars and small pickup trucks: Class I only
- Midsize trucks, vans, and SUVs: Up to Class I, Class II, and small Class III
- Large trucks and select large SUVs or vans: Up to Class IV and Class V
Side Mirrors
When towing a boat, your side mirrors are your main visibility points, given that your boat obscures the view in your rearview mirror.
If your vehicle isn’t already equipped with towing mirrors, consider purchasing an aftermarket set. If you purchase through Amazon, you can expect a set of towing mirrors to run anywhere from $40-$70—a small price to pay for maximum safety.
How Fast Can You Drive While Towing A Boat
Even when you own a great tow vehicle, a towed boat can still pose a safety hazard.
Follow all recommended speed limits, ensure the boat is properly secured to your trailer, and confirm that your tire pressure is at an ideal level. Once those boxes are checked, you can reach up to 60 mph while boat towing.
Traveling faster, which is tempting when moving the boat long distances, will burn more fuel, put additional wear and tear on your vehicle, and sometimes earn you a ticket.
How to Trailer Your Boat
Hitching your boat trailer to your vehicle is often referred to as “trailering the boat.”
Failing to hitch your trailer safely could mean losing your boat or causing a catastrophic accident on the highway. To avoid disaster, follow these steps to safely trailer your boat before you start your trip:
- Line up the ball with your trailer hitch and lower the hitch down over the ball. This may take some practice and a helper to help direct you.
- Once the hitch is in place on the ball, close the latch and insert the safety pin.
- Cross the safety chains and secure them to the truck.
- Attach the brake safety line to your vehicle.
- Plug in the trailer lights and ensure everything is working properly before starting your trip.
Pro Tip for Towing a Boat:
When choosing a storage location for your boat, prioritize accessibility and spaciousness. Ultimately, you’ll want to ensure you have enough room in your storage space to properly hook up the boat. Also, consider if you need extra space to store any additional items for your boating adventures (life jackets, a towing line, a tool kit, inner tubes, etc.).
Safely Towing Your Boat
Navigating the road with a trailer can be a challenge. If you’re a new boat owner or in the market for a boat, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with the basics of towing before you get out on the road.
To safely tow a boat, you’ll need to consider your vehicle’s additional weight and length now that you’ve added a boat and a trailer into the equation. You’ll even need to be wary of the effects of shifting winds on your boat, trailer, and towing vehicle.
For more information on how to tow a boat to your destination safely, check out the tips below.
Perform a Walk-Around Inspection Before Hitting the Road
Walk around the entire perimeter of your towing vehicle and boat to complete a final check of these areas:
- Verify that the tires on both the vehicle and the trailer are properly inflated
- Confirm that any cargo weight is evenly distributed weight between the boat and truck.
- Secure the trailer hitch with the safety pin and safety chains firmly attached.
- Check the ratchet straps and winch are securely attached to the boat and trailer.
Practice Before Your First Trip
Like periodic boat maintenance learning how to properly tow your boat can help extend its lifespan.
To master your towing technique, take your trailer to an open parking lot to practice turning and backing up before you hit the road.
Once comfortable driving in areas without traffic, you can graduate to the city streets. Just ensure you tow your boat locally before taking a longer trip.
Create Space Around Your Vehicle
Towing a boat will limit your ability to speed up and slow down quickly. For this reason, you’ll need to keep a safe following distance at all times while also leaving extra room for passing and turning.
When pulling out onto the highway or changing lanes, you’ll need to account for the extended size of your rig and slow your acceleration to match traffic speed. When it’s time to turn, position your trailer tires on the outer part of the lane to make a wide turn and avoid hitting the curb.
Avoid Sudden Movements
Jerky acceleration, sudden braking, or sharp turns can lead to swaying, which can be dangerous on the highway. When possible, downshift to slow your vehicle instead of jabbing the brakes repeatedly.
Avoid passing when it’s unnecessary, especially if you don’t have sufficient space to change lanes safely.
If you experience sway, don’t hit the brakes. Instead, remove your foot from the accelerator and allow your vehicle to slow until the swaying stops.
Periodically Inspect the Vehicle and Trailer
If you’re traveling for more than an hour, you’ll want to repeat your pre-trip inspection every time you stop, preferably every hour.
In addition to your pre-trip checklist, you must ensure your tires, wheels, and bearings are prepared for the trip ahead. Touch the hubs and tires of your vehicle and trailer to ensure they’re warm and not hot. If the tires or hubs are too hot to touch, you likely need to have the bearings serviced immediately.
Launching Your Boat Into the Water
When you arrive at your destination, you’ll still have one final challenge to conquer: get your boat safely in the water. Launching a boat can be difficult for new boat owners, as backing up a trailer is considered one of the hardest maneuvers of towing your boat.
Use these tips to launch your boat safely:
- Ensure the boat drain plug is in place before backing in, and have a bowline and stern line ready to attach to the cleats on the dock at the boat ramp.
- Pull forward as far as is necessary to position the trailer straight behind your vehicle before backing up.
- Put your hand on the bottom of the steering wheel while backing. In this position, the direction in which you move your hand is the direction that the trailer will go.
- Watch your side-view mirrors for an accurate view while lining up with the ramp.
- Don’t expect to back up in a perfectly straight line. Instead, make tiny corrections as you slowly back up.
How to Tow Your Boat out of the Water
To keep your boat in great condition, there are times when it must be towed out of water. A properly trailered boat will help you keep up with maintenance and store your boat safely when not in use.
So whether you have a large pontoon, a small boat for fishing, or even a sailboat, follow the steps below to tow your boat out of the water successfully.
1) Getting the Vehicle and Trailer Ready
Check the gross vehicle weight rating and inspect the trailer frame, tighten lug nuts, and test brake lights before attempting to tow.
2) Back the Trailer into the Water
Back the trailer into the water gently. Boat ramps are slippery, and you can easily lose traction if you aren’t cautious. Once the stern of the boat begins to float, you can stop.
3) Secure the Boat in Place
At the boat ramp, ensure the boat’s bow is aligned with the trailer’s V-block. Straps and ropes should be used to secure the boat to the trailer. Store any loose items like coolers and fishing gear.
Attach the boat’s bow hook to the trailer’s bow stop. In addition, use tie-down straps on the transom to secure the other side of the boat.
4) Inspect Before Pulling Out
Ensure your boat is level on the trailer and centered before you pull it out of the water.
Because boat ramps are a hot spot for fellow boaters, you may feel undue pressure to speed up your towing process but remember that a small mistake during this step can be costly.
5) Pull the Trailer Out
Slowly pull the trailer out of the water, and stay straight on the ramp during this process. Remember that boat ramps don’t have a ton of traction, so you need to take it slow.
Final Thoughts
The task of hauling a 1,700 to 2,900-pound boat may intimidate you. If your first response is panic over a potential safety risk, you can always hire someone to tow your boat. It could save you and your boat from much larger problems.
