Towing long distance precautions

[ZeroG]

I am in the process of buying a 26ft Manitou SES with a 350 Suzuki hanging off the back. It is a 7 hour drive some of it through the mountains of WV on the WV turnpike.

I am most concerned about a blow out and will check with dealer about manufacturer date of the tires on the trailer. If they are 4 years or older I will have new tires installed. I plan to drive around 60 to 65 most of the way even though the dealer said the tires are good at 85. CRAZY.

I''m planing to take a jack, 4 way lug wrench, air tank, 12 volt mini compressor and maybe fix a flat (unsure on that at this point) ...

I do have triple A ...but don't know if they will help if I have issues with the trailer.

I'm looking for advice on do's and don't's to make this trip as safe as possible. Thanks in advance.

[Liquid Asset]

My boat lives on a trailer. I tow all over the state of Michigan. It sounds like you have a good plan. Taking tools etc is a must. If you plan on towing much I recommend getting a boatus membership . It's like AAA for towing your boat on the water and a trailer! If you are comfortable pulling a trailer you'll be fine on your trip. I have a landscape business and tow every day. What's funny is the pontoon is lighter than a lot of things I pull but it sure feels like I'm pulling a sail lol. My brothers powerquest go fast boat is much heavier but tows like a dream just due to the shape.

That said the trailer makes the difference. My last boat ( total rebuild into tritoon) I had on a basic Hoosier trailer. The amount of towing I do it wasn't sufficient. I had to weld on it several times. I bought it new and over ten years had 3 sets of tires and did bearings annually as a precaution.

When I got the new boat the dealership showed me a trailer and I said it was cheap. It was a yacht club, I said I want a better one. He got me a yacht club that was legit. Huge tube frame , disc brakes, and real tires. I tow my boat at 70 mph on the freeway with no concerns. I can't believe how many dealers put expensive boats on cheap trailers. I guess it comes down to how you plan on using it.

[ZeroG]

I mainly boat local. Ramp is 1 mile from my house. I used to dump boat in on Friday and take it out on Sunday or Monday most weekends. I plan to leave the pontoon in more than take it out so trailering will be minimal once I get it home.

The galvanized trailer offered by the dealer looked chinzee / lame. He had an aluminum trailer a couple years old that he was ready to part with. I got it for a little more than the new galvanized one. It is tandem axle with brakes on one axle. I'm checking tire manufacture dates and replacing if tires are old to lessen chances of a blowout.

I towed my last boat, a 288 Sunsation from the Mackinac Bridge in Michigan to Southern Ohio. 12 hour trek. No issues. I suspect the same on this trip but suspect the pontoon will be more like towing a billboard.

70 mph highways with 13" tires makes me nervous and with a big ole 350 motor hanging off the back ....it should be interesting. Can't wait to get her home though.

[Liquid Asset]

Funny you mention northern Michigan and sunsation. I'll be towing to Indian River in 2 weeks ( just south of Mackinaw) and then boating up. Water conditions will dictate how close I get to the bridge!

I was just boating on St Clair yesterday and launched about a mile from the sunsation factory. It's amazing the boats that come out that building! Saw a new 40' center console with triple 450's pull up while getting lunch!

[ZeroG]

Wow. I'm so impressed with the sunsation boats and the staff. One of the owners (Jeff) is active on a sunsation forum and will give all kinds of info on why and how stuff was done. I owned a 2003 mid cabin open bow. Awesome boat all the way around, but I'm retired now and ready to haul more than two friends around with us at one time without being crowded. just what Pontoon is made for.

I can't remember the water the previous owner boated on up that way, he was south of the bridge. I had to cross it since I was so close, once at night and once in the morning. I would not want to be out on that water the way it looked those days. Three or four foot white caps. Woo Hoo. LOL Have a great time up that way.

[bradm]

Sounds like you have thoughts things through. Might ask dealer to inspect an replace beaings if needed. Suggest tie down straps on boat to attach to trail and a cheap infrared thermometer to check bearing temps at fuel stops. Good luck and be safe.

[ksks]

Take out cup holders. If it looks like the material underneath could tear out, put tape on them.

[Liquid Asset]

I have to add to what bradm said about the straps. Make sure you have good ones on the back and don't trust the winch stand to hold the bow. Those are just for pulling the boat onto the trailer. I use a large ratchet strap to hold the bow. I loop it down around the bottom of the winch stand and back up. It pulls the boat forward and down eliminating any bouncing. No point in tearing up the finish on the bow rub rail during the trip home!

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[BobL]

All of these are obvious but I was stranded in the middle of BF Egypt with a blow out when I had a wake boat (btw - my truck's lug wrench wouldn't fit so had to unhook and leave the boat and travel 20 miles each way to get the 4-way lug) and I became anal about towing after that.

Floor Jack - they are cheap (my truck jack sucked when I had my ordeal)
Scrap of 4x4 to chock the wheels (had to find a big stick/log)
Extra set of bearings (your dealer may throw in a spare set)
Spare fuses (that control your trailer lights) for the tow vehicle
I assume your new trailer comes with a spare but many do not

When you get there, check the lugs and tire pressures before you leave.
Check the bearings and make sure they have enough grease/oil.

Not sure if you are leaving the cover on when you tow (a lot of people don't). If you don't, make sure all the cushions are securely shut. Also seems obvious, but make sure the bimini is in the tow position (all the way down) and your bimini boot is zipped all the way up.

Pull over the first hour and triple check everything (even inside the boat if you don't have your cover on).

And finally.....

Duct Tape, WD-40, and a pack of bungees. You can go around the world with those three things.

Take pics and post them!

[ZeroG]

Awesome info guys. Some of it I had thought of but not all so I appreciate all of you who took time to offer your thoughts and experiences.

I am following up on every suggestion on this thread. All are good things to do before a long tow.

I normally do not tow with a cover on the boat. Wind will wear and rip at the cover so I try to avoid that as best I can. Rain is predicted in spots but it's a boat. Boats get wet. I will do my absolute best to ensure everything is battened down before hitting the road. Having bearing buddies added to trailer and bearings packed before leaving and bringing an infrared heat gun to check heat of tread, wheels and hubs after driving 30 to 50 miles on interstate.

Will post pics in another thread once I've had the boat on the water. Thanks again All!!!!!

[Bryden24shp]

Tow with the front and rear gates strapped open, let the wind blow right through. Makes a hell of a difference in fuel economy. Ya, strap the boat to the trailer. Don't trust the winch strap. I put two self retracting ratchet straps around the trailers front uprights. And two around the outside toons, around the trailer. I have towed 40 plus thousand miles to and from Lake of the Ozarks in the last 15 years. Found this works best. No covers. Bimini's in trailering position and wrapped with double sided velcro to prevent raveling. Feel the tires and hubs at every fuel stop for excessive heat and pump a few shots of grease in the hubs, if you have Bearing Buddies and they are recessing. I carried 2 spares, extra hub, extra pre packed bearing kits along with jack, 4 way, compressor and tire plug kit along with spare light assemblies. I hate Fix a Flat, but love Slime! That shit works! Railroad spike in a tire, and it sealed itself. Pretend the trailer isn't behind you and you'll steer straighter. Not saying to forget its back there, but just drive NORMAL! Less weaving=less tire heat and wear on the hubs. About all I got, buddy! Be safe and enjoy the trip.

[steve1313]

It's great to see how many of you are very thorough when towing, and take plenty of safety precautions. We've all seen too many pictures of towing failures.

It also makes me even more thankful that my boat lives on a lift in a covered slip and I never have to worry about towing! I just know I'd use my boat a whole lot less if I had to trailer it every time!

[Steiner]

Definitely wrap the bimini boots with a rope spiraled around them or something like was mentioned. Just a had a fairly new one split open at the seam while towing so I'll be doing that. Dowco was GREAT on it though....two year warranty....They got it on a Thursday, I had it back the following Tuesday repaired. Was worried that they wouldn't be able to fix it or take too long and asked about just buying one and then being refunded if they deemed it warranty. They said they were so deep in the woods that it would take four weeks to make a new one.

About the straps....they're good to have BUT funny quip...my last boat didn't have any on the rear and I asked the dealer about them. He said "I can give you a set if you want them, but if that thing is coming up off the trailer then you're already in a situation where that's probably the least of your worries."

Hey Liquid Asset, I screwed a couple pieces of the Taylor Made commercial dock edging to my trailer bumpers and spritz them with Armor All like I do the ones on the pylons I dock my boat against. Really cuts down on the rail wear. Old boat had two spots on the front from the trailer bumpers with just carpet.

[riplipper]

If I am trailering over 50 miles I take two spares!!!!
Also, bring along a piece of wood to go under the jack if the ground is soft.
Also when trailering long distance I put all my tools at the BACK of the truck so I do not have to unload anything to get to them.
And for safety, a bright orange vest....
If on the side of the road with your family, get them out of the truck and a long way from the road side.

[ZeroG]

Trailer and tires did okay

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. But towing a pontoon was the worst thing I've ever towed. Like towing a billboard. Go over 60 and it started dancing back and forth ..so stayed at 58 most of ride home. 10 hours on the road with a one hour delay. Stopped dead in traffic. Then found out rear lights were not working. Brake lights and turn signals worked but no regular lights. So from Charlette to home I had on flashers. I was going slow so no problem. Most of the trip was at night due to shop taking all day to finish up work I had requested ...stereo upgrade and battery charger. So we didn't leave their lot till 6pm. Got home at 4am. Son in law was with us ....we used his dodge ram for towing and it did great. Son in law freaked out with the trailer sway. He was to scared to drive so I had to drive the whole trip. I laughed at him enough that he helped keep me awake ...his anxiety was more than I'd ever seen on anyone about anything. Unreal. Overall a successful trip but not a fun one. The fun started once we got the boat in the water last Friday.