New To Towing A Boat

[Sido]

Hello All,

Recently purchased by first boat - Quintrex Freedom Sport 530 - and absolutely loving it.

My question relates to towing the boat longer distances say down the coast from Sydney around 2 hours all on sealed roads - is there potential for any long term damage to the boat/transom etc from towing constantly - I use a motor support bracket for the motor attached to the trailer.

Apologies if a stupid question.

Cheers,

[Stacer560]

sido,

i cant say anything about long term damage to transom, but if the boat is second hand, i would duggest you do wheel bearings before the long trip on the freeway, just to remove any thought of damage with wheels rotating at 80-90km/h.

Just make sure shes strapped down well, canopy down so the wind cant damage it and engine cant move left right.

[Guest Aussie007]

+1 on the wheel bearings cheap investment of $16 per side compared to loosing a $150 wheel in the bush and a tow home on the tow truck than on futher inspection u need a axle from the grinding on the road

[suttonscurse]

Hi Sido

I will assume that your trailer has been set up properly for your boat (rollers right height and cradling hull correctly etc)and that you have quality tie downs, a decent safety chain / shackle on the winch support etc and that wheel bearings / lights , tow hitch etc are properly maintained and that tyres are correct load , in good condition and inflated to correct pressures. As one of the earlier replies stated , don't leave your canopy up as at freeway speeds you could have damage / tears caused to it.

You should have no problems with towing on sealed roads but remember that your trailer only has springs , no shock absorbers, so always go gently over speed humps, gutters etc. - Going too fast over these causes a sudden , unabsorbed jolt to your trailer which will put a lot of additional load on the outboard motor, brackets and mounts.

Always take care and enjoy the new boat.

regards

Bill

Edited December 13, 2010 by Suttons Curse

[Geoff-]

if second hand then pay attention to tyres as well. old tyres (especially ones with inner tubes) fill with salt after many dunkings and that accelerates wear on the tubes.

within 3 months of owning our (first) boat we had 3 flat tyres, unbelievably they all happened close to home and that was with a trip from sydney to port stephens and back thrown in. that was a fortunate warning sign, 3 new tyres and a brand new set of bearings later and i'm a lot more comfortable towing it knowing the rolling stock is fresh!!

[macmac]

Hi alls,

I just replace 3 tyres (including the spare) as cracks were identified on the side of rubber to my recently bought-used boat with trailer. The mechanics told me to replace them otherwise he won't issue me pink slip for my trailer. He told me there was an immediate danger on my trailer and if i run it to the freeway at high speed, both tyres may have a chance to burst. It cost me $95.00 each.

Regards,

Phil

[pjbink]

Tyres are perishable and is possible for them to age and perish before the tread wears out. This much more likely to happen on trailer tyres due to trailers doing less mileage and having less wear and tear from steering and putting the power down. The life of a tyre (irrespective of wear) is around the 6 to 10 year mark.

[Slink]

Bearings , Bearings , Bearings ! These just exploded on my trailer , luckily we got them before major damage . I would recommend changing them anyway and replacing any grease just so you know that they are in top order . Also make double sure that you winch and safety chain are up to any task .

Happy Boating !

[Sido]

Thank you everyone - that is brilliant advice.

Sido

[pjbink]

Also regarding tyres, play close attention to their pressure. I assume you have a single axle trailer and in this case the tyres are probably near their maximum carrying capacity. You will want to inflate them close to the maximum (cold) pressure in this case). You can find the carrying capacity and max. pressure written on the sidewall.

It should have brakes at that size. Make sure that there is enough meat on the pads, the discs aren't to rusty and they are adjusted so the is just a little play in the cable.

Also you haven't mentioned what the tow vehicle is. The larger and heavier it is the easier and safer the towing will be. Swaying is a hazard at highway speeds. It helps if you have around 7-10% of the rig weight on the towbar (but keeping within makers specs). Also the are devices such as anti-sway bars available.

Edited December 15, 2010 by billfisher

[Brooker435]

I just recently towed my boat up to Brisbane from Sydney,

I have to agree the Bearings is a ABSOLUTE Must.

I also went out and bought a new set of Rims & tyres as the original ones looked a little dodgy

cost $170 I purchased mine from the local tyre shop and have kept the origional set for spares.

also another point check your wheel brace make sure it is the right size for your trailer as most people dont think of this because they have one in the boot of their car but some cars wheel braces will not fit the trailer.

You can buy a multi type one from the hardware for next to nothing....

other than that everything else has been covered.

Good luck and safe boating,

Regards,

Nathan

[pjbink]

Having an extra jack is a good idea, plus a few blocks of wood. A single car jack may not be sufficient to lift the boat enough to change the wheel.

Edited December 16, 2010 by billfisher

[Geoff-]

+1 to all the above advice. also remember that most of the time when you change the wheel you need to change the bearing carriers over too so a large flat bladed screwdriver, a hammer and the right spanner to undo the axle nut will make your life a lot easier. would advise doing a complete bearing replacement in the driveway so you know what you're up for - might never get stuck on the side of the road but it helps to know what you're doing just in case.

[Guest Aussie007]

toss the old bearings in the boat somewhere u never know u may need them as a back up down the track sometime

[bisso]

Just one further comment regarding towing, dont rely solely on the winch post strap/cable. remember that at 90 odd km/h due to the shape of a boat hull it will be trying to lift up at the front which puts a lot of stress on that cable/strap and your hull also. i always hook a rope with a shackle on the boats front 'D' and wrap it straight down tightly onto the trailer frame. i have never had any problems towing this way and it is good piece of mind. Another thing to remember is not to load the boat up too much when you tow it. i know some people chuck all there clothing, camping gear, eskies and even kids bikes etc which all add extra stress to the hull and trailer components. The less weight you carry the less fuel you use and less stress on your boat and vehicle.

Cheers

Mick

[Sido]

Thanks again everyone - great overall advice.

Sido

[pjbink]

Just one further comment regarding towing, dont rely solely on the winch post strap/cable. remember that at 90 odd km/h due to the shape of a boat hull it will be trying to lift up at the front which puts a lot of stress on that cable/strap and your hull also. i always hook a rope with a shackle on the boats front 'D' and wrap it straight down tightly onto the trailer frame. i have never had any problems towing this way and it is good piece of mind. Another thing to remember is not to load the boat up too much when you tow it. i know some people chuck all there clothing, camping gear, eskies and even kids bikes etc which all add extra stress to the hull and trailer components. The less weight you carry the less fuel you use and less stress on your boat and vehicle.

Cheers

Mick

A chain is better for that purpose (much stronger). Use one of those turbuckle devices to tighten it.

[TheCount]

I have a Merc on the back of my Quintrex and I don't like the steel arm to brace the motor.

I wedge a nice piece of 10" x 2" pine which has alot more shock absorbancy when you roll over the inconsistencies in the road..

TC.

[pjbink]

I have a Merc on the back of my Quintrex and I don't like the steel arm to brace the motor.

I wedge a nice piece of 10" x 2" pine which has alot more shock absorbancy when you roll over the inconsistencies in the road..

TC.

Some have a shock absorbing arrangement such as a large spring built in.

[Little Hooker]

Great advice guys Ive recently notice the side walls on my tyres are cracking abit which i owned the boat for 6yrs now and i think its time to change them as i dont want them to pop on the hwy.