Trailering Your Boat 1992 US Coast Guard; Safe Boat Trailer Operations

United States Coast Guard

'Provides tips for on-the-road and at-the-ramp. Also discusses proper procedures and checklists prior to getting on the road, while on the road and at the ramp. Primary audience: high school, adult, law enforcement, marine personnel, etc.'

Originally a public domain film, slightly cropped to remove uneven edges, with the aspect ratio corrected, and one-pass brightness-contrast-color correction & mild video noise reduction applied.

The soundtrack was also processed with volume normalization, noise reduction, clipping reduction, and/or equalization (the resulting sound, though not perfect, is far less noisy than the original).

US Coast Guard Safe Trailering Operations

http://wow.uscgaux.info/Uploads_wowII/092/Safe_Trailering_Operations.pdf

1. Pay Attention to Trailer Loading and Tongue Weight. Trailer tongue weight (TW) is the amount of downward weight on the tongue. The tongue weight should be 10 to 15% of the total trailer weight. For example, a trailer with a gross weight of 15000 lbs. should have the load evenly distributed so that the tongue weight is 1500 to 2250 lbs. Too much tail weight may cause the trailer to oscillate or weave back and forth. Too much tongue weight can damage the hitch, lower the rear and raise the front of the vehicle, causing vehicle mishandling .

2. Match the tow vehicle to the trailer and load. Overloading can create serious driving hazards and even vehicle failure. Review the rating of the hitch and the vehicle towing specifications listed in the owner's manual. Also be sure that the side view mirrors are large enough to give you an unobstructed rear view on both sides of the vehicle.

3. Opt for a strong hitch. The Motor Vehicle Manual, COMDTINST M11240.9C, Appendix C, provides a Trailer-Truck-Hitch Matching Checklist. Hitches are rated as Class I, II, III, IV, and V. Class V has the greatest towing capacity and is required for SAFE boat trailering. Two suggestions to prevent mismatched hitch and ball are to standardize the hitch/ball combination to one size or to color code the hitch and ball.

4. Make good trailer maintenance a habit. Keep your trailer in good repair and plan ahead for any problems you may encounter en route to the marina. Carry an emergency repair kit, including a hammer, wrenches, spare fuses, metal file, chisel, grease and grease packing gun, an extra wheel bearing kit and bearing seating utensil, possibly a hand-held torch, and a trailer jack that can lift the weight of the boat and trailer in the event of a breakdown.

5. Do a careful trailer check. Before you take the boat out on the road, always check the frame, bearings, lights, tires, and tire pressure. Obvious problems will be easier to repair in your driveway than out on the road...