I know, I know - it's early in the morning and you're in a hurry to get on the road so you can launch your boat and start fishing! You want to beat the rush at the boat launch, plus you still need to stop and buy gas, bait, food, drinks....the list goes on and on.
It's easy to skip doing your safety checks when you're in a hurry because after all, you did them last week and everything was fine then - what are the chances that something will have changed after a week of sitting? Though it's tempting, you should never tow before you check the following:
- Coupler securely engages your hitch. The coupler and hitch ball must be rated for the same size – the size should be imprinted on both the ball and the hitch.
- Safety Chains are safely secured to trailer and tow vehicle in a chris-cross fashion under the tongue.
- Jack is fully cranked up (and parallel to tongue if swivel jack).
- All fasteners / bolts are properly tightened. Pay particular attention to the lug nuts (tightened to 85 ft-lbs).
- Boat is securely tied down with tie-down straps. Your winch strap is not a tie-down strap. A winch controls your boat in a horizontal direction. Tie-downs control your boat in the vertical direction. You must have bow-eye and transom tie down straps securely attached whenever the trailer is in use.
- Tires are properly inflated – read the tire sidewall to determine the correct tire pressure required. This rating will be different than your tow vehicle. Also check for tire wear, cracks, bubbles or foreign objects imbedded in the tire. Bias ply trailers are not designed for speeds in excess of 65 mph.
- Brake lights and other trailer lights are working.
- If the trailer is equipped with brakes, make sure they are functioning by lightly testing before getting on a major road.