Regarding trailering clips designed for I/Os, just how are they to be used? Are they just a precautionary device? T. Dilbruck Louisville, KY.

I just bought a new truck and now realize it has a 7-wire light connector. My boat trailer has four. Do I have to rewire this mess? T. Kleinest Largo, Florida

Should the winch be at the same height as the boat's bow eye? C.Kasey New Orleans LA.

For whatever reason, I keep throwing off the dust cap on my bearings. It's always the same wheel and the same side (dual axle, front axle, left side if it matters). Any idea why and any suggestions as to what I should be doing differently? Wilson C. Omaha, Nebraska

If my boat sits off center on my roller trailer, what can I do to get it right? It seems to load this way all the time. Erik D. Salisbury, Maryland

I'm "single-handing" a 1000# skiff with a 315 PowerWinch on a roller trailer. That winch is a web-strap model. I wore out the clutch discs in a season because the vibration and pressure of long trailering caused them to slip, requiring me to periodically stop and winch-on about three inches. Suspecting something was wrong, I re-read the manual and spoke to them on the phone. The manufacturer says not to trailer with the web-strap supporting the pull of a vessel's bow-eye even when a loose safety-chain is attached between the winch mount and boweye. Instead, they want the strain only on the safety-chain and bow-stop by winching the bow up the bow-stop, hooking the safety-chain to the bow-eye, then de-tensioning the webstrap by backing off on the winch's clutchknob. This transfers the tension to the chain for towing. What is your opinion of this connection and procedure? John F., New York

I am looking for some information on how to setup a drive-on trailer. I have talked to several shops and each has a different idea on how it should be done. I need some ideas. Are there specific items I need to have (other than bunks of course). .

I just bought a small sailboat and trailer. The boat is a 1980 12' San Francisco Pelican (9' 6" when traveling without bowsprit, 6'2" beam). The boat weighs 390 lbs. empty. I need to know what the minimum trailer and wheel size could be because I have a small car? VW Jetta. We are planning to buy an SUV next year, but I could not let the great deal I got on this boat pass me up. I think that the trailer that came with the boat is way too big. It has 14', 5 lug wheels. It is 7' wide 16' long. I'm afraid it will drag my Jetta down the ramp into the deep blue. And yes, my front-wheel drive, 4 cylinder Jetta has a manual transmission... Also, I saw that New Jersey requires break-brakes. What are they exactly, how much do they cost, etc.

Your section along with the rest of the publication is one I eagerly await for with each issue. I recently bought a cargo carrier rated at 500 pounds for my 1995 Nissan Quest which has a factory installed towing package rated at 3,500 pounds. The company is well known for its hitches etc. They told me I could get the carrier with a 2' receiver attached to a welded reinforced end so I would be able to use the carrier and tow my 16' Dockrell sailboat. The boat weighs about 1,000 pounds. They said the rule of thumb is if you can move the boat on flat ground the weight factor is fine. What is your opinion?

Is there any kind of trailer accessory you'd recommend that keeps rocks and pebbles from denting/scratching the trailer while underway?

I've been reading about "power loading" in BoatU.S. Trailering and I'm wondering if this is something I can be doing? Is it only done with bunks or can a roller trailer be used? Do I need to have anything else on my trailer in order to make this work?

Can tire pressure have an affect on having hot hubs?

I trailer a 21 Mako on a tandem trailer. It carries a Yamaha Excel outboard that weighs over 800 lbs. What is the best position when trailering for best weight distribution for the least transom pressure? I travel from NC to Tampa on interstates and some secondary roads. Five miles per hour over the speed limit is my usual average. Also what psi inflation should I use? Do I inflate to the max indicated on the tire? Ron Kolbert, Clyde, NC

With the price of gas heading up, do you have any advice for getting as good gas mileage as possible when towing a boat? Are there any tricks that I can learn?

I am moving 1300 miles from South Carolina's coast to Lake Michigan. I would like to move my Beneteau First 235 keelboat there. I do not have a trailer for it nor an appropriate tow vehicle. Will you make suggestions/recommendations/cautions for marine transport companies? Thanks.

We leave our boat on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire and want to take it to Cape Cod for a 2 week vacation but do not have a truck. Is there a place we can rent a truck that will tow our 24' bowrider? It weighs about $6,000 lbs with trailer, gear & fuel. Thanks

Hey guys, I will be towing a good sized boat (nothing too big, but bigger than a typical little runabout) from North Carolina to New York. It will be about 12 hours of driving, mostly straight thru. My question is this... should i put any kind of lubricant on the ball (truck end) or up in the socket on the coupler (trailer end) so there is less friction between the truck and trailer? I would assume that metal to metal rubbing and grinding for 12 hours can build up some heat from friction, but since its just straight highway driving, i wasnt sure if it was something to really be concerned about. Thanks, James from New York

We own a 2005 4 Winns Fun Ship 214 that we trailer to different lakes. We would like to know whether it's best to leave the boat cover on or take it off when we trailer the boat on the freeway and highways? Our concern is somewhat for gas mileage, but especially for the care of the boat. Thanks for your information.

I am looking to transport a 1984 Hunter 37 Cutter from Delray Beach, FL to Nashville, TN, Percy Priest Lake. I have no idea where to start. I am able to transport the boat via intercoastal to an appropriate facility but from that point the prep work, transportation, reassembly, return to the water would be expected. Advise please?

I live in georgia have a 31' fifth wheel camper that I tow with a ford f-250 truck, I would like to mount a reciever hitch on the rear of the camper to tow my 17' Bass Tracker aluminium boat. I have seen this twice on the interstate and would like to know the law and limits on pulling tandem trailers.

We are getting ready to trailer our 19' from Ohio to Michigan for our week's vacation over the 4th. Since we primarily use the boat in Lake Erie, what is the 'safest' method for flushing out the I/O system so we don't carry those exotic pests from Lake Erie to the inland Michigan lakes. We need something that is safe for the internal I/O parts at the same time will kill any lingering species. Thanks!

Hey Guys. Should I be concerned about trailering my boat without additional motor support/ braces. I have a 16' prosport skiff fiberglass hull with a yamaha 90 that I pull with motor up and tilt support levers in place. The only boats I ever see with additional braces are aluminum. Am I asking for future problems.

Hello, I have been a boat us memeber since 1994, and have seen this question answered may times. Unfortunately, I have also been alive over 50 years, and don't remember stuff that I'm not concerened with at the time I read it!. Soo, now that I've bought a new 19'6" Glastron gxl205 with dual axle trailer and surge brakes (both different from my single axle traiers that came with both prior boats) I immediately noticed a jerk when accelerating from a stop. I had similar experiences with my outher boats but not to this degree. (Or I'm older and it's more annoying....) Anyway, I know that if this jerk is in the reciever/hitch, there is a product (I think teflon inserts) to take up the slop in the hitch and/or hitch pin. Do you know where I can get it? The other concern is that the slop is in the surge brake (I picture stopping at a light, the surge brake mechanisn is pushed back, the light turns green, I go and the jerk I feel is the surge brake unit being pulled forward) If this is the case, is there a fix? This one really drives my wife to anxiety attacks as she pictures the back end of the truck or the front of the boat being torn free in some cartoon type scenario. (She's wrong, isn't she??) Thanks for your help, and I enjoy your magazines as well as the BOATUS committment to the boating community! Sincerely. Bob Brabham (and one freaked out spouse!)