Your Ultimate Trailering Checklist
Before You Hit The Road
Boat trailers are often forgotten because they’re
always behind you. This checklist is the first step to
keeping you ahead of any impending trouble.
1. Safety Chains
They need to be crossed so that the trailer tongue
is caught by the chains before hitting the pavement.
The breakaway cable should be connected from the
trailer to the tow vehicle. Instead of the standard
“S” hooks, use stainless-steel snap shackles. They’re
more secure.
2. Coupler
Is it locked down on the hitch ball?
3. Actuator
First, look for any spills of brake fluid around the
trailer tongue and then check the brake fluid level.
Inspect the seal on the master cylinder cap. Is the
breakaway cable attached to the tow vehicle?
4. Tires
Know your trailer tire’s inflation (psi) and check
before going out on a trip. PSI should be checked
when the tire is cold. Most boat-trailer tire psi are
higher than a tow vehicle’s psi. Check for spider
cracks in the sidewall and for adequate tread on the
tires. And speaking of tires, do you have a properly
inflated spare attached to the trailer? This is also the
time to check the lug nuts. Use a torque wrench
and tighten each lug nut to 85-95 pounds of torque
(note: this varies from trailer to trailer).
5. Bearings
Check the inside of trailer fenders for any indication of
grease. If it’s evident, a bearing seal is bad and needs
to be replaced before going on the road. If applicable,
check the oil level in the hubs. Do you know the last
time the bearings were replaced or repacked? Are dust
caps secure?
6. Outboard/Outdrive
They should be in the up position for highway travel.
If you have a transom saver, make sure it’s attached.
7. Drain Plug
Put it in the boat before you start the trip. This way
you’ll know it’s in place. The only time you shouldn’t
have the plug in serted is if you’ll be driving through
heavy rains.
8. Inspect Bunks and Rollers
Obviously, this is easier at the boat ramp without the
boat on the trailer. Still, ensure that rollers turn with
ease and aren’t cracked, and look for excessive wear on
the bunk carpeting.
9. Lights
Have someone stand behind the trailer while you turn
on the lights, the brake lights, and turn signals. On
trailers equipped with disc brakes, verify the reverse
solenoid works correctly by gently backing the trailer
and applying the brakes.
10. Tie-Downs
Check each to make certain the strap has been secured
and is locked in place. Do the same for tie-downs that
attach to the transom. Finally, check the condition of
the winch strap attached to the bow eye. If you have
a secondary strap/chain that attaches from the bow to
the trailer, make sure it’s secure.
Before You Launch The Boat
Do these 10 things at the ramp and anyone behind you in line
will say “Thank You!”
1. If New, Get To Know
If you’ve never used the ramp before, it’s worth the time to walk
to the water’s edge and familiarize yourself:
• Is there a designated lane for launching or retrieving? This is
common during weekends.
• Any debris at the water’s edge that could affect launching?
• Does the dock have cleats or just pilings to secure the dock
lines?
• Find the end of the ramp so you’ll know not to back too far.
Look for a sign indicating where the ramp ends. If necessary,
have someone stand there to warn if the trailer is getting close
to the ramp’s edge.
2. Load While Waiting
While waiting in line, unpack any items from the tow vehicle
and put them in the boat (coolers, extra gas tanks, clothing,
electronics, and equipment). Do it now instead of at the bot-
tom of the ramp; otherwise, the people behind you will have
to wait. This applies to either a single-lane or multiple-lane
boat ramp. This makes things move faster.
• Assign tasks that need to be completed during the launch.
• Attach bow and stern lines to the boat and keep the ends accessible to grab when needed at the water’s edge.
• Remove children from the tow vehicle before backing
down the ramp in the unlikely event something goes
terribly wrong and the tow vehicle goes into the water.
For the same reason, lower the tow vehicle windows
so you can make a quick escape should the vehicle go
underwater. Remember, power windows may not work
below the surface.
• Is the drain plug inserted in the transom?
• Untie the tie-downs.
3. One Lane – No Complain
If there are multiple lanes at the ramp, pick one. Avoid
backing the trailer down the middle of two lanes because
this means nobody else can use this part of the ramp.
4. Eye On The Prize
Have someone stand at the water’s edge while the boat and
trailer are backed down the ramp. This gives you an extra
set of eyes and that person can tell you when the trailer
has reached the appropriate depth of water at the ramp. If
the ramp allows power loading (and power unloading), this
person can also signal when the boat’s outdrive or outboard
has reached the needed depth to operate.
5. Take It From The Top
In the event you make a mistake backing the trailer, it’s
usually easier to go back to the top of the ramp and begin
again rather than try to straighten the boat trailer in the
middle of the ramp.
6. In The Water
When the boat is in the proper position to be launched, stop the tow vehicle, put it in park, and set the emergency brake. Many boaters will chock the rear wheels of the tow vehicle to keep it from rolling back should the brakes fail.
• Disconnect the winch cable from the bow eye.
• Lower the outdrive/outboard.
• If the ramp has two lanes, close the driver’s-side and passenger doors so as not to affect anyone trying to back a trailer down in the next lane.
• Double-check the drain plug.
7. Dock It
Is power loading legal? Many boat ramps forbid this practice because the prop wash can erode the bottom. If you aren’t going to power load, one person shoves the boat off the trailer while a second person takes both the bow line and stern line and moves the boat to the end of the dock, leaving room for others waiting in line on the ramp and on the water. This is the time to have everyone at the dock ready to board the boat. Waiting for crew members who are in the nearby gift shop, bathroom, or store is only going to delay the departure.
8. Put It In Drive And Go
Unblock the tow vehicle, release the emergency brake, and move the tow vehicle up the ramp to a parking place. Don’t stop at the top of the ramp to adjust equipment. Do it when you’re parked.
9. Crowd Control
Two points on parking: First, if friends are meeting you at a boat ramp that is known for being crowded, consider an alternative site, like a nearby shopping center. This relieves parking problems at the ramp. Second, if folks do meet you at the ramp, make sure they don’t park in an area reserved for boat trailers and tow vehicles.
10. PFD For All
Are there enough life jackets for everyone? Remember the BoatU.S. Foundation Life Jacket Loaner Program (www.BoatUS.com/Foundation/ljlp) has life jackets available for children at cooperating marinas, BoatU.S. Towing opera-tor ports, U.S. Army Corps recreation sites, and many fuel docks offering BoatU.S. members a discount.
Ten First-Time Launching Tips
Every boat owner has a story about trying to dock at a waterfront restaurant, or a slip, or even the dock at the boat ramp while a crowd watches, often times shouting suggestions and cri- tiques. If it hasn’t happened to you yet, it will. Backing a trailer down a ramp for the first time on a busy weekend provides similar stories. Everyone who’s done this says with experience comes confidence. BoatU.S. Trailering spoke with two seasoned trailer veterans who teach seminars for first-time boaters, and trailer backers. Betty Bauman, founder of Ladies Let’s Go Fishing (www.LadiesLetsGoFishing.com), leads classes for women in the Ft. Lauderdale area. Tony Dippolito of Magic Tilt Trailers teaches trailer backing as well. Here are their suggestions. Experienced boaters are welcome to read this and learn something, too!
First-Time TipsFrom Betty And Tony
1. First of all, take your boat and trailer to an empty shopping center parking lot and practice backing the trailer into a parking space.
2. Bauman says an often over-
looked part of trailer backing is
agreeing on a few common hand
signals. She notes, from 15 years
of teaching this to women through-
out Florida, that boat ramps can be
noisy and too many times a verbal
direction can’t be heard over the
roar of cigarette boats, car stereos,
and tow vehicle engines. So
have a discussion about what
she calls “a common lan-
guage.” Know how to indicate
“stop,” “left,” “start over,” and
of course, “perfect” with your
hands.
3. The most important les-
son for the beginner is to go
SLOW. The faster you go, typ-
ically the further behind you
get. There are no time limits
for launching. Most ramps
are public and everyone has a right
to be there, even the slower ones.
For the beginner, the majority of
vehicle movement at the ramp
should be controlled at the brake
pedal.
4. As you’re backing down a
sloped ramp, very little gas pedal
is required. Bumping the brake
pedal and checking where you are
in relation to the ramp are keys to
success. Also, all adjustments are
best made by the beginner with the
brake applied; turn the wheel to get
the trailer to go where you want and
then release the brake. This gives
you optimum maneuverability in the
shortest distance.
5. When we’re taught to drive,
we’re taught to keep our hands
near the top of the wheel. This can
be confusing for trailer backing as
there is no left/right relationship this way. If you start with your hands at
the bottom of the wheel, you can
establish a left/right relationship for
trailer backing.
6. Focus on the task at hand,
not the surroundings (other people
waiting). This will get you onto the
ramp much quicker.
7. The relationship between the
tow vehicle and the boat is differ-
ent for every combination. A longer
trailer is easier to back up and
harder in turns going forward. A
shorter trailer is harder to back up
as it jackknifes quicker but is easier
to tow going forward.
8. When you find yourself with
the trailer jackknifed, there is a
proper way to correct the situation.
With your foot on the brake, turn
the steering wheel all the way in the
opposite direction of the jackknife. If the trailer is jackknifed to the
right side of the vehicle, with your
foot on the brake, turn the wheel
all the way to the left as if making
a left turn. Then slowly release the
brakes and pull forward only as
far as is required to align the tow
vehicle and the trailer. Remember,
though, sometimes it’s easier to
start over at the top of the ramp.
9. All beginners should have
guide poles on the trailer for a
visual reference; this is a neces-
sity. Without guides, it is extremely
difficult to see an empty trailer.
Some people back up using mirrors,
some look over their shoulders.
There is no right or wrong way.
Whichever way is most comfortable
for the individual is the best way.
10. The difference between a
novice and a professional is the
number of times the professional
has done it. Get out and practice.
Returning To The Ramp And Heading Home
1. Drop And Go
If you’re going to drop someone off to retrieve the tow vehicle
and trailer, do so at the dock next to the boat ramp. Don’t pull
up to the ramp itself to do this because you are now block-
ing others from launching and/or retrieving. Don’t unload
everything in your boat until you have it on the trailer in the
staging area prior to leaving. Handing off coolers, clothing,
and equipment on the dock or at the bottom of the ramp
means you’re keeping others from being able to get their
boats into and out of the water.
2. Trailer Over Boat
One of the quiet rules at a boat ramp is the tow vehicle
that is next in line takes precedence to back down the
ramp and retrieve a boat. Some believe if a boat waiting
to be retrieved is moved to the bottom of the ramp, then
its tow vehicle and trailer have the “right” to back down
the ramp. The problem with this is the person assigned
to get the tow vehicle and trailer could be still walking back to the parking lot so everyone waits because the lane is blocked. Now, every ramp has its own quiet rules so take
notice of how things operate if you’re new.
3. Communicate
Back the trailer down the ramp just as you did when launch-
ing. As you’re doing this, the person with the boat at the
dock or circling in the water just offshore should move to the
trailer’s location at the bottom of the ramp.
4. Depth
If power loading, make sure the trailer is deep enough in the water so as not to expose the prop. If manually loading the boat, the person with the boat should have a bow line to throw to the tow vehicle operator once the truck is safely secured, the engine is off, and rear wheels are blocked.
5. Crank And Load
Load the boat and winch it completely onto the trailer. Secure the winch cable to the bow eye. Raise the outdrive/outboard. 
6. Don’t Stop At The Top
Start the tow vehicle, remove the blocks from the rear wheels (if applicable), and pull the boat up the ramp to the staging area so as not to block the next tow vehicle and boat trailer from having access to the ramp. 
7. Windproof And Lights
Once you’ve reached an area at the facility that is out of the way of boat-ramp traffic, load the appropriate items from the boat into the tow vehicle. Watch for something like a tarp, inner tube, or clothing that could blow out of the boat when underway and stow it in the tow vehicle as well. Also:
• Attach and secure tie-downs for the gunwales and stern to the trailer.
• If the Bimini is open, close it. Highway speeds have destroyed many canvas coverings.
• If the trailer lights have been disconnected from the tow vehicle, plug them back in.
• Remove the drain plug, especially if you may be traveling through some heavy rains.
