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Long distance transport advice?

2K views 15 replies 13 participants last post by  lionelmozz 
#1 ·
Hello!

I will be transporting my 18' Laguna long distance from Nebraska to southeast Georgia in about a month. It's about a 20 hour trip, and I'll be travelling alone. I've seen enough trailers jack-knife on the freeway that I'm absolutely terrified, but also not ready to sell my boat.

Just hoping to get some advice, and maybe some first-hand horror stories so I can get an idea of what might go wrong, so I can prepare myself as much as possible before embarking on the journey. I've done some research, but personal advice is always helpful too! TIA :)

Hoping for smooth sailing! :captain:
 
#2 ·
Just drive slow. Keep to the actual speed limit, add grease to the bearings as needed, stop for lunch... 20 hours is to far to drive strait thru in my opinion, so pick somewhere about 12 hours in to stop for the night.

And don't tailgate at all. The stopping distance with a boat behind you can be tripple normal, so take it into account.
 
#4 ·
repack the bearings, check tires for dry rot... make sure your lights work (I hate it when mine crap out)! if you aren't prepared to fix these problems yourself, there is nothing wrong with having someone give it the once-over FOR you... especially if you are pressed for time.

If your GVW of your tow vehicle is as much or more than the GVW of the boat/trailer, then jackknife is "less likely," not impossible of course, but less likely... Also even less likely if you have brakes on the trailer that work well.
 
#5 · (Edited)
In addition to the above good advice ....
Be sure the trailer's tires are relatively 'new'. Trailer tires that are approaching ~10 years of age should be replaced. If you don't know the tires' age, just take the trailer to your local 'tire store' and have them 'decipher' the 'code' that identifies the date of manufacturer. The heat generated during a long trip can cause 'old' trailer tires to 'fall apart' (re: jackknife potential), especially at higher highway speeds. Proper inflation is a MUST.
Its OK to use an old tire (already mounted on a wheel) as a 'spare' for use for 'short' distances. Its best to get a new tire mounted to a new wheel as your 'spare'.
 
#6 ·
All good advice, but Rich's advice on tires is spot on. Last thing you want is a blowout, and have a spare.

Based on the experience of several cross country and coastal trips with a five ton sailboat, I would offer...

Make sure you have a jack that can jack up the loaded trailer. A small bottle jack is perfect...and carry a couple of short pieces of 2x6 as a jack support for soft/uneven ground.

While driving, you need to be aware that your length for merging/passing is much longer than you're accustomed to it being. You'll need a lot more room between you and other vehicles when changing lanes, and your muscle memory/eye memory isn't attuned to that.

Finally, make all your moves smoothly as if you're dancing a ballet. Rapid changes in direction and speed of the tow vehicle make trailer control more difficult.
-Give yourself extra room behind cars in front of you to allow braking under control. If someone passes and immediately cuts back into your lane in front of you, slow to make room.
-If you happen to steer onto the soft edge of a road, slow but don't brake, then come back onto the road at a shallow angle rather than jerking back suddenly.

A test drive with your boat for a few miles at highway speed (a "road trials", so to speak) can give you confidence that both you and your trailer are ready. Good luck, and enjoy the marshlands of Georgia.
 
#7 ·
Replace your tires if they are more than 7 years old. Make sure you have a spare. Make sure it fits, I bought a boat on a trailer and it came with a spare that did not. Either practice changing a wheel or have a roadside assistance program that will change a trailer wheel for you.

Go for a short practice trip of at least 10 miles. Stop after 2 miles and check the hubs they should be no more than warm. If hot you have a problem which needs fixing. Either brakes or bearings. Check again at 10.

Would I grease my bearings, meh, well if I had greased them recently say in the last year and the trailer had not been submerged since then no., otherwise yes.

However any experienced mechanic could jack up each trailer wheel and within seconds tell you if the needed attention. Might be good for your peace of mind.
 
#9 ·
- Make sure your tow vehicle is rated for the weight.
- Check tires (inflate to recommended pressure. No more, no less). Make sure you have a spare. Adjust mirrors so you can keep an eye on your tires. Carry a pressure gage and check frequently. Do a walk around every time you stop
- Check bearings.
- Check hitch, lights, coupling, winch strap (buy a new one, they're cheap), transom tie down straps.
- What about your jack? Test it. Does it have the height to actually raise your trailer? (Mine doesn't..I need to carry a couple of 2x4s in the bed of the truck
- Very important: Slow down. Repeat: Slow down!

Go for it. You'll be fine.
 
#10 · (Edited)
Thank you all so much! I feel much better about the trip now- especially the bit about the tires. They look fine, but it's probably much safer to at least replace those before I go. I hadn't considered that since the tread is really good and the bearings were recently repacked so I figured I'd be fine. Better safe than sorry!

You guys are awesome- thanks a lot!!!!!
 
#12 ·
All of the above plus:

Figure it for a 3 session drive. 7 hrs of being nervous and tense is a long day. If you have co-driver then make it 2.

Drive at night if you can, cooler on the tires and fewer idiots on the interstate, generally less wind etc. Get off the road during commuting hours. Idiots will cut in front of you, stealing your stopping distance and putting you at risk of a panic stop.

Depending on your tow vehicle and trailer/boat weight, trailer brakes with an electric brake controller are a nice thing to have, but may be unnecessary if you have a big car/truck and a small trailer.

Assuming you have this boat ? LAGUNA 18 sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com at 1500 lbs
and it's on a trailer that is reasonable for the weight the total tow weight should be ~2000 lbs, plus what ever you pack in to the boat. Make sure your hitch is rated for the weight.

If you vehicle is 4000 lbs or more, you will likely be fine. (what vehicle are you driving? ) If you have a smaller vehicle then you might be bouncy, if your trailer weighs about what the card does, get a different car.

Depending on your age and ability to see at night, Xenon HID lights will be a big help to see down the road, so you are not out driving your headlights. You can get a kit on line for not too much money.

Look at your route, and find any descents, minimize them if you can, and use lower gears earlier to save your brakes. When you pull off the road, plan ahead on where the whole thing fits, and park where you can minimize backing.

Your tow vehicle should have a fresh oil change, properly inflated tires, a brake check etc and if you don't have a transmission cooler/oil cooler then driving at night advice is especially appropriate. (don't ask why I know this)

Your boat should be strapped down with 2" or wider straps at least two places to keep it aboard, and your boat should be loaded/positioned so that you have ~10% of the total weight on the hitch, less and it will hunt, more and you will unload your steering wheels.

As above, go for some test drives, remember when backing that the bottom of the steering wheel goes the direction that the trailer will.
 
#13 ·
Don't worry about a jack knife, chances of it happening in summer towing a fairly light load are pretty slim unless you need to do a full on panic stop where you lock up the tow vehicle wheels and the trailer keeps pushing.
Bigger worry is tires and brakes.
 
#15 ·
My experiences as a trailer instructor at my workplace, and from towing my 25ft boat on a dual axle trailer.

-Grease your bearings, a melted down bearing at highspeed will be very bad.
-in relation to this, after your first hour or so of driving pull over (in a safe spot!) and carefully feel the wheel hubs to see if they are HOT. They will be warm but shouldn't be able to cook a hot dog. If they are hot it means the bearings are frying\finished.

-Check the tires for ANY cracks, sidewall is most important, but even in between the tread lines. A flat tire on a truck can be "managed" to a stop, a flat tire on a trailer normally results in a blowout and can lead to loss of trailer control suddenly.

-Ensure the right tire pressure is in both tires. The wrong pressure (too high = boom, too low = can't carry the load) is unsafe.

-Lights, that's a given.

-Make sure the load is CENTERED properly on the trailer. If the load is even a few inches too far back it will cause a "death wobble". I did this last year with my boat, the launch was too steep and the boat ended up being 6" too far back on the trailer. Without a crane to correct it I thought I'd try and limp it home anyways figuring "it's only 6". Well on a boat like mine 6" translates to probably almost 500-1000lbs too far back. Having too much weight on the back of the trailer "lifts" up on the tongue and reduces stability. This will cause "death wobble" when braking, when going down hill, turning, and sometimes just in a straight line.

-IF you get a death wobble (you will know when it happens) either apply the trailer brake (and NOT the truck brakes) if equipped to "pull" the wobble out. If you don't have brakes then speed up, yeah it sounds counter-intuitive, but speeding up "stretches" the wobble out. Then SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY slow down so to not start a new wobble.

-Also make sure the chains are attached properly, the tongue lock is secured, and that the ball is the right size AND not corroded down 1 size smaller than it "was".


What I bring everytime I tow -any- trailer more than a few miles from home:

-2 jacks (hydraulic preferebly that can lift whatever load I'm towing)
-some spare 2"x6" boards to either put under the tires if you need to park on "soft' ground or to put under the jack(s) as needed
-electric air pump for filling tires
-a tire plug kit, this won't fix sidewall leaks or blowouts but can get a tire to hold air in a jam and LIMP to somewhere safe for replacement
-A SPARE TIRE!
-Ratchet kit and tire iron\breaker bar that will fit the lugs on the trailer
-extra ratchet straps and some spare rope for tying down whatever I forgot to once I see it flapping in the wind in my mirrors
-WD 40 or similar general use oil
-extra wheel bearing grease

Hope that helps :captain:
 
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