Trailering question

PT G

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Time to bring the boat home. It will be a 110 mile ride from Long Island to upstate New York. I have the way mapped out so I avoid "parkways" and stay on either local roads or Interstate highway. So it is all about the tow vehicle and the cargo. The draggin' wagon is a 2018 Dodge Durango SRT rated at 8700lbs tow capacity. The boat is 4043 dry, will have maybe 25 gallons of fuel and 5 gallons of water on board. 250HP Yamaha engine and 2 interstate batteries, 6 life jackets, 4 fenders, 6 dock lines. With the trailer weight it should all come out to about 7200 lbs. Do the curtains stay up or should it all come down? Anything else I need to do to the boat other than secure it and block the engine? TIA
 

Doc Stressor

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You should be fine but never tow for more than a few miles at low speed with the curtains up.
 

Slim grady

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You should have it wrapped in long island then drive it home
 

nuclear

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Curtains off for sure. Make sure everything is strapped down tight, bring extra straps with you for the transom and bow eye if it doesn't already have them on. Check tire pressures and all that other good stuff too.
 

PT G

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You should have it wrapped in long island then drive it home
What would be the advantage of wrapping when I hope to be trailering the boat to use it? If it were brand new it would be nice to have it wrapped but at this point I just don't want to lose anything along the road.
 

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Remove cushions, lower the bimini if applicable, tie downs on the transom, you should be fine. Have a safe trip.
 
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Take off anything that you think has any sort of possibility of falling or getting blown off on the trip back. Luckily you're only 110 miles away and not driving across the country over 3k miles like I did last fall. Take all of the canvas off as well as any cushions, pop off hatches and basically anything else that isn't bolted/welded down. On my trip back I had one speaker fall off completely into the cockpit of the boat and the other was hanging by one screw when I got the boat back home, plus the push in hatches all blew off as well. When traveling at 70+ mph and there's wind on top of that, it'll push and knock things around a bit. The hardtop should be fine but I'd check any accessories that are attached to it, remove the canvas, the cushions, hatches and make sure everything else is secured or fastened down and tight before going back. Luckily you've got an aluminum trailer which is a bit lighter than a galvanized one, so that'll help with some weight savings, along with only having 25 gallons or so of fuel in the tank. I'd try to limit as much gear as possible in the boat as well as in your tow rig so that you don't add anymore weight, but I think you should be fine with your current tow rig's capabilities.

I also noticed on my trip back that the safety chain on the trailer that connects to the bow eyelet on the boat either got knocked off or someone disconnected it one morning when I left my hotel room to start driving for the day. I would check yours and see, but if it doesn't, I'd get the hook that has the clamp or return spring on it so that it doesn't come undone. Also, some good tie down straps as well as some basic tools like wrenches, a socket set, a lug wrench, jack, screwdrivers and whatever else you think you might need in the hopefully unlikely event that you have a blowout along the way back. I'd also make sure you check the brakes on the trailer as well as the bearings if possible and the tire pressures and all of your trailer lights. Good luck with the drive, be safe and keep us informed.
 
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efx

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Take it slow, 55- 60 mph is perfect. Keep lots of space between you and car ahead. Keep the Durango lightly loaded and maybe do an oil change. It should handle it well. Slow and steady wins the race.
 
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PT G

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Murphy's Law has kicked in - well maybe just my pessimism, it's not really a bad thing...surveyor's report kicked in and issues noted are being addressed. There will be no pickup tomorrow as planned. At the top of the list was alternator not charging, regulator had to be ordered. Rough low speed idle and low speed fuel monitoring being checked, dealer taking full responsibility for items reported. So I will sit and await call. Time to do Spring cleanup around the house. Thanks for all the tips offered, the advice is appreciated.
 

family affair

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If you don't have one, buy a grease gun and load it with marine wheel bearing grease. Even if you don't need it now, you will definitely need it later.
I never leave home without it on any boat trailer trip over 100 miles each way.
We have fond memories of the Voyager we owned prior to the Islander. Best of luck.
 

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If you attached the safety chains incorrectly, they can come loose. The correct method is to cross the chains, left chain goes on right eye on the hitch and vice versa. Most importantly, when slipping the hook on the hitch eye, insert the hook with the open end in from the bottom of the eye, not from the top. The top looks like it makes sense but it is not the best orientation.

 
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Slim grady

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What would be the advantage of wrapping when I hope to be trailering the boat to use it? If it were brand new it would be nice to have it wrapped but at this point I just don't want to lose anything along the road.
If it's wrapped you don't have to worry about anything flying away.... I sold my boat to a guy in Jersey so I had it wrapped and didn't need to worry bout cushions Bimini curtains etc flying out
 
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Mustang65fbk

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If you attached the safety chains incorrectly, they can come loose. The correct method is to cross the chains, left chain goes on right eye on the hitch and vice versa. Most importantly, when slipping the hook on the hitch eye, insert the hook with the open end in from the bottom of the eye, not from the top. The top looks like it makes sense but it is not the best orientation.

I'm not sure if this response is in regards to my above post but if it is, I was referring to the safety chain that goes from the bow stop on the trailer to the bow eye on the boat itself. Not the safety chains connecting the boat to the truck itself. My trailer currently has a bow safety chain like the one in the first link, where I need to get something like the bow safety chain in the second link where it has the retainer clip or whatever you want to call it on there. One morning after leaving my hotel room for the night, I came out to the trailer and the hook had either been taken off or fallen off the bow eyelet. Not sure if that's possible from hitting a bump or whatnot, but I'll get something like in the second link to hopefully not have this issue again.


 
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luckydude

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Good points made by all, I'll add one that bit me recently: if you have the hydraulic brake system, make a point to check the fluid, on my trailer it all leaked out for some reason and I was driving around with no trailer brakes. Ouch! Now I check it every trip.

I suspect it got pushed out when I was backing up and my trailer harness wasn't sending the reverse signal because every since I filled it, it has been fine. Who knows?
 
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seasick

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Oops, my mistake:)
Good points made by all, I'll add one that bit me recently: if you have the hydraulic brake system, make a point to check the fluid, on my trailer it all leaked out for some reason and I was driving around with no trailer brakes. Ouch! Now I check it every trip.

I suspect it got pushed out when I was backing up and my trailer harness wasn't sending the reverse signal because every since I filled it, it has been fine. Who knows?
If you have surge brakes, the reverse signal activates a solenoid which blocks the flow of fluid to the axles. Your loss of fluid is not related to the solenoid at all so keep checking. If you have drum brakes, you may want to take a look at the wheel cylinders for leaks
 

luckydude

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Oops, my mistake:)

If you have surge brakes, the reverse signal activates a solenoid which blocks the flow of fluid to the axles. Your loss of fluid is not related to the solenoid at all so keep checking. If you have drum brakes, you may want to take a look at the wheel cylinders for leaks
My wiring harness was not sending the reverse signal so I backed up and the trailer danced all over the parking lot. 4 disk brakes, it's a high end trailer.

I've looked and not seen any leaks, I park it on concrete, if it were leaking I'd see it. So it is a puzzle but so long as it works, I'm good I guess?
 

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My trailer has an opening to insert a bolt that will not allow the coupling to slide and 20220414_132710.jpgkeep the surge brakes from actuating.
(not where the pin is now)
 

nuclear

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I have something similar, I just forgot to use it. My wiring harness is flakey, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
I feel like mine are the same way, thankfully I never pull more than 12 miles and the roads are just 45mph or less so I don't really worry about it.