Furthest you've trailered your boat???

[Kelso]

Like the title says, what is the furthest distance you have trailered your boat?

I bought mine 4.5 hours north in Lewisville, TX. at the great Phil Dill Boats, and promptly towed it home. Since then we put quite a few miles on the truck with it behind us. We live near Galveston, and also have a lake house 2 hours north in Livingston, TX. So the boat travels a lot since we use it regularly in both locales. We trailer it back and forth with us during the season.

But I digress, the reason I'm asking is because this summer we are trekking 8+ hours to Hot Springs, AR. with it, and a month later 6 hours to South Padre Island. Eventually it will be towed the 12 hours to Atlanta, and probably to Florida sometime too.

I always tow with the cover on the boat, and I also have a hitch mounted full width Rock Tamer setup to keep rocks/road debris off the boat.. So other than bugs splattered on the tower we have had no issues.

So how about y'all? Tips? Tricks?

 

[jawsf16]

We trailer everywhere, nothing crazy far. Deceased insects on the tower and Bimini boot are annoying. If you spray the tower with pledge, it makes getting bugs off easy. Trick my dad @N1AGH taught me from his motorcycles. Works pretty good!

 

[Kelso]

Ah!

We trailer everywhere, nothing crazy far. Deceased insects on the tower and Bimini boot are annoying. If you spray the tower with pledge, it makes getting bugs off easy. Trick my dad @N1AGH taught me from his motorcycles. Works pretty good!

Ah! Wonderful tip!

 

[upperdeck]

I've trailered from Milwaukee to Ft. Lauderdale and back twice, this June will be our third. It's about a 24 hour drive each way.

Check hubs and tires frequently. Last year I upgraded the tires to radials, happy with that decision.

I try to keep as much weight in the truck and out of the boat, and tow with an empty fuel tank.

 

[Chadrock]

Last summer I trailered 6 hours to southeast Ohio for a family reunion on the Ohio River, then 2 more to Morgantown WV, 2 more to Lake Summersville WV, then 5 back home. No problems other than I lost a bearing buddy somewhere on the way home. I think I had a bearing get hot...probably need to fix that before summer is back into full swing.

 

[Suchawittygal]

We trailered from near Dallas, TX to Southern California.

 

[Julian]

Used to trailer it every summer from Chicago to Sioux Narrows Ontario (13.5 hours each way). Always trailered with the cover on. I'll bet rainX on the tower would help. Also heard of people putting wide 4 inch painters masking tape on the tower for towing long distances.

 

[Bruce]

I believe we put 2500 miles on our trailer last year.

I add grease to the hubs every 500 miles.

 

[Kelso]

Well it seems many of our boats see lots of earthen miles. Makes me feel better about towing longer distances. I guess my biggest worry is throwing rocks at the hull with my commercial tires, but I've doubled up on that protection so it is what it is now.

 

[Impelled]

Believe it or not, I slow down to 60~65mph depending on wind. I travel w/ a cover....so I'm not in a big ass hurry anyway...so 63 is my sweet spot. I think the Tundra could go a little faster if I had to. Wax the boat, especially forward, drop poles, tighten everything, grease bearings and run air pressure 2lbs under recommended max. Other stuff I can't think of to type out But driving Columbus to Cumberland then 10 days later making that drive to Shelbyville is long. Back to Columbus (north in Delaware Co) from Shelbyville is easy. I used to know the numbers....too lazy to mapquest it out. Some would say....a long ass way. Worth every mile too

 

[KXCam22]

Doesn't really count but my boat was trailered from Mesa Az to the Canadian Border for me to pick up. About 1800 miles. My routine trailers are either 45 min to the lake launch or about 5 min to the river launch and 20 min boating to the lake. Cam.

 

[The Wanderer2]

I bought my current boat last April and towed it back to Michigan in May. In August I took it to the U.P. for a week on a family vacation. Brought the boat back to Florida last October and will take it back to Michigan in May. In July will take the boat to Table Rock for the family vacation and back to Florida in October. Prior to this boat, I had a Seadoo Utopia that made the round trip between Florida at least three times. Only trouble so far, was with the Seadoo, I blew a hub and tire on a short trip to a lake in Florida. Ended up having to replace the the axle, hubs and brakes. This was because of salt water damage from previous owner not washing the trailer after salt water use. With proper trailer maintance you can take these boats anywhere you want. The biggest challenge on the road is Hotel parking and busy small gas stations.

 

[jdonalds]

550 miles when we moved from Southern California to Redding CA

 

[Magic]

5 hrs from PHX to Powell. 8 Hours from PHX to Long Beach. 5 Hours from PHX to Rocky Point MX

Otherwise all the local lakes are between 45 minutes to 1.5 hours away....

 

[Sotally Tober]

9 Hours from San Diego CA to Lake Powell AZ/UT

 

[Speedling]

I live near Chicago and picked my boat up in Naples Florida and trailered it home. That count?
just nder 1300 miles one way.

 

[Rigger]

1500 miles round trip, yearly - Stafford Virginia to Lake Martin Alabama. Otherwise it's 700 feet from my covered dry slip to the boat ramp at Lake Anna.

 

[Tollus]

Ashburn VA (DC Suburb) to Lake Keowee, SC. About 1100 miles round trip. No issues other than the bugs on the tower. Had my trailer inspected prior and had an infrared thermometer to check the hubs along the way.

I'm thinking of adding commercial tires to my truck and lifting it about 2 inches so I can fit a little more tire under there. I hadn't thought of throwing stones at the hull....what did you do to prevent it? These giant trucks come with little highway tires these days....I don't get it. Granted I have 20 inch rims, they just look small on a big truck. Planning to add a little more width and sidewall but still use the same rims.

 

[JetBoatPilot]

I trailered our 212 SS around the peninsula of Florida last October when I visited my Florida dealer network. That trip was about 2000 miles all total. The next month trailered to Ga, Al, TN, SC, and NC on another dealer trip. All total probably about 2500 miles on that trip.

The trailer did well on both trips but on the second trip I noticed some grease that was being slung from the hubs. No over heat, but a bit messy.

 

[Tollus]

I trailered our 212 SS around the peninsula of Florida last October when I visited my Florida dealer network. That trip was about 2000 miles all total. The next month trailered to Ga, Al, TN, SC, and NC on another dealer trip. All total probably about 2500 miles on that trip.

The trailer did well on both trips but on the second trip I noticed some grease that was being slung from the hubs. No over heat, but a bit messy.

I've had that happen too....I lost a cap and as the grease heats up, it expands and it was all over my rims. I assumed it was a combination of no cap and perhaps a little too much grease in the hub.