so now that I can tow, how do it do it?

[tabbibus]

OK guys and gals. Don't shame me here! First season with a boat. I now finally have a tow vehicle. A 2019 expedition. I don't plan on doing any long trips at this time but I would like to at least know how to tow. Explain to me like I'm five. The only thing I've ever used a hitch for was to carry my mountain bikes. Is there a good tutorial out there to watch before I try it out? And I'm talking about basic things such as how to hook up the trailer to the truck.

Thanks!

 

[Shuck Water]

Boating Magazine did a pretty good video series on towing in conjunction with Ford a coupe of years ago. Their whole series is on YouTube. Just search Boating Magazine Towing and that's a good place to start.

 

[Ancient canoe]

You'll need a 2inch ball if you don't already have it.

Hooking up. Jack the trailer up higher than your hitch and back the vehicle up under trailer coupler. If you have a backup cam that should be fairly easy. Lower the trailer on the ball. Lock the coupler and install the locking pin. Criss cross the chains and hook up the electrical. I would google this process as it's easier to understand with pics than words.

Going forward. Take it slow and be aware that you'll need more braking distance so don't tailgate. Don't be in a rush. Make wide turns and be aware of your surroundings. Your trailer is not going to follow the exact path of your vehicle it's going to be a little tighter on the corners. So when turning use the extra room, so you don't hit any curbs.

Backing up. This will be the trickiest part. I'd definitely put some time in in an empty parking lot, or at an empty ramp if you can. Don't make your first time Memorial Day or anything like that. The easiest way to learn is to put your hand on the bottom of the steering wheel. If you want your trailer to go right your hand goes right. Left and left. Use small adjustments don't crank it too much one way or you are going to immediately have to come in cranking it the other way. If you get in a bind just stop and pull forward to straighten back out. Have a spotter if you can. Don't try to do it all yourself if you are a beginner. You can google this as well as backing up a trailer is not something you are born with. Everyone has to put in the time to learn.

As far as boat launching I would get a check list together of everything you need to do to get the boat ready. Have it laminated and keep on the boat. Things like trailer straps, clean out plugs, and drain plug. It's easy to miss those things at the ramp when you get in a hurry.

 

[mark_m]

For backing up the trailer...

1. Pick a side
2. Back up using the mirrors
3. If you see boat going backwards in passenger mirror and you want to correct it, turn wheel toward passenger mirror. Basically, turn into the mirror to make the boat go the other way.


When you park the trailer, be mindful of other trailers and make sure you have swung wide enough so your trailer doesn’t get caught on the other guys tail light.

 

[Beachbummer]

In addition to all the great advice so far...One of the big things to be aware of, specially when reversing, is that the trailer cannot turn on a whim unless you have been preparing for that turn.

If there is an obstacle you aiming for (say a gate) and you are already turning full lock, and you miss it, you will need to move quite a bit back to restart the maneuver. There's no shame in this, and it's easier to restart from a better spot than to try to move the trailer sideways with short distances... it's just not going to happen.

Think of it similar to pushing a wheelbarrow, you push the wheelbarrow right, to make it turn left, and you plan ahead of time to make sure you are aiming with enough runway to adjust your position and the wheelbarrow, and if you missed you target, you need to back out enough to be able to re-establish the direction of the wheelbarrow.

EXCEPT...

You are on a big car, and your wheelbarrow is quite large, and does not pivot on a single wheel, so movements and correction take longer to take.


Regarding using human assistance...
If you have a spotter that is not familiar with how trailers work, you need to manage their assistance a lot, They may think you can turn much later...Sometimes I think my spotter is much more versed and it will catch up with me,.. everything is fine, but just at the end, you are almost there, just 2 feel to the left now....NOPE, impossible, need to reset big time. This guy tows a lot..what was he thinking? My fault for trusting, smile and nod. only happens once in a long time.

For very complex reverse maneuvers I have my volunteer "drive", but only at my very direct instructions at very slow speeds while I'm spotting. Half turn this way, stop, I will turn it for them and get them to reverse a few more feet, etc. This works the very best in my experience in very complex situations, because it's impossible to see all while driving, but if you don't understand how it works you can't spot well either, so I am spotter and "remote control" driver by asking them very very clearly and specifically what to do with the wheel. There is a long driveway with some curbs and a tree clearance I need to go in a few times a year. This works best for that situation for me.

Keep in mind this is where some marriages fail and crumble. Take responsibility as the leader of the activity for the any failures. If it's not working, re-assess. Realize it takes practice to get perfect. Don't get mad, and don't scream unless needed to save life or limb.

BEST OF LUCK!

 

[mrmeaniemeateaterman]

When you park the trailer, be mindful of other trailers and make sure you have swung wide enough so your trailer doesn’t get caught on the other guys tail light.

When I was a newb pulling the truck/trailer into those tight spots at the ramp parking lot was way more intimidating than backing the trailer. But swing wide pulling in and when backing out get trailer moving in direction you want and try to keep truck moving straight out of spot. Don't be making big movements with the wheel as don't want the front of the truck swinging around and hitting your parked neighbor.

Now that it's not summer is a great time to go to the ramp and practice. Or find a big empty parking lot and practice. At first just have truck/boat straight and try to keep it straight while backing.
Also learn to use your mirrors. I see a lot of people that want to turn around and back up. This works great if you are driving a tractor but is useless driving an SUV backing a boat. All you can see is the bow of the boat. I personally find it easier to back boat to my left as the boat then stays in my driver side mirror. Backing to the right (passenger side mirror) is harder

As far as hooking up the trailer, youtube is your friend

 

[meaningreen]

Get some cones and practice in an empty parking lot.

 

[Ronnie]

1. Know what you have and what you need.
I have an expedition with 20” rims, a self leveling suspension and a tow package which means I have a hitch, 4 and 7 pin connectors and a larger transmission cooler.
What I needed to tow my 242 is a draw bar/tongue with a 3.5” drop and a 2” tow ball as well as a locking pin for the draw bar to the hitch and a smaller pin to secure the trailer tongue to the ball. I found the 3.5” drop was perfect once the self leveling suspension did its job.

2. Once you are hooked up, I think everyone covered the actual act of towing. I will just add don’t forget to push the tow mode button on your tow vehicle, this keeps it from engaging over drive which is a good way to burn your transmission out early.

3. Towing summary:
A. Swing wide
B. Try not to change lanes much on the freeway and take the center lane next to the slow lane whenever possible.
C. Limit your freeway speeds to 60 or 65 and only go faster to pass when necessary.
D. When backing into a ramp, your driveway, whatever, go slow (as in foot on the brake always, never on the gas).
E. Sometimes it is easier to separate the trailer and tow vehicle and reset their positions to each other before reconnecting them versus trying to reposition them together.
F. If you use a spotter establish what you want them to communicate with you before you put the tow vehicle in gear (e.g. “you are on my blind side, I need to know in number of feet how far I am from X, call it out when I’m 10’ away and continue doing so until I put the tow vehicle in park. If I need to move the boat left or right while in reverse tell me that constantly until I’m lined up as well.”

Good luck, it’s not as hard as some make it out to be but it is not something that comes naturally to most either.

 

[Ancient canoe]

Regarding using human assistance...
If you have a spotter that is not familiar with how trailers work, you need to manage their assistance a lot, They may think you can turn much later...
BEST OF LUCK!

AKA Wives

 

[JimmyB]

Congrats on the new rig. All good points from the group. Remember to place vehicle in park and set emergency brake before getting out to unhook / hook up boat. Also, I engage 4WD before my rear wheels hit the water. Some ramps are steep and slippery. I wait to the very end because 4WD reduces turning radius.

It only takes a few times and you’ll get the hang of it.

 

[haknslash]

Buy some quality wheel chocks for use at the ramp and when parked. I like the heavy rubber ones the best. Also before you even think of towing I'd make sure you have a tool set with the truck/SUV with the mindset of fixing something on the side of the road. A spare wheel and tire for the trailer is also a good thing to keep if you don't have one. Get a roadside safety kit too. Congrats on your new ride.

 

[Ratket]

 

[Dixie Highway]

Let me preface this by saying I’m not great with advice on trailering. See, I grew up a farm kid and if you can’t back a truck and trailer or a tractor with implement in tow by the time you can reach the pedals, then they send you to live with your “city” cousins. This being said it feels very much like second nature to me, but in reality it’s just because I’ve been doing it for 30 years now (I’m 40). You will have mishaps, and missed turns. You will ride up on curbs, and possibly look like a rookie here and there. In time using my below advice, it will become second nature to you too.

As others have mentioned, there is only 1 thing that matters. PRACTICE!!! Practice in an empty lot with cones. Practice driving forward, managing turns, managing tight turns. Practice backing even more. Like 5 times as much. And just be prepared for pressure while backing at a busy ramp. Whether it’s real or perceived, there will be some stressful situations that come up. Remain calm! Don’t be the guy swearing at his wife and calling the guy next to him names because of his own shortcomings.

My second piece of advice, is get yourself some tow mirrors. I have the built in ones on my F150, but even the extension ones you can buy will do wonders.