Trailering a Boat

Hitch-and-Pull

A boat as we know it, is a watercraft used to navigate inland waterways like lakes, rivers or near shore areas. They vary in size, shape and capacity according to the purpose they serve. From transporting passengers and cargos to fishing, boats have been evolved to luxurious recreational vessels.

Types of Boats

It is almost impossible to list all the different types of boats navigating through waters. However, they can be categorized as follows:
  • Man Powered Boats – unpowered
  • Sail Boats – A sailing vessels
  • Power Boats – Power driven vessels

The Specifics

Whether it’s trailering a boat (Hitch-and-Pull) or shipping on a Boat Hauler method, attention to important specifics involved in each method is a way to start. Regardless of transporting a small or large vessel, you need to be precise and accurate. Everything else follows.

Trailering a Boat

A trailer-able boat is always a smart choice if you want to explore more waterways. To figure out if a trailer/boat combo and the vehicle are compatible for towing is all about handling the weight than it is anything else. A truck’s capability is mostly about its towing capacity. All pickup trucks are rigorously tested and labeled with a “Max Towing Capacity” that can be found on the manual. However, this may not be all we need to know when pulling a boat overland. There are some important factors related to the trailer/boat combo and the vehicle and how they should work as on unit for a seamless and safe move.

Factors Affecting Towing

GVWR – Gross Vehicle Weight Rating is the maximum weight capacity of a vehicle without a trailer attached. It is the total that truck can safely weigh when it is loaded. It includes Curb Weight, passengers, Cargo and Tongue Weight.

Curb Weight – Weight of the truck with a full tank of fuel or any other fluid that can keep the vehicle running and without cargo and passengers.

Tongue Weight – Tongue weight (TW) is the downward force exerted at a vehicle-trailer coupling point when your trailer is hooked up for towing. The tongue weight should be about 10-15% of the GTW – gross trailer weight.

GTW (Gross Trailer Weight) – It refers to the total weight of your trailer and everything it’s carrying.

 GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating) – It refers to the maximum weight your truck, cargo, as well as a fully-loaded trailer, can handle.

Payload Capacity – It is the maximum amount of weight your truck can haul within the vehicle itself. This includes the weight limit of the bed, as well as the cab. GVWR – Curb Weight

Let’s start with GVWR. It helps determine the truck’s towing capacity because a vehicle can only tow as much as it is rated for. The GVWR should be reasonably in excess of the sum of Curb Weigh and Payload. For example, if the Truck’s GVWR is 7,500 lbs. and the sum of Curb Weight (5,700 lbs.) and Payload (1,665 lbs.) is 7,365 lbs. which is almost near to the GVWR. That means we need to remove some weight to keep in safe tolerance.

Well, GVWR is not the only main factor to determine the towing capacity. The combined weight of your truck and what you are towing should not exceed its GCWR (gross combined weight rating) and typically the towing capacity is determined by subtracting truck’s Curb Weight from its GCWR.