Towing the 210 - Newbie ? Long Distance

[OverlandingGoat]

So I currently have a '15 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon that I've built up over the past 2 years for Overlanding....

The Jeep just doesn't seem like it's going to cut it, specs aren't there. I'm supposed to pick up a '19 Dodge PowerWagon tomorrow for towing the boat.

For those of you that have towed this boat long distances, 200+ miles at a time, here are a few questions:

• What kind of vehicle do you use to tow
• What speed do you usually cruise at on the highway with the boat in tow? 55? 65? 70?
• Does the trailer that comes from Yamaha have surge or electric breaks?
• Do you use a weight distribution hitch? Is it needed for this boat and trailer combo?
• Do you use any anti-sway type devices?
• Manual says first 500 miles of towing should be done at 50mph, that may be an issue, I may need to drive back from Alabama at 50 mph since it's a new truck. I may need to consider just having the boat transported back, not sure. Still deciding.

Any information about towing you can provide would be very helpful!

Thanks in advance!

 

[ctyke]

I have a GMC Yukon XL. Pulls without issue at whatever speed I set the cruise at. 77 on the freeway. Mine came with surge brakes. You don't need a weight distribution hitch or anti-sway, put I would recommend an adjustable height hitch. If you are buying new, there are two schools of thought. Break it in like you are going to use it or take it easy. I am in the take it easy camp. I normally don't tow with a new vehicle for at least 500-1000 miles.

 

[AZMark]

Same as above, I tow at 75 in town and it’s fine. Vehicle is a Toyota land cruiser.
No kind of sway control or weight distribution needed.
The trailers have surge brakes that work well. I believe you can convert them to electric if you’re towing that much and need more control over how they engage.
I probably wouldn’t tow a heavy boat a long ways on a brand new truck.

 

[OverlandingGoat]

Thanks for the replies...I'm in the take it easy camp as well. I'm going to put about 220 miles on it tomorrow when I bring it home from the dealer. I'm going to take back roads as much as I can so I can vary my speeds and not just set on cruise. I should be able to put at least another 300 to 400 miles before I leave to get the truck and then 700 miles to get to the boat, so should have at least 1100 miles on the truck by the time I hitch the boat. I suppose I'll be driving slow. It's about the journey, so we will take it slow on the way home.

 

[obrien19]

One thing that I took into consideration with towing speed, is speed rating of trailer tire. Most bias ply tires are only rated for 65MPH. Since most lakes are about an hour from me, as well as taking a yearly trip that is 800 miles round trip. I upgraded to Goodyear Endurance tires. Since it is a radial trailer tire, speed rating is 87MPH.

 

[Venkman]

All good advice. The Powerwagon will tow that boat with absolutely zero problem. The trailer will have surge breaks, (unless Yamaha changed it for 2020).

I would check tire inflation make sure they are fully inflated, it will keep tire heat down (important on summer roads) and prevent blow outs. I would bring a small floor jack with me as just in case, these boats/trailers are too heavy for the jack the truck comes with from the factory.

Make sure the truck has the correct fitting for the trailer's lights. It should have the 7 pin adapter, but you never know.

I would look for an adjustable hitch, the power wagons usually sit higher in the back and you want the boat to ride level as much as possible.

I do not believe you would need any type of anti-sway device, that boat should weight less than 5000 pounds and the length of a full size pickup should help reduce any sway.

Check the back straps on the boat, you don't want to have a hard stop on the highway and have a new boat shift off the trailer.

take it easy coming down hills, I don't know what part of Alabama you are in, but at least in the northern part where my family is from some of those long hills can really get those surge breaks hot. I don't know anyway to prevent that other than start the hill off at a lower speed.

 

[AZMark]

One thing that I took into consideration with towing speed, is speed rating of trailer tire. Most bias ply tires are only rated for 65MPH. Since most lakes are about an hour from me, as well as taking a yearly trip that is 800 miles round trip. I upgraded to Goodyear Endurance tires. Since it is a radial trailer tire, speed rating is 87MPH.

The 215/75D14 Carlisle bias ply that came on mine are rated for 81 mph. I’m definitely going to radial trailer tires when they wear out though.

 

[minn19]

I have a 3.5 Eco F-150 with tow package and did 70-75 the majority of the way home (280 miles) after picking up the boat. The 2020 trailers are still surge brakes. I always put my floor jack, cordless impact, sockets and multi tool set when trailering places. It came in handy last year when towing my friends fishing boat to Canada and we had a trailer tire blowout. We were back on the road in 15-20 minutes. Others here have great advise as well.

I'm a take it easy guy for break in on tow vehicles. Not so much for toys, but I still follow the recommended break in per the manual on those as well.

Main thing like others said is double check your straps/tie downs/hook ups etc and take it easy.

 

[Betik]

Your truck is fine. My only concern is if the truck is raised too high. Vehicles set up for serious off roading do not Make good tow vehicles.
You do not need weight distribution as the boats are aerodynamic and tent to center themself.
Cruising speEd is up to you and the co diction of the trailer and road.
Members here have been knowing to have reached over 90mph. We typically tow Dallas to Orlando. From Dallas to mobile we average 60mph. On I-10 to Orlando we average 65mph. The main driving factor for us the objective of the day. If there is no rush we max out at 65mph as it yields 13MPG. If we move to 70-75mph that mph drops to 9MPG.

please keep in mind to check the bearing frequently. Also make sure the tires are properly inflated ( makes huge difference on mpg)

 

[Chevyguy2021]

1) Make sure your trailer is relatively level when connected to the truck
2) Check tire pressure - we bought our boat used and towed it 200 miles home at 70 mph with some tires inflated to 25psi. Rookie mistake.
3) We just upgraded our tires on our trailer, max speed is now 81 mph which we will never reach. lol Nicer tires made a huge difference
On the HWY i would be comfortable running 70 mph. Nothing over that. Mainly due to MPGs. lol

Our 2019 Jeep GC has sway control built in, yours should as well if you have the trailer package.

 

[Dixie Highway]

• What kind of vehicle do you use to tow 2018 F-150 3.0 Power Stroke 4x4
• What speed do you usually cruise at on the highway with the boat in tow? 55? 65? 70? 55-60 on 2 lane roads, 68-70 on the interstate
• Does the trailer that comes from Yamaha have surge or electric breaks? Surge Brakes on Shoreland'r
• Do you use a weight distribution hitch? Is it needed for this boat and trailer combo? No and no
• Do you use any anti-sway type devices? No, proper tongue weight will all but eliminate this. Truck has trailer sway control too, but I've never noticed even a hint of it.
• Manual says first 500 miles of towing should be done at 50mph, that may be an issue, I may need to drive back from Alabama at 50 mph since it's a new truck. I may need to consider just having the boat transported back, not sure. Still deciding. I think you'll be ok, I'd try to keep it under 70 though.

For reference, I just towed 2500 miles to Florida and back and got 14 mpg at 70 mph. I keep an infrared thermometer to check wheel/hub temps every time you stop. I take the T-top cover off ALMOST every time I trailer, and EVERY time I'm over 60 mph. I do short trips with it on due to laziness, but it likely decreases fuel economy.

 

[OverlandingGoat]

I keep an infrared thermometer to check wheel/hub temps every time you stop.

Why do you check the temps and what temps are you looking for?

 

[Dixie Highway]

Checking the temp of the hub/rim and tires will tell you if you have an issue with a single hub. In the heat of summer on long trips 110-115 is my normal hub temps. You are looking more for consistency across the hubs versus an actual number. It’s not as easy if you only have a single axle since there’s 2, but that’s where a good baseline comes in handy.

 

[OverlandingGoat]

I always put my floor jack, cordless impact, sockets and multi tool set when trailering places.

I would bring a small floor jack with me as just in case, these boats/trailers are too heavy for the jack the truck comes with from the factory.

What size floor jack to you guys take with you. The only size I have at the house is a 3 ton, seems like a lot of Jack to carry with me. Do you lock it down in your bed, to avoid theft.

 

[OverlandingGoat]

Thank you to everyone that has posted, the information shared is super helpful. I'm creating my gear and safety checklist now.

 

[minn19]

What size floor jack to you guys take with you. The only size I have at the house is a 3 ton, seems like a lot of Jack to carry with me. Do you lock it down in your bed, to avoid theft.

Yah mines a three ton as well. It is a lot of jack to carry, but I like having the extra safety margin plus convenience it offers. I have a lockable tonneau cover. Since the one incident I needed it, I always bring it with now as it would suck to try and use the scissor jack from the truck etc.

 

[Elliott]

If you have an tandem axle trailer (that is what Yamaha's website describes), just carry a Trailer Aid Plus. It is cheap, sturdy and extremely safe (especially with the trailer connected to the tow vehicle). I have a Trailer Aid for my travel trailer. I have not used it to change a tire, but each year I use it to lube (Dexter EZ-Lube) my travel trailer's axles. Shop around for the best price.

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[minn19]

If you have an tandem axle trailer (that is what Yamaha's website describes), just carry a Trailer Aid Plus. It is cheap, study and extremely safe (especially with the trailer connected to the tow vehicle). I have a Trailer Aid for my travel trailer. I have not used it to change a tire, but each year I use it to lube (Dexter EZ-Lube) my travel trailer's axles. Shop around for the best price.

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That's awesome! This is my first dual/tandem axle trailer and I've never heard of those. Definitely going to get one, thanks for the post.

 

[OverlandingGoat]

If you have an tandem axle trailer (that is what Yamaha's website describes), just carry a Trailer Aid Plus.

That's pretty amazing, just saw a few videos. I will be ordering one of those for sure!

 

[PeterB]

I always carry trailer bearing grease and grease Gun when towing as well as the other suggestions - as others mentioned a floor jack and I also keep it under a tonneau cover - that trailer aid looks interesting though - I bet it’s lighter than my steel floor jack!