Towing my boat trailer first time

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Mar 21, 2004
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Near the beach in Delaware
I am ready to tow my new to me boat to the canvas shop today. It's a 27' Chaparral. I picked up the class IV solid steep ball mount from my box of trailer stuff and not looking for but happened to notice the GTW is 7500. I am pretty sure I am over that. The boat dry weight is 6900. Add some fuel and stuff aboard and I am at or over 7500 lbs. And the trailer weight is probably 2000 lbs.

So I guess I need a class V ball mount?

The class IV is a solid beefy chunk of steel.
 
a Curt class 4 hitch is rated for 10,000 lbs. What brand do you have? Curts are not expensive.

 
a Curt class 4 hitch is rated for 10,000 lbs. What brand do you have? Curts are not expensive.

This is the ball mount. I am pretty sure the trailer hitch on my F250 can handle it.
 
This is the ball mount. I am pretty sure the trailer hitch on my F250 can handle it.

Gottcha, I would get everything 10,000lbs at least. you will be pushing those ratings but the hitches have loads of margin so the break rating is usually at least 2X the rating when it comes to human safety.

The most stressfull event for the hitch is pulling the wet boat and trailer out of the water. The last thing you want to hear is "POP" and see the boat rolling back into the water with your trailer strapped to it. :) Now you have to fix the hitch, hope the trailer isn't damage from being drug back into the water. Fetch the boat...... massive PITA.
 
Gottcha, I would get everything 10,000lbs at least. you will be pushing those ratings but the hitches have loads of margin so the break rating is usually at least 2X the rating when it comes to human safety.

The most stressfull event for the hitch is pulling the wet boat and trailer out of the water. The last thing you want to hear is "POP" and see the boat rolling back into the water with your trailer strapped to it. :) Now you have to fix the hitch, hope the trailer isn't damage from being drug back into the water. Fetch the boat...... massive PITA.
I do not intend to ever dunk the trailer in the water or pull boat out using a ramp.
 
I am now thinking my class IV ball mount is not as strong as a normal Reese or Curt class IV ball mount. I do not need to go to a class V just a Reese or Curt class IV
 
I hope you don't have to tow it too far. I used to tow a couple different Lund Tyee's on a 260 mile round trip. After over 20 years of doing that every other weekend I decided to rent a single boat storage unit. Now I drive 127 miles one way and tow the boat 3 miles to the boat ramp. I didn't mind towing it but once I got used to the storage unit I felt it was so much less stressful and I save a lot of money by not having to buy the extra gasoline. I always kept newer tires on my trailer and never had a flat tire.
 

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I hope you don't have to tow it too far. I used to tow a couple different Lund Tyee's on a 260 mile round trip. After over 20 years of doing that every other weekend I decided to rent a single boat storage unit. Now I drive 127 miles one way and tow the boat 3 miles to the boat ramp. I didn't mind towing it but once I got used to the storage unit I felt it was so much less stressful and I save a lot of money by not having to buy the extra gasoline. I always kept newer tires on my trailer and never had a flat tire.
My boat needs to be towed about 15 miles to a canvas shop and then in 2 weeks about 20 miles to a marina with rack storage. It will stay on a rack 365 days a year. Trailer will not be used for now. But I am on waiting list at other marinas for a slip and if and when that happens I will use the trailer for off season storage. Or I may like the rack that I give up my idea of a slip.
 
I went the better safe than sorry route and ordered a class IV 12000 lb ball mount.

I had a UHaul trailer once come loose when the ball mount came out as UHaul put the pin in wrong. Going up hill not so bad but going down hill with a 10000 lb trailer coming at you isn't fun. Chains prevented it from being much worse.

The heavier duty ball mount looks like one piece of forged steel. The 7500 lb ball mount had two pieces welded. But I would not think the welding would be the weak spot. Both are solid steel and very heavy.
 
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