Have a 2000 F150 4x4 with the 5.4 and the Trailer Tow Package, a 26 ft 6100lb boat, and a 1500 Lb trailer with surge brakes. Sometime this year I will have to pull the boat from Houston to New Orleans when I move. Looking for any and all advice on this to make it go as smoothly as possible. Thanks in advance.

 

The only advice I have for you is to take your time. Don't push it. Don't fill the tanks on the boat up with fuel. The less fuel in there the better. Drain the water and holding tanks too.

Service the trailer hubs and check the surge brakes while you have the hubs off.

While at rest stops, feel the tires and trailer hubs for excessive heat.

Carry tools you might need to tighten or replace things on the trailer and your truck.

Take the prop/s off if it's got outdrive/s. If it's got Mercruisers, give a lot of consideration to having the drives removed and stored inside the locked boat or truck if there's a chance that you'll have to stop overnight. Mercruiser drives are way too easy to steal.

 

Good advice.

Also, check the trailer tires for dry-rot and be sure they are inflated to their rated capacity. Mine are load rated 'C' and can hold 50psi cold. I also carry a spare trailer wheel hub/bearing/seal/dust cap assembly that's pre-lubed. If you run into a bearing problem you can fairly easily swap out the old hub/bearing assembly with the new one. I think I paid about $50 for the whole assembly from Bass Pro Shops. As Dennis says if you feel one of the hubs unusually hot you better be swapping out the hub on that axle so you don't seize the bearing up on the axle's spindle.

Good luck and happy trailering...

 

Appreciate the response...Took the advice on the dryrot issue and replaced all 4 "cracked" tires with new rubber.

 

Also take a bottle jack. It will work a lot easier than the stock truck jack. I trailered a similar boat from North Carolina to Connecticut, took it easy and 13 hrs was back home with no problems. Just make sure you have all the tools you might need to do a roadside repair. It's better to have them and not need them. Good Luck!!!

 

Check the weight too and make sure you're not exceeding it by too much. I know my boat isn't that heavy but with a 65 gallon fuel and 20 gallon water tank, I can add or reduce weight by about 500# right there. I can get it down to just a hair under 7000# total. The boat itself is about 4900# 100% completely dry and empty. So in the real world that about 5300-5400 and the tandem axle trailer wieghs in at about 1650#. That puts me in an OK zone at about 12600# loaded with people and stuff.

Mine's got a BIII drive and I've gotten some drive supports for trailering. They snap on the cylinders keeping the weight of the lower unit supported so it's not bouncing around possibly damagaing a gimble.

I agree with the bottle jack too. Without one you can't change a tire so a spare does no good. A regular jack from you're truck won't lift that much weigh. That's on my "to get" list before we tow very far. Think about 7000-8000 pounds and lifting from one of the axles. That's about half the wieght of the boat and trailer and assuming it's a tandem axle like mine, doing it from one axle.

 

Tim,

I've pulled my tournament boat from Houston to New Orleans several times. My boat is obviously much lighter than yours (about 4000 lbs total) but I-10 to New Orlaeans is REAL bumpy. You get that oscilating motion going. The outdrive supports and transom tie downs are a must. Just take it easy. Good luck.

 

Check and double check your lights on the trailer before you leave. Lights on trailers have an amazing ability to quit working while the trailer is in storage.

 

Put anything fairly heavy and moveable from your boat into the back of your truck or rear seat. Things such as your anchor, etc. More weight in the truck gives you more control.

Take it easy.

 

Thanks all. Of course I will advise when and IF I make it

TiMT

 

Be sure and check those trailer wheels! Make sure they are greased well, I have a sort of smaller trailer and I bought these things called "Bearing Buddies", they fit right over the rear bearings with a grease fitting that is easy to get to. Priceless, I think, but 30 bucks says Wal-Mart!