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The Long Haul


truckjunky87

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When I bought my boat new, my family and I did an Iron man 2000 mile round trip to Lubbock, TX and back to TN. Non- stop straight there, sign the papers and straight home. Word of advice, start at the trailer and work your way from the front to rear and bottom to top. The boat is the last thing to check before you leave. Any discrepancies on the trailer, I would have the dealership or seller take care of. Brake fluid, ball hitch assembly and pins, electrical function. Leaking cylinders and bearings are an easy tell. We probably have the same Boatmate made trailer, except yours is SA and mine is TA with the UFP DB-35 brake assemblies. They have been terrible about the cheapo pads delaminating from the metal backing. If you hear a rattle on the axle(s) it is probably the pads floating around in the brake assembly. Missing lug nuts or studs. On a new boat you would think not and issue. I somehow got new boat tunnel vision and got lucky enough to make it home on 3 lug bolts alone on one wheel. Dislclaimer, it was a 30 hour dealer demo boat. I didn’t cover it due to the high dust conditions in Lubbock at the time. The cover would of ended up being just a piece of sand paper on the hull. I would of definately of gone the Saran Wrap or beach towel route under the cover had I used it. We pulled all of the cushions and put them in the truck so they would not become floatsom on the road. Wrapping the tower with Saran Wrap will work, but you will loose “cool points”. 😊 I have a cheap but effective laser thermometer that I use at refueling stops to compare axles for piece of mind. Other than that be paranoid and you won’t have a problem. Congrats and good luck. Bill

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I always tow with a cover.   Lots of 10 or 12 hour trips with both the factory or Evolution cover.  But I always get some pallet wrap and give it a couple of wraps around the rubrail areas and where ever the cover may rub.  To many times I have seen boats towed with no cover in a rain storm and the road spray and debris inside makes me sad!  We have never wrapped the tower, but  I do like to remove the racks and put them away as well.

Congrats!

 

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I’m a no-cover tow. +1 on no Saran Wrap and really inspecting the trailer.

when I bought my boat I took my then 13 year old son on a 12 hr each way trip and it was a blast! Stop along the way to check out some stuff.

shoulder to shoulder is good for sons. Be relaxed and have a great time and he’ll remember it for his lifetime.

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Yeh, I’ve noticed the two different camps - cover vs no covers. That’s ok. Good advice on giving the trailer a good look over. From my discussions with the seller I’m not expecting any surprises there. 

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Did 1800 mile trip couple years ago with a buddy to purchase our boat, he keeps asking me if I’ve found a newer one and doesn’t want it close so we can go again. Like others have said, take your son and make it an event you both will enjoy and remember. We left after work and just drove till we figured we had enough time to make it to the seller the next day. 

I threw every tool, grease gun, bottle jack, wood for under bottle jack, ratchet strap, duct tape, ty wire, multiple truck to trailer wiring plugs(still didn’t have right one),tire pressure gauge, different height hitch’s, luckily didn’t need them all but felt better with them. Just look the trailer over good, tires, bearings, straps, how boat is setting on trailer. Now as far as the debate as to cover or not to. We left Phoenix at 75 degrees and sunny no cover, 6 hours later we hit Cedar city Utah and a complete blizzard, cover went on and glad I had it.

If you tow without cover pull your seats and carpet saver, yes they will move, if you choose  to cover get the Home Depot shrink wrap and save some cover rub unless you have an evolution cover. Good luck and enjoy time trip. Look forward to pictures in near future.

 

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I tow somewhere between 8000 - 10000 miles per year. And I never tow uncovered. 

As for the trailer, I would have the axles services (bearings packed and brakes adjusted) and probably put on new tires. And make sure to have a spare. 

Enjoy your trip. 

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If the cover snaps on, then use the cover. Ppl who don't want to cover while towing, are usually saying that because of the cover being a problem. A good snap on cover is NO problem. It can help save your windshield from rocks and keep the inside nice and clean.

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17 minutes ago, JasonK said:

If the cover snaps on, then use the cover. Ppl who don't want to cover while towing, are usually saying that because of the cover being a problem. A good snap on cover is NO problem. It can help save your windshield from rocks and keep the inside nice and clean.

Ugg, snaps? 

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9 hours ago, truckjunky87 said:

Yeh, I’ve noticed the two different camps - cover vs no covers. That’s ok. Good advice on giving the trailer a good look over. From my discussions with the seller I’m not expecting any surprises there. 

I would make the trailer your number one priority. Take as many spare tools and tires as you can. If the boat gets dirty, it can be cleaned. If you loose a tire or two in the middle of no where you could be waiting for hours. I wouldn’t trust the previous owner on that the trailer is fine. Maybe he is telling the truth maybe he doesn’t know enough to say whether it is fine or not. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to make your trip a bit longer and have the trailer inspected somewhere local to where you are picking it up before you hit the road.

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8 hours ago, RyanB said:

I tow somewhere between 8000 - 10000 miles per year. And I never tow uncovered. 

As for the trailer, I would have the axles services (bearings packed and brakes adjusted) and probably put on new tires. And make sure to have a spare. 

Enjoy your trip. 

His trailer should have vault hubs - which should not be touched unless they are leaking.  The "repacking" requires their special oil/grease

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With a ‘13 I would look at the date stamp on the inside of the tires. I bought  a ‘13 vlx this summer with original tires on it. Getting all new tires for it at the end of the season. Might be worth asking how old the tires are before you head out. You can always order some for $60-$70 online and bring them with you. Then have a Costco put them on for $15. The other thing I would look at is a safety chain for the bow. Trailers don’t come with it. Good luck and congrats! 

I tow with the cover and and have had zero issues. 

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I know you probably have this covered, but I think worth reiterating. I would recommend asking the seller to put on tires regardless, $300-$350 for new tires I think would be a good investment considering the length of the trip. Regardless, make sure you check the pressure, and "after market" wireless TPS setups are pretty cheap.

Things I didn't consider when I picked up mine:

  • Lug wrench that will fit into the "lug nut hole", maybe a 4 way or one with a longer breaker bar. I would also make sure all of the lug nuts are tight before you leave. A Torque wrench is pretty cheap if you want to take a belt and suspenders approach.
  • Bottle Jack with a 2 x 6 to put under it. The jack in my truck was undersized to lift the boat trailer, and the board will help in case the ground under the trailer is uneven.
  • Transom straps - plenty of reasons for these bad boys...
  • Bow strap from trailer to bow eyelet (some states require it)
  • Spare tire for the trailer
  • Hammer in case you have a blowout that wrecks the fender, which may "infringe" on the new tire.

I usually don't tow with the cover on, but I would think that over a 2K mile trip, it would be worth it. I have the factory cover on my '13 and I am being told you can trailer with it, and it looks pretty solid. I think wrapping the leading edges of the tower would be a good idea. Much easier than scrubbing bugs. I also have seen some trucks with "Rock Tamers". I don't have them, but may be a good idea.

Question for the members that trailer with the cover on, I am assuming you trailer with the pole(s) in? I would think there would be too much slack in the cover without them

Somewhere there is a post for "New Boat Pickup Procedures" post, but I could not find it... maybe someone else knows where it is.

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26 minutes ago, rakr said:

I know you probably have this covered, but I think worth reiterating. I would recommend asking the seller to put on tires regardless, $300-$350 for new tires I think would be a good investment considering the length of the trip. Regardless, make sure you check the pressure, and "after market" wireless TPS setups are pretty cheap.

Things I didn't consider when I picked up mine:

  • Lug wrench that will fit into the "lug nut hole", maybe a 4 way or one with a longer breaker bar. I would also make sure all of the lug nuts are tight before you leave. A Torque wrench is pretty cheap if you want to take a belt and suspenders approach.
  • Bottle Jack with a 2 x 6 to put under it. The jack in my truck was undersized to lift the boat trailer, and the board will help in case the ground under the trailer is uneven.
  • Transom straps - plenty of reasons for these bad boys...
  • Bow strap from trailer to bow eyelet (some states require it)
  • Spare tire for the trailer
  • Hammer in case you have a blowout that wrecks the fender, which may "infringe" on the new tire.

I usually don't tow with the cover on, but I would think that over a 2K mile trip, it would be worth it. I have the factory cover on my '13 and I am being told you can trailer with it, and it looks pretty solid. I think wrapping the leading edges of the tower would be a good idea. Much easier than scrubbing bugs. I also have seen some trucks with "Rock Tamers". I don't have them, but may be a good idea.

Question for the members that trailer with the cover on, I am assuming you trailer with the pole(s) in? I would think there would be too much slack in the cover without them

Somewhere there is a post for "New Boat Pickup Procedures" post, but I could not find it... maybe someone else knows where it is.

When I trailer with the cover I do not use the single pole and it works fine.  My only issue with trailering that far with the cover on would be having one more thing to be watching on the way back.  My factory cover fits nice and tight but I don't tow with it unless I'm hauling stuff in the boat that I don't want to get wet (suitcases)

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My boat just made a 1350 mile trip down the west coast and across south central CA and AZ hitting temps of up to 118F in CA along the way.  Did the pallet wrap under the towing cover trick and it worked perfectly.  Probably didn't need the cover as surprisingly there was no rain going down the coast, but it kept things inside a little more secure during stops.

As others have said, the trailer is key.  When I bought the boat, I noticed some cracking on some of the tire treads so the first place it went was to a Les Schwab (bought in Oregon) for new tires and bearing inspection.  They ended up finding some worn lugs and replacing those as well.  It'll cost you a little bit, but I'd make an appointment with a reputable tire shop that knows trailers and have them give things a once-over before towing 2k miles.

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Remove the bimini for sure. Put it and a floor jack and maybe a couple pieces of wood in the back of your tow vehicle. Incase of blow out and you have to pull over on dirt you have something to put jack on. Max tire pressure on trailer tires too. I like no cover but if bad weather, then cover. You can always put it on or take off accordingly.

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Two things (plus the trailer) that would concern me:  the windshield and rocks wracking up the gel.  The suggestion of Racktamers is a good one.  But if it was me, for this drive I would pay the few hundred and shrinkwrap it with extra protection for the glass.  Plus with shrink, if the weather turns (you did not say where you were hauling from/to) you are literally covered.  Plus you might get there and find out the boat cover is one of those $100 WalMart ones.  And even if it is not, I still think  shrink is a better way to go as on such a long journey do you really want to worry about  the interior when you are stopped for food/water/sleep.  Assuming you are not doing a Cannonball run that is.

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8 hours ago, oldjeep said:

His trailer should have vault hubs - which should not be touched unless they are leaking.  The "repacking" requires their special oil/grease

I went through all this earlier this year.  Vault’s claims are highly misleading at best. 

They still require yearly inspection and adjustment. And if you tow a lot (like I do) they still can require replacement and repacking. That is what i had to do this year, the start of just the 4th season with my boat. 

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Whenever I towed for longer distances I used blue painters tape and covered the front of the boat, the tower, the windshield frame, etc.  It provides a little protection from road rash, but also it keeps all the bug guts from getting all over everything and requiring a serious cleaning.  When you get to your destination just peel it off and toss it - I think it’s even easier than Saran Wrap.

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I'd wax the tower or wrap the tower unless you can fold it.  Getting bugs off is annoying after 200 miles. Cant imagine 2000. 

Also thicker film for shipping would be better than saran and less likely to tear. We have some awesome stuff at work.  I'd probably wrap the rub rail and tow covered since your trip will span days and different weather.  Usually if it's nice out I tow uncovered. Easier on the cover and I had to remove the cover to put the vests and coolers and fuel in the boat anyway so I leave it off and head to the lake. 

I replace trailer tires after 5 years on the date code.  Assuming yours are original from 2013 I'd consider getting new ones before the trip. 

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