DIY Network

Basic Boat Trailer Maintenance: Trailer Components From "Shipshape Boating" episode DSSB-105

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The host of Shipshape Boating, John Greviskis, shows you how to take care of your boat's trailer. Coupler, Ball and Hitch Figure A Trailer Tongue Figure B If your trailer tongue is a bit too forward -- seen here -- then the total weight of the tongue is "more" than eight percent and should be adjusted properly. If the boat is too far forward, the weight will put too much pressure on the back tires of the vehicle, and the front tires will lift up off the ground. If your tongue weight is "less" than eight percent -- seen here -- then the trailer tongue will be too far back from the hitch. If the boat is too far back, the weight will put too much pressure on the front tires of the vehicle, and the back tires will lift up off the ground. Trailer Winch

In this episode of DIY's Shipshape Boating, host John Greviskis goes over the major trailer components..




Before you can start to maintain the boat's trailer, it's important to know all of the components that make up the entire structure.




Coupler, Ball and Hitch -- The ball and hitch are attached to the back of the vehicle, and the coupler fits over it and locks into position. Sometimes it can be a challenge to get the coupler on and off the ball and hitch. Never use "force" to get the couple on and off because this can do nothing but cause damage to all the components involved.




Tip: If you're using a coupler like the one shown in the photo (right), when pressure is applied to the coupler due to braking, the surge brake is activated via the brake line. There is a safety wire that's attached to the coupler, and want many boaters don't know is how the metal shoe fits on the coupler. A great tip is to utilize the safety wire by using it to lift up the lever behind the coupler latch and pull it out to gain approximately another 1/4" of room for the hitch ball to fit into the coupler. Do this and you won't have to beat on the equipment.




Note: Some couplers come with a shoe that has a 1/16" nut (figure A) that attaches to the ball and hitch. If you spray a bit of penetrating oil on the nut, you can then use a socket wrench to loosen and extend the nut a bit in order to better adjust the shoe. The same goes for the nut if it's loose. Simply tighten it with a socket wrench.




Trailer Tongue -- This is the next boat-trailer component that Greviskis talks about. It's the long piece (see photo, right) that goes all the way down the boat trailer, from the coupler on back. The perfect weight distribution for the trailer tongue should be eight percent of the total boat and trailer weight combined.




Tip: If you don't know the weight of your boat and trailer combined, simply tow the boat and its trailer to the Department of Transportation station and use their scales. To get the tongue weight, you want to back the boat "off" the scale so all that's left is the jack stand and trailer (figure B). Do the math and figure if the the trailer tongue is, indeed, only eight percent of the total boat and trailer combined weight.




Trailer Winch -- If you do have to adjust the trailer, all you have to do is to loosen the bolts on the winch (photo, right) and slide it forward or backward, according if you need more or less weight distribution.