Trailering your boat serves a couple different purposes. The most exciting being that your boat trailer allows you to explore waterways that may not otherwise be accessible to you. This can also help you be able to get your boat to the shop for maintenance when needed. Another huge benefit to trailering your boat is that it is one of the cheapest methods of storing your boat whether that's during the off-season or, if you do not have a dock/slip, during boating season as well. In order to trailer your boat safely, it is important to ensure all of the hardware on the trailer is in good shape.
Boat Trailer Brackets
Brackets are typically used to hold up the support poles or guide poles on a boat trailer. The support/guide poles support your boat's hull and are useful when backing your trailer up to ensure you don't hit your boat.
Boat Trailer Rollers
Rollers are supporting beams that are on the bottom of the boat trailer to stabilize your boat. Since rollers reduce the overall friction, they make it easier to load and unload your boat. Rollers also make towing simpler.
Boat Trailer Hitches
Hitches are bolted onto the vehicle that you are towing your boat with and hooks up to your boat trailer and serves as the connector between the boat trailer and the towing vehicle. A common misconception is that the ball mount is the trailer hitch, but the ball mount is just an accessory for the trailer hitch, not the trailer hitch itself.
Boat Trailer Winches
Trailer winches are not used to hold your boat in place, but rather for loading and unloading your boat. If you try to use a winch to hold your boat in place, a rough bump in the road could cause you to lose your boat. There are manual and electric winches, electric being easier on your body. When using a winch, be sure to use additional support such as tie downs or or a bow chain and hook.
Boat Trailer Jacks
A jack allows you to elevate your boat's trailer to a specific point which allows the trailer to be hooked or unhooked to or from any truck that has towing capabilities. It raises and lowers your trailer/boat as well as allows it to pivot with the wheel attached to the jack.
Boat Trailer Tie Downs
Boat tie downs are an important element of providing your boat security while it is being trailered. Some local and state governments require you to use tie downs, while others do not. However, we recommend always using boat tie downs even if your local government does not require them. Boat tie downs help shift weight off of your boat and onto the trailer as well as helping to prevent damage to your boat.
Boat Trailer Tire and Wheel Accessories
There are multiple tire and wheel accessories available for your boat trailer. Wheel chocks are one of the most common. They prevent wheel movement that is not wanted and helps stop your boat trailer from sinking if it is on soft ground. You can also get spare tires, spare tire brackets, different types of wheels, tire covers, and more.
Boat Trailer Lights
Having lights on your boat trailer increases safety for not only you, but everyone driving around you as well. Each state has different boat trailer lighting requirements, so we recommend you check on your state's requirements to ensure you are in compliance with the laws. However, there are some general rules of thumb. If your boat trailer is 80 inches or less, you usually will need turn signals, side marker lights, reflectors, tail lights, and stop lights. If your boat trailer is over 80 inches, they tend to require more lighting - usually a light bar of three red lights on the back of your trailer, and additional lights on the sides at the widest points of your boat trailer.