A Guide to Towing Your Pontoon Boat
One of the challenges of owning a pontoon boat is transporting it. While some people might be fortunate enough to live by a dock or marina already, most of us are going to have to buy a trailer and hitch it up to a towing vehicle with our pontoons latched onto it, then drive to the nearest river or lake.
L&M Marine is your Alabama pontoon boat dealer, located in Stapleton. Read on to learn how to tow your pontoon boat and get it to your destination safely.
1. Inspect Both Trailer & Towing Vehicle
Before departure, it’s wise to inspect both your trailer and towing vehicle to be certain that they’re in good condition. Tires need to be checked and aired up to the proper psi levels, oil should be clean, your gas tank should be full, your lights and signals should function properly and there should be no glaring maintenance issues with either truck or trailer.
2. Have Valid Insurance
No matter how safe you are, something can always go wrong when you’re towing a boat. Make sure that your pontoon boat is insured and that your towing vehicle is insured for both trailering and towing items, since these laws vary widely by state.
3. Secure Your Pontoon Boat
When you get your pontoon onto its trailer, you’ll need to use ratchet straps to lock it down into place. You can invest in more elaborate methods of securing your boat, but as long as you use enough straps or rope to lash down the boat and make sure it doesn’t move, you should be okay.
4. Practice, Practice, Practice
It can be helpful to take your trailered boat to an empty parking lot for some driving practice. You’ll need to master braking, turning, reversing and parking with your trailer. Practice accelerating gently, then slowing down. Set up some cones to mimic a boat launch so that you can also try your hand at reversing your boat trailer into the “water” by lining it up with the cones.
5. Drive With Caution
Once you hit the road with your pontoon on its trailer, you need to drive carefully. Stay at least five to ten miles below the speed limit at all times and increase your following distance between yourself and the cars ahead of you so you have adequate space to brake. Stick to the right-most lane of traffic and avoid changing lanes. Signal your maneuvers well in advance so that other drivers know what to expect.
Remember: if you need some professional assistance with your pontoon boat, you can always contact the parts & service department here at L&M Marine. Our friendly staff will be more than happy to assist you however we can. When you want to shop boats, visit our dealership in Stapleton, AL, to take a look at our fine selection of new and used pontoon boats for sale. L&M Marine proudly serves Mobile, AL, and Pensacola, FL.