Towing Advice - Malibu Boats Wakesetter 20VTX 2019 Owner's Manual

Towing Advice

Prior to Towing
• Be certain that you have a jack and lug wrench that will work on
the tow vehicle and the trailer. The same ones may not work on
both, so verify that you are prepared. You don't want to end up on
the side of the road and find that you are not fully prepared.
• In addition to the spare tire that can be mounted on the trailer
spare tire mount, also have available in your tow vehicle's stor-
age area such useful additional items as:
• extra lug nuts;
• wheel chocks (especially important in areas
in which there are hilly or mountainous driving
conditions);
• wheel bearing grease;
• marine-grade grease;
• spare tie-down straps;
• additional brake fluid for the actuator;
• a torque wrench to check and ensure the lug
nuts are properly torqued;
• road flares.
Pre-Tow Check List
• Verify the coupler, hitch and hitch ball are the correct, specified
size and fit.
• Be certain the safety cables and breakaway cable are correctly
attached.
• Check that tie-downs and the winch strap are secure.
• The wheel lug nuts are properly torqued.
• The tires are inflated to the air pressure level stamped on the
sidewall.
• The trailer lights are operating properly.
• The brakes are functioning as designed.
• If the boat is equipped with a tower, it must be either upright and
locked, or lowered and secured. If the tower is upright, you will
need to determine that the total height of boat, trailer and tower
will be able to clear power lines, bridges, overpasses, or any
other impediment.
• The total load does not exceed the GVWR.
2019 Malibu Boats, LLC Owner's Manual • Page 155
https://www.boat-manuals.com/
Underway
Towing is more challenging than driving down the road in a single
vehicle. Therefore, you would be well-advised to practice, practice,
practice before undertaking a genuine tow to a body of water for an
outing.
Malibu Trailers cannot anticipate every possibility that will
arise, and assumes no responsibility for the operation of your
tow vehicle and/or trailer, but the following are some recom-
mendations that can enhance the towing experience and better
prepare drivers:
Drive sensibly. You will have a substantially greater length and
weight to maneuver. This means you need more time and space to
accelerate or to stop. Weather conditions are amplified. Wind espe-
cially can create more challenges in maintaining control.
Use those mirrors. Most tow vehicle manufacturers recommend
adding over-sized mirrors. Some legal jurisdictions require it. Regard-
less, the better you are able to see, the more control over the total
rig you'll have. Larger mirrors can also assist you in keeping an eye
on the trailer and boat to be aware of how well they are moving down
the road.
Allow extra room when making turns. You will quickly learn
that turns, especially right turns, take more space. You've seen this
with tractor-trailer units and other tow vehicles.
Think twice and allow extra room when passing other
vehicles. It will take longer to accelerate to passing speed, and you
will need considerably more room when moving back into the driving
lane. Passing on grades is not recommended as it is more difficult to
maintain overall control. It may be necessary to downshift gears in
the tow vehicle when passing, too. Avoid road shoulders, especially
narrow ones. If you go off the paved surface, especially at highway
speed, you may lose control or even jack-knife the rig.
Use common sense! All the potential issues that cause potential
problems when driving a regular highway vehicle are exaggerated
when towing. Avoid tailgating, jack-rabbit starts and stops, or any
maneuver that exceeds the capabilities of your rig. Any time your rig
fish-tails, stop and determine what the cause is. Often is it shifting
weight, particularly within the boat or on the trailer. Re-adjusting
the towed items may take a few minutes but can save your life and
others!