How to hitch up your boat for towing

To ensure your tow vehicle and van are correctly set up, level and balanced, it’s a good idea to compile a comprehensive hitch-up checklist and use it every time before you head off.

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They’re really just reminders, but you’ll need them close to hand at first because when towing a boat there’s a lot more going on than just jumping into a car and going.

You need to know your tow vehicle's maximum tow rating and towball load rating, and make sure they’re within the actual weights of the boat you’re towing. Tow ratings can be found in the vehicle handbook or are often stamped on the towbar.

You can get an idea of your van’s tare (unloaded) weight by looking at the compliance plate, but you’ll need to head to a public weighbridge or use a professional weighing service to determine your van’s final travel weight.

You can check the towball weight by using a towball weight scale to measure the down-ball weight of the trailer, which can change depending how you load up the van.

If the vehicle you're towing weighs more than 750kg, it's a legal requirement that trailer brakes are fitted. If your caravan has electric brakes, which most Aussie vans do, then a suitable brake controller should be fitted to the tow vehicle, with controls easily accessible from the driver’s seat.

Caravans that weigh more than 2000kg must also have a breakaway system installed. A breakaway system is a safeguard that applies the electric trailer brakes for at least 15 minutes in the event of a disconnection.

Also required by law are safety chains, connected to the tow vehicle via D-shackles. Chains are not just to keep the trailer connected but to ensure the drawbar and hitch doesn’t contact the road in the event of a disconnection. D-shackles must be rated to suit the chain and ATM (loaded weight) of the trailer.

If you can't see the rear corners or what you're towing you must, by law, extend or add mirrors. Many options are available, but choose towing mirrors that give you the best view of your towing rig and beyond.

Note that if your boat is over-width you will have to adhere to the strict oversize towing laws that apply in your state or territory.

Try to hitch up on level ground if possible. The good old 50mm ball coupling does a great job of hanging onto your vehicle’s towball, but it doesn’t like engaging if you’re trying to hitch up on an angle.

If you’re forced to park on an incline, it’s a good idea to chock the van’s wheels.

A reversing camera will turn you into a pro when hitching up your van, especially if you’re doing it solo. But the trick is to still use your side mirrors to set yourself up so that you’re approaching the van roughly centre.

If you have a seven-pin flat plug, thread it under the handbrake and through the coupling release handle. If you have a cable with a 12-pin plug, you’re going to have to be a bit more inventive.

One option is once you’re hitched up and have removed the jockey wheel, loop the cable through the jockey wheel clamp (making sure not to pinch the cable when tightening the clamp) but the best way is to use cable ties to secure the excess cable to prevent any damage when driving.

Finally, check the coupling pin, including locking pin, is secure on the towball, the handbrake released, the chains properly secured and the trailer wiring plugged securely into the tow vehicle.

To ensure a chain is not over length, cross the chains over each other before attaching them to the vehicle. And always check the van’s tail-lights work every time you’ve plugged in the trailer plug, because they’re fickle things, especially the pin contacts.

Your exterior checklist should include a walkaround of the van, making sure wheel chocks are removed and everything is secure and safe inside the boat.

Also make any final adjustment of the towing mirrors and the brake controller before you hit traffic.

Lastly, you’ll want to do a quick check of tyre pressures and, of course, the tow vehicle’s fluid levels before you head off.

Before you hit the road, it’s also a good idea to make sure you have a balanced load. Where possible, load your boat as evenly as possible and keep the heavier items in the middle, placed on top of the axles.

Boat trailer wheel hubs are particularly vulnerable if they are exposed to seawater. Backing a trailer into the water while the hubs are still hot from the transport leg can suck in moisture, particularly if the hub is immersed.

Using bearing buddies to keep the bearing grease under positive pressure is one way to fix this problem. However, it also pays to regularly check the bearings; any discolouration of the grease, particularly if it is brown, indicates the bearing has been exposed to water, and will be due for replacement.

You’ll probably find after a few tours with the boat you won’t need to carry your checklist around with you. But you still need a walkaround to check everything; even after years of happy boating; forgetting to secure a hatch, a bimini or tighten a chain shackle can happen to the best of us.

If you’re still uncertain or haven’t done much towing, it’s a good idea to do a towing course. You’ll get hands-on advice about basic safety checks and tips on how to reverse a trailer boat.

Towing courses are an invaluable confidence-builder when you’re new to boating and even better, do one with your travel partner so you’re both on the same page.

Pre-trip towing checklist

• Make sure your boat weighs less than the tow vehicle ratings (overall weight and towball weight)
• Ensure all the correct equipment required by law is fitted: safety chains and D-shackles, breakaway unit, towing mirrors, brake controller, etc
• Hitch up on level ground if possible and make use of the reversing camera if fitted
• Ensure coupling pin is locked, handbrake off, chains crossed over and trailer plug in
• Check trailer lights and brakes are working
• Do a final walkaround
• Make sure you have a balanced load
• Do a towing course if you're a beginner