Trailer Tips and Techniques
With a boat trailer in tow, an operator
will be driving down the road with a vehi
-
cle combination that is longer, heavier and
sometimes wider and taller than the tow ve
-
hicle. This means the operator should make
a few adjustments to normal driving prac
-
tices to compensate for the differences.
Here are a few tips:
•
Use common sense.
MasterCraft can
-
not anticipate every type of situation in
which drivers may find themselves. The
following recommendations apply to
general situations, but it is up to the in
-
dividual driver to act or react as a given
situation requires.
•
Take a shakedown cruise.
Before mak-
ing the first major trip or first trip to the
lake with a MasterCraft trailer, make at
least one short trial run to become famil-
iar with its handling characteristics. Be
sure everything is working properly.
•
Slow down.
There is less strain on the
tow vehicle, trailer and boat at moderate
to slow speeds. Also, many states have
lower speed limits for vehicles tow
-
ing trailers. Driving at moderate speeds
will place less strain the tow vehicle and
the trailer. Trailer instability (sway) is
more likely to occur as speed increases.
Particular attention needs to be given
to slowing when traveling over bumpy
roads and railroad crossings.
•
Allow extra time and space.
You’ll
need more of both when passing and
stopping.
•
Avoid sudden steering maneuvers.
These may create sway or undue side
force on the trailer. To control swaying
caused by air pressure changes and wind
buffeting when larger vehicles pass from
either direction, release the accelerator
pedal to slow down. Keep a firm grip on
the steering wheel.
•
Allow considerably more distance for
stopping
than you would if driving the
tow vehicle without the trailer.
There
is considerably more weight to be ma-
neuvered, and even though your trailer
is equipped with a braking system, it is
highly likely that additional room will
be needed in order to execute slowing or
full stops.
•
Check the rear view mirrors.
If not al
-
ready equipped with them, install outside
rear view mirrors on both sides of the tow
vehicle. Make it a habit to check the mir
-
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2014 MasterCraft Owners Manual • MasterCraft Trailers
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over the hitch ball and lower the trailer
with the trailer jack until it is all the way
down onto the hitch ball.
• Check under the coupling to be certain
that the ball clamp is below the ball and
not riding on top of the ball.
• Lock the coupler to the hitch ball. To
confirm that the coupler is locked onto
the hitch ball, lift up on the trailer jack.
If the trailer jack comes loose from the
hitch ball, unlock and go back to the
third step above.
• Be certain that the trailer jack is in the
fully raised and locked position.
• Attach the surge break-away cable to the
tow vehicle, making sure there is enough
slack for tight turns.
• Attach the safety cables.
• Connect the
trailer’s seven-
wire connector
to the seven-
wire connec-
tor of the tow
vehicle
and
check the op-
eration of the
lights.
Summary of Contents for 2014 14v
Page 1: ...2014Owner sManual...
Page 6: ...2014MasterCraftOwnersManual Pagev 2014MasterCraftOwnersManual...
Page 7: ...Pagevi 2014MasterCraftOwnersManual...
Page 8: ...S A F E T Y...
Page 39: ...Page1 32 2014MasterCraftOwnersManual SafetyKnowledge S A F E T Y K N O W L E D G E...
Page 40: ...G U I D E T O I N D I V I D U A L M O D E L S...
Page 60: ...GAUGES VIDEO SCREENS...
Page 109: ...Page3 50 2014MasterCraftOwnersManual Gauges VideoScreens G A U G E S V I D E O S C R E E N S...
Page 110: ...B O A T O P E R T I O N S...
Page 175: ...Page4 66 2014MasterCraftOwnersManual BoatOperations B O A T O P E R A T I O N S...
Page 176: ...P R E P A R A T I O N...
Page 193: ...Page5 18 2014MasterCraftOwnersManual Preparation P R E P A R A T I O N...
Page 194: ...C A R E A N D M A I N T E N A N C E...
Page 263: ...Page7 38 2014MasterCraftOwnersManual MasterCraftTrailers M A S T E R C R A F T T R A I L E R S...
Page 264: ...L I M I T E D W A R R A N T Y S T A T E M E N T...