I’m a white-knuckle driver while towing my boat. Navigating a trailer through unpredictable drivers and unavoidable road hazards causes me deep anxiety. When I know my trailer is dialed in and my truck is rigged up, I can loosen my grip on the steering wheel and breathe a little easier. Adding accessories to secure gear and smooth the ride further calms my nerves. Here are a few of my favorite truck and trailer add-ons.
Tricked-Out Trailer
Boat trailers take a lot of abuse. Carrying a heavy boat on bumpy roads is bad enough, then we dunk our trailers in corrosive salt water and park them in the direct sunlight. My favorite trailer accessories smooth the road and prevent breakdowns.
Every time I drive over a gaping pothole, my heart jumps into my throat as I look in the rearview mirror to see the boat rock and shake. Cushion hitches are one of the best trailering accessories to take bumps out of the road.
The Curt Rebellion XD Adjustable Cushion Hitch uses a polyurethane isolator between the hitch ball and ball mount to absorb shock and prevent trailer sway. The suspension hitch reduces wear and damage to a truck’s suspension and brakes. When you hit a big bump, the cushion hitch also prevents the trailer from losing traction and swinging side to side. With minimal investment and effort to install a cushion hitch, I’ve noticed an improvement in my trailer’s performance.
Another easy upgrade is a portable washdown system. Rinsing the trailer after launching the boat prevents the perfect recipe for corrosion, which is metal and salt baking in the sun. A simple pressure sprayer from the home and garden store filled with Salt-Away detergent knocks off salt before it can dry. I recently upgraded to a battery-powered RinseKit with 3.5-gallon capacity and an adjustable nozzle.
The RinseKit’s rechargeable battery powers a pump producing 50 psi of water pressure to blast away salt, sand and road grit from trailer lights and brakes. A 6-foot hose connects to a standard adjustable hose nozzle with options from a high-power stream to a soaking shower. Rinsing the trailer after launching the boat extends the life of trailer lights and brakes.
When it’s not in use, I park my boat trailer in the driveway where it would be easy for a thief to back in, hook up and drive away with $100,000. Knowing this, I burned through a half-dozen cheap coupler locks before investing in a professional-grade Proven Industries lock.
The coupler lock secures the trailer chains and coupler with a heavy welded cover and aluminum lock. The housing is indestructible, and the lock is interchangeable. Each unit is tested against brute force, grinders, saws, prying tools, snatching attempts and lock picks. Proven Industries makes locks for every type of trailer coupler and latch pin as well as anti-roll locks for trailer wheels. Used together, these systems make it almost impossible to move a trailer.
Every boater knows the trailer is the weakest link. Something is always breaking or wearing out. These accessories help prolong trailer life and improve safety on the road.
Read Next: Pick the Right Boat Trailer
Pimp Your Ride
I often take my boat to work so I can go fishing after quitting time. Trailered in the parking lot, I can’t store tackle and gear on the boat. Decked truck bed drawers securely hold tackle and gear, and Yakima Overhaul HD racks and a Yakima TopWater rod box keep fishing rods safe.
Decked truck bed drawers protect and organize tackle and coolers. The modular system installs in minutes. The drawers are rated for 1,000 pounds, and the deck holds 2,000 pounds. The drawers open and close smoothly, even with a maxed-out payload. I load the drawers with Decked boxes filled with tackle so I can quickly transfer gear from the truck to the boat.
For rod storage, I use a truck bed rack and rod box. Yakima’s OverHaul HD truck rack is designed to withstand the rigors of offroad adventuring with weight capacity and options to install gear storage, a pop-up tent, water containers, bike and kayak carriers and other accessories.
To store my fishing rods, I use a Yakima TopWater rod box. The lockable box has space to safely store eight fully rigged, 8-foot spinning, baitcasting, fly or trolling rods and fits on almost any rack system.
I like the TopWater rod box because it protects rods from rain, road grit and sun. The high-impact plastic is almost bulletproof, and the dividers inside keep rods safe on the roughest roads.
Now that we’ve got the gear covered, what about the truck itself? Some of my favorite accessories protect my truck’s interior. When I get in the truck after a long day on the water, my fishing boots are often wet and covered in mud from the unpaved launch-ramp parking lot. Every outdoorsman needs full-size floor mats like the Lloyds Mats from Covercraft. These heavy plastic covers protect carpet and catch liquid before it runs beneath the floormat.
Throw in some Covercraft Marathon Excel custom seat covers, and you won’t feel too bad about wearing bloody, slimy, wet and greasy bibs when trailering the boat at the end of the day. Covercraft’s seat covers are made of waterproof and durable Cordura nylon. They’re tough and easy to clean.
I can’t do anything about rough roads and bad drivers, but these accessories give peace of mind while towing a boat to the launch ramp.
