Ok, so I picked up a 25' boat yesterday. I had to drive 65 miles on the freeway doing 45 to 50 mph. It was a scary trip to say the least, white knuckled it all the way home.

I would guess that I need to buy a distribution hitch. Which one should I buy on a slight budget?

Also my truck pinged like a b i t c h every time I hit a hill, not sure why. Towed with tow mode on in 4th gear.

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2004 Titan CC SE Big tow 4x4
2004 Xterra SC

whats the weight of the boat with trailer?

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love1uO,

Just to provide some background information, pages 9-27 thru 9-33 in your owner's manual provides some very important information on towing.

Without some information about the weight of the trailer/boat combo and what your hitch weight is, makes it difficult to provide any help. Also, does it have electric brakes or surge brakes?

A few guesses are based on your "White Knuckle" experience. On the freeway with all the 18 wheelers zooming by, you at low speed. Sounds like the trailer was buffeting side to side, like the tail was wagging the dog. Definite indicator of needing the "anti-sway" function provided by weight distribution hitches. Also, if your tongue weight is too high, over 950lbs, then you are pulling the weight off of the front wheels of your truck and this provides even less control of a wagging trailer.
If this is the case, you might need to move the winch post of your boat trailer toward the rear a couple of inches. This will shift the boat's weight more over the trailer's axles and lessen the weight on the hitch ball.

Desired % of hitch weight to total weight of your tow is 10 to 15%.

As far as the pinging is concerned, if you buy gas at a cheapie place, you might not have the best octane rating for towing. You might need to go up a grade to control the pinging. The engine has automatic compensation for a certain degree of pinging but needs the help of the octane rating to control pinging and maintain performance.

When you get the weights and can answer the brakes type, let me know and we'll see if we can work out your solution.

Red

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2005 Titan KC SE, Helwig, True-Track, ARE MX Canopy

According to NADA the boat weighs 4800lbs. I would guess the trailer is at least 2000lbs or more.

It felt more like the ass end of the truck was swaying more than anything. Let me see about getting a picture....

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2004 Titan CC SE Big tow 4x4
2004 Xterra SC

ok..pic of tongue in my sig.

The brakes are non-functioning on the trailer...it has drum brakes but the lines are rotten. Im going to have to change all that.....maybe electric, not sure though because I will be dumping the boat in salt water.

Thanks,
Chris

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2004 Titan CC SE Big tow 4x4
2004 Xterra SC

From appearances, you have hydraulic surge brakes. They depend on the momemtum of the pushing forward on the master cylinder inside that galvanized cover. In this case the hitch ball is the immovable object. When the truck slows down, the boat and trailer continue forward compressing the piston in the master cylinder, which sends a pressure signal through the hydraulic lines and pushes the slave wheel cylinders to press the shoes against the drum.

If you look at the winch post, you see three u-bolts that anchor it in place. As I mentioned earlier, you might need to re-position them a little aft if there is too much weight on the hitch ball. If too little weight, you would need to slide it forward a little.

I bet, once the brakes are fixed, it will be a lot more comfortable to tow.

Red

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2005 Titan KC SE, Helwig, True-Track, ARE MX Canopy

Just out of curiosity, what the boat securely fastened to the trailer? I'm not a boat expert, but we had a problem with our motorcycles this past summer that was similar. The bikes weren't securly fastened to the trailer, and we were picking up a wobble in the trailer at speeds above 50.

Again, I'm no expert at this, but something additional to consider.

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05 KC SE Smoke
01 Suzuki 600 GSF
88 Fiero 2M4

I have my work cut out for me...trailer needs some work.

steves, when I picked the boat up it didn't have straps. The boat wasn't moving as far as I could tell, but I will be buying straps for it before I take it out....Im a firm believer in strapping the boat down, dont care how much it weighs.

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2004 Titan CC SE Big tow 4x4
2004 Xterra SC

Is your trailer a single axle or double axle trailer? A 4800 pound boat is too heavy for a single axle. You also need to check your trailer tires for aging and for proper inflation. A trailer tire that has been sitting for a long time in one position with the weight of the boat on it can get cracks in the side wall or belt that will weaken the tire and make it track funny. Also, check for the obvious, loose wheel bearings, uneven wear on the tires, stuck brake lining, cracked leaf springs, loose shackles, loose U-bolts that hold the axles in place, etc. One last thing, check the part of the trailer that the boat actually sits on. Most are either carpeted bunks or rollers. If your bunks or rollers are loose the boat can shift around and really mess with the ride.

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It is a dual axle trailer with drum brakes on one axle. Right now the brakes are not even hooked up. I looked at the tires today and noticed they are regular car tires, not good I would guess.

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2004 Titan CC SE Big tow 4x4
2004 Xterra SC