Steadymate® Trailer Tips: Keeping Your Equipment Safe & Tied Down

For Immediate Release

May 1, 2007

Toronto, Ont… Warm weather is approaching and watersport enthusiasts everywhere are getting ready for a full season on the lake.  Whether you are opening your cottage for the summer or packing up for the next season, Steadymate® by Kinedyne, a leader in premium tie-down products and accessories for all powersport equipment, has important and helpful advice on how to avoid accidental damage while transporting your boat or personal watercraft.

Steadymate Trailer Tips:

1.    Follow the installation and/or operation instructions carefully as provided with your trailer, watercraft and securement straps.

2.    Check your vehicle’s oil and radiator levels, all other automotive vital fluids and the tire pressure.  Towing a large load puts extra strain on your vehicle so make sure that its up to the task.

3.    Now examine your trailer.  Check the turn signals, running and brake lights, tire pressure and be sure you have greased your hubs.  Since you don’t use your trailer as much as your vehicle, the extra time spent is well worth it.
 
4.    Make sure your tire jack fits properly under the trailer.  Some tire jacks may be compatible with your vehicle but are too large to fit under a trailer.

5.    When setting up your boat for transport, think of it as a triangle: proper balance, correct weight distribution and rated tie-down straps are required to keep your vessel upright and safe while in transit.

6.    At a designated launch / retrieve ramp, back the trailer into the water so that approximately two-thirds of the rollers (bunks) are submerged.  Put the tow vehicle in park and set the emergency brake.  Remember if your lights are not set up to be submerged, unplug them before the plunge, otherwise you’ll be buying new bulbs.

7.    When retrieving your boat from the launch/retrieve ramp, avoid loading your boat using engine power, at the very least, limit the amount of engine power you use.  Propeller wash can erode the water’s bed just beyond the boat ramp creating holes and mounds – and often times, boats can run aground because of them.

8.    Remember that the winch/cable line does not secure the front of your boat down to the trailer.  For this, Steadymate recommends a Bow Strap to do the job right.  Simply put, Bow Straps safely secures the “V” of your vessel’s bow down in the “V” of your trailer’s front rollers or pads preventing up and down motion.
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9.    A minimum of 3 tie-down straps are used for boats up to 16 feet in length – one Gunwale Strap over the width of the boat 10 feet from the bow, and two Transom Trappers at the rear.  For longer vessels, place a Gunwale Strap every 10 feet along with the two Transom Trappers at the rear.

10.    Beware of using the bed of the boat as additional “trunk” space.  Not only might the extra weight increase the overall load weight, but unsecured cargo might also bounce out of the boat and put yourself, and other drivers, at risk.

11.    Be certain to check that securement points on your trailer are structural members of the trailer’s body.  If no suitable securement points exist on your trailer, secure the tie-down straps to the trailer’s frame, or purchase appropriately rated Eyebolts or U bolts from your local marina.

12.    Take a couple of minutes at each fuel or rest stop to check on your boat and trailer.  Make sure that all tie-downs are securely in place, your lights are still functioning, and that your trailer tires are not too hot.

Please take the proper safety measures and carefully secure your boat or personal watercraft. Following the Steadymate Trailer Tips and using premium rated products like the Steadymate Cinchtite® Straps and Transom Trappers will help to maintain the condition of your vehicle, extend the life of your boat and watercraft and, most importantly, keep passengers safe and comfortable.

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About Steadymate:

Steadymate is a full line of products and accessories for all motorcycles, ATVs, personal watercraft, snowmobiles, boats, pick-up trucks, camping gear and bicycles.  Manufactured by Canada’s leading cargo control company, Kinedyne Canada, Steadymate is a premium line of products built to meet the new government securement laws.  For more information on Steadymate and to order product visit www.steadymate.com