02-10-2009, 10:09 PM
Trailer Dynamics
By ERIC COLBY
Get the most out of
your boat-hauling gallon.
![[Image: 2620092010.jpg]](http://www.boatingmag.com/assets/image/2009/W6/2620092010.jpg)
On a recent trip hauling a large center console, I was traveling with a boat company employee who told me that his company's tow vehicles average 14 mpg when towing a comparably sized raceboat. Our rig's number was only 10 mpg. Why? Obviously, a raceboat is lighter and more aerodynamic, but are there other secrets for better efficiency while towing? Hoping to squeeze every mile per gallon out of our tow vehicles, I talked with Phil Chute of Showroom Transport, Lorton, Virginia, and discovered a few tips we can use to get better mileage while towing.
Rethink the Shrink
Most of us think that covering the boat or shrinkwrapping it for trailering will improve its aerodynamics. Wrong. Chute says that his drivers always haul boats without any covers or wrap. Wind can get up under them and cause them to billow and flap, which creates drag. Even those covers designated as "towing" models don't fit tight enough, he says. Chute also frowns on shrinkwrap because, once it starts to tear, it can fly off in large pieces, creating a hazard for him as well as the cars around him.
Greasy Does It
The best way to get more towing per gallon is to keep your trailer properly maintained. Grease the bearings and replace them as necessary. The freer the wheels roll, the less fuel you'll burn. Use tires rated for towing and inflate them to the proper levels. I'm a fan of filling tires with nitrogen because it doesn't expand and contract inside the tire as as much as normal air does when temperatures fluctuate. Also, don't try the old trick of adding an extra pound or two of air to eke out an extra mpg. It may cause your rig to lose traction.
Shotgun Wedding
Matching your boat to the correct trailer and the boat/trailer combination to the tow vehicle is critical. "Some people think that a dualie can haul anything," says Chute, but even a dualie can be overmatched. Too many people tow their boat with an undersized vehicle. This does more than hurt fuel economy -- it strains every mechanical component.
Trailers and Errors
Make sure the trailer under the boat is big enough. If you don't, fuel economy gets compromised because the boat's excessive weight can bend the frame or axles, and the trailer can't roll down the road as freely. If you have a 4,500-pound boat dry, you need a trailer rated for at least 6,000 pounds to handle the added weight of fuel and gear.
Weight Not, Want Not
Remove as much gear, fuel, and water as possible from your boat before embarking on a long haul. Water weighs about eight pounds per gallon, diesel is a little more than seven pounds, and gasoline is six pounds and change, so those numbers add up in a hurry. Keep the tank close to "E" and fuel up when you get there.
Folding Money
Fold down as many hinged accessories as you can, including antennae. If your boat has an acrylic windscreen, remove it before towing and put it in the cabin or in your tow vehicle's backseat. This makes an especially big difference on a center console -- those tall windscreens are as aerodynamic as a refrigerator.
What's the Rush?
Chute's final tip is simple: Stick to the speed limit. It's a lot more fun to use up the fuel in your boat, anyway.
[signature]
By ERIC COLBY
Get the most out of
your boat-hauling gallon.
On a recent trip hauling a large center console, I was traveling with a boat company employee who told me that his company's tow vehicles average 14 mpg when towing a comparably sized raceboat. Our rig's number was only 10 mpg. Why? Obviously, a raceboat is lighter and more aerodynamic, but are there other secrets for better efficiency while towing? Hoping to squeeze every mile per gallon out of our tow vehicles, I talked with Phil Chute of Showroom Transport, Lorton, Virginia, and discovered a few tips we can use to get better mileage while towing. Rethink the Shrink
Most of us think that covering the boat or shrinkwrapping it for trailering will improve its aerodynamics. Wrong. Chute says that his drivers always haul boats without any covers or wrap. Wind can get up under them and cause them to billow and flap, which creates drag. Even those covers designated as "towing" models don't fit tight enough, he says. Chute also frowns on shrinkwrap because, once it starts to tear, it can fly off in large pieces, creating a hazard for him as well as the cars around him.
Greasy Does It
The best way to get more towing per gallon is to keep your trailer properly maintained. Grease the bearings and replace them as necessary. The freer the wheels roll, the less fuel you'll burn. Use tires rated for towing and inflate them to the proper levels. I'm a fan of filling tires with nitrogen because it doesn't expand and contract inside the tire as as much as normal air does when temperatures fluctuate. Also, don't try the old trick of adding an extra pound or two of air to eke out an extra mpg. It may cause your rig to lose traction.
Shotgun Wedding
Matching your boat to the correct trailer and the boat/trailer combination to the tow vehicle is critical. "Some people think that a dualie can haul anything," says Chute, but even a dualie can be overmatched. Too many people tow their boat with an undersized vehicle. This does more than hurt fuel economy -- it strains every mechanical component.
Trailers and Errors
Make sure the trailer under the boat is big enough. If you don't, fuel economy gets compromised because the boat's excessive weight can bend the frame or axles, and the trailer can't roll down the road as freely. If you have a 4,500-pound boat dry, you need a trailer rated for at least 6,000 pounds to handle the added weight of fuel and gear.
Weight Not, Want Not
Remove as much gear, fuel, and water as possible from your boat before embarking on a long haul. Water weighs about eight pounds per gallon, diesel is a little more than seven pounds, and gasoline is six pounds and change, so those numbers add up in a hurry. Keep the tank close to "E" and fuel up when you get there.
Folding Money
Fold down as many hinged accessories as you can, including antennae. If your boat has an acrylic windscreen, remove it before towing and put it in the cabin or in your tow vehicle's backseat. This makes an especially big difference on a center console -- those tall windscreens are as aerodynamic as a refrigerator.
What's the Rush?
Chute's final tip is simple: Stick to the speed limit. It's a lot more fun to use up the fuel in your boat, anyway.
[signature]