trailering

[NHfroggin]

i just got a 1992 14 alum deep V. i drive a 1995 chevy s-10 4 cyl. can i trailer it with this? and if so the truck doesnt have a wirring harness to hook up to the trasiler light can i buy them? if so does anyone know where? thanks

Bassmaster6

[Guest JoshKeller]

yes, you can pull with that. I pulled a 2700 lb rig with my 2001 s-10 4 cylinder. Under the bed, in the back, there is a set of plastic connections in the wiring. Buy a wiring harness, and it will plug right into it.

[llPa1nll]

Hey Bassmaster6, Is it just a 14ft aluminum jon boat? I dont see why you couldnt pull that with your Chevy. As for the lights what you will need is a light trailer light kit assembly. You may be lucky enough that you just need to purchase the pigtail to come down and meet your trailer. If its like my Toyota I needed a whole kit. Basically its a wire assembly that goes from the left rear lights on your truck to the right rear lights. It has adapters that you just unclip the old wire harness and plug each side of the old harness into the new harness provided. This will also come with a pigtail for the trailer. I cannot stress enough to cover your wire harness while not in use AND to get a small tube of electrical grease and use liberally on all the connections you have. If this is your first boat on a trailer be safe and go over this checklist before you leave the driveway nothing worse than a good trip ruined because of trailer problems.

A Refresher on Boat Trailer Maintenance

Know your load capacity

The trailer must have a load capacity adequate to carry the boat, motor, fuel and all equipment that may be carried in the boat when it's being pulled by a trailer. The law classifies trailers by the maximum amount they may weigh when fully loaded.

For maximum safety and best performance, you should never exceed 85% of a trailer's total capacity.

What's doing the work?

Another very important factor to consider is the vehicle that will be doing the towing. It also must meet certain performance standards such as engine power, engine cooling, transmission cooling, wiring, brakes, battery, suspension, alternator, axle ratio, tires, and wheels in order to tow the boat and trailer. You should consult your dealer for advice.

Each tow vehicle also has a maximum weight that it may pull by law. Again, you should not pull more than 85% of the vehicle's limit.

Preparing to tow safely

Before you leave your driveway, follow this checklist to ensure that a fun day on the water isn't ruined by a trailer mishap.

   * Never carry gasoline tanks in the trunk of the tow vehicle.

   * Drain accumulated water from the boat's bilge.

   * Lower the tongue socket onto the ball on the trailer hitch and lock together securely.

   * Connect trailer lights to towing vehicle and check turn signals, brake lights and backup lights.

   * Attach safety chains from trailer to tow vehicle securely in a criss-cross fashion.

   * Check tie-down straps and winch and cable.

   * Check tire pressure, lug nuts and test brakes.

   * Remove drain plug in the boat so any remaining water can drain.

   * Make sure wheel bearings run free and are properly lubricated.

   * Don't forget the keys to the boat

Road handling

The weight that you are pulling will make your towing vehicle less responsive in many respects.

Speeding up, slowing down and all maneuvers will require more time to accomplish. Leave more room between you and a vehicle in front of you to make sure you can stop should they brake suddenly.

Make sure your side view mirrors are large enough to provide an unobstructed rear view on both sides of the vehicle.

Remember that your turning radius is much greater than usual. Curbs and barriers must be given a wide berth when turning corners.

Backing up

Backing up with a trailer can be somewhat tricky, but with practice you should be able to accomplish the task in a minimum amount of time.

The trailer will turn in the opposite direction of the car; take it slowly and try to avoid oversteering. Prior to operating on the open road, practice turning, backing up, etc. on a level, empty parking lot.

Following these simple steps as well as observing all local traffic laws will ensure a safe and enjoyable trip!

[bassaholic022]

Any parts store should have the trailer harness. I know O'Reily does. Thats where I got mine.

[HPBB]

I pulled  boats with a lot of  S-10s. It will be fine. go to your local  Auto Parts store they will have a wire kit for your truck. It looks like a T that plugs in you wire harness in back and the pigtail plugs into that. Make it easy.

That truck will pull it. One thing if its an auto trans. Tow in 3rd gear only. Towing in overdrive in those S-10s will kill the trans. Even if you do most of your driving on flat ground tow in 3rd. The trans can't cool enough in OD. I never had a trans propblem with any of my S-10. I always towed in 3rd and I put and extra Trans cooler on each of them.

S-10 I had and towed with.

1988 S-15 4cyl (2.5L) 5 speed

1994 S-10 SS 4.3L HO V6 auto

   also same truck after motor swap LT1 5.7 V8 Auto

1996 S-15 Jimmy 4.3L V6 auto

1996 S-10 Blazer 4.3L V6 5-Speed

1999 S-10 4.3L V6 Auto

All of those truck went over 100,000 Miles. Infact the 1996 jimmy has over 160,000 miles. I still drive it to work everyday. And the 1988 S-15 has over 200,000miles.

I now tow with a chevy Tahoe, but those S-10 are good towing

[burleytog]

You should have absolutely no problem finding a plug-in harness for that truck.  The S-10 is a popular vehicle (or was).

I can't repeat HPBB's suggestion enough.  Tow only in third.  Your gas mileage will suffer a bit, but it is better to pay a little extra at the pump than to buy a new trans every other year.