rors at frequent intervals to be sure the
trailer and boat are riding properly.
• Swing wider. Trailer wheels are closer
to the inside of turns than the wheels on
the tow vehicle. This means swinging
wider at curves and corners.
• Pass with extra care. Signal well in
advance and make sure you allow ex-
tra distance to clear the vehicle you are
passing before you pull back into the
lane. Pass on level terrain with plenty of
clearance. Avoid passing on steep up- or
down-grades. Downshift as necessary to
improve acceleration or speed mainte-
nance. When passing on narrow roads,
be careful to avoid soft shoulders. Run-
ning on soft shoulders could cause the
trailer to jack-knife or go out of control.
• Do not attempt to control trailer sway
by applying the tow vehicle brakes.
Especially avoid jamming on the brakes
hard. Generally, this type of action
makes the sway worsen.
• Pay attention to wind. Be prepared
for sudden changes in air pressure and/
or wind buffeting when larger vehicles
pass from either direction. Slow down a
little and keep a rm hand on the steer-
ing wheel.
• Conserve fuel. Wind resistance against
the boat and trailer can reduce gas mileage
signicantly, especially at higher speeds.
• Avoid sudden stops and starts. Even
though the trailer has brakes, a sudden
stop can cause it to skid, slide or even
jack-knife. (Be especially careful to
avoid the necessity for quick stops while
turning.) Smooth, gradual starts and
stops will improve gas mileage and put
less strain on the tie-downs, etc.
• Signal your intentions. Well before
stopping, turning, changing lanes or
passing, use turn signals to let other ve-
hicles know what you intend to do.
• Drive in the gear recommended by
the tow-vehicle manufacturer. If the
tow vehicle has a manual transmission,
traveling in lower gears when going up
steep hills or over sand, gravel or dirt
roads will ease the load on the engine
and transmission. When driving on long
downhill grades, try to avoid downshift-
ing. Running in a low gear, which uses
the engine as a brake, can actuate the
trailer’s surge brakes continuously for
the duration of the grade, causing them
to overheat. A better procedure is to slow
down before the start of the down grade
and maintain a controlled downhill speed
with repeated application and release of
tow vehicle (and thus, the trailer) brakes.
This technique permits the brakes to cool
down between applications and provides
for reserve braking capacity in an emer-
gency. On moderate and steep sections,
downshifting into lower gears may be
unavoidable. Slowing down is important
to allow the brakes to avoid overheating.
Don’t hesitate to pull over when possible
during or after severe braking situations
and allow the system to cool down. Run-
ning a stretch of highway where braking
is not necessary is the quickest way to
cool down the brake system because it al-
lows a signicant volume of air to ow
MasterCraft Trailers • 2014 MasterCraft Owners Manual Page 7-27
M A S T E R C R A F T T R A I L E R S
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