I pulled my boat out last night and was on the way home. I was going down the road about 40 mph when this elderly lady pulled out in front of me. I hit the brakes on my pickup and locked them up then In about a second I hear the tires on the boat trailer squealing. I had to make a controlled skid to the left, as soon as she hears all the noise she is like a deer in my headlights and freezes and stops. Now I am skidding directly at her, luckily it is two lanes wide with a turn lane and I was able to move over a couple of feet into the lane next to me. Truck stopped at lot faster than I would have thought it should about 6 inches from the side of her door. Then she just gases it and takes off leaving me sitting in two lanes boat starting to jack knife but in could shape still and me with fingers buried into the steering wheel. Talk about pucker factor , luckily no one hurt no damage and just a slight raise in blood pressure. I got home and noticed that one of the rear tie down straps came undone as I was drinking a beer to calm my nerves dont know if it happend because of the sudden stop or just me putting it on in the dark. Sure am glad I got a trailer with brakes. After this I am going to be checking them a little more regulary.

Troller, we see this all to often at my shop. Alot of people dont want to fix the brakes on there trailer, Remember that if you back your trailer to deep into the water, enough to submerge the brake actuator ,you have now allowed water to enter the brake system, the brakes will fail soon after this. Keep checking them brakes and especially the wheel bearings.

I have had a couple of close calls and I don't have trailer brakes. Seems to me when I pull the boat, I must appear to be moving slower to oncoming traffic. Never fails, they turn or pull out in front of me all the time and I am usually a few over the speed limit. Anyone else sense or experience this when they are trailing?

Downriggin'

my big fear with towing my boat around hear is that someone is going to try and merge behind me right after i pass without looking. for some reason this notion haunts me whenever i drive around an urban area. i think i've just seen so many people drift across lanes without paying attention, or try and merge while on a cell phone . these people make me crazy.

Is it really a good idea to be passing someone while towing a boat? I think it is already risky enough without driving so agressively that you try to pass on a highway while towing your boat. Defensive driving while towing will keep you and your boat alive much longer.

Well...... If you drive around the freeways here, they are more than one lane going in each direction, so chances are you are going to pass somone......... Or am I way off base here
I am pretty sure that is what he was referring to!

I believe sushi is trying to say e.g., ... someone merging on the hiway as he is doing the speed limit. Heck, even if he was to slow down, chances are the knucklehead behind him is not paying attention and going to slam on the brakes.

Some folks don't belong on the road... Others, well, they are too busy shaving, putting on lipstick, brushing hair, reading (yes reading), eating and CELL PHONES, etc...

Downriggin'

On more than one occasion I've looked in my rear-view mirror to see a car swerving back to their own lane after cutting right behind me and not seeing my boat.
It's also pretty common to have cars less than a cars-length behind my boat. They see a truck and trailer and must not believe you can do the speed limit.What they don't know is that riding my ass won't make me change lanes or speed up. I just smile and wave as they speed past.

I think a lot of drivers don't like being "stuck" behind a vehicle that is towing anything and so they will try to pass you by. Which is fine except then some will pull in front of you and slow down. As far as passing while towing - I can easily keep up with traffic and if someone is doing 55 while the traffic around them is going the legal limit of 65, I am going to pass them. But generally I try to stay in the right lane out of the way. Plus you can't be in the left lane for any length of time while towing a trailer or you could run the risk of picking up a ticket.
Towing something definately gives one a different perspective on driving.

I purchased the boat earlier this year and havent towed it around to much. I have a 11.5 foot camper and tow a smaller boat I have been towing for years. I could write a book about the things that people do that put their life in danger cutting you off and pulling out in front of you. I allways laugh when this happens, thinking what that mazda miata would look like that just cut me off after it tangled with 15,000 pounds driving down the road a 60 mph. I think the miata would loose probably just feel a couple of bumps under the tires as I went over it like a monster truck show. I dont see anything wrong with me passing someone while towing if they are not doing the speed limit. But I have also seen many people driving trucks towing a boat or trailer or camper going way to fast also. My dad told me once that common sense is some your born with not something you buy at the store.