Towing a boat

[Rhinebeck01]

Yo perfect so it has a 2 inch ball. I’m just leveled out so not much higher than stock. They said Ball is at 20 inches so with the 10 inch adjustment I should be ok you think being in stock pretty much like you?

Anything else I will need to tow. No right. Just hitch up plug in and go. Trailer doesn’t have brakes control so nothing to do there.

@jimim

A hitch like that is pricey so you want a Hitch Receiver Lock to secure it to your JL. You will only have JL when you will be towing..... otherwise you will want to remove it..

Also, you need a container of waterproof, silicone grease to use on the ball / when towing.
https://www.amazon.com/Maxima-80916...words=waterproof+grease&qid=1630363847&sr=8-5

With a 10"adjustable you will have LOTS of flexibility in regard to what you can deal with in regard to trailer tongue height.

I stress again... Just be sure whatever hitch you buy, you buy it from somewhere that accepts returns and you pay no return shipping charges.. This way you can look over and etc. and decide if the hitch is right/will do the deed for you. These things are heavy..

With that said you can try.... even use a bit and return at no cost... no return shipping fee if you need to send it back. Don't get stuck with a $220+- hitch that does not do the deed properly for you.

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[jimim]

Thanks a lot man. We got 3 large marinas around us. I’m going to check in with them also. I know where I’m buying my boat doesn’t have anything. I already asked them.

What I have to do is make my final decision on the boat. I’m 90 percent set on a bass shallow v but my wife and myself also want to check out an inshore bay shallow v setup due to the deeper center area for the kids but also mainly for when we go to the beach. I can tow and slip it forcthe week and finally fish the icw and as I learn the area explore out into inshore. We r spending more and more time at the beach each summer. I would rig a salt trolling motor or even just go all Garmin and get thier force trolling motor cause it’s salt rated. I was getting a Min Kota ultrex anyway and I’m liking Garmin’s high Deff down and side better than hummingbird when I’m on my 2 buddies boats weekly.


Anyway. I’m going to drive around this weekend and see what I can find locally for the hitch comparing it to what you posted up.

Tonight I get to practice my driving again. Last Tuesday night tourney. And then next Saturday last Saturday one. Got to pre fish that lake this Saturday so plenty of practice driving for me. Lol. They have been letting me take over when we get to the lakes. If I start holding up anyone really bad they just take over. Lol but I’m getting better.

 

[MtCamper]

The only real problem I can see is the ability to see behind you. There are lots on mirror extensions for RVers but I don't know if any would work on Jeeps. If you are just towing locally I wouldn't bother with rearview mirrors. You would appreciate them if you plan on many highway miles. Boats tow with much lighter tongue weights and longer ball to wheel lengths than travel and utility trailers due to the heavy motor on the back end and virtually no weight up front.

 

[jimim]

I’m only going to be local for now. I’m avoiding highways till I get used to it. I can get to all our places using no highways. Just longer.

I back up into the water turning backwards. I know it’s whacked but it works for me. I don’t use the mirrors. F’s me up.

 

[FLjeeper]

Sounds like you'll be fine. I have a '21 JLUR with a 3.6 MT. I tow a 17' bay boat with a 90hp. Loaded weight is around 2600lbs. I have no issues, a little sluggish off the line, likely more of a MT issue, but I'm never in a hurry anyway. If you're new to towing a boat just take it slowly, seems like you have a handle on that. When launching small corrections are all that are necessary. Take pics! Your Jeep will look that much better with your boat behind it!

 

[jimim]

Sounds like you'll be fine. I have a '21 JLUR with a 3.6 MT. I tow a 17' bay boat with a 90hp. Loaded weight is around 2600lbs. I have no issues, a little sluggish off the line, likely more of a MT issue, but I'm never in a hurry anyway. If you're new to towing a boat just take it slowly, seems like you have a handle on that. When launching small corrections are all that are necessary. Take pics! Your Jeep will look that much better with your boat behind it!

awesome bay boat. im going to look at the g3 bay this weekend and decide what i want to do. the 18 foot bay has 2 lockers for poles still along with the storage I still need and live well. the kids will be safer fishing from the bay cause of the center being set low. i think g3's bay is just as shallow at their bass modified v. i like the idea of having the choice of going between salt and fresh. i know the motor is still not salt rated and there is that care but i can get a salt trolling motor. is your min kota trolling the salt version of the ultrex with spot lock and all those goodies? looks you have a 45 inch shaft also of do you need the 60 on a bay? i can't totally tell.

 

[FLjeeper]

awesome bay boat. im going to look at the g3 bay this weekend and decide what i want to do. the 18 foot bay has 2 lockers for poles still along with the storage I still need and live well. the kids will be safer fishing from the bay cause of the center being set low. i think g3's bay is just as shallow at their bass modified v. i like the idea of having the choice of going between salt and fresh. i know the motor is still not salt rated and there is that care but i can get a salt trolling motor. is your min kota trolling the salt version of the ultrex with spot lock and all those goodies? looks you have a 45 inch shaft also of do you need the 60 on a bay? i can't totally tell.

All my stuff is salt rated. It's the riptide series. 60' Terrova i-pilot with spot lock. absolutely love that setup. I am a little skeptical of the Ulterra as there have been several long term issues with auto-deploy. I am young enough to eliminate that issue. My son and I primarily fish in saltwater, sometime offshore on a nice day up to 20 miles out.

 

[GATORB8]

Just a note, there's something called two foot-itis in boating and it's certainly real, in my case, at least.

While it costs more up front, going a size larger may make you happier long term with the boat, and allow you to hold on to it for longer. Excluding this crazy economy, depreciation will hurt pretty bad if you decide to upgrade later.

 

[jimim]

All my stuff is salt rated. It's the riptide series. 60' Terrova i-pilot with spot lock. absolutely love that setup. I am a little skeptical of the Ulterra as there have been several long term issues with auto-deploy. I am young enough to eliminate that issue. My son and I primarily fish in saltwater, sometime offshore on a nice day up to 20 miles out.

yah this what i want to be doing. i would never buy an ulterra. we use the manual deploy to bring into shore easier for snags and to get the boat up on the trailer sometimes. can't do that with the auto deploy. all my buddies boats have ultrexes cause of the scissor stow and deploy. spot lock and all the auto pilot stuff is just awesome. you still need that foot pedal for forking in and out of decks though.

a guide i was with in june told me the same thing. he said you don't need a monster of a boat to get 10-15 miles out. just a good head on your shoulder and go when it is calm.

i'm going to go saturday and check out the bay and make my final decision.

 

[jimim]

Just a note, there's something called two foot-itis in boating and it's certainly real, in my case, at least.

While it costs more up front, going a size larger may make you happier long term with the boat, and allow you to hold on to it for longer. Excluding this crazy economy, depreciation will hurt pretty bad if you decide to upgrade later.

i just don't think i can handle anything bigger than 18'. i handled a 20 footer and i was just not comfortable. i really think that 17 10" to 18 3" is my comfort zone. only reason i am considering the bay is cause i know down the road i will want one with all the time in NC we are spending anymore. my friends think i'm insane to buy a bay when 90 percent of the time it will be used in freshwater but if it handles the same why not. i don't mind the center console either.

 

[FLjeeper]

yah this what i want to be doing. i would never buy an ulterra. we use the manual deploy to bring into shore easier for snags and to get the boat up on the trailer sometimes. can't do that with the auto deploy. all my buddies boats have ultrexes cause of the scissor stow and deploy. spot lock and all the auto pilot stuff is just awesome. you still need that foot pedal for forking in and out of decks though.

a guide i was with in june told me the same thing. he said you don't need a monster of a boat to get 10-15 miles out. just a good head on your shoulder and go when it is calm.

i'm going to go saturday and check out the bay and make my final decision.

That's absolutely right, you have to be picky about the days you go, and in Florida expect the afternoon thunderstorms so be back early. I've been doing it my whole life. There is a foot pedal for the Terrova for just a couple hundred bucks. Good luck with your search! Update us I love to see a cool rig come together!

 

[FLjeeper]

If you're going to take it offshore, i-pilot is certainly the way to go, it keeps you have having to set anchor all the time. Inshore I can go either way. I am working towards a pair of power poles just to get rid of the sound of trolling motor as anchor. When I'm fishing for snook and redfish in skinny water, the quieter the better.

 

[jimim]

That's absolutely right, you have to be picky about the days you go, and in Florida expect the afternoon thunderstorms so be back early. I've been doing it my whole life. There is a foot pedal for the Terrova for just a couple hundred bucks. Good luck with your search! Update us I love to see a cool rig come together!

Yup I use it every week on my buddy’s. He is a lazy pan fisherman so he uses the remote on auto pilot cause we mostly follow lines or the fish when we r fishing perch and crappie. I use his pedal to get us in and out tight areas for bass. I’m getting better with the pedal. I’m no surgeon like when I’m fishing for bass with my other buddy. He is a pedal god. Lol. He can put me to the inch where I want to be or he wants to be.

 

[jimim]

If you're going to take it offshore, i-pilot is certainly the way to go, it keeps you have having to set anchor all the time. Inshore I can go either way. I am working towards a pair of power poles just to get rid of the sound of trolling motor as anchor. When I'm fishing for snook and redfish in skinny water, the quieter the better.

Man I’m so jealous. U are talking snook and reds and here I am mentioning 12-14 inch perch and crappie. I love for my few weeks of surf fishing each summer in NC and that day or 2 out on a boat with a guide.

This was the first year we spent time down there in early June. Man fishing was great. Trout all day from the surf. A few big pomps. I never caught the 2 lb plus pomps before. I was able to keep a pole out most the day and the kids kept taking turns on various mullet, croaker, spots. Big difference from that august heat. The daily blues blitz are awesome. I got to go for kings forcthe first time too off shore. That was cool. Never knew how delicate thier lips are. And I never realized that barracuda are more of an issue than sharks when you are trying to fill a cooler with kings. Lol. Man they are fast and come out of nowhere. Friggin reeled for 10 mins and at the last second you end up with just a head. Lol

That was an awesome day. Landed my first cobia. Almost got on a bunch of jacks. And ended the day with some really nice black bass and snapper for dinner.

 

[FLjeeper]

Man I’m so jealous. U are talking snook and reds and here I am mentioning 12-14 inch perch and crappie. I love for my few weeks of surf fishing each summer in NC and that day or 2 out on a boat with a guide.

This was the first year we spent time down there in early June. Man fishing was great. Trout all day from the surf. A few big pomps. I never caught the 2 lb plus pomps before. I was able to keep a pole out most the day and the kids kept taking turns on various mullet, croaker, spots. Big difference from that august heat. The daily blues blitz are awesome. I got to go for kings forcthe first time too off shore. That was cool. Never knew how delicate thier lips are. And I never realized that barracuda are more of an issue than sharks when you are trying to fill a cooler with kings. Lol. Man they are fast and come out of nowhere. Friggin reeled for 10 mins and at the last second you end up with just a head. Lol

That was an awesome day. Landed my first cobia. Almost got on a bunch of jacks. And ended the day with some really nice black bass and snapper for dinner.

Sounds like your time in NC was perfect! All those species are great fighters, and delicious eaters! We do a little fresh water fishing when I want to give the engine a good flush. It's fun to hang some chunky large mouth also, but Florida has so many opportunities to box some slobs and it is just gorgeous watching the flying fish at sunrise. This is how we get down....

Backwater and ocean running, we go everywhere!

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