Trailer and Hitch to tow a small boat

I have never towed anything with my vehicle, so I know nothing about this subject.

I would like to purchase a trailer hitch and small trailer for a 12 ft. Light weight Boat With a 30 HP engine. I will only use it a couple times per year to pull the boat out of the water for the Winter, and then back in at the beginning of the season.

The trailer and boat will then sit in an open yard for the offseason. It’s an open, dirt lot, so I will have a cover made for the boat.

Distance from the ocean to the storage lot is a 45 min drive.

Vehicle is a 2012 Kia Sorrento (SUV).

I have found some used trailers on line, but would prefer to buy new as I plan on having it for 20 plus years.

Any recommendations for a good hitch system and trailer for this particular application would be appreciated.

The first thing to do is find out how much your exact vehicle can tow with the options it does or does not have. The owners manual or dealer should be able to tell you. Then you should try and estimate the towed weight. This is OFTEN underestimated, so if you're even remotely close to your car's tow limit, I suggest getting the whole rig weighed. (Truck weigh station, local scrap yard, etc.)



There are a number of manufacturers of add-on hitches. Reese, U-Haul, etc., or even a factory hitch. You have to decide do you want to install it yourself or have someone else do it?


Ken

I have installed 2 Drawtite hitches and they both fit perfectly and the instructions were right on the money.
Figure about 30 minutes to install one.
You will also have to buy a wire harness, again no biggie to install.
U-Haul will also install a hitch.

I use etrailer.com for just about anything trailer related. Check them out they ship that day.

You can find plenty of good used trailers on your local Craigs list.

When I had a small trailer for my RIB, I added two of those plastic orange marker sticks that they use on snowplows because I could not see the trailer when driving as it was hidden from view.

We've been kicking that idea around as well.

Leaning towards a utility trailer (for hauling yard waste, lumber, plywood, etc) that can double duty with simple modifications as a boat trailer. We have a rigid dingy, so that'll make it easier.

A quick search says that the Kia Sorrento is rated to tow between 2000-5000 pounds depending on your particular options and equipment. That's a big range.

A 12' boat isn't very specific either. Worst case, a heavy 12' boat with a bigger motor and a good trailer could weigh more than 2000 lbs, but a lightweight rowing dinghy could weigh much less.

Would need more information to make useful suggestions.

In general, I've installed both Reese and U-haul hitches and they are typically easily bolted on with factory holes and provided bolts.

Wiring can be anywhere from extremely simple to complicated depending on your vehicle's accommodations (or lack there of) for wiring. On a Toyota I did, it had a plug by the spare tire that by ordering a special adapter, I could just plug stuff in and mount a trailer light plug. Most vehicles need a trailer adapter to be wired in and then the plug for it.

The 2011 Trailer Life guide shows a Kia Sorrento with a 3.5 L V6has a tow rating of 3,500 lbs. Your boat, motor and trailer will probably weigh about 1,000 lbs.


So buy a trailer hitch unless your rig came with one. eTrailer is a good source. Or go to U-Haul. They have contractors that will install one for you.


At 1,000 lbs you probably don't need brakes. The TV weighs at least 3 times more than the trailer and 2 x is my cutoff point for brakes.


David

A 12 ft boat, motor, and trailer is less than 1000 pounds
A class 1 or 2 hitch will work. Specially built for your vehicle.
Reese
Draw Tite
Curt
UHaul
...And many more
$150 tops. Shop online
Utube videos for installation instructions

If you're boating in salt water consider a galvanized trailer so you don't have rust problems.


I bought an EZ-Loader for our Boston Whaler. It was a bit long so I took it to a custom welding shop and had them shorten the trailer and drill new holes to mount the rear bunks and for the tail lights/license plate hanger.


They charged around a hundred bucks as I recall, but it was worth it. The boat/trailer tows like a dream and the boat loads with no problems.

MurrayM said:

We've been kicking that idea around as well.

Leaning towards a utility trailer (for hauling yard waste, lumber, plywood, etc) that can double duty with simple modifications as a boat trailer. We have a rigid dingy, so that'll make it easier.

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Murray,

You just gave me a great idea. I have a ubuilt trailer with fixed plywood sides and front and back plywood pieces that slide out of steel channel for loading/dumping. I'll cut new front and rear slides that are shaped like a cradle for my sailing Minto.

I have purchased hitches from eTrailer.com in the past, and have been happy with both the hitches and the price!


Jim

djmarchand said:

The 2011 Trailer Life guide shows a Kia Sorrento with a 3.5 L V6has a tow rating of 3,500 lbs. Your boat, motor and trailer will probably weigh about 1,000 lbs.David

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Thanks for the input everyone, very helpful.

I was thinking of buying one on line and assembling it myself but figured I will just bite the bullet and get a nicer one pre assembled.

Galvanized: Copy, will do.

David, thanks for that. Didn’t even know there was such a thing as a Trailer Guide. I have the V6, and your other comments about weight are dead on.

I’ll keep looking at the options out there because I don’t need it until Later in the year. I will post some pics of the end result.

I would go to a u-haul or RV repair place and get then to quote the installation of the hitch. They do that sort of thing all the time.

Northern Spy said:

Murray,

You just gave me a great idea. I have a ubuilt trailer with fixed plywood sides and front and back plywood pieces that slide out of steel channel for loading/dumping. I'll cut new front and rear slides that are shaped like a cradle for my sailing Minto.

Click to expand...

A 50 gallon gratuity in diesel, if we ever meet, will suffice

Another option is to rent a truck from Home Depot for 2 hours in the spring and the fall. Evidence of towing may reduce the resale value of your vehicle

Benthic2 said:

Another option is to rent a truck from Home Depot for 2 hours in the spring and the fall. Evidence of towing may reduce the resale value of your vehicle

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I tried that. Home Depot policy is to disable the tow hitch by welding a bolt thru the pin hole.

Could also increase the resale value by putting the U in SUV that is so often absent.

I second getting a hitch assembly from E-trailer! I’ve used them before and have ordered a 3500lb hitch kit that I installed on my Equinox.

A friend of mine gave me this utility trailer as he was finished w it.
Not the least bit marine but like in the old drag racing days "run what ya brung".

I show it w the 12' outboard boat/row boat I recently acquired. I plan on using it w other small boats too. Canoes, kayaks ect.

One of my canoes is 18' so I lengthened the tongue quite a bit. So rather than having a long car towing a little trailer I'll have a short car towing a long (sorta) trailer. Much easier to back too.

The aft extension is to facilitate loading and launching w the trailer quite far from the water's edge. Doing is probably more difficult than thinking about though.

I took one leaf out of the springs as I never carry a big load w it. Should be much less shaking on the road.

Need to finish the wiring (easy) and fit roller bunks. Thinking of very small tires inflated minimally.

Know before you tow. Assuming your profile is accurate.

1500 + GVWR requires brakes in CA

Lighting laws vary depending on width


And in that state I believe the right lane is the only lane at lowered max speed.

Here are the California Towing Laws You Need To Know Before You Tow

CA can get nasty about towing trailers. Don't ask me how I know as I don't want to remember.

To all the recommendations of E-trailer https://www.etrailer.com I add a hearty second.

For trailer-launching in salt water, an aluminum chassis is worth the extra cost, if you plan to keep the rig for any length of time. Springs and axles are not available in aluminum, though, so galvanized is the way to go, being sure to place an isolating pad between dissimilar metals.

I’ve installed them myself and had others do it professionally. It sure is easy to just drop it off and let U-Haul, etc. do it for you.

Lot of good info posted above. One thing you will want to do is practice turning and backing up. As well as get a feel for depth perception. You may need to add corner post's to the outside back end of the trailer to be able to see it while backing up. Get some cone's and set up different coarses so you can get a feel for how much steering input is needed to get it to turn the way you want it to. Remember don't get frustrated with backing up. Short trailers are a pain in the azz even for the most experienced driver's. Lol I'll take a 40ft over a 10 ft trailer any day.

BIG CAT said:

. Short trailers are a pain in the azz even for the most experienced driver's. Lol I'll take a 40ft over a 10 ft trailer any day.

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+! on that!!!

My 27" Express Cruiser is like 32' towed. Far easier to tow, turn and back up than my first 19' cuddy.

In my post last week I mentioned etrailer.com

They have a great website. Put in your vehicle and they will get a hitch that is customized to fit your vehicle, it will also tell you any drilling of the vehicle frame is required. My current vehicle has a factory tow package. Not so on my previous truck. It was pretty simple to bolt the hitch to the truck's frame using the pre-drilled holes in the frame. Wiring a bit more complicated, but not much.

I would suggest that you consider pricing out the hitch and wiring harness. Then with these numbers in hand, swing by U-Haul and get a quote for their parts with installation. Then decide if you want to do your own installation or not.

Jim

Make sure that you have at least 10% of the total weight on the tongue(front) of the trailer. If you don't balance the weight properly, the trailer will tend to sway.

Good input, Thanks.

This small trailer is the leading contender and has the needed load capacity. Galvanized for SW use, wheels sealed, etc.

The dealer said they will do the primary registration paperwork but I need to get it inspected by the DMV prior to loading. However, he also said AAA can inspect it. I hate going to the the DMV so I called AAA and they confirmed any field office can sign off on it.

No brake system required for this small size.

3 prong electrical plug in.

Basic trailer, good price $1,400.

For the use you have described, get a greaseable bearing protector. Bearing buddy is the industry leader. https://www.bearingbuddy.com/ I can not tell from the picture if the trailer hubs have these protectors on the hub end.

This is the reason why …... trailer the boat to the water. Back trailer in and put boat in water. Pull trailer out and store. The bearings were very warm from the tow and you dropped it into relatively cold water. Inside the hub everything contracts and maybe pulling in water. Then you park the trailer for a long period and that water has the opportunity to do a chemistry project on your bearings. With a bearing protector, there is a seal with spring tension at the hub end. The spring will move out and back in with the temp changes keeping grease in and water out.

To put grease in there initially with the bearing protector is a Goldilocks thing. You want enough grease in there so the spring against the seal has something to work with. But not too much that when things heat up the grease pushes out the rear seal or pops the bearing protector off when towing.

This will give long life to the trailer bearings in a not so nice environment. There are better things to do in life than replace bearings and races that have pitted and then ruined because water got inside.

For salt water, galvanized or aluminum, either way the smart thing to do is to give it a good spray down with fresh water after each use.

I suggest that you also install (or have installed) guide on poles to the trailer.
It will assist in loading but more importantly it will let you see the trailer when it's empty.
Even better would be to mount the lights and tag high up on the poles. That way the lights won't get water in them. Yes they claim the lights are sealed, but they don't stay that way for long in my experience.
Here's a pic of the guides, before I mounted my lights on them.

This is what I bought for a 12' Row boat: Aluminum Trailers, enclosed car trailers, multi carrier boat carriers, utility trailers - Trailex, Inc.

Very Light. Assembled at home.





Todd