Trailering my new 190 Sport - Should I upgrade tow bar?

Yeah, the waiting game is hardest one!

Any marina or marine store should have the appropriate locks. I would suggest getting a matching (keyed alike) pair for the both the draw bar and the coupler. The coupler lock will be long, thin rod that goes through that hole in the coupler. It's a very common item so it won't be hard to find. It looks a lot like the securing pin that holds your draw bar in.

The reason to also have a locking draw bar pin is so someone, while you're out on the water or parked at a restaurant (back on the trailer), can't slide the draw bar out of your truck... Push the boat backwards... And slide your draw bar (still attached to your coupler since it's at least locked there) into their hitch on their truck.
 
Thanks for the tips Dennis!

Here she is right after we got the boat home:

IMG_0305.jpg
 
Congratulations looks exactly like ours except we have black and white seats. If you haven't done so, make sure to get a spare tire.
 
Congratulations looks exactly like ours except we have black and white seats. If you haven't done so, make sure to get a spare tire.
Thanks Jeff!
Yes he has the spare and mount ordered should be in this week. He agreed to throw that in the deal for me.
 
There is a lot of good advice here. As you've noticed, your mid-size truck should work fine, but agree that you'll be more confident with the Class III.

I pulled my boat very well with a 2002 Durango 4.7 V-8 and factory Class III tow package rated to 5,600 lbs. It was a generally good experience. I don't deal with a lot of extreme hills or conditions. With the near death of any mid-size vehicle with decent tow capacity, I upgraded to an F-150 last year. It's like the boat isn't even back there. For long drives and a few places I've been with extreme hill conditions I'm glad I have the bigger vehicle.
 
Thanks Dave,

Yes I am very pleased with how the truck handled pulling the boat - can't get over how nice having surge disc brakes is. I am quite certainly it handled this boat better than the old 1990 180 BR I had...
I will be having the Class II receiver cut off and a Class III welded on before boating season gets here. I also have to have a 5 pin wire done for the truck, it currently has a 4 pin and I need a 5 pin for this trailer due to the disc brakes.
I will have these two things done here before long.
 
Man that sure is purdy! I'd ask what the difference in price is on a 5-pin vrs 7-pin connection. Probably not necessary for your needs but it does add some flexibility.
 
Thanks Dave,

Yes I am very pleased with how the truck handled pulling the boat - can't get over how nice having surge disc brakes is. I am quite certainly it handled this boat better than the old 1990 180 BR I had...
I will be having the Class II receiver cut off and a Class III welded on before boating season gets here. I also have to have a 5 pin wire done for the truck, it currently has a 4 pin and I need a 5 pin for this trailer due to the disc brakes.
I will have these two things done here before long.

I could be wrong, and your trailer may be different. I have drum surge brakes, and they don't need any power from the vehicle. I think discs were optional my year. And, there are adaptors to connect different styles of wires. Just saying this so you are able to explore your lowest cost options. I have no idea what your needs may be.
 
I could be wrong, and your trailer may be different. I have drum surge brakes, and they don't need any power from the vehicle. I think discs were optional my year. And, there are adaptors to connect different styles of wires. Just saying this so you are able to explore your lowest cost options. I have no idea what your needs may be.

Well I certainly don't know if I am correct, it is my understanding I need to have a 5 wire installed, as the trailer brakes uses the 5th wire - basically when the reverse lights come on , it tells the brake mechanism to pretty much not come on - otherwise the surge brakes would activate when I began backing the trailer up...

I was able to bypass it when I got home, they showed me which pin to plug into the appropriate pin on the plug, to bypass it so the brake would not deploy when backing it up, but then the rest of the trailer lights would not work.
 
If I remember correctly you plug green into brown but don't hold me to that. There also is a metal tab for lack of a better description which will stop the actuator from engaging the brakes when your in reverse.

And make sure you get the custom sea ray tie down straps which should have come with your trailer.

Another thing to watch it to monitor the temperature of the hubs. Every now and then the brakes don't properly release for one reason or another.

And congratulations again on your beautiful new boat.
 
If I remember correctly you plug green into brown but don't hold me to that. There also is a metal tab for lack of a better description which will stop the actuator from engaging the brakes when your in reverse.

And make sure you get the custom sea ray tie down straps which should have come with your trailer.

Another thing to watch it to monitor the temperature of the hubs. Every now and then the brakes don't properly release for one reason or another.

And congratulations again on your beautiful new boat.


Thanks Blaster!
Yes that sounds about right.
Metal tab ?? Not familiar with that, on the trailer you mean? Would be nice if there is. Of course, had I actually gotten an owners guide and/or manual for my trailer, guess I could look it up! I have asked for that as well...

I have already emailed the dealer on those custom Sea Ray tie downs, his response was he would look into it... I am going to keep insisting. I plan on taking the boat back to him when he has everything I have asked for to get it put on, the mounted spare tire, mount the rear trailer light appropriately, and pick up my tie downs.
Thanks for the tip on the hubs!
 
OK here's the page from the manual. Its officially called the brake lockout bracket.IMG_20140219_201104_891.jpg

It looks like this. Make sure they attach it to the actuator along with the hitch pin so you always have it. That way when the brake lockout solenoid blows you can still back up.
 
IMG_20140219_200847_322.jpg

My brake lockout bracket looks like this.
 
Thanks for taking the time to scan and post that blaster!

I honestly do not know if I have any of that, will have to go look at my trailer tongue tomorrow in the daylight to see I guess. The only thing they showed me was was how to bypass it with the pin on the wire connector for the trailer...

Thanks again, I will check that out.
 
Hey guys,

Below are couple of pics of what I have:





IMG_0317.jpg
 
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And the other ( tried to edit and add above, could not get that to work)

IMG_0318.jpg
 
This thread has been interesting. I thought I would share a VERY strange hitch setup that Land Rover uses. This is on my 2013 Land Rover Discovery 4.

~8000 pound tow limit and it uses a detachable hitch setup that you just push up and it clicks into place and locks with a little key. cute eh?

Land_Range_Rover_Sport_LR3_LR4_Tow_Hitch_Receiver_A3.jpg


DSC_5660_zpsec53ee6a.jpg
 
Hey guys,

Below are couple of pics of what I have:





IMG_0317.jpg
dburne.........by now you might have all this figured out. See the shiny big pin in the black portion of the hitch, along with the slot? That's the part that slides back/forth, making the brake surge on/off. The little steel lock out bracket that Blaster posted, fits into that little slot right behind the pin. That is the mechanical way of shutting off the trailer brake (in case there's no power).
All those little pieces should come with the trailer.
Even on my little 175, the trailer came with surge disc brakes, and I too had a learning curve.
 
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dburne.........by now you might have all this figured out. See the shiny big pin in the black portion of the hitch, along with the slot? That's the part that slides back/forth, making the brake surge on/off. The little steel lock out bracket that Blaster posted, fits into that little slot right behind the pin. That is the mechanical way of shutting off the trailer brake (in case there's no power).
All those little pieces should come with the trailer.
Even on my little 175, the trailer came with surge disc brakes, and I too had a learning curve.

Thanks Dutchman, yes I figured out throughout this thread that was what that was.
I did not however get a lock out bracket with mine, I was wondering what one would do should he need to back up with no electrical connection for whatever reason. I will be taking it back to the dealer maybe on Sat, to get my spare tire mounted he got it for me, and will ask about this lock out bracket. He is supposed to have a manual for the trailer for me as well, as I did not get one.

I did get a 5 pin wire harness installed in the truck last Saturday, so now at least it will all work properly. So I guess when the reverse lights come on they tell the brakes not to engage - I don't have to have the lights on all the time right?

So really the only thing left for me to do, is the original topic of this thread - upgrading the towbar from a class II to a Class III.
Part of me still wants to find a good welder to cut off the Class II receiver and weld on a Class III receiver ( I understand everything else about that hitch that mounts to the truck frame is identical, only the receiver is different), or bite the bullet and order the factory class III hitch from Ford and have them install it ( 1300 bucks ouch!)...



Thanks,
 
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you are correct. once you have the 5 wire connector, you don't have to have the lights on. when they showed you the trick of reversing the connector and turning the lights on. that activated the brake diabling by using the 12v coming from the vehicle lights.
 

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