How to Choose Truck Tyres When You'll Be Towing a Motorboat

When people buy a sedan or a hatchback, they're generally only going to use it for basic driving. When people buy a truck, they often need that extra power and capability to conduct some heavy-duty towing, and motorboats are popular candidates for towing all across the country. The first thing you'll need to do is check that your truck is rated to tow the weight of your motorboat. What you'll also need to do is check the tyres.

If you happen to be investing in new tyres, here are just a few rules to follow if you also want to tow a motorboat.

Get the Right Ply

The ply rating, sometimes referred to as the 'load range', tells you how heavy a load your tyres are designed to carry. If you use tyres with a relatively low ply rating, they are going to be at a much higher risk of blowing out while you're towing something as heavy as a motorboat. In general, it's best for those who tow such heavy items on a regular basis to look for heavier ply tyres, such as LT (Light Truck) tyres. The ride might feel a little harsher when you aren't towing anything, but you'll at least enjoy the correct load capacity when you are. Additionally, higher ply tyres won't flex as much under the added weight, so sway is reduced.

The Right Grip

There's no right answer when it comes to towing and tyres, but there is a good way to go if you know you'll mostly be towing a motorboat. It's likely that you'll be dealing with wetter road surfaces, perhaps even needing to handle the boat on wet launches. As such, it makes sense to pick up a set of all-terrain tyres that can apply the proper amount of grip. If you're going to be driving across unpaved roads, you might think about using off-road tyres instead.

The Right Diameter

If you're replacing the original wheels of your truck, it might be tempting to go larger. After all, it certainly seems as if larger tyres would be great for towing. However, this is rarely the case. Firstly, larger tyres cannot exert as much torque; secondly, larger tyres will not integrate as well with your truck's current drive systems, so performance could be compromised. Keep in mind that towing a motorboat puts plenty of stress on even a larger truck, so you don't want any weak links. It's okay moving up or down a little, but you'll generally want to keep around the same size.