How to Transport a Jet Ski in a Truck

Using the bed of a truck to transport a jet ski is a common rookie mistake. This will easily damage the underside, jet and rotors of the watercraft. Transporting these vehicles requires a specific trailer, similar to boat trailers. Trucks often feature trailer hitches, making them readily available to tow a jet ski. The quick loading and unloading of personal watercraft make these vehicles ideal for spontaneous riding ventures.

Things You'll Need

  • Trailer hitch
  • Jet ski trailer
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Instructions

    • 1

      Attach the jet ski trailer to the hitch. This hitch is welded to the frame of your truck, ensuring that the towed weight is secure. Make sure you lock this trailer to the hitch, because you do not want the jet ski separating from the truck during travel.

    • 2

      Connect the electrical wiring that hangs down from the trailer to the provided connector of your truck. This establishes a power connection to the rear lights of the trailer. When the brake lights of the truck illuminate, so do the lights of the trailer. This is vital, because non-working trailer lamps are illegal in many states.

    • 3

      Slowly back the truck and attached trailer into a loading dock. Trailers turn the opposite of your truck when moving backwards, therefore this process may take a few attempts before succeeding. The difficulty of backing a truck down a loading ramp is also dependent on the setup of the ramp itself.

    • 4

      Make sure the last half of the trailer is submerged. The wheels of the trailer should still be on the concrete loading ramp, barely underneath the surface of the water. If you go any further down the ramp, you may not have enough traction on these trailer wheels.

    • 5

      Center the jet ski in the water with the trailer. Most jet ski trailers tend to have two diagonally-positioned beams, where the bottom of the watercraft fits perfectly between these two. Drive the jet ski carefully onto this trailer. Throttle the jet ski enough to pop onto the trailer. Make sure the jet ski is snug on this trailer before pulling away. Use any tie-downs that came with your trailer. Otherwise, pull your truck away from the loading ramp to complete.