Getting ready for boating season - Any other things I should do?

[MascotRejct]

So when I bought the truck back in November, I tore it down to the head gaskets and replaced a bunch of stuff (timing belt, water pump, rear cam seals, valve seals, upper and lower radiator hoses, thermostat, temperature sensor, crank bolt, spark plugs, spark plug wires, spark plug seals, valve cover gaskets, coolant, oil (have done another change about a month ago, I drive 80 miles a day to get to work), transmission fluid) and just the other day replaced my brake pads (the front inside pads are wearing unevenly, any cause for concern? it looks like on piston is either not retracting all the way or the other is not pushing out all the way). Anything else I need to do in your guys opinion before the inevitable 3 day camping trips hauling the boat across the mountains this summer? I have noticed quite a bit of play is present in the rear diff, as evidenced by the loud thunk at low speeds when going from off throttle to on. Would changing out the diff fluid help with that? Sorry for the wall of text, just want to make sure I don't screw up the camping trips that me and my friends use our vacation time for!

 

[PirateMcGee]

U joints

 

[kpredator]

look over your boat trailer also,tires,hubs,bunks,lights
do you fish the columbia??

good luck
kp

 

[Kmrtnsn]

Fresh bottom paint.

 

[zelatore]

Fresh bottom paint.

If your boat needs (has) bottom paint, I don't think the truck is going to be of any relevance.

 

[MascotRejct]

look over your boat trailer also,tires,hubs,bunks,lights
do you fish the columbia??

good luck
kp

Nah, no fishing on it since its a ski boat. But we do take it out on the Columbia every once in a while. Usually up by Wenatchee. Or out to Banks Lake up by the Grand Coulee Dam.

 

[MascotRejct]

If your boat needs (has) bottom paint, I don't think the truck is going to be of any relevance.

Is bottom paint for saltwater vessels? Never heard of it being needed for freshwater stuff like our ski boat...

 

[zelatore]

Bottom paint is used in fresh or salt water, but not on trailer boats. It's only used on stuff that stays in the water full time to prevent (well, reduce) growth. Hence the name 'anti-fouling paint'.
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My comment was a joke that if the boat was big enough to live full-time in the water it likely was too big to be trailered, so it wouldn't really matter much to the truck.
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Trust me, you're much better off not having to deal with bottom paint. It's expensive, only lasts a year or 3 depending on location and application, and actually slows the boat down and makes it slightly less efficient vs clean gelcoat. But for those of us who stay in the water full time, it's an unfortunate necessity.

 

[MascotRejct]

Ahhh. Gotcha. Yea, if I left ours in the water full time, I think it would sink from the small leak at the prop shaft seal Beached it one night while camping and slept in the rear of it. Woke up VERY cold and wet. Haha.