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boat buddy


bigmacholdthefries

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Enh..... I never power up the trailer in such a way that the pin will lock. I'm more of an easy does it type. It also leaves skid marks on the gel coat that a real bear to rub off with a towel. Overall, I like it, but I wouldn't miss it if it's not on the next trailer I own.

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Friend of mine has it and uses it on his X-Star. MC's trailers must have come standard with them for some time, maybe still do.

I'm like slurpee though. I'm an easy does it type. I will get it to the front V bunk, then jump out and walk it in the rest of the way. Lock the trailer winch and chain around the eye hook right there.

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as far as the Boat Buddy goes, I wouldn't own a trailer with-out one. When I got my new (to me) boat last year, that's the first thing I did. I have very minimal problems with skid marks on the gel, and I'm willing to deal with them. I always power on to the trailer because it centers the boat better. Also, with my wife loading the boat, it makes it that much easier.

Boat Buddy: $70

Saved marriage: Priceless.

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Boat Buddy:  $70

Saved marriage:  Priceless.

Boat Buddy: $70

Hole in bow of boat due to spouse throttling too stong onto trailer: $1,000+

Ruined marriage: costly...

I've got the pics to prove the hole in the bow can be done with the wrong speed, approach, trailer on an LSV. Thankfully not mine.

So, I think you're cookoo :)

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We had the boat buddy on our trailer, it worked okay for a bit then it jamed and bent the locking piston. After round and round getting it to work again and it did it again I tossed it in the trash and never looked back. To me it's a WOM and I certainly don't trust it. I don't care for having to power it in to make it work either.

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I agree with mrothwell. I wouldn't have a trailer without a boat buddy. It really makes me cringe to think that someone could hit it hard enough to put a hole in the boat. My wife drives much better than that.

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Boat Buddy:  $70

Saved marriage:  Priceless.

Boat Buddy: $70

Hole in bow of boat due to spouse throttling too stong onto trailer: $1,000+

Ruined marriage: costly...

I've got the pics to prove the hole in the bow can be done with the wrong speed, approach, trailer on an LSV. Thankfully not mine.

So, I think you're cookoo :)

Hey, get in line.

When my wife loads the boat:

1. I keep the trailer a little on the high side.

2. she bumps it in/out of gear to just glide slowly onto the trailer,

3. as soon as boat has centered it'self, she leaves it in gear and I slowly back the trailer down until I hear the "pop" of the Boat Buddy.

4. She turns off the engine (well, except for that one time on my first boat)

5. I pull away with the boat safely attached to the trailer.

No hard hits, no scratches, no therapists, no lawyers = PRICELESS Love.gif

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I have a boat buddy as Andy mentions above. I really only use it about 10% of the time. The main reason for not using it is that it has to be set before backing the truck into the water to load the boat. As I generally am not the person backing the truck in, I have to remind the person doing it or show them how to set it and it is often not worth the hassle so we just load normally.

Also, I power the boat on, but I like to do it gently and you do have to hit the boat buddy a little hard to activate it.

Lastly, even it I hear it engage, I still go to the front of the boat and make sure it locked in place, just to be safe. If I am going to do that, why not just hook up the winch line and lock in that way.

I do use it if I have to get off the lake in a hurry if the launch is crowded.

Pros: Quick and Easy

Cons: Have to hit it a little harder than I like to power my boat on

Have to go to the front of the boat to make sure it engaged (defeats the purpose a little)

Does leave scuff marks (but, it does this whether you use it or not)

Have to teach/remind your truck drivers how to set it and hope they do not accidently trigger it so you ram the pole.

If it were an option, i would probably still order it. It is very nice to have when you need it, i just do not use it all that often.

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I put a Boat Buddy on my 03' VLX with an extreme trailer. For those of you interested, I think I paid around 40.00 buck from Cabellias(spl). To be honest I don't think that I would reccomend it. I put on the extended bow eye as instructed. When I would launch the boat, even at an extremely slow speed, the bow eye would hit the bracket on the trailer that normally holds the roller. To say the least I felt this was hard on the boat. The stock bow eye won't work because it's not long enough to engage. Another problem is after towing it to the lake (sometimes but not always) the boat settles back a little making it a pain in the butt to disengage the boat buddy. I thought it was nice having a secondary device securing the boat though. I have an 05 now and have decided not to put one on. Extreme has added a small cable that goes from the bottom of the trailer to the bow eye as an extra safety strap so you have a secondary device securing the boat to the trailer.

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Thanks guys i have purchased a boat buddy but have not fitted it yet , i might hang off and see how i go using the winch,the trailer also has a safety chain that hooks to the bow eye Thanks Big Mac

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