Trailering your 'Bu

[sabre]

All,

I've had my bu for over 2 years and have had NO issues trailering the boat until this year. In my last 2 (yes 2) outings I've bent my prop on my trailer. as I approach the bunks I get it lined up just like usual, let the bow touch the bunks and get settled, put it in gear and get the rear lined up and apply throttle. everything is good until the last 2 feet or less. then the boat seems to veer in one direction or another!

Last night I think I completely ruined a new prop (possibly beyond repair)

at this point, I'm considering liquid rollers and cranking the boat up.

Has this happened to anyone else? Does anyone have a suggestion on why this could be happening? Should I just stop trying to power the boat onto the trailer?

Thanks

[davemac]

Sorry to hear about prop damgage. More info will likely get better advice....

-What brand of trailer (single or dual axle)?

-did the prop strike the "cage" of the trailer, or the ground?

-do you generally use the same ramp...is the pitch unusually steep (or shallow)?

-do you back the trailer in so that the tires tops & fenders are visible (or completely submerged)?

A guess at this point is that trailer is backed too deep into the water, hull is floating in the rear higher than the bunks, so at acceleration, the prop rotation "walks" the stern sideways (without the bunks to stop it) until prop strikes cage. If ramp pitch is too steep, the problem would be exacerbated.

Edited June 14, 2009 by davemac

[davemac]

This video might give a little bit of help as to depth trailer should be backed into water....

[MalibuNation]

Never had this problem and I think it's even illegal to power load your boat on the trailer here in MI as it dorks up launches.

There have been some long discussions where Liquid Rollers/Silicone/Pledge can make bunks too slippery and the boat comes off the trailer too easily. Think it even happened to the infamous Traci.

[WakeGirl]

It was sort of a perfect storm for us. Bunk lube plus the failure of the bow winch....dang near parked the boat on the ramp had it not been for slider's really excellent trailer backing skills. As it was, we replaced a rudder over the deal. When you're launching a boat, there's nothing freakier than hearing the winch, feeling the boat sliding backward & knowing that you're absolutely powerless to do anything about it.

After that experience, I'm not sure that I'd use it again. It doesn't give you any wiggle room if you do have a failure (or multiple failures) of other equipment. Without it, on many ramps the boat will stay put even when backing down. With the lube, it will slide back even on the shallowest ramps.

[obski]

It sounds like for the OP that the problem has happened when he is putting the boat back on the trailer, not when launching.

I've never had a problem with killing the prop with the trailer, now with the Willamette debris...That's another story. I just had to swap props last week after we hit a dead head. I guess we were lucky it was just the prop, as some friends took out all of their underwater gear a couple of weeks ago.

[sabre]

I have a magic tilt trailer.

It's a dual axle trailer

The prop struck the cage both times.

neither ramp was new to me and neither are at an extreme angle (shallow or deep)

When I back in I put the fenders just below the surface of the water. based on what I'm hearing, that might be too deep.

I have 4 bunks on the trailer and was only going to use the liquid rollers on the portion that supports the bow. That's the part that never gets wet and what seems to hold me up if I try and Crank the boat on. I've read all the horror stories about the boat sliding off the trailer so I didn't want to cover all the bunks as a safety precaution.

I'll try NOT putting the trailer in so deep and see what happens.

[zad0030]

Some tips....

-The general rule of thumb for trailer depth is having just a few inches of fender above the water line. Now ofcourse this vaires with different truck, trailer, ramp and boat combinations.

-Dunk the trailer all the way into the water before the boat comes on to wet them and make it easier to slide. Or also you could throw water on them with your hands but then its looks like you are having a splash fight with the trailer.

-You want the trailer deep enough that the boat comes on easy and doesnt need a whole lot of power (if you swing that way) to get up and on.

-You want the trailer shallow enough though that the back end is not floating around once the boat is hooked up. Because then your back end can swing around and wrech your prop. Then also you know its seated correctly and there arent any lips laying on the bunks.

-Dont be turning the wheel all crazy when powering up. I never turn over 1 full turn, and thats rare. Usually all it takes is a few degrees away from center.

[NvBoarder]

Their is no good general rule in my experience of how far to put the trailer in the water. It varies on every lake. We never had a problem loading the boat until last year when the lake was really low and the ramp was not that steep, we ended up bending the prop on the trailer. After that needless to say we are more cautious and we have never power loaded. I have to back in, to the point that my fron't wheels of the truck are in the water at some lakes, but at other lakes I barely get the rear wheels of the truck wet. My only suggestion is to back it in good and deep and once you get the bow of the boat over the trailer put the boat in neutral and crank the last few feet on. If the ramp is busy and people look like their irritated with how long it takes, tough, are they going to buy you a new prop.

Good luck.

[davemac]

I would think if you have the fenders completely submerged, you could likely just winch the boat on (splash water on the front bunks first). If anyone is still in the boat, have them move to the stern. Generally completely submerging the fenders seems a little deep, but it might be necessary depending on ramp.

Another thought, I am assuming you have vertical trailer "guides" at the rear of the trailer. It usually is possible to adjust them tighter to the boat, to reduce sideways movement.

If the water is clear at the ramp, and nobody else is waiting....it might be worth throwing a mask on, getting into the water to hang on to the platform and see just how far you can move the boat side to side (and how close the prop comes to the cage).

[Soon2BV]

i back the trailer in to totally submerge all of the bunks, then pull forward so the fenders are just under water. getting the bunks wet seems to help with loading, especially at the ramp where we have been mostly (pretty shallow).

i also added a ratchet strap to the bow - same as the ones on the rear of the trailer (boatmate), to add another level of safety if the winch would break ot release for any reason. i release it, then the winch, when launching and hook it on after winching the boat up when coming in.

[Bill_AirJunky]

We usually winch load these days. But only because we primarily load/unload on a sandy beach. Power loading creates a huge hump about 30' from shore, which we've had problems getting over without the prop digging into it.

When we were at paved ramps in the Seattle area we always power loaded. Most of the ramps in that area are paved for boats way longer than any 20' - 23' boat we're using. So power loading made little or no difference to the ramps.

It just depends on where your at as to how you should be loading.

I usually dip the fenders just under the surface on my Extreme. Seems to work so far.

[Chia]

I have a magic tilt trailer.

It's a dual axle trailer

The prop struck the cage both times.

neither ramp was new to me and neither are at an extreme angle (shallow or deep)

When I back in I put the fenders just below the surface of the water. based on what I'm hearing, that might be too deep.

I have 4 bunks on the trailer and was only going to use the liquid rollers on the portion that supports the bow. That's the part that never gets wet and what seems to hold me up if I try and Crank the boat on. I've read all the horror stories about the boat sliding off the trailer so I didn't want to cover all the bunks as a safety precaution.

I'll try NOT putting the trailer in so deep and see what happens.

that is odd that you managed to hit the cage both times. It seems to me that no matter what the angle of the trailer in the water, the prop should never hit the prop guard. The prop is stationary, once the boat hits the bunks, the prop can't reach the prop guard. Did the bunks come loose and settle a bit lower?

[WakeGirl]

It may be a situation like Dave describes where the trailer is just enough too deep that it allows the transom of the boat to swing off of center when powering it up, but maybe not deep enough to avoid trashing the prop on the trailer if you're far enough off of center. Having the trailer just a bit more shallow may button down the transom enough to keep that from happening. Like others have said, keep weight out of the bow, move whatever weight you do have to the rear.

[99response]

The OP has an XTI so the axles on that trailer will be signifignatly more forward then if he had a V-drive of the same size. So him putting the fenders just below the water is probably like putting them 6" underwater on a 23' LSV.

I've had problems hitting the prop cage when I ran over a bump or something with the trailer and it bent the prop cage up toward the prop eliminating my clearance....a bottle jack, some transom tie down straps, and a few pieces of wood solved that issue.

-Chris

[cla10beck]

I would look at the guide posts. My understanding was they were positioned even with the prop so that whenever the stern moved between the posts, the prop would still be safe from hitting any part of the trailer. My guess would be they are too wide.

[JasonK]

Guide Posts. Did you take yours off? There's no way it should hit the cage if you have guide posts. If the rear of the trailer is too deep it won't hit the cage, it will hit the bunks.

Maybe your bow was way too far off to the side of the bow roller, then it may be able to hit the cage.

[bigD]

Guide Posts. Did you take yours off? There's no way it should hit the cage if you have guide posts. If the rear of the trailer is too deep it won't hit the cage, it will hit the bunks.

Maybe your bow was way too far off to the side of the bow roller, then it may be able to hit the cage.

I was wondering how the boat could get so out of shape with the guide posts in place. By the time my prop get to the trailer my bow is being guided by the front bunks.

[Sandbagger]

Well, I'm glad some of you drive your boats so well that they are lined up pefectly, that is rarely the case for us since my wife drives the boat onto the trailer, she is getting better though. But the boat has been almost completely sideways on the trailer before. However, by the time the prop is over any part of the trailer, the motor is off, and the boat is winched the rest of the way.

My experience with trailer depth is that the deeper the trailer, the easier it is to pull the boat all the way up to the bow roller, but the more the back end floats around and the harder it is to line up correctly on the bunks. The more shallow, the boat hits the bunks and is guided up in a more stationary manner, but its a bi*** to winch it up; sometimes I will winch it up so far and then back the trailer in just a little more and winch it up the rest of the way.

No prop damage yet.

[Tahoe32]

I feel my wife and me have a pretty good system. First she backs the trailer in the water submerging all the bunks, to get them wet. Second she pulls forward just enough so I can see the front portion of the front bunks. Third I pull onto the trailer at no wake speed which carries the boat almost to the front. Last I winch the boat the last foot, connect the safety chain and out she goes. I have never had any issues and as far as time we always get people telling us how fast we get in and out.

I lost a prop about 4 years ago and since then I have never power loaded my boat again.

[SacRiverRat]

I lost a prop about 4 years ago and since then I have never power loaded my boat again.

Wow, that must have been weird.. never found it?

[dietrying]

GUIDE POSTS! should never happen if the guide posts are not to far out.

Most are adjustable.

[sabre]

after reading all these posts, I figured I should look at the guide posts among other things. after looking at a few other boats at the marina I decided mine were WAY too far out. I moved them in 5.5" on each side and still have a bout 3-4 inches between them and the rear of the boat. Given that these also will flex a few inches that's a swing of probably 12 or 13 inches from center in each direction. I figure that was one of the culprits for my issues and I was just luck for 2 years.

[JasonK]

Wow! If you moved them that much, that was your problem. It might also be a problem if they flex. I don't think mine flex at all. Maybe you need yours re-welded too. Mine are steel, welded to the steel frame. I had mine re-wleded last year after the weld cracked.

If yours flex, you'll hit the trailer again. They need to be able to handle the weight of a boat being blown sideways by high winds, and the occasioinal smashing in to (windy days).

[RTS]

I would say that was the problem. My posts are about 2-3" away from the boat on either side when it's centered (with the foam guide post covers on). If you had that much play, I can see how your prop may hit the cage.