pontoon loader (makes loading easy)

floves

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youtube video " Pontoon loader by 4c innovations". The product looks awesome. http://www.4c-innovations.com/ Someone else mentioned this in a thread I had regarding "unloading from a bunk trailer" but after I google her suggestion and checked the website out, I thought it deserved it's own thread. Anyone have it or know anyone that does? I would love to know before buying if it works as easy as it appears. I have to load and unload everytime I use boat, sometimes twice a day alone so this would be nice to have.
 
Well that looks fine and all but my Loadrite trailer has 4 guide posts on it (2 each side) and works exactly the same way. I can come at an angle just like that and it will 'correct' the boat and line it up perfectly with the 3 bunks for my tritoon. I love my trailer. My point being, guide posts work just as well...for me anyway.

Keith
 
It looks easy enough and it doesn't take long. Especially if you are by yourself. I've always just floated it on using the bunks as the guide. Plus I've always had my wife or one of my kids w/me to help.................How much does this product cost?????????
 
keith,

Where do you have your rear guides from the back of your trailer? Distance or cross member? how close do you put them near the pontoons? I'm assuming they are between the tubes guides? I did buy two for the rear of the trailer (most people told me that's all I needed?) but my directions don't say exactly where. The following link is what I bought. http://www.overtons....3D&merchID=4006. Are four needed to make it extremely easy to load? I initial put them on in the back as shown but it did nothing because my ramp is way too steep, I need to move them.

Big Kahuna, $369 I would be willing to pay that amount if it made it extremely easy in all wind and current conditons.
 
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Will have to look at trailer to answer that specifically. They are placed in between both side bunks and the center bunk (tritoon). My trailer came with those 4 posts becasue the marina I bought that and my boat from highly recommended them....espeically with the size/length of my boat. They sure make it a piece of cake to load and unload. Usually I do have my wife with me but I have done it by myself and it's still easy as pie.
 
it all depends on how steep the ramp is. On our ramp those guides would be under water and not help.
 
Not much room for the center toon (if even) between the two angled pieces...

It does state the guides are adjustable, so you can dial it in for your ramp. Although the back end can't go any higher than the deck, so extreme adjustment may not be possible in your case (Remediation).

I've been on the look out for something like this. I noticed one of my back guides must have caught (when backing the boat off) the rear corner of the strake on the inside of the outer toon. The strake ends ahead of the rear guide (in other words, the guide post is mounted further back than the end of the strake on the pontoon). On the express, the inside strake on the outer tubes is the same length as the strakes on the center toon, which is shorter than the others. The guide post was bent, and there was a perfect dent in the plastic guide cover that matched the tip/corner of the strake. I'm guessing one of the dock hands at the marina did this somehow. The weird thing is this can only happen in reverse, taking the boat OFF the trailer, so they must have really had the motor running hard. When the boat is fully on the trailer, the rear guide post is only about a foot back from the end of the strake. No damage to the boat anywhere.

I had considered running a 2x4 or 2x6 between the two guide posts though. They would be somewhat like the ones in the video. Anyone have thoughts about my doing that?
 
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When I bought my new 24SSLX last year, I knew I was going to have to make changes to my boathouse. I fabricated and installed a 13' x 18' flat rack out of 4" channel steel for my boat to sit on.

Then I put the 12' guides at water level on the outside of my toons, and they flare to the outside. When coming in, the boat centers itself on the rack. Because the guides are on the outside, they don't interfere with my center tube in any way.

But outside guides wouldn't work with a trailer, as they flare out about 18" on each side and would be too wide.
 
Hey Bama, got a pic of your guides?
 
Really like this but like Remediation, my ramp is too steep to work. I do have two sets of guides, probably like Keith's. They are underwater so this would not hinder loading on my ramp but would work if I went elsewhere. Steve
 
I had considered running a 2x4 or 2x6 between the two guide posts though. They would be somewhat like the ones in the video. Anyone have thoughts about my doing that?

Kaydano ask the question above and I'm wondering if anyone had any thoughts about his suggestion. I had a terrible weekend trying to get my boat on the trailer myself in windy conditions. I've bought two guides so far but I'm thinking about buying two more and I thought he has a great idea. Once you have four guides, why can't you just drilled holes in the guides and bolt some 2 x 4 so you have a rail guide? These are the guides I've bought http://www.overtons.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?pdesc=Tie-Down-High-Impact-Pontoon-Trailer-Guide-Ons-Pair&i=79958&aID=603D&merchID=4006 They are pretty heavy duty, I would probably need a good driil bit.
 
My trailer does have guides that run the full length between the poles, here is a pick of the same trailer as my first one, with just a two toon setup.

 
I had similar trouble once. The rear guides were too far in (under water), and I got a little cross-wise due to a cross wind. I had to back off and try it again. Got it on the 3rd try. Glad there weren't any spectators.

I think those guides like Derrick has would be a big help. Anyone else have them???

My guide posts have round PVC pipe over them, but they just help protect the toons from the metal posts. I would have to remove those (they just slip off) to put the horizontal rails in.

Derrick - Do your rails work fine? Have you ever had the desire to angle the fronts down, like that video floves posted?
 
I've never had the desire. I figure someone a lot smarter than me designed the trailer, who am I to argue! Although I did argue on my last one and now EZ Loader makes them STANDARD with the extended support on ESP pontoons. Sooo I guess I was right? Dunno, just happy they do now. I also have a fairly low grade ramp, not steep like your guys sounds like. Although I've only launched my boat in two places so I don't think I'm the best judge for that! haha
 
So do you think this would work in a slip with a hydro hoist boat lift?
 
Bulldog, thanks for posting photo, I think all pontoon trailer should come with horizontal rail guides. I understand I only have two vertical guides and they are mounted on the second trailer support from the rear of the trailer but I'm not sure if having two front guides would have help me this past weekend with the strong winds. Every time I got on the bunks, the rear of the boat would drift to the right and the bow would instantly go left and off the bunks.

Anybody know where I can find horizontal rail guides? I have a Trailmaster trailer manufactured out of Indiana but they only sell vertical.
 
Most guys around me just build them at home, at the docks I see all sorts of home built horizontal full length guides. I have the rear verticles and they are ok most days but on high cross wind days do little good and I have thought about building my own full length ones too.
 
keith,

Where do you have your rear guides from the back of your trailer? Distance or cross member? how close do you put them near the pontoons? I'm assuming they are between the tubes guides? I did buy two for the rear of the trailer (most people told me that's all I needed?) but my directions don't say exactly where. The following link is what I bought. http://www.overtons....3D&merchID=4006. Are four needed to make it extremely easy to load? I initial put them on in the back as shown but it did nothing because my ramp is way too steep, I need to move them.

Big Kahuna, $369 I would be willing to pay that amount if it made it extremely easy in all wind and current conditons.
Talk about inflation: Now $649. Good bump in less than 6yrs
 
My trailer does have guides that run the full length between the poles, here is a pick of the same trailer as my first one, with just a two toon setup.

Derrick, do you currently still use the horizontal guides for your Tri-Toon? Thank you - Larry
 
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