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Loading my 25' Bennington Tritoon back onto the trailer

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mkbarrett2

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My husband and I bought a 2002 25' Tritoon Bennington with 200 hp outboard last Labor Day. We have been trailering 20 miles back and forth to a lake near our home. We are getting pretty good at launching from the trailer, but the most stressful part of the day is still the loading of the tritoon back onto the trailer. I back the trailer into the water, and he drives the toon up onto it. It usually takes a couple tries, and a person or two on the dock with the lead lines trying to keep the back end of the boat over enough to get the toons to seat into the bunks all the way. Usually, as my husband gives it gas to ride up the trailer, the back end of the boat kicks out, and knocks the back end out of alignment with the bunks. Almost all the time, we think we are on the trailer, I pull up out of the water, only to find that we are not "seated" in the bunks, and we must back up into the water again, and tug and pull to seat the boat into the bunks. WHAT ARE WE DOING WRONG??? This should not be this hard. Please help???
 
Sounds like you are backing the trailer in too far.
 
Try setting the trailer a little shallower in the water to allow the toons to slide on to the bunks, also side guides help a lot! See picture. They help keep the toons in-line with the bunks.

RiverBill

 
I agree w/Wild and Free and Riverbill..........you're putting the trailer too far down the ramp. Try moving up a couple feet until you don't have the rear end kick out problem. Also........ we've been trailering our boats for years and we have never driven it onto the trailer. Haven't had to. I back the trailer down the ramp and we just walk it/float it on. I winch it the foot or two until the front of the boat makes contact w/the trailer stop................DONE.
 
Yup, I only submerge about 3/4 of the bunks, then just grab the lead and pull it on. It helps to get a little momentum so the toon gets up a little farther. There was a bit of talk on here about how "powering on" your boat can cause wash out of the loading ramp depending on what type of bottom. I find it less stressful to walk it on. I still have to check the toons to make sure they are seated properly when I pull out, the wife just stands on the dock with the rope still hooked on the back end and when I get it out far enough that she can see its shifted slightly, I just back it down and she pulls on the rope while I pull it back out. Just the two of us.
 
Yup, what they said ^^^^^^^ too much trailer in water......
 
Ramp angle has a lot to do with it as well. Our lakes ramp is horrible, steep and not level at all. I typically back the trailer in so I can see about 5 feet of the bunks out of the water, get back into the boat, drive it on, and winch it the rest of the way on. Then my wife gets into the truck and slowly pulls it out while I center the toons in the bunks. I think adding the guides on the back will help as well
 
if the trailer isn't on level ground, one pontoon may be hitting a bunk before the other pontoon does and if going to slow, that could kick the back out. Outer guides like River Bill's or inner guides would help a lot.
 
To add to what others have already said.

We back our trailer in to where the front of the trailer fenders are out of the water. Once I get the boat lined up and started, my pickup driver(the wife) will back the tailer on under the boat. If the boat has started to drift to one side or the other, I just turn the steering to realign. Once it looks straight, the driver pulls the trailer out and we check bunk seating. Very seldom do we have to back into the water again to straghten and settle the boat.

Hope these added suggestions help someone.

andy
 
One thing that helps me and maybe all of you do. But back the trailer in far enough to get the bunks wet then pull it up to load. I have eliptical toons and it took me a few times to get use to them. But like the others said I found I was putting the trailer too far in the water.
 
We have our trailer real deep in the water. I pull up and make contact with stops. Hook the boat to the trailer aka boat strap ( all while the boat is in running and in gear pushing up against the trailer holding it in position)

If the boat is running and in gear you can use the motor to position the boat on the trailer exactly where you want it.

What I do is get the boat hooked to the trailer get back in the drivers seet and then look straight down and TRY to align the boat on the trailer.

I make sure the toon is right over the fender and on parallel with the edge if the fender. You will figure out what position works out best for you and you will pick out refferances point on your trailer that will let you see your lined up.

When you have the boat in position let your drive know to start pulling out. All while keeping your eye on on your reference points and making any adjustments with the wheel to keep your boat centerd. This can be tricky.

Just as your motor comes out of the water be sure to turn the motor off and if you have practiced a few times and got the hang of it you will pull out faster then 99% of people.

I hate to brag but I must be honest. My wife and I launch all the time she drives the truck and trailer.

We can launch and retrieve faster then anyone I have ever seen. It's nice to have your game dialed in. It makes you feel good to finish up the day with no launch ramp follys or drama. Getting the boat on the trailer quick and easy is a skill you MUST PRACTICE. And even the pros like ME :) get it wrong sometimes) and that's ok! If you practice and get your loading and in loading dialed in you will be doing not only your self a favor but the people in front and behind you a favor.

BTW this tequique works great for people like myself with 2WD truck on steep slippery ramps. Having the boat push itself takes a big load off the truck. I have loaded the boat and pulled out this way on dirt ramps that guys in 4WD trucks are getting stuck on.
 
I back my trailer in to get the bunks wet all the way to the front, then pull back out until 5 to 6 feet of bunk is showing, get in the toon and drive up on the bunks slowly, the toons will then cradle in the bunks, then slowly power up the rest of the way until I touch the stops, shut off the motor, walk out front, standing on the ladder hook the strap and tighten it. Jump on to the dock, get in my truck and drive out. Works perfect every time.. I also have guides.

 
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Sounds like what you need is a set of guides. I have a set of guides on my center toon, that work great.image.jpg
 
www.trailersforpontoons.com

Set of 2 sold as a parts item for other

brands of trailers $70

Set of 4 sold as a parts item for other

brands of trailers $139

I have 4 on my trailer
 
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gallery_4401_386_935565.jpg


Here is a picture of my trailer, the guides in this picture are facing out, I have turned them around so that i'm using the center toon to guide me on the trailer..
 
gallery_4401_386_119538.jpeg
you can see the guides in this picture have been turned around. I found that it was easier to load the boat and get it centered on the trailer.
 
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Huh. Hard to tell for sure from the pic, but you turned them around to face the center toon and slid them toward the center? Interesting...

Anyone have guides with rails facing both inside and outside?
 
I have a Q2575 and yes it too is long I found some tall 65" in trailer guides. That has made it a lot easier to put it on the trailer. The guides are set 6" in wider than the frame and if you take your time and go slow it easy. For the part of the boat not being all the way on you just have to crank down hard and make it tight to the front stops but the guides will keep you straight.
 
I've had some problems loading as well. I put more guides on the trailer which helped, but the problem I have is with the initial line up. I can see the bunks fine, however with my 20 footer, I can not see the front of the toons to line up on the bunks. I am seriously thinking about attaching something like a flexible bicycle flag pole on front of the drivers side pontoon, just tall enough so I can see the tip of it over the rail, to help with alignment, and see if that helps. My dealer thought that might be a great idea. Any thoughts?
 
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