Trailer Modifications

adkboater

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,344
Reaction score
1,134
Location
Tylersport,Pa
Has anyone modified their trailer to get rid of the two stop blocks at the front? My boat lives on a trailer and I commonly tow it 300 miles to the in-laws to run it .It tends to bounce up and down and I have been getting wear on the rub rail protectors. I had a ratchet strap on it but that seems a little hoaky. I'll have to take some pics, but I cut them off and had a welder set up three of the rubber vees to catch each tube, seems to work, just wondering what part of the process I'm missing before I damage anything! Sometime I do things before thinking it all the way thru! :lol:

Thanks for any insight, 'll post pics tomorrow, this thing doesn't have a flash!
 
Would need to see your pictures but for safety sake in case of an accident, would think you would want to ensure there is still a pretty rigid bunk stop in front of the boat. Assuming you haven't gotten rid of it entirely and if you're new V configuration still provides that safety stop, you may be fine - unless someone else has some concerns and considerations for the boat itself...

We trailer as well and didn't like the ratchet-strap method so to reduce the bounce so we installed boat buckles in the front (and the rear too). You can see the front set in the picture in my gallery, mounted to the frame and with 2 additional bow eyes mounted onto the boat (holes were already in our boat frame):

http://club.benningtonmarine.com/index.php?/gallery/image/5241-bow-port/

Just another possible option for others looking to eliminate or reduce the bounce. Depending on boat/trailer configuration, the existing bow eyes on the boat towards the outside pontoons may work for the boat-buckles too (the boat-buckles have a length limitation on the straps).
 
I'll make sure to get pics, but I have them mounted relatively high to stop the toons, we also reinforced the winch arm with a reverse support which made the ladder solid as a rock. Luckily I did worry about an accident as I have seen at least 5 accidents with boats as a fireman and covering a limited access highway!
 
Leave a gap between the stop and the rub rail on the boat (about an inch). Use a ratchet strap to vertically secure the bow to the trailer. The boat does not need to be touching the stops on the front of the trailer, and the strap will keep it from bouncing. I have used this method not only with my pontoon boats, but also my performance cats that have similar stops. I have had boats towed coast to coast and have always used this method.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I just winch the boat very tightly to the stops.  It will stop the bounce.  Done it the same way on 3 different pontoons.  We tow 600 miles to Canada and I get no bouncing. 
 
+1 on tight up against the stops
 
The problem arises when loading the boat on the trailer. You can pull up to the stops but as you pull out of the water, the ass end sits down and pulls the front away. I usually run my engine as I come out of the water to help keep it pushed forward. It works most times.  You all know that they will bounce if the front has room to move. So wether you have it up against the stops of  tie it vertically, it has to be solid or bounce bounce bounce
 
I just winch the boat very tightly to the stops.  It will stop the bounce.  Done it the same way on 3 different pontoons.  We tow 600 miles to Canada and I get no bouncing. 
Interesting that some have a bounce and others don't. I wonder if it has something to do with the boat/trailer setup (angle of the winch strap, rub rail protectors or not, something else, etc.). We've had ours very tight (including very tight on the winch strap), and there was still some bounce. Not horrible but enough to see it in the truck mirror and that would likely eventually result in rubbing off the finish of the rub rail protectors and/or bunk board carpet. The straps we put on significantly reduced it - hopefully enough to eliminate or reduce the wear as well.
 
I get the same gap when pulling up the ramp.  We have a downhill section of the road after the ramp that I stop hard and then winch the boat tight.  Much easier to get the boat to move. 
 
I back my trailer in until the bunks are wet then pull back out of the water until i can see the front of the fender. Pull up most of the time within inches of the stops. Its not a problem to finish pulling up tight to the bunk with the crank even on steep ramps. On my Sea Ray cruiser I had a crank with a low and high  gear that was nice also.

As far as bouncing if I don't use my extra strap that goes straight down to the trailer it does a porpoising  act!
 
Had this rocking/bouncing on my previous tritoon when trailering and much of it was due to the flexing of the trailer beams.  I used tiedown straps on both the rear and front to help reduce the effect but it never really eliminated it.  My current pontoon is on a much better more rigid trailer with bigger beams and there is little rocking/bouncing with tie down straps on the rear only.  I've heard that moving the winch stand and boat further forward also helps reduce rocking with additional tongue weight.
 
Sorry for the disappearance! I have a ton of things on my plate right now but the priority would be the new baby coming, approx. 10 days!! I attached a few pics of what I had our welder make, I didn't send it out to powder coat yet to make sure it doesn't need any additional changes. Have had the boat on/off twice now and it seems to be ok. I would assume different angle boat ramps might give me more of an issue. As for towing it's solid as a rock and my new cover (working on pics) wraps all the way over the rub rail to eliminate air under the cover.





 
Back
Top