Help with trailering questions

Hey gang. So we’ve been out a few times on the boat now ran into a couple of issues with trailering. The trailer is almost brand new as original owner didn’t use it often.

First - whenever I get the boat back in the trailer I always winch it as best as I can with someone with a bit of juice on the throttle. No matter how much I winch the boat ends up a bit off the bumper when pulled out of the water. I do have transom tie downs but want to see if y’all think this is a problem and if so how can I remediate it.

Second - after our ride yesterday I couldn’t get the actuator to unlock from the trucks hitch. There was a piece of plastic that seemed to have slipped out - looks somewhat like a protective shim - and it was covering the lock.

I grabbed a 2x4 and rubber mallet and gently tapped it back into place today. Once the weight was off of the actuator I was able to push it back into place without any force.

The questions are, is this an important piece or can I cut it with a razor if it happens again. Neighbor and I moved the boat forward and back on driveway and it stayed in place....for now. Also, if it happens again what do y’all recommend I do?

Boat is parked on a relatively level driveway if that’s worth anything. Thanks so much in advance.

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I always hit the brakes briefly in the tie down area to get the boat to slide forward to the bow roller. Boat will slide easy on wet bunks, doesn’t take much


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I can give it a shot next time. It’s a 35 min drive to lake. Hard to think one of my several stops don’t shift the boat forward?


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my .02 :)

I'd reach out to boatmate on the trailer shim piece. they have always been good to me on the phone and sure they will answer your question and get ya taken care of.

on the boat on the trailer. we dump the trailer a little deeper and winch a little harder. I tried larry's trick once with our old supra but never again. makes me too nervous. I have found pushing the trailer a tad deeper and some muscle on the winch will get the boat up against the bow roller no issue.
our ramps at mead are super shallow and to get our 23ft on the trailer I have to put the back bumper of the truck almost in the water completely to get the boat all the way on and that's winching it the last 6-8". exhaust on our silverado is usually bubbling in the water when retrieving.

check the condition of the winch strap if you have to put some effort into it. tore one on our supra at year 3 and nothing worse than having a torn strap at the ramp. cheap insurance to replace every couple of years.

get your tailer further down into the water and the boat will float further up with little need for winching. You want the boat right up to the roller.

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Originally Posted by 996scott

get your tailer further down into the water and the boat will float further up with little need for winching. You want the boat right up to the roller.

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That’s what I do brother. Maybe the strap itself isn’t wound tightly enough?

Luckily our ramps are long, relatively deep and not so steep so getting the trailer deep isn’t an issue.

I’ll be more attentive next time.


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Originally Posted by sandm

my .02 :)

I'd reach out to boatmate on the trailer shim piece. they have always been good to me on the phone and sure they will answer your question and get ya taken care of.

on the boat on the trailer. we dump the trailer a little deeper and winch a little harder. I tried larry's trick once with our old supra but never again. makes me too nervous. I have found pushing the trailer a tad deeper and some muscle on the winch will get the boat up against the bow roller no issue.
our ramps at mead are super shallow and to get our 23ft on the trailer I have to put the back bumper of the truck almost in the water completely to get the boat all the way on and that's winching it the last 6-8". exhaust on our silverado is usually bubbling in the water when retrieving.

check the condition of the winch strap if you have to put some effort into it. tore one on our supra at year 3 and nothing worse than having a torn strap at the ramp. cheap insurance to replace every couple of years.

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I’ll be sure to give them a call tomorrow. Thanks!

Likely gonna buy a spare strap. Had one go out on my old boat once on the ramp. No fun


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Go deep on the trailer, carefully crank the boat up to the nose, pull it out and see where it rests and note the changes and adjust without the boat on. Not the most exciting thing to be doing this time of year. The good thing is nobody is at the ramps, the bad thing is you'll probably get wet.

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Originally Posted by zabooda

The good thing is nobody is at the ramps

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said no one in vegas ever...... :)
ramps have been busy for the last month here. go do that on a fri/sat/sun now and you'll get the evil eye from a lot of boaters.
OP is in NC so that might be a different story but bet it's getting nice there as well.

Still have a little wiggle room but it’s starting to get busy out there!


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Pull the entire strap out. Then applying pressure winch the entire strap back on the spool. You probably have some slack in it that allows boat to slide down. If that doesn’t work then a replacement winch from Boatmate is very reasonable. One thing I don’t play with because the mishap is a boat sliding down the road or in the truck bed. Neither good.


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I put the ramp’n clamp on my trailer and never looked back. I love it, drive the boat up, click, and drive away.

https://www.ramp-n-clamp.com/mobile/default.aspx


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Originally Posted by Turbinesurgeon

I put the ramp’n clamp on my trailer and never looked back. I love it, drive the boat up, click, and drive away.

https://www.ramp-n-clamp.com/mobile/default.aspx


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https://youtu.be/WrmMMnUi0jc

If I powerloaded like this locally, I would get my ass kicked. Big no-no around here.

There is one launch around me that there is a big pit behind the concrete ramp, I have seen trailers fall into this pit and get hung up on the frames, all from power loading.


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Originally Posted by larry_arizona

https://youtu.be/WrmMMnUi0jc

If I powerloaded like this locally, I would get my ass kicked. Big no-no around here.

There is one launch around me that there is a big pit behind the concrete ramp, I have seen trailers fall into this pit and get hung up on the frames, all from power loading.


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You can coast it on or even winch it on, the nice thing is when you pull it out the boat doesn’t shift on the trailer. In AZ they don’t care because the bottom is all rocks but I remember in MN they didn’t like it and on the St Croix you had to load with the engine off.


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This looks interesting. I could easily coast the boat on without power loading at all


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that ramp n clamp looks just like the boat buddy that was a factory option back in the mid2000's from skiers/boatmate. our supra had it for a season. great when it worked. horrible when it didn't. took it off and never looked back after replacing one with a bent pin and second one bent midseason.
guess this is the better version to replace it.....

never been bitched at for powerloading. did it in idaho and here in nevada frequently but the deeper launch ramps in wisconsin I never had to. I do know that in Wi they would have yelled at us for doing it due to the lakebottoms.

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Originally Posted by larry_arizona

I always hit the brakes briefly in the tie down area to get the boat to slide forward to the bow roller. Boat will slide easy on wet bunks, doesn’t take much


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I've seen on a this forum or maybe wakeworld before where someone did this and when the boat hit the bow stop it bent the whole thing. Got to be careful doing this.

You never know what you find at the end of the ramp. Recreation divers located a truck with the driver missing for 15 years. Dive rescue used a wrecker with a long boom to lift it out. The end has a 15 foot drop off.

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Originally Posted by rdlangston13

I've seen on a this forum or maybe wakeworld before where someone did this and when the boat hit the bow stop it bent the whole thing. Got to be careful doing this.

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Did it for 3 seasons with no issue. Less than 5mph does it.

After I sold my SA, the new owner got rear ended by an SUV on the trailer and it barely bent the bow stop.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by sandm

that ramp n clamp looks just like the boat buddy that was a factory option back in the mid2000's from skiers/boatmate. our supra had it for a season. great when it worked. horrible when it didn't. took it off and never looked back after replacing one with a bent pin and second one bent midseason.
guess this is the better version to replace it.....

never been bitched at for powerloading. did it in idaho and here in nevada frequently but the deeper launch ramps in wisconsin I never had to. I do know that in Wi they would have yelled at us for doing it due to the lakebottoms.

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Thinking these newer models could handle the weight of the SA? I’m gonna call and confirm. Interested because most everyone that comes with me has little to zero experience with trailering or loading/unloading so I do it all myself. This would potentially save me so much time as all I would need is a spotter in the bow or dock.


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Did you have the boat winched to the bumper when it was in the water? Then later noticed it off the bumper? I've had this problem when loading deep. It has to do with the angle of the boat vs trailer. Now I watch this as my wife is pulling the boat out, as soon as I see this happen, with the boat still partially in the water, I have her stop and I winch it back to the bumper.

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If you are trailering a short distance 20-30 minutes do you really need transom hook tie downs? I had never done it in the past but if people here recommend it I will start doing it.

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Originally Posted by DDD123

If you are trailering a short distance 20-30 minutes do you really need transom hook tie downs? I had never done it in the past but if people here recommend it I will start doing it.

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You don’t until you do.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by sandm

that ramp n clamp looks just like the boat buddy that was a factory option back in the mid2000's from skiers/boatmate. our supra had it for a season. great when it worked. horrible when it didn't. took it off and never looked back after replacing one with a bent pin and second one bent midseason.
guess this is the better version to replace it.....

never been bitched at for powerloading. did it in idaho and here in nevada frequently but the deeper launch ramps in wisconsin I never had to. I do know that in Wi they would have yelled at us for doing it due to the lakebottoms.

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The boat buddy had issues and that was what originally was with my Boatmate trailer. The ramp in clamp is a different design and much stronger. I’ve already slammed it accidentally a few times. It’s built pretty sturdy.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by DDD123

If you are trailering a short distance 20-30 minutes do you really need transom hook tie downs? I had never done it in the past but if people here recommend it I will start doing it.

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had them on every trailer and used them when long distance towing from idaho to wisconsin and to utah but otherwise until here in nevada rarely used them on the day to day trips to the launch.
in vegas I have to drive over a couple pretty decent asphalt buckles that have developed outside the entrance to lake mead so I use them regularly now but if it wasn't for the dips they would be unused.

others will tell a different story so I view it as do what you feel safe with and keep your insurance up to date.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by sandm

had them on every trailer and used them when long distance towing from idaho to wisconsin and to utah but otherwise until here in nevada rarely used them on the day to day trips to the launch.
in vegas I have to drive over a couple pretty decent asphalt buckles that have developed outside the entrance to lake mead so I use them regularly now but if it wasn't for the dips they would be unused.

others will tell a different story so I view it as do what you feel safe with and keep your insurance up to date.

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It really does depend on your roads. Sometimes I leave some slack in them on drive home if the boat is a little misaligned on the bunks, a dip or two and a couple S turns and she is perfectly aligned on bunks by the time I get home.

G2 stainless boat buckles are so easy


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by DDD123

If you are trailering a short distance 20-30 minutes do you really need transom hook tie downs? I had never done it in the past but if people here recommend it I will start doing it.

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I have retractable ones so not putting them on is literally blasphemous.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Turbinesurgeon

The boat buddy had issues and that was what originally was with my Boatmate trailer. The ramp in clamp is a different design and much stronger. I’ve already slammed it accidentally a few times. It’s built pretty sturdy.


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What boat do you have? I just want to make sure it can hold the weight of the SA.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by DDD123

If you are trailering a short distance 20-30 minutes do you really need transom hook tie downs? I had never done it in the past but if people here recommend it I will start doing it.

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Most states it's required. I never used them for local launches myself. Get on the highway and troopers look for what they consider unsecured loads.

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Originally Posted by eder10986

What boat do you have? I just want to make sure it can hold the weight of the SA.


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I have an 06 24V but it doesn’t carry much weight at all or if any on the bow. Your bunks should take all the weight with the majority concentrated near the axles.


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Website says up to 6000# boat


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by zabooda

Most states it's required. I never used them for local launches myself. Get on the highway and troopers look for what they consider unsecured loads.

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So as my signature states I have an SE, anyone have a good place to buy some on Amazon?

https://www.walmart.com/ip/BoatBuckl...3-2pk/32926701

these are the ones I added to all 3 boats. larry commented on stainless versions that can be had for a benjamin but I've never spent the coin as I don't boat in salt.
I've seen some pretty large twin/triple engine go fasts at the gas pumps using the same ones so I would think they will work fine for an SE but ymmv.

I have stainless boat buckles too. Not 100% necessary for SS and my use. But absolutely best tiedowns ever.


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Drotto can take a 10k lb boat. Might look into that one.


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Also - boatmate confirmed it’s a friction plate. Will likely need to be replaced.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by eder10986

Also - boatmate confirmed it’s a friction plate. Will likely need to be replaced.

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glad they were able to assist. good folks there and build a great trailer.

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Originally Posted by sandm

https://www.walmart.com/ip/BoatBuckl...3-2pk/32926701

these are the ones I added to all 3 boats. larry commented on stainless versions that can be had for a benjamin but I've never spent the coin as I don't boat in salt.
I've seen some pretty large twin/triple engine go fasts at the gas pumps using the same ones so I would think they will work fine for an SE but ymmv.

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I got a pair of G2 SS boat buckles $83 shipped from Wally World.

Lube the shit out of the mounting hardware and torque slowly.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by sandm

https://www.walmart.com/ip/BoatBuckl...3-2pk/32926701

these are the ones I added to all 3 boats. larry commented on stainless versions that can be had for a benjamin but I've never spent the coin as I don't boat in salt.
I've seen some pretty large twin/triple engine go fasts at the gas pumps using the same ones so I would think they will work fine for an SE but ymmv.

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Ordered, thanks brother!