Stuck on trailer?

[jadoty]

I have always had trouble floating my 15' Glassmaster tri-hull off my 76 Trailmaster. I have had some power issues which don't help (see Johnson high idle thread) but even at full power I can't seem to power off so I end up just shoving it off. I have only about 2 inches clearance over the fenders now so I don't see where I can adjust down the bunks. Am I just stuck, or is there something else I can do short of a new trailer? It seems like a fair amount of the load is on the mid roller the way it is adjusted now.

 

[DJ]

Re: Stuck on trailer?

Got a picture?

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Stuck on trailer?

back further into the water. if you tongue is to short, you can have a longer tongue installed. or try one of these;

http://www.extendahitch.com/

 

[jadoty]

Re: Stuck on trailer?

I have a picture of the general setup but not showing the underside. Still trying to figure out how to post pix. Are there instructions somewhere or am I missing something obvious?

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Stuck on trailer?

after clicking on the yellow square, and the box appears in the upper left, back space what on the line, then hit ctrl v

http://forums.iboats.com/bbBoard.cgi?a=viewthread;fid=37;gtid=1179789

 

[DJ]

Re: Stuck on trailer?

Posting is pretty dang simple using the link tashasdaddy provided. You need to set up an account with one of the photo holding places though, That's easy too. I just did it.

 

[jadoty]

Re: Stuck on trailer?

Okay I'll see if this works. This is the best I have at this point. I have been reluctant to back further into the water since I already have the truck wheels 1-2 feet in the water now. I guess as long as I don't have the tailpipe in the water it's okay?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v644/jadoty/glass_1.jpg

 

[jadoty]

Re: Stuck on trailer?

 

[DJ]

Re: Stuck on trailer?

jadoty,

Good job. Glad you figured the pic. thing out. It only took me three years.8)

Anyway, it's difficult to determine what your issue is.

As stated, the longer the trailer, the better they tow and launch. On a normal ramp, one inch of height requires another foot of trailer depth and opposite is true for every inch you lower it.

Also, make sure there is nothing behind the transom (roller, etc) blocking the boat exit.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Stuck on trailer?

it looks to me that you need to put longer bunk boards on the trailer, and move the boat back. it sure looks like you are towing bow heavy. take the bath room scale, put it on a bucket or block and see how much tongue weight you have. you also have 13 inch wheels which is good but they set the boat higher, and require backing in further.

 

[jadoty]

Re: Stuck on trailer?

I kinda thought it was heavy on the bow because when I launch, it seems like the stern is floating but I'm stuck on the bow. Tongue weight is around 140 by the bathroom scale, and the bunks run from around 1 inch in front of the transom to the front of the trailer wheels. How long should they be?

 

[wilde1j]

Re: Stuck on trailer?

Too much weight for that boat ... get it under 100# by moving the bow stop/winch stand a few inches at a time aft or moving the axle forward in small increments if it's bolted in way that allows repositioning.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Stuck on trailer?

Shallow ramps require backing in farther than steeper ramps so you may need to simply back in farther. Since we don't know what the boat weight is, recommending reducing tongue weight is not a sound recommendation. Besides, it will have little to do with difficulty launching. The boat is probably in excess of 1400# so 140# tongue weight is fine. The bunk board length is not as important as where the boat sits on them. The back end of the bunk should be at least flush or extend slightly past the stern. The transom should be sitting on the bunks. You can accomplish that in two ways. Move the winch post forward if you have room or lengthen the bunks. Moving the boat forward increases tongue weight but that can be decreased by moving the axle forward as mentioned earlier. Get the boat positioned first, then adjust tongue weight. 10% of maximum weight is fine. Tongue heavy is better than tongue light. The rollers should support the keel and the bunks take the side (rocking) forces. If one roller is squashed more than the others or there is a gap between them, adjust the rollers so the load is equal.

 

[Kywoodmann]

Re: Stuck on trailer?

Is this the trailer that came with the boat ? If so you might want to look into some "Glide Slicks" . See more about them on this site under Trailer Toung Extention.

ky

 

[jadoty]

Re: Stuck on trailer?

Okay, maybe I'm just dense, but if I move the boat forward on the trailer, assuming no other adjustments, am I not making it even harder to get off? Glide sticks and/or simply backing further in and getting wet if need be sounds a lot simpler. I'm kind of reluctant to mess too much with the positioning as long as the tongue weight is okay, because it trails really nice right now and the bunks are pretty close to being flush with the stern. I'm guessing the boat weighs around 1500#.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Stuck on trailer?

At this point I'm guessing you have a shallow ramp problem -- not a trailer or loading problem. If you have two wheels of the tow vehicle in the water and still can't float the boat, there is little you can do other than using a tongue extension, backing in farther, or using a different, deeper ramp.