Has anyone ever fabricated their own trailer guides?

[ThreeMileBayWaker]

My cousin and I will have the same trailers, except mine will be brand new and it seems to always be a pain to get them centered right where they need to be. As you can see the glastron hulls have ridges which need to sit pretty much perfectly on the board but we always have to take 3-4 tries to get the darn boat centered. Our launch never has a huge crowd, but one of the lakes I want to go on this summer is very busy and don't want to be THAT guy at the launch and you know what I mean there.

I know there are cheezy pvc pipe looking ones in the iboats store, but I am looking to make something that looks like it came with the trailer.

I am thinking about tube steel like this..

..and making metal ones and then have bolt on hard plastic bumpers on the inside edge wrapped in carpet. Getting the steel powder coated to match our trailers. It would obviously be angled properly and welded to a plate to match the diameter of the steel where the foot steps are, then another backing plate to distribute a bump on one of these over a wider area to the sandwiched trailer's metal so it doesn't bend.

Also the hallowed tube would allow for additional higher LED lights to be flush mounted into the bars for high viability of the boat trailers.

Has anyone done something like this to their trailers which didn't come with guides standard?

Something like the V-drive boat trailers have pictured below..

Everything will be welded on them, and probably done in Stainless if I can afford it. I have a part time job with a stainless steel fabrication shop so a project like this is something easily accomplished.

 

[cooter2506]

Re: Has anyone ever fabricated their own trailer guides?

That trailer should center itself easily. I have a Crownline with that exact trailer and my wife pulls it right on even if she is off by a foot it centers itself. But if you want guides go ahead and weld some on like the on the Corvette boat.

 

[ThreeMileBayWaker]

Re: Has anyone ever fabricated their own trailer guides?

I'm gonna try it for a while and see what happens, if mine is a pain in the *** then I am going to do this.

 

[dwco5051]

Re: Has anyone ever fabricated their own trailer guides?

Sometimes a boat not centering right on the trailer can be caused by submerging the trailer to far. I have had boats that if the trailer was just six inches to deep it would float all over the place and not center. A little trial and error is sometimes needed to figure out the exact distance to back up. Once you figure out your home ramp and get it perfect you will then go to a strange ramp that goes in at a steeper angle (or a lot shallower) and you will have to find a new reference mark for a water line on the trailer. Play with it a little bit, you may be surprised how much difference a few inches makes.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Has anyone ever fabricated their own trailer guides?

Put some guides on my Dad's sailboat around 30 years ago to get the bilge keels in the right place when we trailered it. Made them removable though so we could take them off for towing. Made them out of galvanized tube.

 

[redone4x4]

Re: Has anyone ever fabricated their own trailer guides?

i built some for our family boat a long time ago. I used c-channel and welded them up then put 2x4s inside the channel and carpeted them. Then made them a bolt-on installation to the trailer. They are still in use and held up well and its been about 10 years now. sorry, dont have any pics right now the boat is about 250 miles away.

 

[arks]

Re: Has anyone ever fabricated their own trailer guides?

Mine are really basic but they're functional.
Used galvanized steel pipe with PVC over them.

 

[4JawChuck]

Re: Has anyone ever fabricated their own trailer guides?

I have these on my trailer;

http://www.discountmarinesupplies.com/Boat_Guide_On_s-FULTON_CUSTOM_BOAT_ROLLER_GUIDE_ON_SET.html

They were pretty inexpensive but needed some tweaks to make them perfect. I replaced the top screw that holds the roller on the poles to stainless and used a slightly different mounting system since my trailer is a different design that what is typical.

They don't move and it does not matter how crooked I come in they guide me straight on every time. My trailer is full roller so loading is a breeze. The best part is they are low profile and don't stick up like antenna on the trailer.

You could easily make your own with pvc pipe and tubes mounted at the correct angle, if your going that route I suggest you make them tight to the hull so proper alignment flexes them slightly as you load. I adjusted mine so they were 1/8" tight on each side, and since they are rigid...wind or waves don't move the boat out of position like the pole style I have seen. If you have ever loaded in a 7mph current you will know what I mean and no plastic to break in the cold weather either (we often fish till ice in).

Many people comment at the launch how slick they work and how easy my loading is, I power load my boat all the time but rarely exceed idle speed to get the boat tight to the eye. When setting the trailer into the water I leave them exposed a couple of inches and drive the boat on, often the wife loads the boat so we do it two person style with me backing in and hooking the eye while she loads...guys often stand and stare while they watch a woman load like a pro!

Just another idea that works well.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Has anyone ever fabricated their own trailer guides?

Good iboats lesson to be seen here

4JawChuck put a link in his post for these guide on rollers priced at $99.95 http://www.discountmarinesupplies.com/Boat_Guide_On_s-FULTON_CUSTOM_BOAT_ROLLER_GUIDE_ON_SET.html

I looked at the iboats store and found the exact same guide on rollers priced at $88.19 http://www.iboats.com/Fulton-Custom...71780380--**********.527385993--view_id.38712

I am just suggesting that people should check the iboats BOAT PARTS & ACCESSORIES store http://www.iboats.com/Boat-Parts-Accessories/dm/

 

[marlboro180]

Re: Has anyone ever fabricated their own trailer guides?

This is how I did mine. Scrap metal and pvc.

 

[fat fanny]

Re: Has anyone ever fabricated their own trailer guides?

3 mile with that rig as said before I believe the added cost of guides compared to just getting used to putting your trailer in the correct depth of water at the ramp to center it would be a waste. My SeaRay has just about the same profile as your boat and I only have one set of bunks on my trailer and I can center it just about perfect everytime positioning the trailer in the correct depth of water and using a referance mark to go by (pc of tape, decal on trailer) whatever will save you the hastle and extra exspence.

 

[JimMH]

Re: Has anyone ever fabricated their own trailer guides?

I owned a 2001 SX195 for 8 years and never had a problem centering on the trailer. I believe as stated above you are putting the trailer in too deep. The perfect depth was with the top of the fenders barely out of the water. Then just drive right own. That trailer will center the boat for you as long as you are not too deep.

 

[likalar]

Re: Has anyone ever fabricated their own trailer guides?

+1 on the responders that refer to the depth of the trailer in the water. That's the key here. A trailer too deep gives no guidance. Guides are especially useful when the current or wind wants to make the boat go off course or sideways.

Larry

 

[Proselect]

Re: Has anyone ever fabricated their own trailer guides?

+2 on the depth of the trailer. I agree with this especially with full roller trailers. I see a lot of guys dunking the whole thing under and just winching the boat over the top of it, and then they wonder why its never centered. Let the keel rollers do the work if you have them.