Trailer set-up correct?

[EJ42955]

After reading a lot of threads and info, I'm wondering if the boat/trailer combo I was given is set up correctly.

1. (Not picture) I'm pretty sure the rear rollers are wrong. They are about 2 inches forward of the transom.

2. Does the winch look acceptable you? I've read it should be adjusted so the winch strap is parallel to the trailer.

3. Should the rollers be farther to the outside of the hull?

If you were going to readjust the trailer to fit the boat, where would you start? And, then change what next?

Thanks,
EJ

 

[superbenk]

Re: Trailer set-up correct?

Looks ok to me. I don't have rollers, so I can't comment on that, but I believe the winch post & strap placement is correct. You want the strap to run under the bow stop roughly level to where it connects to the bow eye (which yours does). That way if the trailer stops quick and the boat tries to launch forward, the bow eye gets held below the bow stop by the strap & thus the front stays down.

 

[Bifflefan]

Re: Trailer set-up correct?

1. (Not picture) I'm pretty sure the rear rollers are wrong. They are about 2 inches forward of the transom.

They are in the correct position.

2. Does the winch look acceptable you? I've read it should be adjusted so the winch strap is parallel to the trailer.

The winch could be a little higher, but its ok where its at.

3. Should the rollers be farther to the outside of the hull?

No, they look good.

If you were going to readjust the trailer to fit the boat

It fits fine. Dont mess with it.

 

[Auxlarry]

Re: Trailer set-up correct?

Your set up looks pretty good to me also. It appears you have a safety chain on the bow eye and that is great! How about transom tie down straps? These, or a transom girth strap are also important for safe towing. They keep the boat from pitch poling in the event you run into something. No wone needs thier boat doing a pole vault onto thier vehicle or someone elses!
Another thing to think of is tongue weight. How does your trailer follow your tow vehicle? Does it sway a lot? This would be caused by to light of a load at the ball. Does the weight of the trailer force the rear of the tow vehicle down to far? This is to heavy a ball weight. The rule of thumb is 9% - 15% of the gross trailer weight be on the tongue. I split the difference at 11% when setting my tongue weight and it feels like the trailer is not even there while towing. Just a few things to think about when trailering your boat for a Safe, Fun, day on the water!

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Trailer set-up correct?

It all looks about as good as it gets to me. If you move the rear rollers outboard farther, then the bow would have a chance of hitting the crossmember when loading.

You generally want the rear rollers between flush with the transom to within 6". 2" is fine.

The winch could come up a bit but being in that position would help stop the boat from riding up the bow stop if you stopped quickly. The higher the winch sits, usually the better the pulling angle when loading the boat in the water. Too high and the cable or strap will wear on the lower edge of the winch stand. Keep in mind that when loading the boat, the trailer is generally at an angle to the boat so what looks wrong on land may work just perfect.

The true tell tale of how well the boat sits on the trailer is at the ramp. If the boat loads and launches easily without any concerns of hitting the trailer or getting damaged, the set up is fine.

 

[cribber]

Re: Trailer set-up correct?

Your trailer setup looks good for that boat. Bow eye snugged under the winch and you've got the safety chain properly connected. It also looks centered between the wheel wells. I wouldn't change anything with the rollers.

 

[JimS123]

Re: Trailer set-up correct?

Can't see the rear rollers, so no comment.

The winch is too low.

The winch's purpose is to pull the boat on the trailer. The reason we use roller trailers is to make the task easy, without having to get our feet wet.

If you retreive that boat properly, it will not go up the last 2 feet, so you will have to back in too far, get your feet wet and its likely that the boat will end up crooked.

Raise the winch so that the strap is slightly above the bow eye, and be sure to route it below the bow stop.

 

[EJ42955]

Re: Trailer set-up correct?

Thanks, everyone. I appreciate the comments.

EJ

 

[1fishbone]

Re: Trailer set-up correct?

Can't see the rear rollers, so no comment.

The winch is too low.

The winch's purpose is to pull the boat on the trailer. The reason we use roller trailers is to make the task easy, without having to get our feet wet.

If you retreive that boat properly, it will not go up the last 2 feet, so you will have to back in too far, get your feet wet and its likely that the boat will end up crooked.

Raise the winch so that the strap is slightly above the bow eye, and be sure to route it below the bow stop.

Everything looks good!
Most people wait for an issue, glad you took the time to evaluate and ask!!

Just raise that winch and you're good.
See how it looks like it will pull the boat down?
It's supposed to be higher so it pulls up a little.

 

[Skagit Hunter]

Re: Trailer set-up correct?

A shorter safety chain wont let it slide off as far, when you brain f@rt at the ramp.

 

[cribber]

Re: Trailer set-up correct?

Just a suggestion... Careful about moving the winch up because you will pull the boat further forward on the trailer. If your stern rollers are only two inches away from the transom you really need to be careful of how much forward you move the winch. You only have a couple of inches to play with on this setup from your description.

 

[EJ42955]

Re: Trailer set-up correct?

A shorter safety chain wont let it slide off as far, when you brain f@rt at the ramp.

Yeah, I thought about that. In your opinion, is an open hook good enough for the safety chain? Or, should I look into getting a hook with some sort of closure on it? I've thought about the same for the chains on the hitch.

Just a suggestion... Careful about moving the winch up because you will pull the boat further forward on the trailer. If your stern rollers are only two inches away from the transom you really need to be careful of how much forward you move the winch. You only have a couple of inches to play with on this setup from your description.

Actually, I tried turning the winch around, so the handle is on the other side and the strap comes over the top of the spool. It's closer to level. But, still not quite there. When I say the stern rollers are a couple of inches from the stern, I mean the edge of the roller. According to what I've read on the ShoreLand'r website, the back edge of the roller should be right below the back edge of the stern.

Thanks,
EJ

 

[superbenk]

Re: Trailer set-up correct?

Yeah, I thought about that. In your opinion, is an open hook good enough for the safety chain? Or, should I look into getting a hook with some sort of closure on it? I've thought about the same for the chains on the hitch.

I think the open hooks are probably ok. Obviously a closed hook would alleviate any chance of the hook bouncing out, but that's pretty unlikely in my opinion.

Actually, I tried turning the winch around, so the handle is on the other side and the strap comes over the top of the spool. It's closer to level. But, still not quite there.

I don't think this is a good idea. If the bow does try to slide up the bow post, the winch spool will be in a position that's easier for it to unwind when the strap is exiting over the top. Exiting from the bottom means that when the bow tries to rise, it will be forcing the spool to cinch tighter (wrapping the strap up onto the spool) which seems like it should hold much better.

 

[Bob's Garage]

Re: Trailer set-up correct?

Yeah, I thought about that. In your opinion, is an open hook good enough for the safety chain? Or, should I look into getting a hook with some sort of closure on it? I've thought about the same for the chains on the hitch.
EJ

I am glad to note that some of the posters have commented on the safety chain. Unfortunately their concepts of its use are somewhat shortsighted.

A safety chain serves 2 purposes.

• 1st - It keeps the boat from sliding back should the strap or winch, fail at the ramp, or the transom straps, winch, or bow strap fails upon acceleration.
• 2nd - Most importantly it keeps the bow from over ridding the winch stand in the event of an accident.

In order for the chain to work correctly, in the case of an accident, the chain should be attached to the trailer tongue at or near the base of the winch stand. In some unfortunate instances the winch stand has failed at the time of impact totally negating the effectiveness of the current chain setup.

Furthermore, the chain should be tensioned with a large turnbuckle to keep all slack out of the chain. During impact a loose chain loses up to 50% of it's rated load from the sudden snapping of the slack being taken up.

Remember you have a heavy item (your boat) being restrained by this chain, as the sudden rapid movement of this weight moves forward on impact it will exert tremendous energy on the chain and a tight chain will keep it from moving, whereas a loose chain will permit it to start moving and gaining energy as the trailer and tow vehicle are decelerating.

A tight chain and high strength transom straps are cheap insurance, but only if properly installed. And remember, they are only as strong as their "weakest link" and this means their attachment points as well as the actual chain.

One other thing, you have a roller trailer, this means you have nothing holding your boat on the trailer other than the straps and chain. A bunk trailer at least has some friction holding the boat - for all the good that does. But a roller will simply let the boat slide off, as it's designed to do, so your securing points are even more important to the safety of your cargo.

 

[robert graham]

Re: Trailer set-up correct?

Check your trailer tongue weight which should be about 10% of your boat's weight to make your rig pull straight and safely on the highway. You can adjust your boat's position on the trailer to give you more or less tongue weight. Otherwise, it looks like it's sitting on the trailer pretty well to me. Install 2 transom ratchet tie down straps for safety. Good Luck!

 

[JimS123]

Re: Trailer set-up correct?

I am glad to note that some of the posters have commented on the safety chain. Unfortunately their concepts of its use are somewhat shortsighted.

A safety chain serves 2 purposes.

• 1st - It keeps the boat from sliding back should the strap or winch, fail at the ramp, or the transom straps, winch, or bow strap fails upon acceleration.
• 2nd - Most importantly it keeps the bow from over ridding the winch stand in the event of an accident.

In order for the chain to work correctly, in the case of an accident, the chain should be attached to the trailer tongue at or near the base of the winch stand. In some unfortunate instances the winch stand has failed at the time of impact totally negating the effectiveness of the current chain setup.

Furthermore, the chain should be tensioned with a large turnbuckle to keep all slack out of the chain. During impact a loose chain loses up to 50% of it's rated load from the sudden snapping of the slack being taken up.

Remember you have a heavy item (your boat) being restrained by this chain, as the sudden rapid movement of this weight moves forward on impact it will exert tremendous energy on the chain and a tight chain will keep it from moving, whereas a loose chain will permit it to start moving and gaining energy as the trailer and tow vehicle are decelerating.

A tight chain and high strength transom straps are cheap insurance, but only if properly installed. And remember, they are only as strong as their "weakest link" and this means their attachment points as well as the actual chain.

One other thing, you have a roller trailer, this means you have nothing holding your boat on the trailer other than the straps and chain. A bunk trailer at least has some friction holding the boat - for all the good that does. But a roller will simply let the boat slide off, as it's designed to do, so your securing points are even more important to the safety of your cargo.

Well said! No trailer should have a "safety chain". It should have a bow tie down made out of chain.

 

[JimS123]

Re: Trailer set-up correct?

Check your trailer tongue weight which should be about 10% of your boat's weight to make your rig pull straight and safely on the highway. You can adjust your boat's position on the trailer to give you more or less tongue weight. Otherwise, it looks like it's sitting on the trailer pretty well to me. Install 2 transom ratchet tie down straps for safety. Good Luck!

You NEVER move the boat to adjust the tongue weight. The boat should be positioned on the trailer to properly sit on the bunks or rollers. In this case, the OP correctly described the transom position relative to the rear rollers, as specified by the trailer manufacturer.

If the tongue weight needs to be adjusted with a properly positioned boat, the procedure is to move the axle appropriately.

Just my experience, but ratchet tie downs don't hold tight very long. I had 2 sets and quickly threw them away. A better product is a buckle type strap, and always buy a 2" model, not a 1".

http://www.iboats.com/Stainless-Ste...83461334--**********.318161692--view_id.38507

 

[EJ42955]

Re: Trailer set-up correct?

Much more good points. Thanks, fellas.

To the best of my knowledge, the original owner must have used a girth(?) strap to secure the stern. I was contemplating adding eye bolts to the back of the trailer, so I could use transom straps. Thanks, for the link JimS123. I do want a good set.
So, is there a recommended bolt? Or, attaching method, better than just drilling holes in the trailer?


Also, the current bow "safety chain" is mounted low on the winch post. But, I feel it has way too much slack. I like the idea of a "tight" bow "hold down", instead.

Thanks, so much, for the suggestions.
EJ

 

[Skagit Hunter]

Re: Trailer set-up correct?

I just have the open hook on the safety chain. It has never fallen off. With the weight of the chain it is enough to keep it on.