Trailering Zodiac with 15hp motor

[Skippyzod]

I have a aluminum triton trailer that I use to tow my 10'2" Zodiac. I have a new 15hp motor. I towed it for the first time and notice a couple of things that would like opinions on. The tongue weight is light and appears the motor bounces more than I would like in the full down position. How can I increase tongue weight? The boat transom is on the edge of the bunks. I am thinking about mounting a spare tire and trailer wheel on the front. Should I install a transom saver to reduce movement of motor?

 

[nobrainsd]

Re: Trailering Zodiac with 15hp motor

It is necessary to have 5 to 10 percent of the weight of your loaded trailer felt at the trailer coupling ball when the tongue is parallel to the ground. A bathroom scale works great for the kind of loads you get with a sib. It is often possible to move gear, add a spare and such to get the right weight distribution. On most trailers you can move the axle on the trailer to adjust the tongue weight too. I had to move my axle to get the right tongue weight. It makes a big difference in how the trailer handles at speed. Very few trailers come set up for the weight distribution of an inflatable.

The dynamic loading on the transom by the outboard when towing is not a good thing. A transom saver is a wise investment if you plan to tow any great distance.

Trailer maintenance is often overlooked. If you plan to trailer very far it is a good idea to stay on top of greasing your hub bearings, checking the tightness of all nuts and bolts and making sure that added gear does not alter your balance. I replaced all of the u bolts and nuts on my galvanized trailer with stainless steel. This is a particularly good idea on older used trailers. Don't end up that boat on the side of the road that we have all seen before!

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: Trailering Zodiac with 15hp motor

took me a while to figure out something effective for a bouncing motor

now I put the leg in a 5 gallon pail and bungee it to my trailer. not sexy, but it is simple, and works great.

 

[FH alumni]

Re: Trailering Zodiac with 15hp motor

Transom Saver is a must have. Never rely on the motors latch to keep the engine raised up. Hit a bump and the whole thing can crash down=not good. I like to have my engine well up away from the ground to eliminate any chance of it hitting dirt. Also, put support bunks under the transom on either side of the motor to make sure the load is supported.

Go to a garage sale and find someone selling Olympic weights and pick up a couple of 50lb plates for $10. I have 2 mounted under my spare tire on the tongue to distribute the weight out. Just drill a couple of holes and mount them to the spare U-bolts with the tire. If you can find the vinyl coated ones even better-they won't be a big pile of rust.

Buddy of mine just mounted 3- 25lb plates to his tongue with some U-bolts and created "stepping stones" so he has something to walk on and does not get his feet wet when launching. He put a cup of sand in the paint when he coated them to make them slip resistant. I am going to go this route as it's a slick set up. Looks a bit silly but works.