What are these for?

[countryboy26047]

Re: What are these for?

i am as well, and google seems to have pics of everything! saved me many times.

Ya know, I searched google like crazy for a good VIDEO of a tilt trailer in action.... never even THOUGHT of searching the images :facepalm:

 

[bonz_d]

Re: What are these for?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-tTyZr6wtA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdXL8W4RYTo

This guy makes it look a lot harder than it is or has to be. I normally back in until the rear of the truck is at the waters edge when at gravel ramps.

 

[countryboy26047]

Re: What are these for?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-tTyZr6wtA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdXL8W4RYTo

This guy makes it look a lot harder than it is or has to be. I normally back in until the rear of the truck is at the waters edge when at gravel ramps.

I've watched those video's, along with a few others I found. I'll need to figure out how far in I need to take mine in particular to use the tilt. Just hoping the day I decide to finally try it out (probably going to be this evening, the wife and I are supposed to be takin it out later) there aren't many people at the ramp/in the water cause it's gonna be slow-going the first time or two.

 

[Jlawsen]

Re: What are these for?

oops..wrong post.

 

[bonz_d]

Re: What are these for?

Not to worry it's pretty hard to get it wrong. I've done it to were the axle wasn't even in the water because the ramp was so shallow. The only real thing to worry about is at dirt ramps and not being able to pull it out because it's stuck in the mud! Even then it's just a matter of unloading again and pulling the trailer shallower.

With a tilt trailer one could actually load the boat from off solid ground if needed.

 

[countryboy26047]

Re: What are these for?

Normally the ramp we use is very easy to launch/retrieve due to its incline, however this year the river has been running a good 2' lower than usual. By the time you get the trailer in far enough to float it off, the rear tires of the truck are in the water..that and the trailer tires drop off the ramp where there's a bunch of holes. Its so bad that in one spot I actually had the left trailer tire with water just at the hub, and the right fender was almost a foot below the surface...its baaadd.

 

[bonz_d]

Re: What are these for?

So what you do then is back in until the rear tires are at the edge of the water or until just before the trailer tires are at the end of the concrete. Then launch.

I also do not use a tilt chain to limit the amount of tilt. It will only tilt as far as is needed. If the water is deep it wont tilt much at all. If you are on the ground it will tilt all the way to the ground. Just remember the steeper the angle the faster it will come off and the harder it will be to winch back on.

Just try it and let me know how it went!

 

[countryboy26047]

Re: What are these for?

I will do that. Like I said, planning on trying it out this evening as long as the ramp isn't busy. The ramp in question has just been so ridiculous this year.. At first I thought we was doing something wrong (with this boat/trailer at least, as with the tracker I've NEVER had a problem, then again it's a drive on/off trailer) until the wife and I loaded up a couple weeks ago, and trailered the boat to another launch on the river, about 45 min south. With both launching and retrieving, I never even had to get out of the boat.. The wife backed me down in, truck wasn't even close to the water, and I just backed it right off. Retrieval, dropped the wife off to get the truck.. she backs it down in, again truck not even close to the water.. I pulled the boat up to about the 2nd roller, she hooked the bow strap and cranked me right up on.. was in and out with the trailer in about 3 minutes.

I figure the first couple of times I use the tilt feature for launching, I'm gonna leave the chain in place just until I know for sure that the stern won't hit. If I get 'brave' enough, I'll have the wife take some pics or a vid if I get to try it out today lol.