Boat centering on trailer - guides, etc?

[Hannibal]

Has anyone had any luck with those guides that are installed on the back ends of your trailer? I am looking for a way to help ensure that my boat is centered properly and sitting straight up when put on the trailer.

I was looking in the BPS catalog this week and saw several different products - some were rubberized posts at each end - others were carpeted panels that came up along the side of the boat.

My issue is that when I pull my boat up onto the trailer - I sometimes have to deal with it leaning ever so slightly to one side or the other. It's easily solved if working with someone who is more experienced with operating a boat but many times I go out with my brother who is still learning (more so than I am). And often times he is left to center the boat and throttle it up onto the trailer (partially) versus having to back the truck/trailer down at the ramp.

These centering devices seem to be the solution in helping to get the boat centered when pulling onto the trailer and these side braces seem to be just the thing to help keep the boat in perfect position (tilt wise) once on the trailer.

Does anyone use these and what are your thoughts? I see a lot of people with white PVC posts (very flimsy) on the back of the trailer but that seems to be more of a visual guide that an actual means to center the boat.

 

[grouperjim]

this is my setup. centers up every time. i think you'll find the guidons don't really center the boat per se but rather guide it to the centering bunks/rollers which bring the hull to the center of the trailer.

if you find that your PVC guidons are too flimsy for your liking, then the trick is to slide on an additional length PVC the next size up which is what i did per the recommendation of the trailer manufacturer. put in a large SS rivet near the bottom thru the PVC and the metal stub it slides on over. be sure to drill a small hole in the PVC end cap at the top of the guidon to allow air to escape as it submerges.

 

[Hannibal]

That looks like what I am envisioning. I have rollers on the center/bottom but the problem stems from the front of the trailer being in contact while the back isn't. This allows the stern end of the boat to travel left/right a bit and slowly pulling up on the ramp doesn't always correct it. In other words, it ends up centered but it often has some lean to it (slight).

I figure the more possitive contact/reinforcement towards center/straight, the better. I also think it will give me a little more comfort (whether real or not). If these guides will allow better and initial placement of the boat towards center - the leveling side to side should improve. The angled side supports should also help in this IMO.

Specifically looking at something like this:

Sides:

Back corners:

 

[dave-j]

I installed guides like grouperjim has on his trailer. they work fantastic, even in a cross wind while hauling your boat. Very easy to install.

The longer side bunk style would interfee with cleaning/ploshing of the hull

 

[Parkerman]

Agreed with all. I too have the PVC over metal pipe style guides. I have them set about 4" wider than the boat. While the Mrs. is pulling the truck and boat up the ramp I am in the back making sure the boat is centered. I know having things off center puts a slight pitch to the boat causing a puddle in the rear when washing it down. A royal PIA.

 

[B-Faithful]

If you need guides for your boat to center itself on a trailer with a v hull, either you are dunking your trailer too deep or your trailer isnt adjusted properly. Just one opinion

 

[Hannibal]

If you need guides for your boat to center itself on a trailer with a v hull, either you are dunking your trailer too deep or your trailer isnt adjusted properly. Just one opinion

Could be both honestly. Nearly ALL my boating is done from one particular ramp so the dunking part could be caused by the angle of ramp itself - leaving the back end too deep. I also utilize an electric winch so by the time I get it hooked to the boat - the back end is still floating. And with a strong current or wind - it allows the boat's tail to move some.

I figured the guides would limit that.

It would also add the benifit of helping to keep the boat straight up verus leaned to the side ever so slightly.

 

[grouperjim]

on a bunk-type trailer if the bow eye portion of the hull engages the bow stop and the fwd V of the hull is centered on the poly/fwd centering bunk, having control of the hull in those two places ensures the rest of the hull is centered on the trailer.

if the hull is centered at the bow stop and fwd centering bunk, but the hull is off to one side in the rear, then you need to adjust the bow stop ever so slightly left or right. it doesn't take much adjustment of the bow stop to move the rear of the boat in either direction. again this is for a bunk-type trailer.

 

[jeffnick]

A boat has limited centering ability if the hull is not in contact with the trailer. I've found on several trailers that widespread bunks (at the outside edges of the hull) don't contact the boat soon enough when loading. We found the solution to be putting additional bunks on near the keel...this lets the deepest part of the boat contact the trailer sooner...as in grouperjim's pic. These new bunks don't need to be load bearing and can be installed with the boat on the trailer.

 

[SBH2OMan]

Hey guys,

Those of you saying these guides are needless have obviously never tried to launch or retrieve your boat on a steep ramp at low tide with a 15+ knot wind blowing across your launch ramp.... Either that, or you have a trailer that is very forgiving and/or self-centering. Unfortunately the location of my transducer/fairing block requires that my boat be EXACTLY positioned on the trailer, and prior to installing side guides, this was a stressful two to three man job. Now I easily do it solo.

I have a Pacific Trailer (made here in Southern CA) and it was designed specifically for my boat. Even with that in mind, I found that the addition of heavy duty side bunks ('load guides') was WELL WORTH the $400 it cost to have them installed. For those of you in So Cal, Pacific offers a variety of different "grades" of side guides - the HD ones are not offered as a "kit" on their web site, but you can see the parts here:
http://www.pacifictrailers.com/Guide-On ... ad-Guides/

Yes, they do interfere with polishing the boat, as they run above the waterline all the way from the stern up to where the house starts, but if I want to, I can pull them off with a single wrench in about 10 minutes (8 bolts).

After watching a couple guys snap off those little PVC type ones here on our local ramp, I decided to go with the beefy ones from Pacific - they probably weigh about 200 lbs with the bunks and actually "clamp" the boat into position on the trailer.

With them installed, launching and retrieving the boat is SOOOOOO much easier and less stressful, which is incredibly important when you are trying to take the kids out (with or without the wife). I have a good friend who to this day HATES boating because her Father yelled and screamed so much while launching the boat that they could never enjoy themselves.

To me the ease, piece of mind, and non-stress is worth way more than the cost of installing the bunks.

Final piece of advice - don't go cheap if you launch on a steep ramp or in side-winds frequently. Parkers are heavy boats and they will snap those suckers (or bend them) if they are flimsy!

 

[jeffnick]

Hey guys,

Those of you saying these guides are needless have obviously never tried to launch or retrieve your boat on a steep ramp at low tide with a 15+ knot wind blowing across your launch ramp....

I am 100% for sturdy side guides/poles - wouldn't live without 'em. My point is, that even with the guides, it may still hard to get your boat centered if the bunks are too far apart.

 

[Hannibal]

SBH - thanks for the reply. You said what I was trying to explain. I certainly have a lot of practice left in me in terms of the best ways to load the boat onto the trailer but the situation is a difficult one in part due to the steep angle of the ramp coupled with a current the area recieves (or wind). I can certainly get it right but it sometimes makes a 5 minute job a 15 minute job and that is further complicated by not having someone fairly knowledgeable/able out boating with me. I thought (and it appears to be rightfully so) that load bearing side-bunks would help resolve this problem and it appears that them will help make things a heck of a lot easier (though not entirely solve the problem of course).

 

[dave-j]

Right. In Marblehead it is a rare day that the most popular ramp doesn't have a stiff breeze impacting the loading angqle of the boat. Makes a painful process simple once you have the guides.

 

[Mokee]

I have guides and center bunks on my new trailer and wouldn't want to be w/o either one. Guides help in getting her on the trailer and the center bunks help in getting her on straight. We had to add the center bunks as the outside cypress bunks were so far apart she wouldn't center properly and she sometimes settled with a list.

 

[jacksdad]

My trailer has what i guess you'd call centering bunks near the front (closer to the hitch) very close together such that they catch the keel of the boat as she's running up on it. The boat doesn't actually rest on those bunks once fully loaded but i suspect these are what helps 'self center' the boat. Never seem to have more than a few inches variance.

Also have those pvc guide poles and i use them for backing down the ramp with an empty trailer more than anything else.