Boat Trailer Travel Fix....

M

Mighty Bite

New member
I got tired of my 22 CD shifting laterally while trailering. The side guides are OK
for loading, but they leave a lot to be desired due to their constant vibrating on
the road, which requires separation from contact with the gelcoats. Tie downs
help, but I have found nothing that will really do the job until now.

I fabricated some adjustable blocks which tighten directly to the frame on my
King trailer which totally eliminated any sideways movement of the boat on the
trailer when traveling on the road. They are quickly adjustable and each block
is secured with 2 ea 1/2" x 6" bolts to the rear of the trailer frame. On the King
trailers the holes are already there, so no drilling required.

I fabbed mine up with some scrap 3/4" plywood and the only cost involved was
2 bolts, 8 washers and 4 nylock nuts.

If interested, I just put pics of the setup in my album, " 3rd Byte "
 
Clever Mark, Have you tried loading the boat with them on the trailer? I always have trouble getting the boat properly centered on the trailer and these look like they may be the answer. Thanks for posting this.
 
Absolutely, note that the blocks are slotted so the routine is to simply loosen
the two nuts on the block a little and slide the blocks away from the boat
without having to remove them from the trailer. These blocks are just a
travel assist and as such when loading/unloading I have loosen the blocks
up and move them away from the boat. After loading is when I tighten them
up for travel.

Centering the boat on the trailer is aways a problem. One can be fairly
certain the perfect "centering" is the exception rather than rule when loading
the boat, however by using the block setup this is the way I would approach
it. After loading the boat, move the block that is furthest from the boat to
the most inward slot position and tighten it down. Then move the boat
against that block. I use a 40" piece of 2"x4" with a 12" 2"x6" (padded with
a heavy piece of rug on the side to contact the hull). A purchase point to
lever this over is right at the juncture of the rearmost frame crossmember
of the trailer. Once against the solid block merely slide the 2nd slotted
block up tight against the hull and tighten the nuts on it. Voila.

Moving the boat with the short 2"x4" and the padded 2"x6" makes it almost
too easy, sure eliminates grunt and groan.

Sorry to be so wordy on my explanation, but hope this is a help.
 
Mark, those look like a great idea. I don't have much trouble with the boat moving on the trailer, but I have a horrible time getting it centered if there is a cross wind or current.

You've got me thinking about making something similar, only about a foot taller to help center the boat.

Very nice work!
 
"....due to their constant vibrating on
the road,"
Click to expand...

Mark have you tried having the tires balanced? That seemed to have helped for us.

I am using a bunk trailer, and when the boat is first onto the trailer, and bunks are still wet, it is not all that hard to just put a shoulder against the hull and slide it over to center.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
Thanks, Wandering Sagebrush, I think it's probably easier to shift sideways on
the trailer with bunks than rollers, particularly wet bunks. Bunks or rollers
either one, these CD's will put the lateral move on you when traveling down
the road.

Yes , Harvey, I put new tires on the trailer last year and had them
balanced at that time. Previous tires were balanced as well. You can
simply rap the guide support arm when it's parked and they'll get
the shivers. That in itself is not a big deal as long as they don't stay
in contact with the gel coat, but without the blocks the boat likes to
slide it's butt back and forth and is likely to wind up against one of the
side guides, which is not desirable.
 
Some folks use a tiedown strap across the stern/cockpit. I wonder if cinching the boat down thusly would accomplish the same result?

Warren
 
I had the same problem with the boat sliding side to side and wearing the gelcote on the bottom. I had the same carpeted guideons that sat high with no contact. I rebent the uprights and cut them down and moved them from the outside of the trailer frame to the inside makeing contact below the waterline with the carpeted pads and left them full length. No more movement while trailering and loading is easy with the hull selfcentering. cost nothing.
 
As a followup on the wedge type carpeted block side guides (Pic @ 3rd Byte Album) that I put on the trailer prior to launching this summer. I had
assumed that I would probably have to loosen them up at some point in
time during launch or retrieval of the boat. Not to worry. I launched and
retrieved without touching the blocks. Worked perfectly, While traveling
on the road, frost heaves and all, there's no side to side zero movement,
and "0" wear or sign of any gelcoat rubbing. Works for me!
 
Warren, No it doesn't, a tie down strap should be used when trailering,
but it doesn't do a thing for lateral positioning.
Click to expand...

Anybody tried using your stern tie down straps crossed? (From trailer right side to boat left side, for one strap and then the opposite for the other strap). :idea:

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
Very cool idea I see you have rollers not bunks We cinch our 23 down with a strap in the back and there is very little movement at all going down highway On our 23 cc we have guide posts and 2by6 'supports along with the big 3by8 beams that center the boat every time .Also the 2by 6 keep the boat from moving . Take a look at my album Its a continental trailer 2450 that we installed 2by6 flat guides that guide the boat right in also with the help of the guide posts .

The only problem I have had is one of the guide post fractured and I had to have it rewelded I didnt know they could do that with aluminum

Also anyone buying a trailer make sure you buy one with S/S nuts and bolts torsion suspension and disc brakes for salt water Just my observation
 
You guys just go buy a TC255! :mrgreen: With the center tunnel, you just aim for the end of the trailer and drive on. If your center guides are set up right, it puts it into the right spot every time!

Charlie
 
I always have trouble getting the boat properly centered on the trailer and these look like they may be the answer.
Click to expand...

Same here, Barry. I'm wondering if small rollers, with the axle on the horizontal, attached to something similiar would work? :| :idea: I'm tired of backing up & down the ramp several times, trying to get the boat centered.
 
Charlie, yeah, go ahead and rub it in. Actually I considered tunneling the
22' Cruiser, but at the last minute chickened out.

Barry, the "travel blocks" might well be called centering blocks because
they absolutely center the boat every time on loading. How cool is that!
 
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