Location of Electric over Hydraulic Actuator

colbysmith

colbysmith

Active member
It appears that Loadrite will only install the EOH actuator on top the trailer tongue. In the process of ordering a new trailer with EOH disc brakes, I've been pushing to have them raise the actuator. Problem being shallow launch ramps at places like Lake Powell, and a few other lakes I go to occasionally. I got no where via the dealer, and so wrote directly to Loadrite my self. This is the reply I got:

Colby,
Here is the reason I got from our engineers.
Increasing the bracket by 6" and raising the pump into the air creates a lever arm effect.
This push and pull on the bend of the bracket from starting and stopping the trailer with the weight of the pump higher in the air will take an excessive toll on the bracket. Leading to a failure.
This is something that Load Rite is not interested in doing.
Dave Swiger
Inside Sales and Warranty Manager
215-949-0500
Dswiger@loadrite.com

Now I'm not sure what they think folks are towing their boats with, but I don't see much more air behind the tailgate of my pickup with only 6" of lift on the actuator... Nor do I know what kind of flimsy bracket they were thinking of. Anyway, I know Tom on C-Otter has a real nice bracket (S/S or aluminum?) that seems pretty solid, that raises his actuator a bit off the tongue. Where do others have their actuators mounted, and how have they worked out in that location? Any photos appreciated. My new trailer will come with the actuator on the tongue, but sometime before launching at Lake Powell again, or a few other places where the tongue ends up in the water, I'll need to figure out how to keep the actuator from being submerged, or at least figure out how much of it can be submerged... Colby
 
On this trailer mine was mounted on the front of the A frame. But I may raise it. The E/H unit is in a battery box along with the U1 battery. It is sealed on the bottom. The bottom got wet on several launches, and the boat floated with the trailer during Sally. There was no water in the box. No problem with the E/H.

There is a bracket which I bought for the 22 trailer when I put E/H on it. I looked for photos and a part but cannot find it. It was like a winch post. Plates welded on both top and bottom about 8" high as I recollect. It bolted to the tongue. I'll look around and see if I can find photos or a source.

I wonder what the "engineers" were smoking. It's hydraulics. What about the "lever arm" of the winch post? No reason that a properly built either steel or aluminum winch post type of structure cannot hold the E/H unit and battery etc.
My guess is they didn't want to have a new structure fabricated. Any good machine shop can make an aluminum bracket--it may not be cheap. But the materials and labor shouldn't be more than a couple of hundred dollars.
 
My guess is they didn't want to have a new structure fabricated. Any good machine shop can make an aluminum bracket--it may not be cheap. But the materials and labor shouldn't be more than a couple of hundred dollars.
Click to expand...

My guess too. A couple hundred dollars compared to the new cost of a submerged EOH actuator... I think 6" would pretty much keep the unit dry. With warranty requirements, I'll probably leave well enuf alone when I get it. Then raise a ruckus with them if I have to replace the unit because it got wet! Colby
 
Colby here's how mine turn out raised it 3" hasn't hit the water at Yellowstone or Lake Powell (Bullfrog) Every thing works just fine.

File_000.jpg
 
Colby,

Put it as high as you can. It gets wet, it's toast. I put Discovery's on the second step of the TomCat trailer. I put the battery up there also.

IMG_0560.jpg
 
I put that same hydrastar unit on my trailer but mounted it low. Has anybody Here toasted one? Seems like the brain of the operation is mostly up in the cab and it would fry a fuse and maybe the battery charger. PITA to make it right I have no doubt, but does anyone have first hand experience submerging one of these setups?


Thanks!

Edit: sorry it was a hasty pre-coffee read. I realize The actuator and battery are a combo unit and would get smoked by saltwater. Was thinking more about the pump
 
Looking at my photos of the height of the water during hurricane Sally, and the the boat floating with the trailer, I suspected that the battery box which contains the pump, U1 battery, and the "heavy duty Brains" of the Titian E/H pump, had water in the box. The positive ring terminal #12 wire,( but not marine grade wire or terminal) had significant corrosion. I cut the wire several inches up, and it was bright copper. I then put in both new adhesive lined shrink wrap terminal's, and covered the whole joint with another layer of shrink wrap. The reservoirs were a little low, but no water in them. I filled the reservoir, backed the truck up, and checked with both the brakes and manual controller. The system worked fine.

So in this case, the pump, battery and brains were probably under water for less than 4 hours, but still seem to work. We will take a "Test" road trip before we head for Hontoon.
 
They are working within a defined "box", surely by directions from engineers,insurers, and the legal people !

Sad day as usual, that reasonable minds can not prevail.
 
And yet I made a cheap bracket 10000 miles ago on my current trailer that hasn’t budged! Maybe their engineers are planning more for an accident than normal driving!
 
The picture shows what I believe is the standard Load Rite EOH actuator mounting. I've launched multiple times at the shallow ramps at Lake Powell without any issues. The black bottom part of the EOH actuator is the hydraulic reservoir so the water would have to get to the white part housing the electronics before there is any issue. The battery pack is mounted lower. There are holes in the bottom so any water that gets in will drain out. Most ramps are steep enough such that there are no concerns. It is probably not the best arrangement, but in 5 years of ownership, there have been no issues. I mostly boat in fresh water and the ramps I've used in salt water have always been relatively steep.


IMG_1388.thumb.jpg

The biggest problem I've had with the Load Rite trailer for my C-Dory 25 is centering the boat between the fenders. Despite having 'goal posts' getting the boat to load between the fenders was an issue. I lowered the fenders a little and added the side guides shown in the picture to solve the problem. It took a few adjustments to get everything to work.

IMG_1393.thumb.jpg

Tony
C-View II
 
Thanks for that info Tony. Regarding centering on bunks, sometimes they are better at self centering if you don't back in quite as far. That does require power loading however, and I know some places frown on that, or it's completely illegal. Colby
 
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