Trailer set up for 260DA

B

bbwhitejr

Well-Known Member
Apr 14, 2013
4,304
Lake Lanier GA
Boat Info
2003 420DA, 6CTAs
Engines
NA
I am not 100% happy with the rear bunk spacing on my trailer. Can I get some pics or measurement from outside to outside on rear bunks? PO purchased the trailer to move boat when he bought it and then only used it 1-2 times/year to pull it for maintenance. It has never been been "fitted" properly to the boat. It is close, but I am not convinced it is perfect.

Thanks for all responses and advice.
 
What style of bunks are they? Do you have a picture of your setup? What is the issue that you feel is wrong? Typically, the keel of the boat would probably be 6"-12" from the trailer crossmembers. The chines usually sit just a bit over the fenders.
 
View attachment 36751

The rear bunks are 4"x6" oak covered with carpet of course. This is the port side and the strake sits on the edge of the bunk. The starboard side is perfect(I think)-the bunk sits just to the inside of the strake. I think I want to move both bunks toward the center about 1/2" each therefore giving me a full inch more to get this one completely off of the strake. Thoughts? I have more pics, but I need to downsize them.
 
It looks like the boat is sitting slightly to stbd on the trailer? If that's the case, then that's the reason you're seeing the difference in the port to stbd bunk positioning.

That's not even that bad the way it is. It won't hurt anything being right on the strake.

If you do want to move things, keep in mind that any movement of the bunks inboard will raise the boat (check your winch stand, too). Ideally, I like having the bunks just outboard of the vertical edge of the strake. But in your case, that means moving them even further inboard and (1) there may not be enough room on the crossmember before it dips down and (2) that would probably raise the boat up too much. Although, #2 can be fixed by dropping the bunks lower in their brackets as it looks like you still have plenty of clearance above the fenders.
 
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Am planning to move them equally in towards each over a total of 1"(move each bunk 1/2"). This may be splitting hairs, but I think it will center better between the two. I am having a little bit of a hard time figuring out how far to back the trailer in when loading. Unloading is not an issue. Last weekend, I backed it in too far and the rear was still trying to float when I pulled it up to the winch roller. I have been driving it onto the trailer up to about 3 feet or so from the winch roller and then winching the rest of the way. I am going to try not backing in so deep this weekend, drive on as far as I can and then have the admiral back down a little more as I winch it the rest of the way. Thoughts or ideas?

Thanks much.
 
Yup, you can do it that way with the Admiral.

Since all ramps are different, the best "general" advice I can give is to back the boat into the water until the aft end just barely starts to rock a little - not quite completely floating. Take note to where the water is on the fenders or trailer frame. Then, when going back on the trailer, simply back the trailer in until it's at the same spot. However, first back it in to completely wet the bunks, then pull forward to your "spot".

Depending on the ramp you're at, you may be able to power load, maybe not. If you can, don't be afraid to use a lot of juice.
 
Thanks a lot Dennis. I have owned bass boats for many years but, this is my first cruiser. Power loading is not new to me, but this boat is. Getting it centered as you pull onto the trailer has given me a hard time. If the wind is pushing, it is even worse. I know it takes practice. Thanks again.
 
When I trailered the 330 Dancer I had I'd back the trailer well down into the water and idle the boat right up to the bow stop. Then I'd have my helper hook up the bow chain (there wasn't a winch--the boat was too heavy). I'd get off the boat and drive the truck slowly up the ramp with the helper keeping the boat centered on the trailer.

When I had a 20' bowrider I'd back the trailer well down into the water, idle the boat forward to the bow stop. Then, leaving the boat in gear at idle, I'd go forward, lean over the bow and hook the winch strap to the bow eye. When that was done I'd shut the engine off, raise the lower unit, stop onto the dock and drive the truck up the ramp. I often loaded and launched that boat by myself so I had to some up with a system that worked for me.

BTW, I noted in your photos that the bunks are standing on their edge. Just a thought....you get triple the support for the hull if you lay the bunks on their side. That way, the boat is supported by a board that's 6" wide instead of one that's 2" wide. The more support for the hull the less likelihood of the hull taking a permanent "set" in the hull.
 
Your 20' BR sounds like my bass boats. I knew exactly how far to back the trailer in and you could feel the boat center itself when the hull contacted the front bunks. Then it was a matter of just pushing it up to the bow stop with the motor. I too loaded and unloaded 1000s of times by myself. I really believe that I have been putting the trailer too deep initially and just have to find the "sweet spot." Thanks
 
You know, I wasn't paying complete attention above. To get the bunks on the outboard side of the vertical edge of the strake, you may not have to move them inboards. If there's enough clearance between the fender and the chine, you may be able to move them outboard. Having it set up that way will help to lock-in the hull to the bunks.

Suggestion: Vertical pole guide-ons. I'm not a huge fan of them, but they can certainly help to keep the stern in check during a windy or wavy day.
 
I don't understand power loading at all. Back your trailer in deep, float your boat to the winch stand. Hook up the strap, tighten.

Pull forward slowly to allow the boat to settle on the trailer, done.

I even show off a bit by, pushing my boat toward the trailer and letting it float by itself to the trailer. The boat slides onto the bunks and waits there untill I hook up the chain. I bet I can load my boat faster than thoes that power load! And have done exactly that many times......all by myself!

Power loading destroys the ramp too. I don't get it.
 
I have thought about this-moving the bunks out instead of slightly in and positioning them on the outboard side of the strakes. This will make the boat sit a lower on the trailer and I would need to check the distance between the chines and the fenders. It might just make it easier to keep it straight during loading. I will take a look at this tomorrow. I may go with my initial plan first and see if I like that and then check it by moving them out. I will take a look at report back tomorrow. Thanks Dennis.
 
Dennis, I love my vertical post guide ons. They are why I can just push my boat towards the trailer and let it align to the trailer by itself.

Launching is a whole nuther story....I let my boat launch itself. Tie a long line to the boat from the winch stand, unhook everything, back the boat in stomp the brakes, let the boat float off the trailer and lay next to the dock, all by itself. I use the wind to help me do that. People are amazed when they see me do this. Timing and speed of launch is the secret. I like to jump out of the truck, walk slow down the dock and meet the boat when it comes floating to me from the trailer. HAHA
 
Lazy Daze said:
Suggestion: Vertical pole guide-ons. I'm not a huge fan of them, but they can certainly help to keep the stern in check during a windy or wavy day.
Click to expand...

islandhopper00 said:
I don't understand power loading at all. Back your trailer in deep, float your boat to the winch stand. Hook up the strap, tighten.

Pull forward slowly to allow the boat to settle on the trailer, done.

Power loading destroys the ramp too. I don't get it.
Click to expand...

islandhopper00 said:
I love my vertical post guide ons. They are why I can just push my boat towards the trailer and let it align to the trailer by itself.
Click to expand...

I, too love my load guides and would buy them again in a heartbeat. Rarely load where power loading is needed. I load the boat from floating to fully on with just the winch, though I usually back it down farther after she is about 4 feet from the stop to make it easier to finish.

In many Indiana lakes there is nothing but a strip of concrete that they call a ramp. Once I was loading (before load guides) in a 30-40 mph cross wind on one of those ramps, took more tries than I can count (by the Admiral, as I had to bring the trailer down) to even get close to the bunks. The guides made that so much easier, first by providing a clear visual target, (they are 10 feet tall from the ground) and second by keeping the vessel from blowing off once in the target.

MM
 
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another positive vote for using trailer guide post....i set my guides to where they are snuggly touching the rub rail...the plastic pipe that covers the guides easily rotates so when the boat moves through the guides the plastic pipe rotates along the boat rub rail and does not mark the rail.....if you have guides like these you can float your boat almost all the way to the bow stop roller and only use the winch for the last foot or so.....even if the back of the boat is still floating to a degree when the trailer is pulled forward the boat will follow the guide posts and the boat will drop down perfectly positioned every time on the trailer....i use long guide post to insure they hit the rub rail when the trailer is backed down on the ramp...it is important to evaluate the length of the guide post you will need based on how steep your normal ramp is...if you have too short of guide post they will not strike the rub rail when the trailer is backed down the ramp and you are attempting to load the boat....

you can see the guides on my trailer in my sig pic...

cliff
 
The only reason I resist the guide ons is that I see them as a "crutch". I think that "I shouldn't need them". But this is my personal view as I do recommend them to others and, quite honestly, as I've gotten older I've started to waver in my thinking. Currently, without them, there's no way that I could ever float on/off on most days as the wave/wind action is just too much. The main ramp I go to is literally only less than 75 yards inside a no wake zone and pretty much the whole lake empties right into the no wake zone... in other words, it's not very calm at the ramp.

Some ramps have cement that goes another 75+ feet into the water and would be 30' deep at that point. There's certainly no worry about ramp damage. Some ramps also don't have docks right next to them so there would be no way to float it off. Well, it would certainly float off - but I'd be swimming to get to it. We need to keep in mind that ramp design and conditions will vary - often times by quite a lot. A certain launch method at one ramp may not work at another ramp.

Case in point (at the powerloading ramp) -- my wife always does the boat side, I do the truck side. By the time I'm backing in, she's already heading for me. She drives it on, right to the bow stop, keeps some engine power on as I tighten the strap and hook up the chain, then I give her the "all good" sign and head back to the truck to pull out. Probably 2 minutes, tops. On many occasions, we've had owners of 17' and 18' runabouts come up to ask us how we do things so quick. A nice trailer setup, practice and good communication is what I tell them.

I've launched at pretty much any type of ramp you can think of - cement ramps that stop at soon as they hit the water (sometimes there's some gravel there), simply over the grass and into the lake, ocean side ramps where I'm bounding over and around rocks, even times where I've driven head-first into the water (was only barely 2' at the "ramp") and down around a bend to get to a deeper spot (that one got a lot of locals staring!). Point is, you just gotta figure out what will work best given the conditions you are faced with. There's no one "best way".

And, no, on gravel ramps or where there are slips behind me, I don't power load.
 
I have 5-6" between the bottom of the chine and the top of the fender. For now, I am going with my initial plan to move the two rear bunks in toward each other just enough so they sit to the inside of the strakes by a minimal amount. I have the guide poles and the post from CliffA was very interesting. Mine are not as tall as his and they do not rotate. In the beginning, I did not like them, but when the trailer is very hard to see underwater, they become very necessary. I have to look at this, but if they were tall enough and rotated, I cannot see where they would do anything but help for now. As mine do not rotate, one on the port side dug into my brand new stripe last weekend. If they were set up as CliffAs are, this would have never happened. OK, thanks to everyone, I have a plan for tomorrow. I'll let you know how it works out. Thanks for the help.
 
when i purchased my current boat i already had the trailer guides from a previous boat i owned, however they were too short for my current boat......i extended the guides by inserting a section of black metal pipe purchased from my local Home Depot into the guide poles and then covering both the black pipe and guide poles with PVC pipe and a PVC end cap on each pipe......this extension allowed me to make the height of the guide post to whatever length i wanted and allowed for the rotating PVC pipe.....

cliff
 
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