Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

How far do you put your trailer in the water, before you drive on? I know it depends on many factors such as ramp angle, trailer and depth, just trying to find if there is a point that works good. On my other boat I know exactly where to put it, water at the top of the fender wells.
I can put the pontoon on the trailer just fine but when I pull out of the water the rear wants to shift to one side or another. Wife uses the boat hook to pull or push the boat straight on the bunks, do I need additional guides? It has four currently I have a Trailstar bunk trailer from Tracker
Any well intentioned info would be appreciated,
Thanks

It sounds like you are a little to deep if your back end is floating around. I would back the trailer far enough in to wet the bunks (to make the boat slide up easer) then pull the trailer out to where the front third of the bunks are out of the water. Try pulling up like that, you should have to power yourself up the last couple of feet. You will have to play with it until you lock in on what works best for your rig. If you use the same ramp every time you will have it dialed in quickly and look like a pro..

Durante wrote:It sounds like you are a little to deep if your back end is floating around. I would back the trailer far enough in to wet the bunks (to make the boat slide up easer) then pull the trailer out to where the front third of the bunks are out of the water. Try pulling up like that, you should have to power yourself up the last couple of feet. You will have to play with it until you lock in on what works best for your rig. If you use the same ramp every time you will have it dialed in quickly and look like a pro..

Your advice is appreciated and will be the next thing I try.

Either reinforce the uprights you have or throw the POS uprights away and have some made that won't bend.
I prefer a L shaped bracket with 2X6 guides. Your guides should be no more than a couple of inches from inside logs so boat will settle where it should

Turd tracker... I had the same frustrating issue the last time we took out boat out. It was a horrible outing, at least as far as launching and loading goes. I won't go into all the details because it will just piss me off again, but I do remember when i pulled the boat up on the trailer, my wife was just about to hook the strap up when another boater on the dock yelled that my toons had floated up on top of the bunks at an angle. Had a heck of a time getting the boat back off the trailer ( should add I'm new to boating, so it's still a learn as you go process with us ) before I could center her up and try again. I think the problem I had trying to load the boat was because the trailer was "too" deep, so I had too much water under the back end of the toons allowing them to float. I had the wife pull the trailer out so that about 1/2 the trailer was out of the water and everything went well that time, but I did have to goose the throttle there a bit at the end to run the boat all the way up. Sounds like you might have been alittle too deep as well... just a thought. Good luck with it.

Turd Tracker , I have same type trailer and have had same problem. It got better with practice once I learned how far to put the trailer in the water. Make sure you wet the bunks all the way, either back all the way in and pull out or pour water on them before loading. Lakerunner may have the best idea, maybe bolting some L brackets in place of the original guides. Tracker provides roller brackets for some of their trailers but mine did not come with them.

It will get better!

I've had lots of trouble at times getting my boat to line up with the bunks. The stock uprights are a joke and mine are already bent over from missed attempts. I suppose I'm getting a little better at loading but it still pisses me off when I miss and have to reshoot. My poor carpet is all ripped up from failed attempts last year. I have a sketch drawn up to add inner 2X6 guides with 2"X2" angle iron supports that will "funnel" the boat in line. I just need to go to the local iron yard and purchase the steel and get welding!! I'll post a picture of it when I get it done.

You calling my tracker a turd?
Whats wrong with you people?
Tracker trailers arnt TURDS!
You retarded or something?







.... snicker


p.s. -ya, dont back it in as far like mentioned...