trailer mods
 

thought i'd share my trailer gutters with you guys. i've owned this trailer for 17 years and am on my 3rd set of torsion axles. i get about 8 years out of them. they fail where the angle bracket attaches to the tube of the axle. i noticed when i pull out, the carpet drips on the axle for quite a while. i split a piece of 6" pvc and screwed it to the bottom of the bunk to divert the water off the axle.

will it help, who knows, but it can't hurt.

http://i377.photobucket.com/albums/o...psovz1uzcr.jpg

http://i377.photobucket.com/albums/o...pshcmyrhwf.jpg

also replaced my "carpet" on the front bunks. these signs work great, virtually bullet proof, and slippery when wet. also more "cushion" that carpet. plus they don't hold water


http://i377.photobucket.com/albums/o...psu8lscnor.jpg

Good ideas Phat. The next time I re-do my trailer I'm going with a lot less carpet, only putting it on top and a little down the sides of the bunks to hold less water.

I've thought about those plastic starboard like strips for on top the bunks instead of carpet, but don't know how they will treat an Awlgrip paint job.

i like the grip of the carpet. i unhook my winch cable in the parking lot, back down the ramp, float the transom and tap the brakes, boat floats off. when i retrieve, i back down to a mark on my guide poles and power up till the bow hits the chock. wife drives the tahoe up and i don't winch till i'm in the parking lot.

i know i'm breaking about 4 or 5 cardinal rules of launching, but it's worked for me for 17 years with this trailer.

when i'm at a new or different ramp, i follow normal procedure.

I have rollers, so can't personally attest to the plastic strips (nylon I think).. But I told my neighbor about them, he ordered some from eBay, and put them on his bunks and that was 3 years ago. Loves them. Says they cut down the launch effort by more than half.. He has a painted alum hull 17' bass boat, and Really, I don't see any scratches in his paint.

backing trailer mod
 

Nothing to do w bunks or rollers, but anyone having trouble backing the trailer, then this Red Green trailer mod could be the answer.....add a PTO and you could power the winch too!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viHDD3-dVpM:you:

beef up those trailer chains, what they are really for
 

this caught me by surprise, I totally thought trailer chains were for something else..........I know, Im on a trailer binge.........

OMG They probably saved that persons life. :head:

someone commented that the boat may have pushed the truck off the edge. But that starts a whole new brakes for trailers discussion..........uh oh