Is my trailer too low for my boat?

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poconojoe

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Sep 10, 2010
Messages
1,966
Hey, another bad thing about power loading.....you kick up sand and silt which can get sucked into you cooling system and cause clogging and overheating. Overheating can cost you big bucks and ruin your boating season.
 
smokeonthewater

smokeonthewater

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Dec 3, 2009
Messages
9,838
Your trailer needs to be level on flat ground... That is most of your problem...

You WILL NOT hurt anything tilting the drive a little higher.... IDLE speed only tho.... I have tilted till my props are just barely in the water and gone over a mile..... Have been doing it for 20 years...

No don't tilt all the way up as far as it can go but even then it's not gonna fly apart like some people would have you think.
 
GA_Boater

GA_Boater

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
May 24, 2011
Messages
49,038
Dr Pepper - While you're in a picture taking mood :smile:, take one from the side showing the trailer and rear of your tow vehicle, including the coupler/hitch. I'm with Smoke, I think the ball is too high. I couldn't even pull your rig into or out of most of the access roads into the ramps I use without dragging the skeg or worse.
 
drpepper68

drpepper68

Seaman
Joined
Sep 8, 2014
Messages
66
poconojoe said:
Great! Sounds like you are on track now.
Get a lower hitch receiver, coast in on retrieval, and get that drive up off the pavement with the trailer switch.
Awesome! šŸ˜‰
We're glad you came here for help. It's always nice to help fellow boaters.
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You guys are awesome, thanks so much for all you're help! I dont feel like such a failure now lol.
 
drpepper68

drpepper68

Seaman
Joined
Sep 8, 2014
Messages
66
GA_Boater said:
Dr Pepper - While you're in a picture taking mood :smile:, take one from the side showing the trailer and rear of your tow vehicle, including the coupler/hitch. I'm with Smoke, I think the ball is too high. I couldn't even pull your rig into or out of most of the access roads into the ramps I use without dragging the skeg or worse.
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Well that is funny that you should mention that... I just was outside grilling and fixing the boat (reattaching the arms and praying the limit switch works) and I lowered the trailer down level and Im about 3in or so too high for my truck hitch. Its still to high even with the trim all the way up (not using trailer switch) so seems like a combination or problems, my procedure, too high of a hitch, and non-working trim up switch at the time.

Im very happy that I got the trim limit sensor to work, stupid shop didnt have it working at all since i had to remove and rotate the inner part a long way to line up with the alignment mark. I used a ohm meter with sound so made it easy after setting the correct max trim setting (21 3/4).

Now I cant get the trim sender to work! Here comes another thread. :)

Thankyou all very much for all your help! Once I get this boat down I want a bigger fishing boat. :)
 
B

batman99

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Sep 13, 2012
Messages
393
Hi drpepper68.

As mentioned in above posts, any trailer (utility, RV, Boat) should always sit level when "average" loaded. re: Its visual stance should be level - on level ground.

Unknown to some folks, leaf spring packs loose their arch shape in time. A factory trailer would have 2" distance from its tire to fenders. And 20 years later, that same trailer would have a 3/4" gap. Natural sagging of up to 1.5". And during this time, their leaf springs become brittle as well. Thus, high risk of snapping when hitting double railway tracks at high speed. Solution: Replace leaf spring packs (with "next size up" weight range and) with same factory arch shape. Thus, making your trailer's suspension better than factory.

Since you have a 4x4 "high clearance" Tow Vehicle, I would simply re-install the boat axle "under" its leaf spring packs. Thus, raising the trailer 3-4" higher off the ground. By increasing boat trailer's frame ground clearance, you also create better "stance" - when connected to your 4x4 Tow Vehicle as well. Higher trailer side effects? Simply back further into the water. If wondering, I did an "axle under leaf spring packs" change on my boat trailer and simply back the trailer until its fenders are near 75% in the water - instead of its previous 95% in the water. Tow Vehicle rear tires are often touching our only 2" in the water. But, my boat's motor keel area no longer has high risk of dragging. And, its visual stance (connected to my high Tow Vehicle) is 100% better as well.

Above might help for your combo as well.
 
Last edited:
drpepper68

drpepper68

Seaman
Joined
Sep 8, 2014
Messages
66
batman99 said:
Hi drpepper68.

As mentioned in above post, any trailer (utility, RV, Boat) should always sit level when "average" loaded. re: Its visual stance should be level - on level ground. Unknown to some folks, leaf spring packs loose their arch shape in time. A factory trailer would have 2" distance from its tire to fenders. And 20 years later, that same trailer would have a 3/4" gap. Natural sagging of up to 1.5". And during this time, their leaf springs become brittle as well. Thus, high risk of snapping when hitting double railway tracks at high speed. Solution: Replace leaf spring packs (with "next size up" weight range and) with same factory arch shape. Thus, making your trailer's suspension better than factory.

Since you have a 4x4 "high clearance" Tow Vehicle, I would simply re-install the boat axle "over" its leaf spring packs. Thus, raising the trailer 3-4" higher off the ground. By increasing boat trailer's frame ground clearance, you also create better "stance" - when connected to your 4x4 Tow Vehicle as well. Higher trailer side effects? Simply back further into the water. If wondering, I did an "axle over leaf spring packs" change on my boat trailer and simply back the trailer until its fenders are near 75% in the water - instead of its previous 95% in the water. Tow Vehicle rear tires are often touching our only 2" in the water. But, my boat's motor keel area no longer has high risk of dragging. And, its visual stance (connected to my high Tow Vehicle) is 100% better as well.

Above might help for your combo as well.
Click to expand...



I like that idea a lot... I dont like that it will drag when trimmed all the way down, I like to play it safe and I tend to forget things. I'm going to check out how hard that is and look at taking a crack at it. Thanks a bunch.
 
smokeonthewater

smokeonthewater

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Dec 3, 2009
Messages
9,838
Keep in mind that the further you back into the water the higher the risk of having the trailer drop off of a concrete ramp and get hung up.

Choosing the "next size up" spring doesn't make it better than new, it makes it firmer than new... Not always a good thing.
 
thumpar

thumpar

Admiral
Joined
Jun 21, 2007
Messages
6,138
Just "trailer" the drive and lower the trailer into the water enough to get it on. I ended up having to extend my tongue 3' to make it work.
 
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