Bunk guide-on suggestions?

[am_dew]

I have a 17 foot I/O that I have always had a hard time getting centered on the trailer, so I was thinking of getting some bunk guide-ons similar to the ones below. I think the 2 foot ones will work fine for what I am trying to accomplish. Does anyone have any recommendations as far as brand, etc. goes? Thanks!

 

[batman99]

Buying store bought guides (on ebay, amazon or local boat stores) will work.

Or, one can make their own for fraction of the cost.

re: 3/4" round pipe, some U-Clamps and some pool noodles.

Surf: http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w251/Spike99-Pictures/Boat Pictures/IMG_0008.jpg

Which ever works for you...

 

[am_dew]

Buying store bought guides (on ebay, amazon or local boat stores) will work.

Or, one can make their own for fraction of the cost.

re: 3/4" round pipe, some U-Clamps and some pool noodles.

Surf: http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w251/Spike99-Pictures/Boat Pictures/IMG_0008.jpg

Which ever works for you...

Thanks. The trailer already has guide posts on the rear corners but they still allow the boat to "wander" from side to side enough that it easily gets off center.

 

[oldjeep]

Thanks. The trailer already has guide posts on the rear corners but they still allow the boat to "wander" from side to side enough that it easily gets off center.

Don't put the trailer in so deep. Hook it up and winch it on as far as you can and then back the trailer up a little more.

 

[smokeonthewater]

^ THIS

Also you can just tighten up your existing guide posts either by adjusting or by adapting some bigger pvc

 

[ricohman]

I just used these for the first time and I really liked how easy they were to use. It was windy and I just let these side bunks guide the boat on. I should have put them on my last trailer as well.
Mine are about 24 inches long.

 

[am_dew]

No Title

Thanks -- my guide posts are fixed (welded to the frame) and I dare not try and bend them inwards in fear of breaking them off this 43 year old trailer. See pic below. The bottom of my boat has several raised ridges in it that are not spaced no more than about 7" apart where the bunks are and unless I get it centered real well, a bunk will be under one of those ridges which means I have to back the boat back into the water and move it one way or another just a few inches at most.

 

[am_dew]

I just used these for the first time and I really liked how easy they were to use. It was windy and I just let these side bunks guide the boat on. I should have put them on my last trailer as well.
Mine are about 24 inches long.

What size/kind of boat do you have?

 

[Pony]

I have some guides that are similar to what you posted in your picture.

My boat is 17.5' and has a 92" beam. What I can tell you is that if you back in too far (at least with the way my boat drafts) the boat can still float over those guides. I generally back up so that those guides are half in and half out and then drive the boat on and winch it the last foot or so.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Get some self centering keel rollers n raise em up till they touch the boat.

 

[Grandad]

I think the bottom line for you is that if you need a more accurate alignment, then your guideposts must be tighter to the boat. Perhaps you can bend them inward without damaging the welds by bracing between them near the bottom (when the trailer's empty) and pulling the top of the posts together with a come-along or such. Otherwise, the posts aren't doing you much good. I don't think the lower guide-boards in your first post will help if your boat floats above them at the ramp, hence the necessity as suggested by others of relocating the trailer as you "load" twice. - Grandad

 

[am_dew]

I think the bottom line for you is that if you need a more accurate alignment, then your guideposts must be tighter to the boat. Perhaps you can bend them inward without damaging the welds by bracing between them near the bottom (when the trailer's empty) and pulling the top of the posts together with a come-along or such. Otherwise, the posts aren't doing you much good. I don't think the lower guide-boards in your first post will help if your boat floats above them at the ramp, hence the necessity as suggested by others of relocating the trailer as you "load" twice. - Grandad

I had not thought about the rear of the boat possibly floating above the guide boards at the ramp. I will have to take a look at how things look when I load the boat on the trailer next time. Those posts do help quite a bit but they are just a bit too wide apart to truly center the boat on the trailer. I don't think I will try and bend them in...if anything I would cut them off and buy and install some adjustable guide posts.

Thanks to everyone for your comments, etc. Much appreciated!

 

[oldjeep]

The guide posts on my factory custom trailer are pretty close to the rails and it is still possible to get the boat loaded goofy if I put the trailer in too deep. The bunks run right up against a step in the hull so even 1/2 inch off will **** the boat on the trailer. With the 2 step loading it always centers correctly - some ramps it is possible to crank it all the way up in one step but not the one I use most often.

 

[am_dew]

If I needed to raise the bunks up by a couple inches, is there any reason I could not put either a short 2" tall section of c-channel or square tube on top of my trailer's frame and under the bracket that secures the uprights to the frame? I would probably have to get longer bolts than what comes in a guide-on kit. Since the bracket is only supported by the width of the trailer frame, it seems this should work fine or am I missing something here? Here is a diagram of what I am thinking about:

 

[am_dew]

Bump -- for some reason this post was not showing on the first page of the forum even though I posted a reply.

 

[oldjeep]

If I needed to raise the bunks up by a couple inches, is there any reason I could not put either a short 2" tall section of c-channel or square tube on top of my trailer's frame and under the bracket that secures the uprights to the frame? I would probably have to get longer bolts than what comes in a guide-on kit. Since the bracket is only supported by the width of the trailer frame, it seems this should work fine or am I missing something here? Here is a diagram of what I am thinking about:

Doesn't the kit you linked to attach under the frame? I'd be careful about attaching it to the top of the frame unless you are very sure that the boat can't hit it.

 

[am_dew]

Doesn't the kit you linked to attach under the frame? I'd be careful about attaching it to the top of the frame unless you are very sure that the boat can't hit it.

It will attach to either the top or bottom of the frame. I will surely check to be sure the boat can't hit the bracket if I mount on top...thanks for the advice! Here is a pic of the rear of my trailer...the frame is 3" tall.

 

[littlerayray]

My suggestion is not to back it in so deep I don't have any guides on my trailer and when retrieving my boat I fully dunk my bunks to get em wet and then only have a1/3 of my bunks in the water I winch the boat the whole way up takes a little muscle but I'm not tearing up the bottom of the ramp by power loading since 90% of ramps your not allowed to do so also there is stuff called bunk slick that is supposed to make the carpet even easier to slide the boat on and off

 

[am_dew]

My suggestion is not to back it in so deep I don't have any guides on my trailer and when retrieving my boat I fully dunk my bunks to get em wet and then only have a1/3 of my bunks in the water I winch the boat the whole way up takes a little muscle but I'm not tearing up the bottom of the ramp by power loading since 90% of ramps your not allowed to do so also there is stuff called bunk slick that is supposed to make the carpet even easier to slide the boat on and off

I will try that next time, thanks. FWIW, I never power load.

 

[am_dew]

No Title

I bought and installed some bunks. We'll see how they do but I think they should be good and will help to insure the boat gets centered on the trailer.