Need help w/ correct setup of Gator tilt trailer

[jbcurt00]

I am switching my 1963 15' Starcraft Jet from the derelict trailer it came on to what I think is a 1960 Gator tilt trailer:


Based on this original 1960 Gator ad:


But I'm not sure, based on that ad, how the rear bunks should be correctly set up?


I know the front bunks are about the right size but are installed 90deg wrong. They should be installed perpendicular to the centerline of the trailer.

I'm not sure how long the rear bunks should be, the current bunks hang @ 60% past the rear of the trailer. About 60% of the bunk is to the rear from the through bolt. That seems fairly long for a 15' Jet. When you use the Uni-lever, the rear bunk mounts appear to rotate about as much as they should, which is not much, but the bunks only have the 1 attachment point, the mounting bracket through the center of the 3.5" face of the bunk, is that correct? If I understand the way this lever works, when locked in the closed position (transport) the keel should be resting on the keel rollers, held by the front bunks (in contact w/ them), and in contact w/ & slightly supported by the rear bunks. Then at launch, the lever unlocks the tilt feature & the rear bunks slightly raise the boat to allow it to better slide off the trailer.

There is a safety chain at the tilt lock:
Is that to be adjusted fairly tight for transport, and adjusted to allow only the amount of tilt required to launch. Some ramps need a lot of tilt, so lots of chain passed through the keeper, others don't so only a few links of chain left hanging?

The other question I have is that the 'Gator loading guide' is no longer present, is a 'correctly' adjusted rear keel roller sufficient, or do I need to try & replicate the loading guide.

I need to grab some fenders @ Tractor Supply, and I have already removed the hitch, winch, post, ground it smooth & used rust reformer so I can fit the same off another trailer:


I hadn't studied that ad until now, I may try & rehab the post & winch as they look to be the original Gator parts. I'll have to look into that tomorrow after I grab the parts off the other trailer.

Thanks for reading through all that^^^

[jl_photo]

I think that this design may have been abandoned because it doesn't work well. I see a lot of ways to gouge your hull with the current design. I am a "reverse engineering" proponent. Find a modern trailer for a boat similar to yours and copy the design. I would put standard long bunk boards.

[jbcurt00]

JL, thanks for the advice, I will take some time & care to eliminate as much risk of hull keel damage as I can and make a decision about a more modern design. Thanks again

I know the front bunks are about the right size but are installed 90deg wrong. They should be installed perpendicular to the centerline of the trailer.

And seems to be installed on the wrong cross-member of the trailer.

I may try & rehab the post & winch as they look to be the original Gator parts. I'll have to look into that tomorrow after I grab the parts off the other trailer.

The winch post is a bit of a wreck, the winch isn't much better, but it looks like I could rehab them & keep the trailer Gator, inside the winch post is still Gator yellow

I got the hitch replacement mounted & the trailer jack installed. And based on all the other rehabbed Gator trailers pix online, it looks like the rear bunks are about correct, possibly a tad long, but about what others are running on their trailers.

Tomorrow, I'll see about moving the front bunks to the correct bunk, adjust the keel rollers & see if the Jet will ride on this trailer. And more importantly launch safely.

[dan50w]

I just finished a 1962 216 super. The cross member looks like the ones on mine. no problem. the bunks look different ans mine has the keel rollers down the center and a cool 3 piece roller and centering device on the rear. EDIT: No Selling on the Forum.

[jbcurt00]

nope

[bonz_d]

When I bought my Lund it can on a trailer almost exactly like that. I believe it was a couple years older as the tilt latch was different and the bunks came all the way up to the middle cross member. Also the bar that attaches to the piviot on the rear bunks went down the center. I believe I still have a couple pix's of it and I'll post them later for ya.

The only reasons I sold it was because with the bunks it was gtting harder for me to winch back up at shallow ramps and at some point the axle had been replaced with a drop axle which made the trailer even taller.