boats working back on trailer during tow

[Sharps-Nut]

I bought a boat last year, my first, a used 77 carvelle 18.5 foot with 165 hp 250 gm inline six motor. Survived the first year due to this page. During trailering last year I noticed the boat inches back off the winch on the trailer. Not a lot but maybe 2- 4 inches. I tried pulling it up tigher with the winch but nope still inches back. Do I need to adjust my trailer center rollers so the is more boat weight on the carpeted slats or what gives with this? The trailer is a 2 wheel trailer with rollers in the middle and the typical carpeted support slats. When it inches back it makes it start approaching a tongue light situation. Thoughts, help, ideas, fixes? Thanks for all the help getting me started last year, this page is truly a life saver. Sharps-Nut

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: boats working back on trailer during tow

If it is towing okay then you might want to adjust the rear most supports slightly. The other alternative is to strap in down to the trailer with tension towards the front.<br /><br />Bob

 

[ED21]

Re: boats working back on trailer during tow

I would strap it down & put a safety chain to the bow eye.

 

[JB]

Re: boats working back on trailer during tow

Put a turnbuckle on the bow eye to the winch stand. If it can move it will; if it moves a little in "normal" conditions it will move a lot when it is most undesirable.<br /><br />Good luck.

 

[burp]

Re: boats working back on trailer during tow

I'd start with making sure the trailer is level when connected to the tow vehicle. If the tongue is a little too high, road vibration will cause the boat to want to move downhill/back some.

 

[Bondo]

Re: boats working back on trailer during tow

Do you have Stern Tie-downs, Pulling Forward ?????<br /><br />That's actually 2 Questions........

 

[Sharps-Nut]

Re: boats working back on trailer during tow

I do have stern tie downs but the only way I could hook them up they only pull at a slight foreward angle. How hard should the boat be riding on the rollers? You can take a couple decent sized fellows and push the boat from the rear and get it back up on the rubber winch block. Could the center roller be to high and it be porposing on the roller?

 

[Bondo]

Re: boats working back on trailer during tow

Could the center roller be to high and it be porposing on the roller?

Quite Possible.........<br /><br />Does the Winch Stand need adjusting ?????<br /><br />About EveryThing on your trailer is Adjustable...........<br /><br />It Sounds like Several things on your Wagon are in Need of Adjustment..........

 

[Sharps-Nut]

Re: boats working back on trailer during tow

How should the winch stand be adjusted? Is there a corrct height above the bow eye or something? What about the rollers is there a back them off until they are loose or just touching set up for them as well? My interest is saftey in townig and preserving my boat hull, of course I guess that kinda goes without saying. Thanks for the help Sharps-Nut

 

[rwidman]

Re: boats working back on trailer during tow

You should have a safety chain from the winch post to the bow eye. THis won't keep it from moving back some but it will keep it from leaving the trailer.<br /><br />You can buy a bow strap that's like a short stern strap, it goes from the bow eye to the frame. Attach it to the frame so that it's pulling forward.<br /><br />It's possible that lowering the rollers or raising the bunks would help at the expense of ease of launching and retrieving.<br /><br />The trailer should be level when connected to the tow vehicle.

 

[islandboat]

Re: boats working back on trailer during tow

You should never rely on the trailer winch to secure the boat to the trailer. Rear tie down straps are important and so is a device to keep the front of the boat secured to the trailer. I use a 3/8 chain on the front and 10,000 lb strap on the rear. The idea is to prevent the weight of the boat from gaining momentum and leaving the trailer in the event of an accident. You might try a 3/8"turnbuckle and hook assembly on the trailer mounted at about a 45* angle from the bow eye, down to the bottom of the winch post

 

[Northern Eclipse]

Re: boats working back on trailer during tow

Is the winch strap and winch spool lower than the bow eye? Its best to be as even or level to the bow eye as possible so when the boat meets the nose block the strap is strait and as short as possible, if straps high then its possible your lifting the boat up to the nose block, if to low then strap is at a upward angle to bow eye, then after a couple of start and stops boat moves back on trailer and pulls strap down, if winch post is not adjustable then you can wind strap to go over the spool or under, or adjust rollers/bunks, and use beefy transom straps that you can fit.

 

[Sharps-Nut]

Re: boats working back on trailer during tow

I have been using a heavy strap like the ones used to recover stuck vehicles as a back up on the bow eye, as well as stern tie downs,but it still movers backwards. All of your suggestions are appreciated and noted from a saftey standpoint. I think check the center rollers and see if any appear to high then just tweak it during boating season until I get it to stay put yet keep it as easy to launch. Thanks Sharps-Nut

 

[dingbat]

Re: boats working back on trailer during tow

I must be missing something. If the boat is pulled up tight to the winch stand, how is the boat moving at all? The only way it could move would be for the strap/cable to be streched and in that case it would mean you need a stronger strap.

 

[JohnRuff]

Re: boats working back on trailer during tow

Or the front support bar holding the winch is bending!

 

[Sharps-Nut]

Re: boats working back on trailer during tow

I give this some thought last year and the only conclion I could come up with was the center roller was maybe to high and it was porposing or riding up rather than back. The strap is a flat nylon winch strap if that matters. I was hoping this was a common roller misadjustment or something but maybe its not. I think I will take some of the good advice here and add a turn buckle or chain in place of my secondary recovery strap. Neither of those two solutions could stretch. Thanks for all the thoughts on the subject. If it makes any diffence I am sure it comes backward as I pull out of the water and up the ramp?

 

[imported_dean_b]

Re: boats working back on trailer during tow

Howdy there,<br />To me the recovery straps sound like bad idea. To me a recovery strap has strech to stop it snapping when used for recovery. Ideally the front safety should be either a turnbuckle or chain, but also these should have a rated safe working load of at least the weight of the boat, also they should be shackled on to the "bow eye" hooks can rattle out. Also A decent tie down like what truckers use for stern end will help keep it all togegher, the main aim is to make the boat one unit with the trailer. The turn buckle would stop any movemnt on the also.<br />Good luck

 

[beniam]

Re: boats working back on trailer during tow

I had a similar problem on a small boat. The rear was heavy compared to the front of the boat. What could be happening is the front of the boat is bouncing up and down, free from the trailer when you drive over a bump. Having the rear of the boat rest on the bunks, free of the rear rollers helps. The rear rollers will take the bow keel when first loadig, directing the bow. The trailer should be deep enough in the water to float the stern over the bunks. Out of the water the bunks should carry the load , rear keel just above the rear rollers.Follow previously mentioned advice on front tiedowns. Batavier