Homemade transom savers?

[NYBo]

Re: Homemade transom savers?

If your trailer has a rear cross bar, and your motor has a tilt bracket, it is a sign that you do not need a transom saver.

The tilt brackets I've seen are NOT sturdy enough for trailering! You need a bona fide trailering bracket made for your particular outboard.

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Homemade transom savers?

emt is metallic, electrical Metalic tubing.

Right you are, my mistake, it was PVC conduit I was using

You don't need a transom saver for a small motor (like the 7.5 above). You may need something to keep the motor tilted up if the motor doesn't have a working tilt latch or bracket.

When you hit nasty bumps and see the outboard swinging wildly from left-right, flying up and slamming down, then I'd say a transom saver is in order.

FWIW, both sides of my transom have cracked welds, could have been the shotty workmanship and engineering of Tracker,,, or the outboard flopping around all over the place while being trailered, before I used a transom saver.

 

[MAXXIE]

Re: Homemade transom savers?

I've got an 85 hp Force, no power tilt/trim. My fear is not so much for the Transom, it's for the latch either failing or a possible bump in the road. I'll tell you what, That's heavy enough to do damage to something if it go's down & I was told to never transport with just the latch. What I want to accomplish with a Transom saver is to take the pressure off that latch when in transit. I did use a heavy duty set of ratchet straps from the lower unit up over the sides of the boat & secured to the sides of the trailer last year. I only had a very short ride (10 min's) to the lake I was boating at. This coming season the lake I want to go to is more like an hour drive so I want a better piece of mind than the straps. I'll be modifying to be able to use a transom saver.

 

[MAXXIE]

Re: Homemade transom savers?

erie, I saw a picture, but did not get any real information. PM me when you get those other pic.'s Thanks

 

[MAXXIE]

Re: Homemade transom savers?

Can we get back to the original question? I hope someone that has a homemade transom saver can get through all the Bullsh#t from all the "experts" here & post up their pic.'s. Thank You

 

[biglurr54]

Re: Homemade transom savers?

Aaa

 

[biglurr54]

Re: Homemade transom savers?

1. I think alot of people have lost the main idea of DIY projects. The Idea of DIY is so you can have a better product when you are finished. The store bought transom savers look cheap and not well constructed. If you take your time and build one to your own standards you will end up with something way more reliable and better than any store bought one. You may possibly save money in building it yourself but that shouldn't be the reason you DIY. I had a Transom saver that was on a bass tracker that was actually very nicely constructed. I think they were making up for the poor construction of the rest of the boat. It clipped into the cross member and had a nice rubber v cushion for the motor. it was an excellent design and was very helpful. You could take on any bumps the road throws at you and the motor would stay in place. Take your time and build a good one. Its worth the extra money in the long run.

 

[MAXXIE]

Re: Homemade transom savers?

Ya, What he said.^

 

[1badrt]

Re: Homemade transom savers?

My trailer does not have a cross bar at the end of it to connect a transom saver to...does anyone have a suggestion on how to secure my motor? I'm new to boating and don't want to ruin my motor support because of the lack of a transom saver. I've got a 21' Maxum bowrider with a 120hp Force outboard (power tilt/trim).

Thanks for the help.

 

[stylesabu]

Re: Homemade transom savers?

i have a mig welder, made a 1 1/2" reciever and welded to trailer. then i 2 2ft long pieces of angle iron weld then together to make a square tube. made a "v" bracket for motor lined v braket with old tire tread. I have a very sturdy transom saver. boats in storage so no picture.

 

[Moody Blue]

Re: Homemade transom savers?

Wow, 30 replies and not one photo yet. I too have made my own for a 40hp Mariner. Only one photo I could find that shows (barely) the transom saver. Boat is long since gone now.

I used a piece of 1"x1" alum tube and bolted on two pieces of alum flat bar bent to the right angle to secure the lower unit. The "receiver" on the trailer was a U-bolt installed on the bottom of the rear cross member. The alum tube slid into the u-bolt and a pin installed thru the alum tube acted as a stop against the u-bolt. Worked very well for the three years I owned the boat.

 

[Guest]

Re: Homemade transom savers?

Yay your post count just got bigger...



Wow what a bunch of Debby Downers.

With attitudes like that they should just shut down this whole forum.
"Why should you fix your own boat when you can just pay someone money to fix it for you".

Because 30 bucks saved on something I can make myself= a couple hours of gas for spending time out on the water

Why make one?

For the sheer sense of accomplishment.

I don't have a transom saver, but I do use pieces of PVC pipe that have a slice cut up the middle that I slip over the hydraulic rams to prevent them from dragging on the road if a line or seal should decide to leak while trailering. Yes there is a company that makes these contraptions and yes they are less than 20-30 dollars, but I made my own for free. You know the old saying still holds true today as well you know. "A penny saved is a penny earned".

Come up with something and show us what ya got...

This is exactly what I was going to reply with until I read this post, Alpheus you took the words rite outta my mouth. I would also like to add, I have lots of stockpiled materials, mostly left over from other past projects. I can avoid paying a lot of manufacturing costs, taxes by this.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Homemade transom savers?

I agree they are cheep, and people don't diy cheep parts!!!! That being said I cut a piece of pvc pipe to length, cut it down the middle and made a set if I/O "clips" for the rams (that serve the same purpose as a transom saver for an outboard and sell for about 12 bucks....cost 1/2 hr of free time and some scrap material I was gonna throw away anytime).

No it doesn't! -- your sollution prevents damage to the trim pump seals but it does nothing to prevent transom twisting. A transom saver fastens to the trailer frame and since the boat, engine, and trailer are now one unit the transom cannot twist since the forces from the engine are transfered via the transom saver to the trailer..

 

[pecheux]

Re: Homemade transom savers?

I travel with my small rig with the 15 hp down in the running position instead of up on the tilt bracket thinking it would be easier on the transom than if the motor would be tilted up on the tilt lock bracket that seem kind of weak to start with. Is that wrong thinking ??

 

[Canman38]

Re: Homemade transom savers?

Actually, I think this is a great topic. I have a 60hp evinrude hanging on the transom of a 15' Ebbtide. Just about the max for that little boat. When I first got the boat, we used to travel without anything. I would cringe everytime we hit a bump. The motor would rock around quite a bit, I knew it couldnt be good. So I looked at those "20-30 dollar" universal transom savers and really didnt think it would do much for me. So I built my own that attaches in three points. I am so happy I decided to build my own as the motor is rock solid, and I can travel down a bumpy raod with confidence.

 

[Evinbuck]

Re: Homemade transom savers?

Super job Canman38! Anytime someone does a DIY it's worthwhile so long as it isn't shoddy workmanship. Anyway, I've always had this nagging question bothering me about transom savers. I've seen guys with power trim/tilt lower their outboards until the lower unit just rests lightly in the V of the transom saver and then bungee it off......then I've been told by others when lowering the outboard into the V of the transom saver to continue lowering the hydraulic cylinders until the outboard snugs the lower unit tightly into the transom saver and then bungee it off. I hope my explanation of the difference makes sense? The question is does it matter which way it's done or what is the popular opinion among the folks here?

 

[Canman38]

Re: Homemade transom savers?

The way i like to do it is just let it down with the hydraulics until it just touches. By that time it is pretty snug on there. Its not pulled hard by the hydraulics, I think that would be hard on everything. Then just throw a strap around it.

 

[444]

Re: Homemade transom savers?

I don't have any pics of mine, but I took a piece of angle iron, cut it to length and welded it so I could bolt it onto the trailer. For the boat motor side I tried a piece of 2x4 with a V cut into it but that didn't last long before cracking. I replaced it with a cheapie bow stop. Works fine, custom fit for my trailer and made it out of scrap metal I had laying around and a $5 bow stop. Everywhere around here sells the pre-made transom savers for around $50, and they won't fit my trailer because it has a roller mounted to the middle of the back side of the rear crossbar.

 

[Canman38]

Re: Homemade transom savers?

I think they make some that do attach to the rear roller

 

[reel clownz]

Re: Homemade transom savers?

i made my own. For 20 hp merc on my 16 ft starcraft. I made mine cause i was bored one day in my gargage with some material that i had laying around. OHH and i like to weld stuff. Piece of 1.5 x1.5 tubing eighth in thick. welded some plate i had in a v form to the end welded 2 nuts on so i could put the bungee on cut a piece of rubber for on the lower part of the outboard. Made a small bracked for on the trailer and there you go. home made transom saver. ohh sandblasted and painted with rustoleum.