Tips for loading a pontoon boat on a trailer

[shawnco]

I am a long time owner of fiberglass hull ski boats. Loading them on a typical "drive on" trailer is easy, as they typically correct themselves as they are loaded. Just drive them on. I just pruchased a new Tahoe 24' pontoon boat and loaded it on a bunk style trailer for the first time. Wow what a pain!!! The trailer is too submerged near the rear to tell if the pontoons are aligned with the bunks, but if I pull the trailer out of the water to see if I am aligned correctly I can't get the boat up far enough for it to load (without a lot of cranking and "dragging" it up on exposed bunks which are out of the water).

My first time loading, the trailer was too deep and we actually had a pontoon over one of the center "guides" (on the inside/between both pontoons) and dented the pontoon as we tried to drive the boat onto the bunks. (Should I be worried about removing the dent?)

Any advice/guidance/suggestions for loading a pontoon on a bunk style trailer would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Shawn

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Tips for loading a pontoon boat on a trailer

out guide ons on it. that way youcan see the trailer. i you don't want guide ons, mount a pieces of 2" pvc in the center of the trailer, that can be raise when loading and backing. then you can center on it, on the pipe and the winch, and the bow will knock it down as you load, my Dad did this years before there were guide ons.

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: Tips for loading a pontoon boat on a trailer

Does your trailer have vertical guides? If so, it would be best if you change them to horizontal ones. Usually you can do this by removing the vertical ones from the brackets and installing a long carpeted 2 x 4" from post to post. Makes loading MUCH easier....

 

[BillP]

Re: Tips for loading a pontoon boat on a trailer

I have a 20' toon with slight vee bunks and no guides...it's a pain to pull out in winds. We only use the trailer to take it out of the water for hurricanes so it isn't that big of deal, but if I trailered often it would have aft vertical guides. I have two other trailer boats, one with vertical guides and one with horizontal guides. The horizontals still let the stern drift when windy and lining up is harder when first driving on. Comparing the two, verticals are way easier on steep ramps when the trailer goes deep.

bp

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Tips for loading a pontoon boat on a trailer

Bill i would fasten some guide on the side of one of those cross members, and be done with it.