towing with motor up

[jimmbo]

Re: towing with motor up

I personally dislike the transom savers. Unless you can 100% certain that the boat sitting on the trailer is not going to move fore and aft even a fraction of an inch, don't use one. If the boat shifts even a small amount all the force will be applied to the outboard. If the outboad has a power tilt/trim system, the outboard is usually rigid by the hydralics and any movement/strain will passed on to the transom

 

[Terry Olson]

Re: towing with motor up

I agree - My boat had a transom saver when I bought it. I used it a few times, but it seems unnecessary and it's just one more PITA to deal with. If I had to tow with the motor tilted up I'd probably use it, but I have plenty of clearance with the motor all they way down and I suspect this is the case with 99.9% of boats on the road. <br /><br />I think the original creator of this device came up with a very marketable solution to a problem that just didn't exist - like the $149.oo keel guards I've seen guys talking about lately, but that's another subject.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: towing with motor up

When properly loaded the bow eye should be pulled up snug beneath the bow stop/roller. In that position the boat cannot move forward. Tie-down straps at the rear limit forward motion. If a circumstance arises that causes the boat to move, there will be bigger things to worry about than the motor. I constantly see boats on trailers that have the bow eye above the roller and to compound the matter, very often no rear tie-downs are used. Any sudden stop with that type of loading and the boat will be in the bed of the truck.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: towing with motor up

all 3 of my trailers have a 1/2" eye bolt thru the tongue and i use a 1/2" turnbuckle with hooks on each end. i never worry about a load shift.

 

[imported_bjs]

Re: towing with motor up

you must have a transom saver regardless of what any says if you didnt need it every boat would not have one.unless you want to rip out the transom.but if you dont think you need one dont get one.

 

[wayne h]

Re: towing with motor up

Originally posted by JB:<br /> Have you considered mounting a wheel on the skeg?

now thats some funny s@*# right there

 

[Terry Olson]

Re: towing with motor up

I agree with Racer - if you needed a transom saver every boat would come with one... That explains why they don't. ; )<br /><br />A drain plug? - yes, a transom saver? - no. <br /><br />Admittedly they do come with some boats today, along with a cover and other accessories but the fact of the matter is that they don't come with every boat and the reason for this is obvious. <br /><br />Compare new boats and motors to those from the past. They're lighter and stronger - both the boats and the motors. If transom savers were necessary at all they would have been more necessary in years past than today. <br /><br />They're hardly high-tech. It's not as though they could only have been developed through the use of the latest technology. If this is the case then why didn't we see transom savers years ago and sold with EVERY boat?<br /><br />The answer: They're unnecessary. Like I said before, they're a solution to a problem that just doesn't exist - and a very profitable one at that. <br /><br />I'm not discouraging anyone from using one. They're not very expensive, they're not difficult to install and use, and I doubt it will hurt anything. If you feel better about it then go ahead and use one. I do a lot of things that aren't necessary in maintaining my vehicles and equipment. I know I'm almost certainly wasting my time and effort - but I feel better about it and that alone makes it worth it to me.

 

[Drybo]

Re: towing with motor up

JB, where can I get a skegg wheel, how much air pressure, do I mount it on left or right? <br /><br />Heman, don't think he meant anything, just poking fun. He's the ancient one here and is very fair, keeps us inline.

 

[travism]

Re: towing with motor up

Is all this debate based only on outboards or are inboard/outboards included in this discussion? Most boats I see are I/O and I've never seen a transom saver on an I/O here even though most people tow with the outdrive up. Maybe because with an I/O there's less weight hanging off the transom so it's not as much of an issue? Thanks.