Trailering with motor tilted down or up?

[boatster]

I just read in my manual that the motor should be tilted all the way down as in running position while trailering. Is this safe? Will the lower unit bottom out on the road while I'm driving? Or rather how much ground clearance (lower unit to floor) would be safe for trailering with the motor down? Or should I really get a transom saver? <br /><br />EDIT: Oh yeah its a 50 hp Tohatsu longshaft on a deep V rib. The trailer is well balanced with about 175 lbs on the tongue. I just measured the lower unit, its 5" from the floor with the motor tilted down.

 

[Pony]

Re: Trailering with motor tilted down or up?

This will start a war and be deemed a troll......but a transom saver is cheap, and they are effective. IMHO. To me 5inches seems like not enough. They may have meant with the trim pin in the furthest out position. That would give you more space I think

 

[boatster]

Re: Trailering with motor tilted down or up?

Oh man, troll I am not. War is not intended. I've been trailering with my motor tilted all the way back and the tilt lock in place. I was looking at my owners manual and it mentioned that the motor should be down while trailering. Ever since I've been confused. I guess a transom saver is probably the call. I just don't wanna pay $50 for a piece of rubber. Yeah I can be cheap sometimes I guess.

 

[Pony]

Re: Trailering with motor tilted down or up?

LOL- I know that war and troll werent intended......<br /><br />A transomsaver is more than a piece of rubber. I paid $24 for mine. The motor should be trailered down in my opinion. Regardless of stresses on the transom, if the tilt lock breaks and the motor comes down, its gonna cause some damage.

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Trailering with motor tilted down or up?

5" clearance is not enough, you'll need to trailer with the motor tilted up. If you feel a transom saver will give more peace of mind, go for it.

 

[boatster]

Re: Trailering with motor tilted down or up?

Pony,<br /><br />My motor has a power tilt & trim so if the latch were to give the hydraulic cylinder would still hold it in place. But I wouldn't want to rely on the hydraulic system taking the pounding. Or is that silly? Afterall the hydraulic system holds the motor up while running anyways right? I'm still a bit confused. BTW where did you get your transom saver for $24? Could you tell me what brand it is? THanks.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Trailering with motor tilted down or up?

Five inches clearance would likely be enough except if you ran over something on the highway, or when leaving parking lots. Yes - the hydraulics support the engine when on the water but there are no shock loads to the system. Bouncing on the transom is a different story and that's where the transom saver is cheap insurance. It is also true that the transom takes the least amount of beating when the motor is vertical since shock loading is therefore vertical. Tilted, shock loads are torsional (twisting) which can damage the transom. The transom saver transfers that shock to the trailer frame (hence the name transom saver -- not motor saver although that is a secondary function to make up for the clearance issue).

 

[jtexas]

Re: Trailering with motor tilted down or up?

The skeg should be higher than the lowest point on the trailer at least. I wouldn't be happy with five inches.<br /><br />Don't tilt it up without either: mechanical lock or transom saver. I recomend the transom saver.<br /><br />do this: tilt the motor up, grab the skeg and give it a good shake up and down...and front to back, like accelerating and braking forces...not any more stress than it gets on the road. Then put the transom saver on & do the same thing...now the boat, motor and trailer all move as a single unit. The trailer springs will take all the forces formerly applied to the transom.<br /><br />I use this one right here. $19.99 at basspro

 

[queticoatumn]

Re: Trailering with motor tilted down or up?

Althought I dont yet own my own boat, a close friend who i got boating with has a transom saver. They are easy to use and fairly cheap. He is a firm believer in transom savers.

 

[Pony]

Re: Trailering with motor tilted down or up?

Mine is exactly like Jtexas'.....I bout it from Fleet Farm, but that is a Midwest chain of stores.<br /><br />Even if I had to pay $50 I would do it. IMHO they are worth every penny.

 

[boatster]

Re: Trailering with motor tilted down or up?

Thanks guys I'm gonna order the one from basspro.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Trailering with motor tilted down or up?

On my speedboat, I trim the motor up until I am sure it will clear any road debris. I do not use a transom saver. When you run my boat at WOT with the motor trimmed up for speed, the strain on the hydraulics and transom far exceed any the trailer could impart, thus a transom saver is unnecessary!

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Trailering with motor tilted down or up?

Chris - I have to disagree with you on the strain. Under way, your motor exerts a constant load on the hydraulics. That is not "shock loading". On the highway, your tilt lock does not limit upward travel. The hydraulics has to deal with those rebound forces. If you are also not using the tilt lock, the same applies for downward forces. In use, a tilt lock handles the downward forces. Unless your roads are a lot smoother than those in the midwest and north (especially in the spring due to frost heaving) the tilt system is having to absorb some pretty significant repetitive positive and negative, short duration shock loads. Because you aren't experiencing problems doesn't mean you won't -- it means you are lucky.

 

[walleyehed]

Re: Trailering with motor tilted down or up?

Ditto, upinsmoke......

 

[BillP]

Re: Trailering with motor tilted down or up?

Torsion, shock load theory and logic is one thing but is really a guess that just sounds right. <br /><br />Look at the 10s of 1000s of trailer boats without transom savers and see how many broken transoms or motors you find. Virtually nobody (maybe .01% use them) of all trailer boaters in Florida don't use them and don't have problems. Ask everyone at the ramp, ask your marina, ask anyone anywhere. Try hard to find a broken transom or motor...come back next year and report. The count will likely be zero. Transom savers may be logical and give the warm fuzzies but their claims are way overstated.<br /><br />After finishing with that go down to your local ocean wave jumping hot rod speed boat club and see how many transoms or motors are busted. Hard use busts WAY more than trailering.

 

[boatster]

Re: Trailering with motor tilted down or up?

Hi BillP,<br /><br />I wasn't using a transom saver before but reading my owners manual for my Tohatsu 50 it states to NEVER trailer the motor in the tilted and locked position. It cited damaging the transom and outboard transom mount as possible results. Maybe its the engineer in me but when mfg says not to do something it must be for a good reason. Thus I'm getting a transom saver because if I were to trailer with the motor down in the running position the skeg would likely bottom out on the road. Tilting the motor back some for clearance and relying on the hydraulics to take the shock is a little disconcerting for me. That and fixing PTT systems probably isn't cheap. Thus I purchased a $20 transom saver for peace of mind and protection I'm sure.

 

[BillP]

Re: Trailering with motor tilted down or up?

Originally posted by boatster:<br /> Hi BillP,<br /><br />I wasn't using a transom saver before but reading my owners manual for my Tohatsu 50 it states to NEVER trailer the motor in the tilted and locked position. It cited damaging the transom and outboard transom mount as possible results. Maybe its the engineer in me but when mfg says not to do something it must be for a good reason. Thus I'm getting a transom saver because if I were to trailer with the motor down in the running position the skeg would likely bottom out on the road. Tilting the motor back some for clearance and relying on the hydraulics to take the shock is a little disconcerting for me. That and fixing PTT systems probably isn't cheap. Thus I purchased a $20 transom saver for peace of mind and protection I'm sure.

If it makes you feel better do it. I never trailer with my motors down and never had a broken anything. My boat trailering miles are in the 10s of 1000s over a lifetime. There is more fright than fact about what transom savers really do.

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Trailering with motor tilted down or up?

Bill, don't get suckered into the transom saver war again. Its just best to leave them to their ways, they aren't hurtin' anything....

 

[carljh]

Re: Trailering with motor tilted down or up?

I wouldn't dream of going anywhere without a transom saver - 16 foot Osprey with Yam 115.<br /><br />

<br /><br />I did once manage to destroy lost of parts while towing with a 55 Evirude lifted and locked.<br /><br />Having said this a lot of roads in Zimbabwe are graded and rough, but then again all it takes is one pothole...

 

[Pony]

Re: Trailering with motor tilted down or up?

Ya know I have yet to hear any conclusive evidence supporting either the us of or not using a transomsaver. I would like to see some kind of test showing what types of forces are acting on the transom and when.<br /><br />Bill I want to say that I respect your opinion, and what you observe may very well be true but.....<br /><br /> Around me in Wisconsin I see more boats with transom savers than without. (maybe thats because our roads are horrible idk). I don;t know all the forces acting on the transom, but I do that the saver at least gets my skeg out of the way without keeping the motor up and locked. I have seen a motor come down from being locked. It hasnt happend to you, and thats fine.....but it does happen. I personaly dont feel comfortable trailering with the motor locked, but thats just me.<br /><br />All I'm saying is its personal preference. The people who have them seem to like them, those who dont may not. Thats all good and fine. Jason says it best. Its not hurting anything, so who cares right?