Trailer set up help

[joeT]

Hi, I just bought a secondhand Stacer 460 and I'm having issues with the trailer. I have owned half a dozen boats in the past including bigger than this one, and I've always loaded the boat on the trailer by without dunking it into the water, but with just the tyres in the water and then winching the boat on.

Tried this with the new boat this weekend and the sides of the boat will hit the skids first (and damage the boat) without even touching the first roller, so ended up having to drown the trailer and float it onto the skids. The car was nearly touching the water and with some ramps I use at low tide, the trailer would fall of the end of the ramp (and also be stuck in the mud) if this was the method to load. Also, I don’t like dunking the trailer as it will rust.

Here is a pic of the trailer. I think the U shape which sets the first roller quite far back is so this is a drive on trailer? Is there anyway I can set this up so that I can winch the boat on? I can't really lower the skids as the boat is already sitting very close to the mudguards.

Any suggestions? Has anyone set up and used a trailer like this before? I find it hard to believe the previous owner used to drown the trailer all the time as its not rusty at all, and is 2006. Maybe I just don't know what I'm doing...::)

[scuttlebutt]

How are the skids going to damage the boat?

[scottar]

Worst case scenario, add another cross member and centre roller.

[sporty1]

Gofishin Ausfish member is your man. He is the expert on trailer set up. I ended up on the local ramp withmobile phone in hand and he talked me through the whole process. Boat now wenches on easily and flies off at launch.

[joeT]

How are the skids going to damage the boat?

Because the ends of the skids (the metal part) hits the sides of the boat on a right angle if I try to winch on the boat. The last roller is set really far in and the boat doesn't touch this roller at all if I try to winch on.

[joeT]

Worst case scenario, add another cross member and centre roller.

I am thinking this may be what I end up doing, unless someone has a better suggestion?

Perhaps I could shift the skids forward to the next row of crossmembers?

[NArmstrong]

Looks to me like that last cross member has been cut down to make those skids. It prob originally joined in the middle with a roller. Might have to look at converting back if your worried. Or taper off the ends of the skids so they aren't just open box section

[aussiebasser]

Its a drive on trailer, back it in until that last roller touches the water and drive the boat on. Whoever sold it to you should be able to explain it.

[swof63]

Yeah I wouldn't be driving it on like it is. It can be made safe fairly easily, but at the moment there are no guides either side of the keel rollers to stop the boat coming up on the wrong side of the keel rollers and making horrible messes of the bottom of the boat. Can be easily addressed with transverse poly guides set at an incline up from the keel rollers towards the skids. Set up right they will ensure the keel HAS to sit on the rollers. You can see there is a at least 50% of the target area ( the first keel roller ) where the keel can enter the trailer outside the rollers.

This of course is after the OPs first issue is resolved - understand the issue but hard to visualise the dimensions from the photos. I wouldn't be mounting the skids all the way up on the next crossmember but if they are hitting the hull too early they are too far back. You should never have to float off and on a trailer like that.

Ps. I think the transducer is too high.....

[joeT]

Ps. I think the transducer is too high.....

Yes well spotted! Another item on the list to address (seller did tell me about this though).

I think the skids are way too high for the boat to drive on even with the last roller touching the water. The first thing the boat impacts is the skids and the angle isn't quite right. I can't lower the skids cos the boat when sitting on the trailer are already right up against the mudguards, so hence why I thought I would shift them forward a cross member (although this seems too far forward and the back of the boat has no support). I might get longer skids made or just add a new cross member with a roller. I do prefer to winch the boat on and leave the trailer out of the water.

[gazza2006au]

Joe, i would get the ends of the bunks rolled down more so they wont damage the hull on retrieve

[Chimo]

I too hate drowning trailers, so much unnecessary maintenance and rust that can easily be avoided. I also hate skids as it makes you drown the trailer.

If it was my trailer I would retire the skids and replace them with a couple of sets of quad wobble rollers at the rear and a couple of double rollers forward. Get some extra good tiedowns and make sure you keep your chain and d connected until you ready to fire the boat into the water when launching but you probably know that anyhow, sorry.

Loading should only require you to nose the bow onto the rear most roller and it should then roll on with minimal effort.

Have you got a three speed winch on the trailer. ie 1:1 5:1 and 10:1 . I had one of these on my 5.6 tinny and just worked from 1 thru to 10: 1 as it came up just by moving the handle.

Cheers
Chimo

[bluefin59]

Bugger winching the boat on , 10 yrs with my bluefin and belco trailer I have never winched the boat on only ever drive on . It's quick and no more mainanance if it's set up properly , never had a bearing problem and never a trailer problem and I have done 100s of launch and retrieves . If you want your trailer to last forever don't use it and don't waste your money on one that's setup to drive on , for me the trailer is part of the boating thing and when it's had it I will replace it 10 yrs and still going strong maybe an appropriate trailer set up properly is your only problem . Learn to drive on if it's setup right you won't regret it even my wife can drive it on , not so hard if you get the set up right .. Matt

[joeT]

Just as an update, I've resolved the problem now by adding a new crossmember at the back of the trailer with a roller. Bought the crossmember as an offcut for $10 and the rest of the bits from BIAS. Tried it yesterday and the boat winches on perfectly and at the correct angles to the skids. Couldn't have been happier, except if we actually caught some fish yesterday ::)

[scottar]

Good result. The extra support under the keel for the weight of the motor can't hurt either.

[sporty1]

Hi Joe

good to see you have it sorted. Keep an eye on the self centering roller at the back. Mine worked perfectly winching the boat on but threw it way off when sliding back into the water. The self center was great on the way up but can do the reverse on the way down. The way I fixed it was swapping the self centerer with the front roller and this solved the problem.

[Dignity]

Glad you resolved it, looks like the transducer has been moved also.