Hi all, just chasing some feedback on the eziguide boat loader. Anyone used it? Does it work we'll? I have an aussie whaler 550 profish on a brooker trailer with keel rollers and wobble rollers and it is not the easiest trailer to drive onto so I was thinking of getting one of these to try.
Cheers, Mitch
I guess you are talking about those sprung loaded rollers that sit at the back of the trailer? if so, they are at best, just OK, the springs are not strong enough to stop a boat being pushed up and over them, especially one being driven on, they do work, but only to a limited extent, OK for single handed retrieve and some mild side wind.
have used them for 10years plus makes life so much easier at the ramps with strong tide or wind have not missed them or gone over them but you do have to learn how far to back the trailer for them to work if you go too far in the water they do nothing. great on the sand for quicker retrieve when you learn to use them too
Winch it on and it will be better. If you want easier too, fit a power wincch too.
Some trailers are not meant to be driven on and then there is the brake and bearing maintenance issues but that has been talked about previously.
Cheers
Chimo
What could go wrong.......................
Lol. we will get the message across one day Chimo, meanwhile the the trailer parts businesses will keep their doors open which is not a bad thing. Not sure where this trend to have to drive on came from, mind you I used to do it 10 years ago. Very little time saved but much corrosion damage over time plus chance for mishap and breakages.Originally Posted by Chimo
Even put a cheap electric winch on the little boat, less than a minute on and off and 90% of the trailer stays dry! A stress free operation indeed and just a quick hose down at home.
Every trailer though needs some device or design or person at times to help hold the boat centered once at the trailer for retrieval whether winching or driving on.
If you have to stand there and hold it in place then you either have to have a mate on the winch or electric winch with a wired or wireless remote can make life easy. Don't drop the remote though.
The brother in law who has a basic trailer has made a simple hook over arrangement on the bottom of the winching point on the boat, he simply pulls the boat up to the trailer, lifts the bow slightly and it then rests on the back roller and goes nowhere until he gets to the winch.
I just like the vee entry style trailers, pull the boat into the vee hang onto the nice soft dyneema winch rope (not prickly steel) walk up to the winch and wind her on.
The Ezyguide roller system should also be of assistance but still limited on how well it holds the boat centred and I would not think of it as a drive on solution, just to assist with winch on. A couple of appropriately positioned wobble rollers on the back cross member would almost do a similar job, cheaper and less maintenance I think.
What ever works to make that often dreaded task easy is worth a bit of attention for sure.
I think with a 5.5mtr boat, you'd still be drowning the wheels upon launch and retrieve, so why not make the event much less painfull.
It seems the EZI Guide system caterers for boats up to 8mtrs, with heavy duty system.
An EZI Guide system at the back and a boatlatch at the front ( http://www.boatlatch.com/ ), would go a long way to one person operations of the larger boat.
I have not used the EZI Guide, but can see benefits and I have seen the boatlatch in action. Marvelous invention.
You cannot beat making sure all your rollers are aligned and fit properly to suit your boat.
After all of the above, it still comes down to the capability of the skipper and weather conditions for a painless retrieve and launch !!!
cheers LP
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Thanks for the replys. It's not the best drive on trailer that's for sure. I'd like to be able to drive the boat on as its a lot less hassle than trying to winch it on. It's not a light boat either.
I might have to modify the last cross brace into a v entry style. Or try the eziguide. I've driven it on once (only taken it out once) it wasn't too bad but was hard to line up correctly. If it misses the middle keel roller it will hit the metal frame in between the keel roller and wobble rollers.
If I was a power loader I'd fit sloping guides to the last 2 cross members and some sort of boat latch.
Mitch - you might get something out of this thread - the solo retrieve is outlined in post 2
http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/sho...ving-a-Dunbier
I still think post 1 is important though
Cheers
Trev
Just had a squizz Trev. good work.
Was that a bought or home made boat latch ?
cheers LP
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Phill, I got the aussie made stainless boatcatch (not the boat latch)
http://www.boatcatch.com/shop
A solid piece of kit - works real well.
Cheers
Trev
I don't know about anyone else, but had an interesting experience the only time I have winched our boat on. Put in at the harbor and tied the boat up to the pontoon while I took the trailer to the car park and greased roller pins etc. when it came time to load up, the breeze had picked up, and with a bow rope and stern rope my partner and I set about "walking" whe boat onto the trailer. With the hardtop acting like a sail, even with both of us swinging off the ropes we were almost dragged in to the water. 1800kg of boat was an easy match for my 115kg and some 75kg of partner. A luck would have it, the wind direction resulted in the bow lining up with the trailer, and it didn't end up on the rocks.
I must admit after that exercise I am far more comfortable with driving on, even though there is a maintenance overhead from dunking brakes and bearings. I do not have the motive force of a 175hp engine.
The speed at which it took off due to a gust while loading was impressive, and it was only a bit of quick "hitching" to a bollard on the pontoon that stopped me from having a swim, and it was more good luck than good management that resulted in the bow nestling in to the rear of the trailer. Gotta be lucky some days.
We often experience moderate cross winds, and I reckon we would need four solid blokes to load safely for anything other than drive on. If you find something that makes it easier to guide the boat on correctly to line up with the rollers or bunks, then make the most of it. Trailer designs vary, so what works for one may not for another.
Our boat is 3.2m high on the trailer, and over 2m on the water, makes a hell of a sail.
up here in NQ the drive-on is great as you are less likely to be near croc habitat for long, plus you free the ramp up much quicker so I for one use it, if i have to replace bearings once a year, so be it. There's a difference between driving on and ramming the trailer tho!
Yes Thy, I agree there will always be times when driving on may be the best option due to strong wind or currents, waves, trailer sinking in the sand and I will not hesitate in doing that if necessary. Location will have a big impact on what we all do on the day. After all I am often on my own when retrieving and we have a bit of sandy beach adjacent to where I most often launch from so for me it's easy enough to walk the boat to the back of the trailer. My boat, about 2.2 tonne full hard top also 3.2metres on the trailer is a big sail too but it is fairly sheltered where I am around Bribie Is ramps, so l am lucky in that regard while fishing around home.
Away from home I have to assess each situation and always keep the trailer maintained for whatever I throw at it. Submerging is always an option but last resort and I hope I rarely have to do it. I am more concerned about my brakes failing down the track, the wheel bearings I can seal pretty well and not really an issue.
But anyhow, anything that makes it easier has to be better and different solutions for different rigs and locations will always vary in how each of us approach launch and retrieve with our trailer setups.
The Eziguide would be a help for sure on some trailers and manual retrievals, I was just concerned that it may be thought of as a drive on aid and I doubt if that is what was intended or designed for or wise if anyone is considering doing that. If you are good enough to drive in centered well enough each time you may get away with it, but it's not a very big target by the time you lose sight of it.
Howd you go mate, what did you end up settling with
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