# Trailering Small Outboard Up



## Jdholmes (Mar 24, 2012)

Hey guys,

Have been wondering about this for a while and looking online seems to get about a 50/50 response in regards to transom savers. Thing is a lot of times they are discussing big motors, too. 

I am hauling a 9.5 hp Johnson and from some of what I have read people mentioned they trailer with it in the up position with a rod holding it and then strapping it down....my motor appears to have that rod and so I rigged it like that...take a look at the pics, should I be alright or is there danger of something snapping?

What's your take? Is this a non issue with low hp motors?


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## JBooth (Mar 24, 2012)

Normally I just lower the motor all the way and lock it then turn it to the port side and then strap it down. This works fine for my 15. I think if you raise it, it can torque on the mount while trailering, which is never good...but that's just my opinion.


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## crazymanme2 (Mar 24, 2012)

Motor in the down position also but I leave mine unlocked so just in case I do hit something way up there the motor will tilt up.I do put a bungee on it so it doesn't bounce.


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## Jdholmes (Mar 24, 2012)

Can't trailer down, unfortunately or I would. I have 8 inches clearance when down.


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## nomowork (Mar 24, 2012)

I use a transom saver on my 15hp and my 40hp. 

My fiberglass boat originally had a 48hp. Before I bought a transom saver, I could watch that motor bounce up and down, in a tilted or down position when I hit a dip or something on the freeway. IMO, a transom saver is cheap insurance.


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## JamesM56alum (Mar 25, 2012)

i'v got a 5.5 seahorse and i still strap it down, just keeps to transom from flexing going down the road.


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## Jdholmes (Mar 25, 2012)

Any more feedback from folks. Wondering if you think I will have any issues trailering the motor strapped in the position shown.

It is a light motor - 9.5 hp 2 stroke johnson, no hydraulics.

I suppose I could take the motor off and trailer it in the boat, but that will be a hassle I would rather avoid if I will ave no issues lugging it like shown. 

I can't trailer it down all the way because I only have 8 inches of clearance to the skeg that way and a transom saver isn't ideal with the way the trailer is.


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## Sharpix (Mar 25, 2012)

Not only the transom saver saves the motor itself but the transom of you boat, too.


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## Jdholmes (Mar 25, 2012)

Based on what? I have read a lot of responses on other forums about this topic and a lot of people dispute that and most of the experience to that effect tends to come from folks with heavy motors...so I guess I am looking for some good info from folks with small motors.


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## richg99 (Mar 25, 2012)

I've got a 40 Johnson and a 40 Yammie on two different boats. I use the "stop" that is part of the motor. Both have hydraulic tilt...so I crank them up, and then lower onto the flip stop that is part of the engine.

Half the people I read seem to feel that the transom savers transfer the road's bumps to the boat and motor,....... and the other half swear by them. 

I'm confused. A confused mind always says NO!. So, presently, I don't use one for trailering.

Years ago, there was a transom saver that had a nitrogen pneumatic "shock-absorber". It looked like it would absorb and cushion the bounces BOTH ways. Haven't seen them in years, though. Might use that one if I had one.

R


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## UtahBassKicker (Mar 25, 2012)

This is how I see it, by securing the motor to the trailer with a transom saver it saves your transom from supporting all that weight from the motor bouncing from bumps in the road. The motor will be bouncing from bumps regardless, might as well support as much weight as possible on the trailer instead of counting on the transom to support it all. Obviously I am pro-transom saver, I've never seen or heard anything that would make me, personally, not want to use one.


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## jigngrub (Mar 25, 2012)

Jdholmes said:


> Can't trailer down, unfortunately or I would. I have 8 inches clearance when down.



Do you have a long shaft motor on a short transom, or small tires on your trailer? What is the clearence from the bottom of your trailer axle to the ground?

Transom savers are good, just use a ratcheting tie down strap from the motor in the saver back to the back of your trailer.


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## Jdholmes (Mar 25, 2012)

Yeah, I understand some folks want to do the transom saver route, but I don't think that will work with my setup...and I don't know that I am sold on the idea anyway. I would rather the motor be secured to the boat tightly than the trailer. 

My biggest question, is if anyone knows I would be in danger of breaking anything on the motor...

Rich, it sounds like you are doing just what I am talking about. If you can see in the picture, there is a rod that swings back into a notch and that is what the motor is resting on...is that what you are doing?


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## Jdholmes (Mar 25, 2012)

It's a regular shaft motor...8 inch tires....I'm not sure on the axle clearance...


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## richg99 (Mar 25, 2012)

JD not a rod...but... a "tab" that is riveted to the motor mount itself. It swings up or down after I lift the motor using the hydraulics. I doubt that I could easily lift a 40 hp 2 cycle up and down without hydraulics.

After I swing the "tab" into place (which is what it was designed for)..I use the hydraulics to lock the motor against the tab. Free-fall bouncing is eliminated by doing that. 

I've never been convinced that tying the motor solidly to the trailer is a good idea, unless I had a shock absorber in between. Someday, I'll just make one using one or two of those struts that hold hatches and hoods up on cars. 

I love having hydraulic tilt and trim. The 40 Yammie does NOT have hydraulic trim...just hydraulic tilt. So, I cannot adjust the motor while underway, unless I am just putt-putting along. I never knew that they even sold them with just hydraulic tilt, without trim..... until I bought this rig.
regards, R


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## skysail (Mar 25, 2012)

I have been trailering my boat with the motor up. I thought that was standard procedure just incase of something in the road. No transom saver either because I thought small engines dont need them. I drove to a lake over an hour away today like that. Maybe I should keep it down? Never really thought about it.


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## jigngrub (Mar 25, 2012)

With a motor as small as a 9.5 I don't really think it matters if your motor is up, down, or sideways as long as your transom is sound.


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## Jdholmes (Mar 26, 2012)

Appreciate the feedback guys. I had driven it a little before replacing the transom down but I was constantly worried. Tomorrow I will give it a try in this position and see how it goes...it feels pretty secure and given the smooth roads around here and not going more than 60 mph to get there, hopefully it will be good.


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## JonBoatfever (Mar 26, 2012)

I say go for the transom savor! It keeps the weight off the transom, placing it on the trailer. even if the motor is light, think; lighter motors, smaller transom, usually making it not as strong. I would put a transom saver on any boat/motor bigger than a 5hp. Make sure you use a ratchet step to secure the motor in the transom saver, then step it to the trailer.


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## Jdholmes (Mar 26, 2012)

Thanks for the input but as said a transom saver was not really an option in this case even if I believed it was better.

In reality my transom is very strong and has much more surface than the original factory design and is quite big for a small boat.

In any case I tried it today and after driving for just a couple minutes realized that trailering it in that position was just not going to work for me. Being held up by that rod was not ideal at all. I pulled in to the gas station and put the motor all the way down, and ratchet strapped it tight to the boat. I figure the axle is even lower than the skeg so it should be alright for clearance...we have no bumpy roads here...and guess what? It worked great...no issues, no bouncing around...good to go.


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## Loggerhead Mike (Mar 27, 2012)

I think the issue is more transom/metal thickness of your rig. I tore my transom twice trailering with a 3.5hp but my old seaking wasn't much thicker than a beer can and our roads suck.

Id personally take the motor off when trailering


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## benjineer (Mar 27, 2012)

I think you will be fine with it up if well secured. Especially if it's all the way up and the bouncing is pushing down on the transom. The problem is twisting when you have a heavy lower unit (larger motors). I might use a saver on my 25 except the way the trailer is, I'd have to do some adding-on to make one reach. I'm scared to leave it all the way down because of road clearance and debris. I'm currently pulling the trim pin and putting it on the highest setting and locking the motor down on it. Using the shallow water drive would let it bounce up unless I strapped it down, and that bracket is not super strong anyway. My old 115 has a trailering bracket as was mentioned. I use it on that boat and no transom saver. It's really bad to let a motor with PT&T to bounce up and down on the hydraulics. Can blow out the seals. It's also not good to store it with the motor up and weight on the hydraulics. I don't think the carbs don't like it either. I know I'm off topic since you have a small motor, but good stuff to think about.


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## bassin4fun (Mar 27, 2012)

Keep in mind, you keep saying 'small outboard'. That 9.5 is still about 70 lb. or so? On any road trip there is a fair amount of wt. bouncing around, flexing your transom, whether motor is up OR down. On a glass boat with that size motor, probably wouldn't fret. On MY tinboat? Definately using some sort of transom saver! If you just lock that motor in the full 'up' position, the lower unit just acts like a lever, torsioning your transom on every little bump and bang you encounter. This was one of the first 'mods' I did to my boat when I got it.(Had a '56 10 hp Johnson, quite the tank!) Still using it with my '83 Evinrude 15 hp.(70-75 lbs?) With a transom saver, the trailer frame takes on any shock, not the transom. Look into a transom saver, or fab one like I did. Worth the time and peace of mind! Check my pics in the"transom savers" post. These are from last season, once I get the boat out this season, I can get some more detailed pics. Ya definately want to use one, just beef up the one ya got a bit.


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## Jdholmes (Mar 27, 2012)

I strapped it down...if there is any movement it is minimal and to the point that it certainly isn't getting more flex than it gets when I take off in the water...that's the point of having a transom....and one that is strong and well built should be able to hand the minimal jolts it is getting from the trip I took it on yesterday...at least from what I can tell. 

Even if I could install a transom saver, which I really don't think I can with my setup, I wouldn't be convinced yet. There's just not enough evidence that it is worth it for a sub 100lb motor or even for a heavy one if you buy into the idea that tying it to the trailer can actually transfer more road pain directly to it....


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## FuzzyGrub (Mar 28, 2012)

It is my understanding that for a transom saver to work, the motor must be able to pivot. If it is locked down, the enertia will still flex the transom. It is not just bumps, but also braking and acceleration when you get the flex. It doesn't elliminate the stress, just reduces it. 

It is a strength of the transom to the weight of the motor on it. Not just a big motor issue. I have noticed it while trailering my lightest boat, a 14' cartopper style alum semi-v. It is rated for a 15hp. Had a 10HP sporttwin (older/heavier motor) and would flex the transom. Any distance driving, I took the motor off.


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## glenbo8391 (Mar 29, 2012)

I've got a 9.5 just like that, I think Evinrude says its something like 45-50lb. lets say the length of the motor is about the same as a trolling motor, so having the motor on your transom completely parallel to the ground the amount of torque on the transom is the same as running a transom mount 55# trolling motor(actually its a little less because most of the weight on the motor is closer to the transom moving the center of gravity to about half the shaft length, so 55lb*~1.5ft=82lb*ft, trolling motor is 55lb* ~2.5ft?=137lb*ft). Assuming a bump causes 3G's of acceleration, that'd be about 165lb*1.5ft=~150lb*ft. Less than twice that of the 55# trolling motor, I'm assuming that's alot less torque than the motor puts on the transom at WOT. With that small of a motor, I'd say its safe to not have a transom saver.


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