# How to properly set a trailer and load a boat



## Buddychrist (Jul 22, 2012)

Because of a request I am posting how my boats are set to get proper centering every time. 

I have never kept rollers because I just flat out don't like them I manage to do better with the regular bunks and some PVC guides

Both have carpeted bunks and I load them both very similar, the Jon boat is so light I can just pull it onto the trailer since I haven't put guides on it yet but they will be installed as soon as I get the money to do so.

The SeaPro is a 19' and weighs too much to just pull it onto the trailer so If you are thinking about getting carpeted bunks and PVC guides this is how you properly load your boat.

Back the trailer down until 1-2ft of the bunk is into the water because of the water lifting the boat as long as you have just enough bunk into the water to get the front raised onto the trailer you let the motor do the rest of the work. This way your boat will have more hull sitting onto the trailer and will keep it centered. The guides are for if you are on a river you can use them to pivot the boat onto the trailer, guides should only be a half inch or so on either side of the boat when it is perfectly centered, I personally used a ratchet to get my SeaPro centered to set the guides at the right distance.

Once you get the boat on the trailer if you were standing off to one side and the boat isn't centered then all you have to do is back the trailer down another foot or two and that will let the guides get the boat almost dead center within 1" 

The people who back wayyy down into the water have no clue what they are doing when it comes to loading a boat. 

I hope this helps guys!


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## nimmor (Jul 23, 2012)

I'll back mine all the way in to get the bunks wet so their slicker and then pul lit out to where I need it. This is the 4th trailer and boat combination I have owned and everyone had a differant depth that the trailer needed to be.


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## Buddychrist (Jul 23, 2012)

You should have no problem with just the end of the bunk being in the water if your engine is enough to power the boat up onto the trailer it should work great


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## donmac (Jul 23, 2012)

nimmor said:


> I'll back mine all the way in to get the bunks wet so their slicker and then pul lit out to where I need it. This is the 4th trailer and boat combination I have owned and everyone had a differant depth that the trailer needed to be.



+1 
I've had over a dozen boats of all shapes and sizes and that sweet spot is usually a little different on each. On all but the smallest of boats/trailers, where I'm not driving on, the norm has been to put most of the bunks in the water.


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## Buddychrist (Jul 23, 2012)

I have had a bunch of different boats and I've always just barely backed down until a foot or two of the bunks were in the water. That's how I was taught how to load a boat and it's never let me down. 

Give it a shot, your motor should have plenty of power to push it up onto the trailer


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## theyyounggun (Jul 23, 2012)

Thats powerloading though. It damages the boat ramp


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## Buddychrist (Jul 23, 2012)

theyyounggun said:


> Thats powerloading though. It damages the boat ramp



Sorry but down here we don't have soft bottom boat ramps. We don't have to worry about power loading or not. If you trim your motor up it will not do any damage anyways.


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## Tim Murphy (Jul 24, 2012)

Buddychrist said:


> theyyounggun said:
> 
> 
> > Thats powerloading though. It damages the boat ramp
> ...



Dear Buddy,

You can't make a general statement about drive on boat loading being the "only" right way to do things because what you say doesn't apply to an "electric only" lake. Plenty of states have them. Likewise drive on loading won't work on lot of horsepower restricted lakes because 9.9 hp isn't enough to move 1500 - 2000 pounds of boat onto a trailer if the ramp is steep. 

In those cases if you have a bunk trailer you have no other choice but to float your boat on and off the trailer or else do a lot of pushing and shoving and winching.

One size definitely doesn't fit all.

Regards,

Tim Murphy


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## Buddychrist (Jul 24, 2012)

I understand that there are electric only lakes and that doesn't apply here. But if you have problems getting your boat centered on the trailer and you have a gas engine this is how I have always done it. Even with my big boat on a steep grade ramp I have no problems pushing it up on the bunks with just a foot or two in the water. The Jon boat works just as good. This is for people who are having problems getting their boat centered with a gas engine. I didn't think I needed to say that I figured it was understood


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## earl60446 (Jul 24, 2012)

No images on the first post for me, no active links either. Just looks like below in a box. Too bad, I wanted to see those magic PVC things.

Attachment:
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1343002025.985755.jpg


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## theyyounggun (Jul 24, 2012)

earl60446 said:


> No images on the first post for me, no active links either. Just looks like below in a box. Too bad, I wanted to see those magic PVC things.
> 
> Attachment:
> ImageUploadedByTapatalk1343002025.985755.jpg


+1


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## Buddychrist (Jul 24, 2012)

I don't know why the images no longer work. They were fine prior but here they are again.

Here is my Jon boat






Here is my SeaPro with PVC guides














In no way did I say that they were magic. But they do work if you know how to use them.


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