Trailer Loading

[MAP]

I am new here and need some guidance. We have a 22' Tahoe, this will be the third summer. My trailer is a Tennessee brand with guide ons in the front and toward the rear. The guides are the vertical type with hard rubber rollers that are about 10" or so. We seem to have a continuing problem when we load of hitting the front guide with the inside of the pontoons. We have made some dents in the toons about 5' from the front. Obviously we are not straight when loading, probably due to wind and lack of skills.
I usually do the truck and my wife drives the boat on the trailer, however when I drive the boat on I am just as bad as she is.
I was thinking of removing the rubber rollers and installing a long covered board from the front to the rear guide posts.
I was wondering if this is the correct approach to my problem, and if trailers with the long guides are easier to load than what I have.
Any thoughts would be welcome.

Thanks

[fishmor]

You have it right-use boards

[lakerunner]

Try not backing trailer so deep also. Dump the rollers and have a min 12' 2x6 carpeted boards and keep them no more then 3 " form the toons. This way you boat has to load each time even without your hands on wheel.

[Heatman]

That's good advice from lakerunner. I realize ramps are different around the country but the ones I use I leave 4'-6' of the front of the bunks out of the water when loading. It helps keep the front straight and keeps the rear from floating around as much.

[peapenl]

What really seemed to help us was not to back in so far.

[GXPWeasel]

I agree with EVERY one of the above posts. I came from a ski boat, to a toon, and all I can say is I could damn near load my toon with my eyes closed. I don't have the full length boards between the toons on the trailer, like others have said, and you want to do, but I do have a few markers, that have boards on them, and my bottom bunks on the trailer are wide enough that all I have to do is put the tip of the toon on the bunks, and she guides herself on the trailer.

Can't get much easier. I would think with a full length running board on the inside, you would have a little give as well, if you came in hard, then you shouldn't damage the toon so much, because you would spread out the impact over the entire length of the toon/board, and not just a roller.

[mikeherb]

Try not backing trailer so deep also. Dump the rollers and have a min 12' 2x6 carpeted boards and keep them no more then 3 " form the toons. This way you boat has to load each time even without your hands on wheel.

Agree with Lakerunner as well.

You want to back the trailer all the way in to wet the bunks, then pull it out to a loading depth. The more trailer you have out of the water the closer the stern of the boat is to the trailer....less chance of swinging or twisting of the boat. You'll have to wench it up more but that that the wench is for, and wetting the bunks makes the boat come up the trailer easier.

[bigwalleye]

Does anyone have pictures or a video of loading a pontoon on a trailer? I am very excited for the open water season but it will be my first time with a pontoon.

BW

[MAP]

Thanks for all your input. I suspected that putting the trailer in too far is my biggest problem.
I always marvel at how some people have no consideration for anyone other than themselves when they are launching and recovering their boats. I always try to have everything prepared when launching and recovering so I will use as little time as possible tying the ramp space up.

In the past I have put the trailer in deep and had the wife drive the boat on while I waited on the trailer platform, when she finishes (I am no better) bouncing off the rollers I can just reach out hook the boat and winch a foot or two and then drive off.

From now on I am going to take my time, put the trailer in shallower after wetting the bunks and go out as far as necessary to attach the strap and whinch however far I need to. This should only take a few minutes more and I should get no additional dents. I will still be quicker than many are, and maybe the wife will start speaking to me sooner because I won't get mad about her denting the toons. (somehow I should have known it was my fault all along).

I am going down this afternoon to the storage and make some measurements for the guide boards, that way I can touch and rub the boat for awhile, It's been a couple of months since I have seen it.

Thanks again everyone

[lakerunner]

Time is 5:30 on a Sunday afternoon. After a fun day on the lake I pull up to ramp and Betty gets off. I back out and go around while she goes to truck. She backs down, wets bunks and pulls up till about 4 ft of bunks are out of water. I drive boat onto trailer and when set I power up till boat hits stops. I hold it in gear as Betty pulls forward and as soon as I start to hear motor rev I kill it. Boat is settled on trailer and she goes on up to clear ramp area where we tie it down. Time elapsed no more than 1 or 2 min before were on the way home a mile up the road.

Our ramp is fairly shallow so no worry about toon sliding off. When we use steeper ramps she gets out and hooks winch strap before going up. Might add 30 seconds

So get your trailer set up and find the best depth and you to can impress dumbasses at the boat ramp.

[walter]

about how fast do you all come into loading on the trailer, I've been having a hell of a time finding the nice pace (especially on a bit of a breezy day). I've never come in real fast or quick for fear of miss aligning and bam tear something up and it seems when I come in real slow the wind will push me to the side right at the last couple seconds. I have the long side boards and have had the issue of getting a little crooked and it pushes the damn board and vertical support for the board off to the side instead of forcing the boat into lining up. No wind usually no problems, but if theres a damn breeze a dread loading although it has been getting better. Any tips for loading with a breeze or wind, besides loading into the wind since the ramp we normally use it's always a cross wind.

[lakerunner]

I approach trailer about 2000 rpm. about 50 ft I pull back to idle unless there is a stiff cross wind then pull back just before getting to trailer.

Walt you need to add a brace to your uprights so they don't move.

[WaltF]

and you to can impress dumbasses at the boat ramp.