Load Guides....another thread

[brumbyvet]

I also cannot see why you would need the outside guides. My trailer should be just like yours and the inside guides work fine on mine. I did have to adjust them so they are closer to the toons but they work great . I think even with pvc your asking for trouble.

[margaritaman]

Having the two outside and two inside guides makes it easier to load on windy days. Put a white pvc extension on the outside guides and you can see where you are going even if the inside guides are fully submerged. When you get the pontoons inside the four guides you are locked in.

[MH Hawker]

those work good on a boat but real poor on a pontoon.

how so?

When trying to load in a cross wind the front will end up side ways. Not saying they wont help but the inside glides plain work a lot better. With inside glides I have often loaded in a 25 plus cross wind first time ever time.

Like this
ignore the white streaking on the bunks my grand son was helping me that day lol

[STEVEBRENDA]

The inside guides do not work very well if your lifting strakes are on the inside. Ours stick in 4" further than the log.

[SoCalAngler]

OK, so I can understand the value of inside guides. My factory guides are simple short posts (two rear, two front) that do not fully tighten and appear to be designed that way so as to swivel if it hard. They do not tighten as they have only one bolt. They are about 15" tall and are about a little more than halfway about center of pontoon while on trailer.

However, my local ramp is very steep and the rear of my trailer is well submerged. My rear inside guides are completely submerged. I would have to create new rear guides at least 3-4 tall so they can be seen and guide boat on trailer when loading.

The function of the guides I made are see clearly where boat needs to go and assist in windy conditions. The statement about my bow drifting sideways will not happen as the forward section of my bunks are not submerged. I do not power full on....I simple walk the boat forward between guides as far as I can get it onto to forward part of the bunks. I then connect bow strap (pay out about 15') and begin cranking onto trailer. Without guides, the stern would move to the side and I would pontoons would not rest precisely on bunks when pulled out. I would have to re enter water, move stern of boat around and remove out of water and recheck. Last time out it took 2-3 retrievals to get it exactly between bunks. The guides I build should alleviate this problem.

I know there are different ramps with different angles. My local ramp is steep compared to most. I would like to use inside guides, but they would have to be pretty tall to see when loading and then hope that if too low and barely visible at water surface, you don not load and have pontoon boat drift off and have guide poke a pontoon in process of pulling out of water.

Thoughts?

[Bamaman]

SoCal: We know what you're talking about when it comes to guides. I too recently ended up with the rear end going 90 degrees to the trailer and I was without help. Fortunately the water was very deep all the way to the rip rap, and I powered my way out. It can happen to anyone.

All I say is put your 2" PVC on the outside poles and see how they work. Outside guides probably work better on V-hull boats that glance off fixed supports when offcenter. Square nose pontoon boats will stop dead when a corner hits anything fixed. On a day with big waves and cross winds, I sometimes have difficulty putting my boat on a trailer or in my boat house.

I still like the inside bolster boards, but they have their limitations. I liked the gentleman that made the inside bolster boards low on the front and high on the back with an inside flair the rear 3-4 feet of the boards. When he comes in, the inside flair will center his boat as it goes on the trailer. But the flair cannot be so much as to get in the way of a center toon.

It'd be nice if some "mad scientist" could come up with sliding inside rear bolster mounts operated hydraulically--adjustable up and down as the trailer goes into the water. The rear bolsters really need to be right at the top of the water to be effective. We all know every boat ramp is different. And every boat is slightly different and has different trailering needs.

[ROLAND]

Socal... I too like using the outside guides.... I put a couple of 48 inch pvc guide posts on the rear of my trailer and for whatever reason, they really make it easier for me to load the boat... As i'm coming in I just line up the right side of the boat about 2 to 3 inches inside the right guide post.....



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[Waterlogged]

SoCalAngler I had those SunTracker guides



Replaced them with these. Had a local welder make them



Glenn

[Gonefishing]

I also have the inside post two in front two in back. During strong wind blows me across the trailer. Last time one of the rear post broke. I am thinking of buying the 4c system. Cost is just a little over 300.00 with shipping

[SoCalAngler]

Waterlogged.....
I have those same guides in your first pic. They are basically worthless, IMO. I like your idea and it is similar to an earlier post by MH Hawker of his white trailer.

I will try what I made and see how it goes. I will probably make set like yours and Hawkers and try both.

Waterlogged...a question...

1. What is the white/yellow ball on top of the guides and what is their purpose?

Thanks

SoCalAngler I had those SunTracker guides



Replaced them with these. Had a local welder make them



Glenn

[MH Hawker]

Here is a drawing on the brackets for the inside glides, and you can change the measurements to fit.

[Waterlogged]

Made the posts too high, so Tennis balls to protect toons, plus easier to see guides while loading. As it turns out toons never get near top of posts. It cost me $72 for the metal and welding plus cost of 2X4 and covering. Under $100 for the whole thing. Stole the tennis balls from the dog.

Glenn

[SoCalAngler]

Thanks Hawk for the dimensions!

Thanks waterlogged for the reasons for the balls!

Question of mounting/fabrication:

Hawk: what gauge/thickness material did you use? Hawk....Do you mean 2" wide by 3/8" thick? Is it flat bar stock? What does FB mean in your diagram?

Waterlogged: Is your metal flat bar stock? What are the dimensions of you metal pieces?

Do you both have the horizontal 2x4s (or do you recommend 2x6s) at the height of the center of the toon?

I like the idea of the inside rails as you both have. The more I think about it, the better I like them.

Question on launch/retrieve:

If I have these on my trailer, back trailer down ramp leaving about 3'-4' of forward bunk and upright guides exposed out of water, and load boat.... as I drive out of water will boat wander at stern and possibly stern portion of toons landing on guides? That was my primary reason for outside guides....to avoid the possibility of my toons landing on inner upright guides as I pulled trailer/boat out of water.

Thanks!

[Waterlogged]

I don't remember any of my dimensions, but I think the vertical was just over 1 in. and the diagonal was 3/4 in. sq tube. The 2X4 lays right along the center of the pontoon.

Glenn

[Rascal]

I'll bet the dog..... is pissed off.