Heavy Duty Guide Suggestions

[Lowe 2070 CC]

I routinely launch and load directly into the Mississippi River, continually fighting both wind and current. my old 16' boat had high sided trailer bunks that I could usually pivot on to straighten the boat, but my new 20' boat's trailer has low bunks that are no help at all.

I have bent one of the bunks flat two times already and am looking for suggestions.

I don't need guides to see the trailer, I need something strong enough that when I pull onto the trailer sideways I can use it as a pivot to straighten the boat against the current.

So what do you guys that fight the current use?

 

[sixgun86]

Ever consider bunks without the brackets? Got rid of mine because the salt always eats them up. If you can bend two sandwiched 2x6's I'll be impressed. Would be difficult to fab for a v-bow but anything is possible.

 

[Buddychrist]

Guides work if you have them actually running an inch from either side of your boat when dead center

I pivot my 19ft SeaPro with a 115hp merc on the guides all the time, thats what they're made for

 

[Tim Murphy]

Guides work if you have them actually running an inch from either side of your boat when dead center

I pivot my 19ft SeaPro with a 115hp merc on the guides all the time, thats what they're made for

Dear Lowe2072,

Listen to what this man is saying, it's the absolute truth.

The bunk guides need to be tight to the sides of the boat to do their job properly. When the guide ons are set up properly you can't get the keel to come off the aft and bow rollers because they taper into the center groove in the roller and as you winch the boat up onto the trailer it almost self centers. A quick shake as you winch drops the boat keel right in the groove of the roller.

I learned this the hard way too.

Regards,

Tim Murphy

 

[Buddychrist]

Guides work if you have them actually running an inch from either side of your boat when dead center

I pivot my 19ft SeaPro with a 115hp merc on the guides all the time, thats what they're made for

Dear Lowe2072,

Listen to what this man is saying, it's the absolute truth.

The bunk guides need to be tight to the sides of the boat to do their job properly. When the guide ons are set up properly you can't get the keel to come off the aft and bow rollers because they taper into the center groove in the roller and as you winch the boat up onto the trailer it almost self centers. A quick shake as you winch drops the boat keel right in the groove of the roller.

I learned this the hard way too.

Regards,

Tim Murphy

I'll post some photos of how I have my trailer set on my SeaPro tomorrow. I had to pull the guides all the way in for it to work and if it's cocked to one side just back up further in the water and it will center out.

I never use the rollers on the frame because with my fiberglass hull it will wear and tear and rollers never do perfect in saltwater. I avoid anything touching the boat except the winch roller and the bunks. My trailer rollers are about 2" from the hull when loading.

Also I don't get the trailer deep in the water. Just about a foot or two and I let the motor push it the rest of the way up.

If your motor has a hard time doing that you should invest in some "frog spit". Made for airboats to go over grass and dirt it's the best slip coat for the bottom of a hull I've ever seen!

Heck slap some Pam cooking spray on your bunks but be warned... I had a buddy try it out and it was so slick he went up like normal and ended up with his boat in the back of his truck.

Point is the guides properly set work great and if you don't back your trailer down but just a foot or two of water on the bunks you will get more of your hull on the bunks helping it get centered.

 

[Buddychrist]

If I can pivot my SeaPro and be marginally close to center by an inch by using guides then a jon boat should be no problem at all

 

[novaman]

Lowe 2070

If You look at the next topic down from yours, I'll have some pics on there tomorrow of my Alumacraft 2072 with my setup for loading in the river when current is flowing directly across the centerline of the trailer. I load often in the Saint Joe river in n.w. IN. which has pretty good current flow, so I know what you mean. My rig loaded on the river weighs in at about 2400# with only myself aboard, so it's got some weight pivoting on the side guides. The side bunks that came on the trailer were pretty stout, but I like the rollers much better, since they offer a lot less resistance.

Novaman

 

[Buddychrist]

My problem with rollers is that if you have constant saltwater use they deteriorate and they also get grooves where the boat is constantly pushing when loading and unloading.

PVC guides spin on the mount so there is no resistance at all similar to rollers. You can buy the fixed guides that have lights on them but they are simply retarded and useless because they do not spin when you are loading.

Instead of replacing rollers when my guides get worn or busted (which has never happened yet) I just go cut another piece of PVC and throw it on.

It's all preference but down in Florida if you don't have PVC guides and are using rollers us lifetime fisherman down here will laugh at it because we have learned our lesson.

Other locations with no saltwater rollers are fine but I'm sticking with the PVC guides regardless

 

[novaman]

My problem with rollers is that if you have constant saltwater use they deteriorate and they also get grooves where the boat is constantly pushing when loading and unloading.

PVC guides spin on the mount so there is no resistance at all similar to rollers. You can buy the fixed guides that have lights on them but they are simply retarded and useless because they do not spin when you are loading.

Instead of replacing rollers when my guides get worn or busted (which has never happened yet) I just go cut another piece of PVC and throw it on.

It's all preference but down in Florida if you don't have PVC guides and are using rollers us lifetime fisherman down here will laugh at it because we have learned our lesson.

Other locations with no saltwater rollers are fine but I'm sticking with the PVC guides regardless

I see Your point for saltwater, but here in IN. it's hard to find , thank goodness! We use enough salt in the winter, but that's what keeps the carwsh guys going when it's Dec., as I too fish yr. round with a boat (steelhead, walleyes,salmon).

 

[Lowe 2070 CC]

Thanks for the replies. To address a few:

My existing side bunks (from the factory) are mounted to a single 4" wide strip of flat stock that will bend under moderate force. The side bunks might work if they had stouter material attaching them to the trailer.

No saltwater concerns, but I appreciate the warning

I've looked at the PVC guides but most seem pretty flimsy considering 2,000lbs+ turning on them against the current. I may be wrong, but that has been my concern.

Rollers seem to be the answer I'm looking for.

Boat is similar to novaman's so I'm looking at his set up.

Thanks

 

[novaman]

Here are the rollers the way I set them up on my trailer. It is a Bear trailer, and they built it stout enough to handle a big boat. The side bunk mounts are 1-1/4" sq. tube with a 14ga (.083) wall, which allows a 1" square tube to be inserted in it with no problem. Now the galvanizing added just enough thickness, it was neccessary to actually drive the roller mounts into the existing tube with a 40oz. hammer. They'll be there till hell freezes over. There's no worry about water build up in the tubes since Bear thought far enough ahead to punch holes in the frame before welding on the original tubes, as well as a drain hole in the bottom of the frame tubes as well. In fact they put several drain hole in ea. frame rail throughtout it's length. You'll notice that the rollers set much higher than the bunks do, and that is a livesaver on some river ramps that drop at about a 30-35 degree angle, due to the ever changing level of the river.

Lowe
With the flat straps like You describe, I'd clamp the rollers to the flat strap and get the angle I wanted, then weld a 3/8" x 1" flat strap to the outside of the original so that it set perpendicular the original flat, forming a"T". Then weld the roller mounts to the flat. Or if you don't mind cutting on a new trailer, cut off the flat straps all together and depending on how high You want the rollers, Either simply bolt them on with the mounts that are on the rollers or weld on a set of tubes that are long enough to acheive whatever height makes sense to You.

 

[Lowe 2070 CC]

Thanks Novaman I like your setup. That's exactly the thing I was looking to do.

I read Buddychrist's suggestions, but like you I live with long steep ramps into the river, forcing me to put more trailer in the water than I'd like. Couple that with 6-18 mph current and the opportunity to load straight is nil!

My rear side bunks look just like yours, same height. But they're mounted with flat stock instead of square. So, if I get on them with any weight they (or at least the downstream one) just lays over.

Working on this now as the Mississippi is at 2.6' here and most ramps are unuseable.

Appreciate everyones help.

 

[novaman]

I know what You mean about low water, right now the ramp I like best (fairly new, sets at 45 degree angle towards downstream), is real shallow, which means using the old ramp that set 90 degrees to the current. Hopefully the water comes up before the middle of Aug., which brings in the next spawning run of salmon & steelhead. Hope it works for You, and glad I could be of help.

Novaman

 

[bonerfortuna]

Lowe 2070 , I'm thinking I have the same or a slightly different trailer for my Lowe 1860 DLX. My guides also tend to bend out with any force so what I plan to do is weld in a triangular gusset in the inside angle and I think once that is done there will be a lot more strength to hold up the guide.

 

[Lowe 2070 CC]

Same Karavan trailer, but I've got carpeted bunks where your roller is. The flat stock looks the same and is very mild. I straighten mine by simply lifting up on them. They'll bend before the trailer lifts up.

I've found some 24" rollers mounted with 1.25" square that I'm going to mount similarly to what Novaman has done.