Adding Trailer guides?
- Thread starter briancayko
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briancayko
Active Member
My thoughts exactly. Wind & river current can be a challenge @ times here in Montana. I think I will order some up in the next few weeks & give them a try…
briancayko
Active Member
I had thought of those too but it seems these would provide more stabilization than the pole versions
JPass
Well-Known Member
Depending on how deep you sink your trailer to launch, these might not be worth it. We use the pole guides and they work like a champ as they stick up quite a ways and provide you with something to bounce off of when coming in on a windy day or an area where the current is strong.
briancayko
Active Member
Thanks Jpass. So the pole guides are sturdy enough to bounce off of and guide the boat well? That was a question / concern I had regarding that style. Thanks for sharing.
DooGuy
Active Member
Any pics? Have been looking into adding
JPass
Well-Known Member
For some reason I'm unable to upload a pic at the moment. I'll post some later when I get home.
slaizer2000
Active Member
I added these. I was having problems where boat was tilted sideways and I didn’t notice till I pulled the boat out. I would then have to put the boat back in the water and level it out. After adding these the boat glided in straight and level.
briancayko
Active Member
Slaizer did you add the pole style or bunk style?
DooGuy
Active Member
Thank you, are those the smith pvc ones (40”) with pads? Also how do the lights work, any issues?
JPass
Well-Known Member
They're either 40" or 48" seasense model, I can't access my previous orders on my Amazon map at the moment to confirm. I've had them for 2 seasons now on this boat. Saved me many times on windy days and days with strong currents.
Crash pads are a must if you want to protect your gel as the rubrails on these 210s are practically worthless.
The lights were additional and work really well.
Crash pads are a must if you want to protect your gel as the rubrails on these 210s are practically worthless.
The lights were additional and work really well.
slaizer2000
Active Member
I did the bunk ones. I also find that since the boat goes in straighter it glides onto the trailer better. Also since it's on straighter it's a lot easier to use the hand crank. I'm a newbie to boating so i'm not that great at getting the boat on the trailer so these helped a lot.
Website wont allow me to post a link so if you go to amazon and search for:
CE Smith Trailer Bunk Board Guide-On
Generally, the trailer is too deep if the boat is leaning.
Yes it is easier to get on the trailer, but you often have to redo it or bounce it to center it up.
JK230SP
Member
Folks -
After trying to center the boat in a Texas crosswind a few times, I too thought it a good idea to get a set of trailer guides. However, the shape of my 230 SP is tapered along the mid and upper hull, so if the uprights are installed to the rear, I have to spread them apart so the widest part of the boat can "fit through" the space between them as I push onto the trailer. As the poles are metal inside the PVC almost to the top, the are rigid and will trap the boat if not properly spaced. For my boat, that means having each upright sitting about 6 inches outside of my tires....or adding a foot to the width of the trailer! (see pic). Once the bow is at the stops, the guides aren't even in contact with the rear of the boat due to the narrowing of the hull.
I'm thinking that I may have to settle for lower level bunk guides, or a short roller setup so that the uprights stay closer to the bottom of the hull where there is less width, less taper and less chance of overhang.
Does anyone here with a 230 SP, Wake or Challenger workable solution for guides on their Karavan trailer?
Thanks!
After trying to center the boat in a Texas crosswind a few times, I too thought it a good idea to get a set of trailer guides. However, the shape of my 230 SP is tapered along the mid and upper hull, so if the uprights are installed to the rear, I have to spread them apart so the widest part of the boat can "fit through" the space between them as I push onto the trailer. As the poles are metal inside the PVC almost to the top, the are rigid and will trap the boat if not properly spaced. For my boat, that means having each upright sitting about 6 inches outside of my tires....or adding a foot to the width of the trailer! (see pic). Once the bow is at the stops, the guides aren't even in contact with the rear of the boat due to the narrowing of the hull.
I'm thinking that I may have to settle for lower level bunk guides, or a short roller setup so that the uprights stay closer to the bottom of the hull where there is less width, less taper and less chance of overhang.
Does anyone here with a 230 SP, Wake or Challenger workable solution for guides on their Karavan trailer?
Thanks!
JPass
Well-Known Member
I believe the 230 is about 3"wider than the 210 (8' 6" vs 8' 9" beam). The guides on my trailer sit out just a couple inches past the fenders. Yes, they're supposed to be spaced enough to allow for the fattest part of the boat to make it through, but by the time the fattest part is near the guides, the bow should be making contact with the forward bunks up to about the middle of the boat.
This should prevent the rear end of the boat from swinging. You may need to adjust the depth at which your sinking your trailer to allow for the boat to be seated on the bunks when putting the boat back on the trailer.
I've had my guides for years with no issues......and I've had to put her on the trailer in some nasty storms. They're not always graceful, but I have yet to damage my boat since installing the guides.
I'd add some crash pads to your poles for a little added scratch protection. The added thickness may also help to keep the boat from swinging too much.
This should prevent the rear end of the boat from swinging. You may need to adjust the depth at which your sinking your trailer to allow for the boat to be seated on the bunks when putting the boat back on the trailer.
I've had my guides for years with no issues......and I've had to put her on the trailer in some nasty storms. They're not always graceful, but I have yet to damage my boat since installing the guides.
I'd add some crash pads to your poles for a little added scratch protection. The added thickness may also help to keep the boat from swinging too much.
JK230SP
Member
Thanks for the response. Agree with what you are saying - although my issue I think is made worse with the steepness of my neighborhood's private boat ramp, and the 20-30mph gusts I have battled this spring in North Texas. I'll play with moving the trailer further up the ramp - while still trying to leave enough water under the boat to power it up a fairly steep incline. I simply thought that installing guides would be a quick solution to keeping the boat from wagging in the wind and moving the boat 4-5 inches off center. I am now realizing that the shape of the boat is going to make it nearly impossible to get a fairly snug fit on any kind of guide mounted somewhere behind the trailer wheels. Next stop is to try the lower bunk guides to see I can get a better fit where there is less taper lower on the hull - while using the angle to keep the entire assembly behind the fenders. Any trailer guide that is taller than the rub-rail has to accommodate the "pringle-shape" issue.....
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JPass
Well-Known Member
I feel your pain. The hourglass shape of these boats does it make it tough in adverse conditions to get the boat centered on the trailer. Our last boat ('92 Ski Nautique) was straight down the sides of the hull. The guides worked much better in keeping the boat from swinging while placing on the trailer.
Some things we've tried on windy days:
Person in boat goes to guide poles and either pushes or pulls the boat square with the help of the truck driver.
Same as above only wedge a fender (we use an inflatable kids hippity hop ball) or something between the guide pole and the hull on the "push" side of the boat.
3rd and last resort is to hook the bow and have the person in the boat use the motors to "steer" the boat straight as I pull the trailer out of the water. Our boats can swing left to right fairly easy and this has worked when all else has failed for me.
90% of the time I'm good to go, but on occasion I have to try any of the above. Not having anything below the waterline to give bite does have a few downsides, trailering in adverse conditions is one of them.
Some things we've tried on windy days:
Person in boat goes to guide poles and either pushes or pulls the boat square with the help of the truck driver.
Same as above only wedge a fender (we use an inflatable kids hippity hop ball) or something between the guide pole and the hull on the "push" side of the boat.
3rd and last resort is to hook the bow and have the person in the boat use the motors to "steer" the boat straight as I pull the trailer out of the water. Our boats can swing left to right fairly easy and this has worked when all else has failed for me.
90% of the time I'm good to go, but on occasion I have to try any of the above. Not having anything below the waterline to give bite does have a few downsides, trailering in adverse conditions is one of them.
JK230SP
Member
All great comments. Using a fender as a wedge between the trailer and the boat is a fantastic idea. Thanks for the advice. That alone just made membership in the forum well worth it....
My first experience trailering my boat was in a gusty crosswind. I crabbed the boat into the wind all the way until I contacted the bunks, and then counter-steered once the bow was onboard to straighten it out. With the bow against the roller and clipped in place, the rear still wanted to move with the wind/current - putting the back end of the boat about 6 in off center. My challenge was trusting my wife to pull the boat out with the truck while I held the boat on center with my arms/hands... (we are newbies at the boating thing...never done any of this until this year)...and getting the technique of emergency brake release and holding the truck in place while engaging the drive gear is sooo important, especially after watching the "truck in water" fail videos on Youtube.
I can certainly relate to what you are saying with two-person trailering, but at some point, I would like to have a good procedure for launching and trailering a boat by myself. As I am learning, the shallow draft of a jet boat presents some challenges to launching and trailering, so any other tricks that you have that would help me learn a 1-man procedure would also be appreciated.... Not everything I need to learn is found in online videos. Thanks again.... and another pic to keep the thread interesting.....
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