Trailers

[chrisheile]

I hate to complain about these fabulous machines but does anyone else notice that the trailers do not provide for easy power loading?  I have a heck of a time with these.  I generally end up cranking the boat on.  The problem there is that the winch sits a bit too low. At a certain point, all it does is pull the nose down, not pull the boat up onto the trailer.  Then when I pull out of the water, it sliedes back 3 inches off of the nose piece. 

I am considering guides at the stern, raising my winch about 4 inches, completely refurbing the nose piece to allow for the bow eye to pass through easier. 

What do you think?

[phil]

I have the same problem with our 82. I pull it all the way forward to the bow stop but then when you take it out of the water it slides back a bit. But I don't have the original winch and I think that's the problem. But yeah, if it was a little further forward I think the problem would be resolved.

On a bit of a different note, I never use more throttle than idle speed to pull on and I must say, I am not a fan of power loading. As a matter of fact I hate it and hope they outlaw it here in Wisconsin like they are doing in other areas. It ruins the ramp, kicks up mud in the water (which our inboards then suck in) and can be dangerous and just annoying. Why not just pull a little bit further in the water instead of revving the piss out of your engine? Plus, it probably scratches the crap out of the bottom of your hull. We usually just push it onto the trailer from the pier.

[chrisheile]

Sure enough, you shouldn't have to get on the throttle.  Any time I help with a Nautique I just get a bit of trailer envy.  Those trailers just seem to suck the boat onto them.

[John Doerfler]

Well, I agree completely but if I put my trailer in the water deep enough to load it without throttleing up a little it will want to ride up onto the fenders.  Believe me I learned the hard way and had to replace my fender and chiped my gelcoat a little.  Not cool!  Anyway, I thought I would try putting some guide posts on my trailer to keep it from floating over the fenders. 
John Kyle Doerfler
83 A/S

[phil]

Well, I agree completely but if I put my trailer in the water deep enough to load it without throttleing up a little it will want to ride up onto the fenders.  Believe me I learned the hard way and had to replace my fender and chiped my gelcoat a little.  Not cool!  Anyway, I thought I would try putting some guide posts on my trailer to keep it from floating over the fenders. 
John Kyle Doerfler
83 A/S

That is why they make the winch.

[chrisheile]

Winch yes but it seems that the way they are designed, you have to go somewhat shallow, get it on, back up a bit, winch some more, pull up slowly (or it goes off center), back up and winch again (because it falls back off the nose rest).  One almost has to ride on the trailer and hold it as well or the side rails rub the side of the boat (as it never rides up the ramp straight).

[phil]

Yeah, I know what your saying about the side to side movement but I think the problem here is with uneven launches which is almost ALL of them. I also have 2008 Moomba Outback and that's on a boatmate trailer and because our ramp is a little uneven my wife always has to push the boat to one side when I pull out so that it doesn't rub on the side of the wheel well. The only problem I ever have with the american skier is getting it all the way to the bow stop.

[RonT]

Here's the lowdown on trailers from my perspective. Every trailer is a compromise, design for 5 deg launch angle or 25deg. Rivers tend to have the speepest angle, shallow lakes the least angle until blown out. Bow stops that contact the rubrail make covering difficult. The best design incorporates a side guide above the fenders preventing loading on top of the fender, I took this from the bass boat industry. When I did my time with Ski Supreme 93-95 we built these at the Cajun Bass Boat plant & the Sales dept. told me they have to use the side guides to help drunk fishermen load thier boats. I figured that would work for us too, so I added it in '96. The early Correct Crafts had about a 10 deg. down angle to the chassis, no winch, no tie-downs, just gravity. Until someone with a jacked up truck with a tall hitch slid one off on the interstate in Orlando & made the news (hometown for CC) so they added a safety chain up front after that.

Here's how we do it, dip the trailer so water is level with the top of the fender, drive it on at idle till she stops, attach the winch, pull it out & tap the brakes to set her down. (Don't do this after drinks, with practice you'll keep the boat out of your back window)

[phil]

The best design incorporates a side guide above the fenders preventing loading on top of the fender,

You aren't kidding that is a great feature on the American Skier that is missing on a lot of new boats.

[chrisheile]

Ahhh. now I understand the side guides.

[Joel]

Dont get me wrong...  I love my trailer.  It is such an improvement over my last I/O trailer.  But my bro's Nautic trailer is fantastic!  He drives it on at idle and puts on the safety chain (although it doesnt really need it).  He noses up the bow into the bow stop with the motor slightly above idle to keep it over the trailer as his wife pulls the trailer slowly out of the water.  As the water level drops & the trailer rises, the boat literally drops into a well formed by the bunks.  There is no need to tie anything down unless your going on a long haul at highway speeds primarily to keep your boat from bouncing on HUGE bumps in the middle of the freeway.  It is a very nicely designed piece of equipment...

[brandon]

I don't know of a right or wrong for this discussion, but after working at different dealerships and with different manufactures products here is what I have observed.  Pretty much no boat will winch up easily, unless you back the trailer in far enough to completely wet the bunks first.  There are some ramps that if you do that you have the famous "guys lifting the trailer underwater while the drive pulls it out because your wheels fell off the end of the ramp show".  Driving the boat onto the trailer is the easiest, and if the bunks are wet, will usually work with minimal throttle (after enough practice you can hit the trailer with enough speed to accomplish this also, without damage).  It is easier to center the boat if it has some type of side guides, again with practice they won't be needed except for helping center the boat on a tilting ramp.  I prefer the taller pipe style posts at the rear of the trailer, they usually stick up far enough on any ramp.  The side board style will do a better job centering while pulling out, but on a steep ramp I have seen boats up on top of these also as they are usually only slightly higher than the fenders (the pictures of the American Skier style look to be a better setup than most).  The Nautique style trailer is a similar trailer to the American Skier.  The difference is they use a nose block that you drive the bow of the boat into.  Definitely the easiest, but here are the downfalls.  The bow of the boat will rise a little as it is pulled out of the water and if you are too "tight" against that block it will scuff the rubrail (which is why it is called a rubrail, but I like them undamaged).  You also can't put a mooring cover that "hooks" under the rubrail.  Both of these were not really issues with me, experience on how tight to be in the nose block will solve that one, and my boat is kept in a garage and doesn't need a mooring cover while on the trailer.  The main problem with this trailer is it will flex because there is no support under the bow which allows the boat to "bob".  If you are tight against the nose block, it will peel and scuff the rubrail.  My preference is the Nautique style, but the American Skier style with the support under bow I think would ride a little smoother, and I haven't owned a Nautique one long enough to see if the constant flexing of the trailer causes damage to the frame, or for that matter the boat.  I think this is a pick the lesser evil that works best with how and where you boat.

[Midskier]

340 hp and you have trouble loading ?  must be a super steep ramp

I load an Amskier @ least 3 times per week .......... granted at easy ramps
but still you must be really steep

we dip the trailer in deep to get the bunks wet
pull the trailer up so tops of the fenders are out of the water (Ron's most current trailer design late 90's)
idle up to it and give it some stick until it hits
we use the winch as a decoration.......... which is about all it worth, good luck winching your boat up bunks on DRIVE ON trailer
if it a few inch's short (which it's not) bump the brakes to move it forward, an additional strap from the bow eye to the trailer
can be used to limit forward movement

on the 85' we drop the trailer extra deep to wet the bunks, pull the trailer out so the fenders are 6" above the water line
nose up and give it a little........until it hits, snug the winch pull her out with a little throttle to help push the car out too

we use rear tie-downs on both rigs regardless of how short the trip is

my correct crafts (yes I've owned those nasty things) same deal only hit the uprights and stay on the throttle until the
truck pulls out and the prop clears the water .......... snug a strap to the bow eye

unless your ramp is really steep you just need to adjust your trailer depth
realize the trailer will go down a few inch's when the boats weight is on it

good luck

Dan T

[77AMSKIERWA]

While on the topic... The trailer for my 77 is not the original and quite frankly it looks like a homemade hack job! Where would I begin to look for an original trailer or an equivalent aftermarket?

Thanks!

[RonT]

How much are you willing to spend???