Drive On Trailer

[achjimmy]

Hi all, happy New Year hope all had a great break.

Successfully managed to drive the boat onto the trailer for the 1st time these past holidays. Got it to with in 700mm of the winch post, before it kept wanting to move right. I am still considering a new trailer and was wondering what features if any make the trailer suitable or better to drive on and off (i.e. retriever mate, rollers or vee entry to the trailer)

[Jigholio]

Dunno about a monohull, but my cat is very easy drive on-off (i go out solo quite regularly). Wobble rollers square it up and there's teflon skids on the trailer, no moving parts and NO winching - I get a lot of positive comments at the ramp on how easy it is to manage. I reckon this is a much much better system...thuper thlidey.

South Coast Trailers at Nowra would be the people to call about drive on/off trailers, they make a lot of them.

rgds,

Jig

[choad]

i've got a dunbier drive on trailer for my cat. it's got one set of roller posts at the rear for squaring up.

jigholio, does your southcoast trailer have one or two sets of these wobble rollers and what size is your cat?

[Jigholio]

Hi Choad, great handle BTW-I love that show! The trailer has 4 wobble rollers per side, the first angled @ 45deg to match the 'step'. I had the choice of a dunbier trailer or S/coast and **without prejudice** the S/coast seemed superior in every way. Furball is only 5 metres but she holds her own against much bigger craft, especially when things get a bit

[GregL]

Hi

My boat is only drive on and off.

It has 2 skids covered in carpet.

I can unhook the boat with some one in it, reverse down the ramp, sink the trailer to the wheel arches and then the person starts her up and reverses it off. All done in under half a min.

To drive on, the boat self centres on the skids and can be adjusted while driving the boat on by slight turn of the steering wheel. Stops when you drive it onto the winch post. Car driver drives up ramp, no need to hook it up or get your feet wet!

With the boat sitting on carpet it wont slide or anything. You can't even wind the boat up with the winch if it's out of the water. Not sure of the reasoning but they only seem to use this system on glass ski and bass boats.

Greg

[pelican]

Hi

My boat is only drive on and off.

It has 2 skids covered in carpet.

I can unhook the boat with some one in it, reverse down the ramp, sink the trailer to the wheel arches and then the person starts her up and reverses it off. All done in under half a min.

To drive on, the boat self centres on the skids and can be adjusted while driving the boat on by slight turn of the steering wheel. Stops when you drive it onto the winch post. Car driver drives up ramp, no need to hook it up or get your feet wet!

With the boat sitting on carpet it wont slide or anything. You can't even wind the boat up with the winch if it's out of the water. Not sure of the reasoning but they only seem to use this system on glass ski and bass boats.

Greg

Hi Greg

Mate I love the sound of not hooking it upon reversing and on retrieve but in the last 10 years I have probably helped 5 people get their boats back on trailer from the ol' premature launch on the ramp concrete. I wonder how those blokes went with their insurance and if they got paid in full nothing or had to share the costs?? A lot may depend o trailer set up and , ramp steepness but I would never ever suggest anyone does not put on the safety chain when retrieving or reversing while launching. Badly maitained equipment but 2 of those boats cameoff on a steep ramp because either the hook , winch or cable gave way.

It is only a second or 2 to clip on the cable or chain and if you can't be arsed to get your feet wet, possibly slip on ramp or lean right over the bow we used to have a loop of rope in the anchor well from the bow cleat that just loosley went over the winch post as a security loop in case the boat moved. Worked great for single handed launch and retrieve and at different ramps we were glad we did as just now and again it would move.

Get into a routine and stick to it at launch and retrieve and it will work on every ramp safely

Pel

Edited January 4, 2008 by pelican

[choad]

Hi Choad, great handle BTW-I love that show! The trailer has 4 wobble rollers per side, the first angled @ 45deg to match the 'step'. I had the choice of a dunbier trailer or S/coast and **without prejudice** the S/coast seemed superior in every way. Furball is only 5 metres but she holds her own against much bigger craft, especially when things get a bit

is a wobble roller the same as a guide post?

are we talking about those things at the back of the trailer on this pic?

[GregL]

Hi Greg

Mate I love the sound of not hooking it upon reversing and on retrieve but in the last 10 years I have probably helped 5 people get their boats back on trailer from the ol' premature launch on the ramp concrete. I wonder how those blokes went with their insurance and if they got paid in full nothing or had to share the costs?? A lot may depend o trailer set up and , ramp steepness but I would never ever suggest anyone does not put on the safety chain when retrieving or reversing while launching. Badly maitained equipment but 2 of those boats cameoff on a steep ramp because either the hook , winch or cable gave way.

It is only a second or 2 to clip on the cable or chain and if you can't be arsed to get your feet wet, possibly slip on ramp or lean right over the bow we used to have a loop of rope in the anchor well from the bow cleat that just loosley went over the winch post as a security loop in case the boat moved. Worked great for single handed launch and retrieve and at different ramps we were glad we did as just now and again it would move.

Get into a routine and stick to it at launch and retrieve and it will work on every ramp safely

Pel

I know what you mean, I have helped people to.

The trailer is designed to float your boat off and on, not slide it at all.

With over 200 launches in the last 3 years, on 3 different boats I have owned with this style trailer, I have total faith in the system.

There is even someone with the same brand boat that has driven from a bass comp back to Sydney with out having anything connected to the boat at all!!

By mistake of corse

I think because the hulls are so flat and a sort of a gull wing shape the boat sits on the skids for such a long distance down the channels that the boat sticks so well. Especially when wet!

These are a $8000 custom single axel trailer with NO electric braking but work a treat.

I would never try it with a rollered one as my old Hornet had. Man that thing you touch it and there goes the boat and that was while your trying to unhook the boat! Dangerous I say, the bloody handle spinning around and had hit me a few times in the funny bone! OUCH

achjimmy was asking what the best things that make a drive on trailer, I was just giving my opinion from my experience with them.

Here is a pic of it so you can see how it sits and remember I have to sink the wheel arches completely to get the boat off at all.

Greg

[lukeric]

Hi Achjimmy,

My trailer is a custom made drive on trailer.It has 5 polyurithane skids shaped to the v of the hull running up the trailer, you simple get the nose of the boat somewhere within the v of the skids and nomatter what angle you jusk keep light power on and boat will simply slide into the v and go on straight, then you just power up and put bow straight into post cradle. I dont pull out the cable any more than 100mm.

If you want a drine on trailer skids are the way to go rollers are a pain in the butt.

Give me a yell if you want some pics.

Cheers

Luke

[Jigholio]

Hi Choad, not the best pic but you get the idea. Same boat BTW. And yeh skids all the way daddy o.

Edited January 5, 2008 by Jigholio

[choad]

thanks jigholio.

nice trailer setup. looks pisz easy to drive on. i've got single rollers each side at the back. lines me up ok but i'm still not brave enough to load back on trailer solo... worried about scraping my prop or going too far forward on an angle and missing the rubber stoppers.

post up some more pics of your setup. any mods? i'm thinking of moving my fish box seat more forward so there's more walking space around the back. (mine is a 4.9)

[achjimmy]

Hi Achjimmy,

My trailer is a custom made drive on trailer.It has 5 polyurithane skids shaped to the v of the hull running up the trailer, you simple get the nose of the boat somewhere within the v of the skids and nomatter what angle you jusk keep light power on and boat will simply slide into the v and go on straight, then you just power up and put bow straight into post cradle. I dont pull out the cable any more than 100mm.

If you want a drine on trailer skids are the way to go rollers are a pain in the butt.

Give me a yell if you want some pics.

Cheers

Luke

Hi luke

Thanks for the photos, it does look easy to drive on, I was going to talk to south coast trailers about a custom.

Boat looks great too, did you build it?

[lukeric]

Hi luke

Thanks for the photos, it does look easy to drive on, I was going to talk to south coast trailers about a custom.

Boat looks great too, did you build it?

Hi Jim,

Thanks, the boat and trailer was built by a guy from port stephens in my (kiama) GFC. This is one of the reasons that it is so easy to use besause it was built by someone as a fisherman himself, knows what a drive on trailer should be like.

Are you from Wollongong/Illawarra area?

If so it may be worth your while having a a chat to a to some of the guys from a boat named RESURECTION, as they are local to Oak Flats, and build great drive on trailers sinilar to mine.

I could probably chase up his phone number for you if you want.

Cheers

Luke

[tuffy]

Jimmy, the easiest and best solution is a set of Retriever Mates. My boat is 4.6m Seajay/40 Honda and tiller steer and I can drive off AND on without a problem - right up to the winchpost - leave motor in gear with tilt slightly up and lean over the front to hook on. Easy Campesie, but not possible without the retriever mate - best investment I ever made.

Russ

[Jigholio]

Hi Choad, i have 4.9 also, no fishbox. I chose the extra deck space. I have a 1m x 50cm x 40cm icebox that sits in front of the seat pedestals & occupies the sloping 'void', makes a cozy footrest! Next mod will be inbuilt tackle drawers mounted flush to a panel, port transom under where the livie tank is. I'm seriously considering a custom hardtop of my own design in stainless tube & fibreglass, incorporating rocket launcher & cargo net on the underside for extra stowage (charts, oilskins, safety gear EPIRB etc). Here's more pics of the trailer. You can clearly see the teflon skids & 45deg 'riser' skid. The wobble roller assembly bolts on to the trailer. I reckon you could just get these assemblies & mod ur current trailer quite easily

[choad]

thanks for the pics jigholio.

i think you're right... i probably could just get the attachments.

good choice not putting in the fish box seat... i don't think its worth the space it takes up. i'm also planning to get a heavy duty ice box i can put between the front seats and the fold away windscreen hatch for anchor access... it will double as a step for easier access to the anchor well.

what do you do about the water build up on deck in that little well at the back below the deck bung level?

[Jigholio]

Personally i'm not that worried about it. some guys have drilled & fitted a smaller bung like in the sponsons right at deck level, and report full drainage. I've not heard any reports of corrosion from leaving it 'as-is'. The hull design hasn't changed for a long time, So if it helps you sleep at night - do it. If not i reckon it's OK. ther mods to be undertaken shortly: Deck wash and tuna tubes, especially deck wash, lots of Kingi/Tuna blood i can't get out of the carpets & it's funkier than James Browns' corpse

[choad]

Personally i'm not that worried about it. some guys have drilled & fitted a smaller bung like in the sponsons right at deck level, and report full drainage. I've not heard any reports of corrosion from leaving it 'as-is'. The hull design hasn't changed for a long time, So if it helps you sleep at night - do it. If not i reckon it's OK. ther mods to be undertaken shortly: Deck wash and tuna tubes, especially deck wash, lots of Kingi/Tuna blood i can't get out of the carpets & it's funkier than James Browns' corpse

How terrible for you.... all that blood and smell from too much success.

what outboard do you have?

[Jigholio]

yeah the "Foul stench of success" lol. Seriously some of my mates won't crew with me anymore cos of it, pussies. 60hp 4stroke hi-thrust Yamaha. Good compromise between power/response/economy, and doesn't sit transom down in the water like some. What's your setup, Choad?

[choad]

yeah the "Foul stench of success" lol. Seriously some of my mates won't crew with me anymore cos of it, pussies. 60hp 4stroke hi-thrust Yamaha. Good compromise between power/response/economy, and doesn't sit transom down in the water like some. What's your setup, Choad?

same motor. pretty good economy i think. i'm getting about 12-15 hours per tank which is about 5 / 6 trips around the harbour from roseville to the heads and a few spots in between. i haven't done any offshore trips yet. (i bought the boat three months ago) i run a dual battery setup, furuno 585 sounder, all else pretty much standard. i prefer to fish without the bimini and clears. one thing which bugged me was i noticed the fuel gauge doesn't work. i spoke to the guys at my first service about this and was told that the slope of the tank wouldn't allow the gauge to work properly... they suggested i drill holes and add a clear tube / piping outside the tank?!?! as a visual gauge. wasn't sure if this was true...probably jurking me ov, but it hasn't been a big deal so haven't bothered calling around or contacting webster.

it's not the quickest boat on the harbour which is why i asked about the motor seeing as you obviously head out wide. i get a top speed of 45kpkh (ideal conditions).

how do you find the handling and trip to/fro the shelf? how long would it take to say reach brown mountain?

[devon007]

are the ezy guides worth the money?

[antonywardle]

ill let you know soon.

i just bought a set today

[devon007]

ok

[Juggs]

if a glass boat with moderate v then no keel rollers

i have a 5m cruisecraft and a dunbier trailer

no keel rollers at all just 12 wobble rollers in a 3 sets of 4 configuration

bring nose in to rear and apply power and it straightens up and then more power and up you go.

keel rollers cause too many leaning issues especially if one is right on the rear and the trailer isnt in deep enough

[devon007]

I have aluminium boat and thinking of putting a set of 4 wobble rollers at the back so its easier to drive on and leaving the slides at the front (have heard that wobble rollers leave dings)

any ideas on setup most welcome

Steve