Keeping the boat all the way on the trailer

[Wayloncle]

try dropping the tailgate... works great

I have a bed cover so that wouldn't make a difference;-)
Thats what I used to do when hooking to my camper, line the tongue jack up with the bolts on the tailgate and stop when the tail gate was about 2" from the jack post, perfect. Then I put my bed cover on and learned to line everything up in my mirrors.

Leaving a couple inches of the fender out of the water works good for me.

 

[Matt Phillips]

I do the following when loading my 09 on a MFI.

1. Spray some liquid roller on the bunks before backing down the ramp.
2. Release about 2-4 feet of winch strap
3. Back the trailer into the water so the top of the fenders is right at the surface of the water. This typically leaves about 12-18" of the front bunks out of the water
4. Load the boat onto the trailer. When lining up I aim for the bunks out of the water and note the ripples around the fenders.
5. Once the boat centers, my helper attaches the winch strap and tightens it. The boat is usually about 2-3 feet from the bow stop.
6. I then goose the throttles and power load the boat. Once the boat stops moving my helper cinches up the winch strap. We continue this 2-3 times until the boat is on the bow stop.
7. Attach safety chain and pull boat from the water. I also make it a point to stand in the sender of the boat so it loads evenly.
8. At the top of the ramp attach the transom straps and prepare for the road.

9. On the road I do the quick stop from about 10-15mph. This is guaranteed to move the boat up on the bow stop some more and all straps will be loose. I tighten all three down and the boat and trailer are now secured and don't move.

My bow stop is bolted and I still get that initial wiggle.

 

[rkluck]

Time for an update. I did get the trailer guides and I put a new bow roller on the trailer. I had the trailer deeper in the water and slowly pulled up on the trailer. The guides kept the boat on the trailer straight! I had the strap pulled tight as I stepped to the back of the boat. We pulled her out and the boat stayed tight and perfect! It was the first time she was perfectly on te trailer. I think the bow roller made a big difference and the guides keep the boat on the trailer nicely! I also think it helped that I stand on the back of the boat as the strap if pulled tight (thanks for that trick). I just loved the results! Now I just need to fix the cavitation issue and clean the boat. I think next year I will get a lift! Thanks for all the help and ideas.