Loading on your trailer

[subysti]

I've never power loaded as it's not allowed and never had an issue with cranking it up. Sometimes if the water is low, like the past weekend, I'm cranking it 10 feet or so. Never had any issues except sore shoulders. Those bunk slicks seem nice but they are listed as only up to 1400 lbs so that may be an issue. I always do the brake test in the parking lot after a load the boat. Get to around 5 mph and hit the brakes hard. Boat slides up tight to the bow roller and then I retighten the bow strap and transom straps.

 

[Sacamano]

I have also rubbed canning wax on my bunk carpet to lubricate.

 

[Ronnie]

On a side note, one good thing about the boat buddy II, ramp n clamp and similar devices is that if used correctly your boat will not move away from the bow stop once these devices are engaged whether you winch or power your boat onto its trailer.

 

[SCSX190]

I just pulled my boat out to clean her up and fill up with pump gas. I was able to load her to about a foot from the rubber stop. Winching up I noticed the popping sound was coming from the metal contact between the winch hook and boat hook.

 

[danclemo]

I have dumb question? If you get the boat trailer deep enough (desired water level) shouldn't you be able to winch boat onto trailer and walk it up? My new AR195 is coming in tomorrow, so I don't have to worry about loading until next spring. I had a smaller and lighter boat before this so maybe that's what is so different. I would just back trailer until wheel fenders were even with water and I could walk boat up trailer and finish last 3-4 feet with winch and never ever had problems.

 

[subysti]

@danclemo thats exactly what we do with our 24' AR. It only adds a couple more minutes and none of the worries of power loading. Sure it looks real cool to power load but I've seen a few people miss the trailer and hit other boats or the dock and that isnt worth it to me. Plus i'm always on a river with current so its even more of a pain.

 

[SCSX190]

I am in a wet slip, and load/unload my 190 by myself every few weeks to clean the hull and fill up with gas. With guide on posts this is a simple task on my ramp. Others with stronger currents may have problems loading by themselves. Without guide on posts loading is problematic IMO. I leave a about a foot of the front boat ramps out of the water and drive he right on, wench the last foot or so.

 

[Summers420us]

Sometimes I do a bit of a combo. I will partially power load and ease some of the stress of winching by applying some forward propulsion while my son works the winch (not wench LOL).

 

[danclemo]

I'm definitely adding trailer guides, seems like an inexpensive insurance when loading.

 

[MrMoose]

That popping sound is most likely the strap settling. Especially if is a new strap

@Crlos16, I get the popping sound every now and then. I assume that it's the swivels and the bunks that are settling as gravity increases when you pull the boat out of the water.