Trailer guide effectivenes

[B0at1n]

Looking for input on the effectiveness of trailer guides.

Most of you know I have been doing a rental business with my boat, so far has been very effective and I’ve made good money this summer. But takes a decent amount of time to launch and retrieve boat for each rental.

Thinking of doing the tow and go or hiring a young person to do launch and retrieval in the future.

So the thought is if I put trailer guides on, how much will that decrease the chances for missing the bunks and damaging the boat, specifically with some loading this boat for the first and possibly only time doing so.

Do they pretty much force the boat to go in the correct spot only?

Thinking of how to make this work so I can buy a bigger boat and have the 190 be the “working” boat.

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[haknslash]

Yes the guides do as the name implies. Helps keep the stern inline so that the boat doesn’t drift off or over the bunks. I love them and wouldn’t own a boat without them especially if boating solo.

 

[FLBulldogger]

Yes the guides do as the name implies. Helps keep the stern inline so that the boat doesn’t drift off or over the bunks. I love them and wouldn’t own a boat without them especially if boating solo.

Agreed! also it really helped my wife with the confidence to load the boat onto the trailer, being able to see her target and knowing she couldn't damage the boat!

 

[B0at1n]

How does it do for the front of the boat hitting the target? If you missed target with the front of the boat meaning off center. Does it correct before the bow hits the bunks?

 

[haknslash]

Depends how far out you have the rear guides. If you keep them 1-2" from the rub rail then it keeps the stern close which means the bow can't wander either. If you have the guides far apart from the rub rail then they aren't really going to be as effective with keeping the boat inline because the stern can kick out or get crossed up from the bow. The key to landing a boat on a trailer is to not go too deep but with you renting your boat out who knows what kind of skill level your renter is. Better to be safe and just get some guides to help them. They're cheap insurance to help. I paid $99 for mine IIRC at Academy Sports. CE Smith 60" tall and they had LED's on top to make the trailer more visible and landing at night easier.

 

[Noko]

How does it do for the front of the boat hitting the target? If you missed target with the front of the boat meaning off center. Does it correct before the bow hits the bunks?

No. You have to get the trailer to the proper depth for the bunks to guide boat in. The trailer guides really help in finding the trailer and finding the center. They also help in backing in an empty trailer. You can probably make your own guides. They are made of PVC tubing. You would just have to figure out the brackets. Heres a pic someone posted of their guides.

 

[captainhook]

My trailer only allowed me to mount them about 4-5” off of the rub rail. They definitely help but it is still critical to get the trailer at the correct depth as mentioned above. Where it really helps me is when there is wind or a current and it keeps the boat mostly in the correct location. And even more helpful is backing up an empty trailer, a must have for that for me.

 

[W3bexec]

The trailer guides really help in finding the trailer and finding the center.

I agree. Knowing where the center is. My wife drives when retrieving and of course these along with a steering mod help greatly.

 

[B0at1n]

Thanks for the input I will probably add these if I do the tow and go option.

Biggest debate is 212x or AR240 for new boat...hmm
I like blue so 15+ AR or 17+ 212

 

[2kwik4u]

I had something similar to these on the last boat/trailer. They worked well and we're a little easier to "tune" towards the side of the boat.

Bass Pro Shops® 5' Bunkboard Guide-Ons : Cabela's

Bass Pro Shops 5' Bunkboard Guide-Ons provide positive centering assistance when loading a boat on the ramp. Per pair.

www.cabelas.com

The 190's are pretty easy to trailer even with really bad trailer placement on the ramp. I don't think they are mandatory for a private owner, but certainly can't hurt on a rental.

 

[buckbuck]

We have used the Ve-Ve guides since we purchased more than 10 years ago. Our experience has been that you will be replacing the guides every couple years. Think of them as sacrificial items that protect the boat.

 

[fireflymedic]

I would recommend getting the ones that the PVC pipe is free to spinn. Most are but I've seen some that don't.

 

[Ronnie]

Trailer guides are great but as others have alluded to you still have to have the trailer at the right depth and the bow still has to go between the two bunks at the back of the trailer to recover the boat effectively.

I’ve had mine 2009 or 2010 and spent less than $100 for them. At that cost I would not bother to make my own. I think I’ve spent more on the trailer guide covers which I have to replace every three years or so.

If you really want to make recovery / trailering faster, I recommend that you also install a ramp n clamp or buddy buddy 2 along with trailer buddies (retractable and always installed stern tie down straps) to your trailer.

 

[Ronnie]

On a related note, I recently saw a local (sf Bay Area) Craigslist ad where a guy was renting his 2014 242 ls out for $650 per weekend day. This really made me think about renting my boat out but I’m just not that trusting, jet boats handle differently that conventional prop boats and clearing the impellers can be challenging especially for new users but $1,300 per weekend is good money, not so great if delivery and recovery is included since the nearest water to me is an hour away.

 

[Gym]

I think if I were to do the rental thing I would follow the Freedom Boat Club model. Buy fairly basic outboard models. I would also ask for a basic experrience history. I would also want to speak with them under the guise of a confirmation call but by talking to them would find out if they know what their doing. If they don't know the difference between bow and stern I'd be concerned. Some boat rental agencies will take most of the risk off your shoulders as part of their fee.

 

[B0at1n]

Thanks for all the input.

on the rental game I do require 2years experience. If you clearly don’t know what your looking at when I show you the boat I will cancel the rental. So far everyone’s been good. Overall these boats are inexpensive to repair and the motors are very reliable. I’ve had somewhere around 35 rentals this year and beside a few small scratches and scuffs have had no issues.

Granted for me the dock they come back to is in the open and there is no maneuvering really required. They can just float straight in slowly and I can grab the boat and never hit the dock.

Only had maybe 2 renters that didn’t feel comfortable enough to dock the boat themselves due to the lack of low speed control.

I also have no steering enhancements added.

I will gladly trade $500-1000 in fiberglass repair and extra hours for $15-20k+

I’ve accepted my boat won’t be the one on the showroom floor, but will be the boat that I get to enjoy and someone else’s pays for.

 

[ptwb]

I've never needed them. Just make sure your trailer is setup right and you back it in just right. I back the trailer in until just the very last bit of the fenders are visible. The front bunks grab the bow quickly and the boat just naturally lines up.

Can't count how many times I've seen them busted off or people relying on them to help 'assist' their boat get lined up and they break it there. IMO, if you really are needing the guides to get your boat on straight, then you need more practice or are doing it wrong. Even in high winds and at high current boat ramps, I'm able to get the boat on the trailer.

Also keep in mind, my understanding is that trailer guides count towards trailering width and with our boats already 8'6", they would put you over the limit and you would then need a special permit in many states. They measure from the two most extremes to come up with your width. This doesn't matter for 99% of the country where cops don't seem to care, but in the florida keys, I've read some horror stories.

I'm glad I don't need them, have to worry about them, and they can't possibly get me a ticket, etc.

 

[B0at1n]

I've never needed them. Just make sure your trailer is setup right and you back it in just right. I back the trailer in until just the very last bit of the fenders are visible. The front bunks grab the bow quickly and the boat just naturally lines up.

Can't count how many times I've seen them busted off or people relying on them to help 'assist' their boat get lined up and they break it there. IMO, if you really are needing the guides to get your boat on straight, then you need more practice or are doing it wrong. Even in high winds and at high current boat ramps, I'm able to get the boat on the trailer.

Also keep in mind, my understanding is that trailer guides count towards trailering width and with our boats already 8'6", they would put you over the limit and you would then need a special permit in many states. They measure from the two most extremes to come up with your width. This doesn't matter for 99% of the country where cops don't seem to care, but in the florida keys, I've read some horror stories.

I'm glad I don't need them, have to worry about them, and they can't possibly get me a ticket, etc.

I agree with you, I don’t think they are needed, I’ve loaded my boat 100 times this year no issue.

I’m wondering how much they assist to prevent on the aspect of if a renter has the boat. They will only load one time while they have it and get no practice runs.

My question is more does it help handicap in the favor of succeeding with no practice.

 

[Recoveringfiberglassaddic]

One little trick that you can do if you have trailer guides that I like is putting a mark on them for the trailer depth. That way anyone can see how far they need to back the trailer in and where to stop.

If you use different ramps with drastically different angles you may end up with a few more marks

 

[haknslash]

I agree with you, I don’t think they are needed, I’ve loaded my boat 100 times this year no issue.

I’m wondering how much they assist to prevent on the aspect of if a renter has the boat. They will only load one time while they have it and get no practice runs.

My question is more does it help handicap in the favor of succeeding with no practice.

I don't get what else you're looking for. They're $100 so either buy them and put them on or just go without them like you've been doing lol. They're not going to make your renter not run into your trailer nor are they going to miraculously retrieve the boat by itself. They are there to keep the stern from swinging out, simple as that and nothing more. Are they necessary? No, but they do help so there is your answer.