New Toon owner needs advice retrieving boat onto trailer

[Sea Griffin 22]

I recently bought a 22' Tahoe with a 115 hp yamaha in back. I have had very little trouble launching but recovering the boat onto the trailer is a stress point for me. Any advise would be great. ( position of trailer in water, angle of boat leading into the ramp, etc) I was thinking of adding guide ons to my tandem axle trailer, any thoughts?

 

[Mi duckdown]

Re: New Toon owner needs advice retrieving boat onto trailer

Just a learning process.
How far you put the trailer in the water when retrieveing?

 

[rrhodes]

Re: New Toon owner needs advice retrieving boat onto trailer

+100 for adding guides, they made all the difference in the world... Always back the entire trailer into the water to wet the bunks then pull back out a bit. How much depends on the angle of the ramp. I typically have about 3' - 5' of the bunks out of the water.

 

[lmuss53]

Re: New Toon owner needs advice retrieving boat onto trailer

MI is right, but you can help yourself.

Don't back the trailer in too far, I like to power up once I'm firmly on the trailer to go up against the stop. Find a depth that works for you and get a landmark on the trailer to back in to. (The fenders are out of the water by 2 inches, etc.) I do not want the current or wind to move the boat around once it is against the stop.

Find a landmark on the boat that lets you "sight" the trailer in. I know that if I line my furthest right vertical rod holder up with the outside bunk, my pontoon will go in between the bunks on the approach. Once the nose of the pontoon is trapped between the bunks I know the boat has to go on right, and I power it on.

The 2x4 bumpers that guide the boat on are hard to beat. There are a couple of guys who've posted pics before, maybe someone will post a pic of theirs.

Practice makes perfect, keep at it and before long it will be second nature.

Welcome to the 'tooning world.

 

[Sea Griffin 22]

Re: New Toon owner needs advice retrieving boat onto trailer

Thanks for the response, I normally back the trailer down until the two middle uprights are fully submerged just below the surface. There is usually around 2 ft of bunk board above the surface.

 

[lmuss53]

Re: New Toon owner needs advice retrieving boat onto trailer

Sounds like you're going in a little too deep to me. I have the vertical uprights on the back of my trailer and I leave 5 ot 6 inches of them out of the water. Rick's estimate of 3 to 5 feet of bunk out of the water is a good starting point. The angle of the ramp is an aspect to consider and all ramps will be different.

If you've got the back uprights you have half the guide ons already. Another set of uprights in the front with a carpeted 2x4 half way up the log and JUST inside the logs, run from front to rear on each side make the guide on. If you get the guide ons between the logs the boat's got nowhere to go but on the trailer.

 

[Mr Crabbs]

Re: New Toon owner needs advice retrieving boat onto trailer

Last year was our first year as boat owners. We spent some time last memorial day watching some local ramps to see how it was done. Pontoons are a little harder because of their size and profile but you'll get it.

We have a choice of 5 ramps at the closest lake. We use Wellman Meadows specifically because it is the flattest. It makes launching a tiny bit of a challenge but recovering is much easier. We never have used guides, we've never needed them but they may help you. I'm in charge of the trailer, the Admiral usually puts it on the trailer for me.

Steep ramps mean you might have to power load, people have different feelings over that.

 

[Water logged]

Re: New Toon owner needs advice retrieving boat onto trailer

If all is as it should be a photo will appear of the guides I had built or my trailer. Made loading a dream instead of a nightmare.

 

[Jeep Man]

Re: New Toon owner needs advice retrieving boat onto trailer

Inside guides were pretty much useless for me as I usually launch at a steep ramp with deep water. Powering onto the bunks is frowned upon because it causes a washout at the base of the ramps. I fabricated tall exterior guides which work well, which allows me to bring the boat all the way onto the bunks, secure the bow and drive up the ramp without trouble.

 

[lamac]

Re: New Toon owner needs advice retrieving boat onto trailer

I vote for the exterior post quides I love them for my pontoon. Its easier to see the trailer when launching and really makes it a breeze to load the boat. Welcome to pontooning.

 

[Sea Griffin 22]

Re: New Toon owner needs advice retrieving boat onto trailer

Thanks to everyone with all the advice. I just installed side guide ons. We will have to see if they work for me. Again Thanks

 

[newtoon]

Re: New Toon owner needs advice retrieving boat onto trailer

I just went through the learning curve last year with the pontoon. The guides will help. I quickly found the steeper the ramp, the easier it was to launch and load. The shallow ramps that work well with a bass boat had the bumper of my truck in the water and bottom of my logs barely wet. I leave 3-4 feet of the bunk above water and she slides off and on without a bit of trouble.

 

[floatingisboating]

Re: New Toon owner needs advice retrieving boat onto trailer

Making my own saved a lot of money

 

[tall bunks]

Re: New Toon owner needs advice retrieving boat onto trailer

Unlike the other new pontoon owner launching my 22' in a shallow water boat launch was tough. Wish I knew about the silcone spray when launching for the first time. Walking a 600 lb. Wolverine trailer into a weed filled mucky channel in cold Wisconsin lake water for retrieval will be as much a nightmare as it was for launching that took three people. I have thought about an extended receiver so my van's rear wheels don't get stuck this time. Any suggestions and experience are welcome. Bob

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: New Toon owner needs advice retrieving boat onto trailer

Inside gides work the best

 

[WaterDR]

Re: New Toon owner needs advice retrieving boat onto trailer

I have used bunk and scissor trailers. Current one is a scissor and they are MUCH easier to use, in MOST situations. The downside is that if the cranks breaks, you are hosed.

 

[Old Screwball]

Re: New Toon owner needs advice retrieving boat onto trailer

Pretty much what everyone else said. I've got the inside guides, gets kind of windy on the Colorado River, keeps the 'toon lined up. Find that depth that is just right. I pull the boat onto the bunks about 1/2 way until they bottom out, then winch it in the rest of the way. bunks and guides pretty much align the pontoons. Launching it, I back in until I see the back floating, then drive it off the trailer. Good Luck and welcome to 'tooning

 

[oldjeep]

Re: New Toon owner needs advice retrieving boat onto trailer

I have used bunk and scissor trailers. Current one is a scissor and they are MUCH easier to use, in MOST situations. The downside is that if the cranks breaks, you are hosed.

Dad has a scissor and it is nice for lining the boat up - I havn't ever had a reason to crank it down though since it loads fine in the upright position.

 

[gpfishingdude]

Re: New Toon owner needs advice retrieving boat onto trailer

The inside guides work for me on the front and middle but I had to add 4' tall guide posts on the outside to keep the back of the boat from swinging off the bunk boards. The last time I ran the boat on to the trailer my wife said I really smacked the guide post on one side and I said --Yeah but it moved the boat into place nicely, didn't it? I found that using a 6" drop down receiver on the truck really helps lower the front of the trailer and makes loading a lot easier.

 

[Bamaman1]

Re: New Toon owner needs advice retrieving boat onto trailer

#1--Try to use boat ramps that are deeper--not shallow.
#2--Find boat ramps that are in protected water--not out on big, windy lakes.
#3--Practice driving your boat on the trailer. Then do it again and again.

I have noticed at bass tournaments how efficient the fishermen are at loading their boats. It all comes from driving the boats on and off the trailers--not being bashful to really use the throttle and power trim. They only use their winches to hold the boat on the trailer--virtually never using them to pull the boat in.

And, a good set of carpeted bolster bunks is needed--either on the outside or inside of the toons. I think inside bunks are better.