Trailoring with outboard in verticle or tilt position

[fannettx]

Which is preferred?

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Trailoring with outboard in verticle or tilt position

It doesn't matter given this proviso: If you have enough ground clearance with the engine vertical so the skeg will not contact the ground as the trailer pivots over bumps, OR if you have the correct equipment to prop the engine in a tilted position.

I have several boats and use both methods.

 

[kfa4303]

Re: Trailoring with outboard in verticle or tilt position

+1. I think it mostly depends on your rig. I think it's "best" to tilt/brace a large hp motor (+40hp) to reduce stress on the transom, particularly if you have an electric trim and tilt unit, but I only have a little 20 hp which weighs less than 100lbs and I travel on paved roads most of the time, so it's not much on an issue. I just leave it down and keep it from moving side to side. My trailer is also kind of high which keeps the skeg off the road as well. However, if you have a float on/bass boat style trailer the skeg would be closer to the ground in which case you'd certainly need to tilt any motor up and out of the way. There are several DIY "transom savers" here in the forums, which are a nice compromise.

 

[tazrig]

Re: Trailoring with outboard in verticle or tilt position

It doesn't matter given this proviso: If you have enough ground clearance with the engine vertical so the skeg will not contact the ground as the trailer pivots over bumps, OR if you have the correct equipment to prop the engine in a tilted position.

I have several boats and use both methods.

+1^^^

 

[robert graham]

Re: Trailoring with outboard in verticle or tilt position

A Transom Saver really takes care of the issue...not up and not down....just right!....

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Trailoring with outboard in verticle or tilt position

Transom saver or motor defloperizer (same thing, different terms)

 

[fannettx]

Re: Trailoring with outboard in verticle or tilt position

thanks for your input !

 

[limitout]

Re: Trailoring with outboard in verticle or tilt position

It doesn't matter given this proviso: If you have enough ground clearance with the engine vertical so the skeg will not contact the ground as the trailer pivots over bumps, OR if you have the correct equipment to prop the engine in a tilted position.

I have several boats and use both methods.

I cant say I completely agree with this unless it includes a solidly mounted transom saver to hold the motor.

a motor in the tilt position will want to bounce or rock back and forth and these forces are applying torque to the transom where a motor in the down position has a different balance point and will not be trying to rock back and forth at all.

as long as there is no clearance issue with the motor hitting the ground then the lower the motor is tilted the less it will want to try to rock back and forth on the transom when you hit bumps on the road.

now to clarify that statement, it is based on just the motor being tilted and does not take into account a transom saver being installed to reduce the motor bounce as much as possible so if you have a solidly mounted transom saver you may not get any motor bounce when hitting road bumps.

my point being is that if you are trailering with a tilted motor you need more then just the motor tilt lock to hold it from rocking back and forth, otherwise all the rocking motion forces are going to be transfered to the transome.

 

[izoomie]

Re: Trailoring with outboard in verticle or tilt position

My 90 mercury manual specifically says NOT to use the tilt lock mechanism for trailing. Have it in the down position or use a transom saver.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Trailoring with outboard in verticle or tilt position

What part of having the correct equipment to prop the engine in position did you NOT understand? If you don't read my replies correctly, of course you can't agree with them.

 

[tazrig]

Re: Trailoring with outboard in verticle or tilt position

op2:

 

[lncoop]

Re: Trailoring with outboard in verticle or tilt position

What kind of boat and motor?

 

[sublauxation]

Re: Trailoring with outboard in verticle or tilt position

Incoop, weren't you the originator of the word defloperizer?

As many have said a lot depends on ground clearance. Here's my politically correct answer: I don't like towing with mine all the way down because the wrong set of railroad tracks will be a problem. Towing with it all the way up makes it seem like a weapon if I get hit from behind by a subcompact car. Tilting it up also keeps some water in the cooling system which the DNR doesn't like due to invasive species issues. I tow with mine tilted up enough so the tracks wont get me and use a defloperizer to keep it from swinging side to side. I suppose I could bungee cord the steering wheel or bungee the outboard with a 2x4 brace but if I leave those cords laying around my kids use them as weapons.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Trailoring with outboard in verticle or tilt position

Incoop, weren't you the originator of the word defloperizer?

LOL. No, I believe Silvertip (or maybe Smokeonthewater) has that honor though I've made extensive use of it. I've taken to deploying the MD when I tow the john boat as well as the party barge. As it turns out the same one works for both. I use two cam straps, one around the trailer frame and MD and one around the MD and lower unit, since the 25 doesn't have PT&T. They lock the motor in tight regardless of the terrain.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Trailoring with outboard in verticle or tilt position

vertical is best if you have the clearance. Be sure to account for driveway humps.

If not, using the tilt latch is fine even though the manuals all say not to (just one of those overly cautious things--they also say not to work on the motor on the tilt latch). There are no known incidents of a tilt latch bending under the weight of a motor in transit.

If your transom needs saving from a tilted motor on the road, you need to fix your transom. Operating forces are way harder on it than trailering.

if you lower your motor onto the tilt latch with your PTT then it won't bounce. If you don't have PTT you can secure the motor tight against the latch with a strap.

The next best course of action, if you think your latch will mysteriously spring into action, wait for a 2" high bump and release itself just to be devilish, is to lower your motor onto a board, block of rubber, etc. up under the motor, and secure it. We used an old hammer handle. Tie it to a string so if it comes loose it won't hit the guy behind you.

Resting the motor on a block (or latch) transfers whatever motion there is to the transom and motor frame, which is designed for it. Your rear trailer strut is not. Further, the boat and motor move together but they do not move with the trailer. Thus the transom "saver" creates an unnatural twisting force at the motor's point of attachment on the tilt "hinge." And it's even sillier if you have to use one of those bent transom "savers" to reach up under the boat, which can't be strong enough to channel the forces directly to the strut--you know, that trailer part that isn't designed for such force and which is insiduously rusting out from the inside and growing weaker anyway.

The best place to put a transom saver is on the table at your next yard sale.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Trailoring with outboard in verticle or tilt position

vertical is best if you have the clearance. Be sure to account for driveway humps.

If not, using the tilt latch is fine even though the manuals all say not to (just one of those overly cautious things--they also say not to work on the motor on the tilt latch). There are no known incidents of a tilt latch bending under the weight of a motor in transit.

If your transom needs saving from a tilted motor on the road, you need to fix your transom. Operating forces are way harder on it than trailering.

if you lower your motor onto the tilt latch with your PTT then it won't bounce. If you don't have PTT you can secure the motor tight against the latch with a strap.

The next best course of action, if you think your latch will mysteriously spring into action, wait for a 2" high bump and release itself just to be devilish, is to lower your motor onto a board, block of rubber, etc. up under the motor, and secure it. We used an old hammer handle. Tie it to a string so if it comes loose it won't hit the guy behind you.

Resting the motor on a block (or latch) transfers whatever motion there is to the transom and motor frame, which is designed for it. Your rear trailer strut is not. Further, the boat and motor move together but they do not move with the trailer. Thus the transom "saver" creates an unnatural twisting force at the motor's point of attachment on the tilt "hinge." And it's even sillier if you have to use one of those bent transom "savers" to reach up under the boat, which can't be strong enough to channel the forces directly to the strut--you know, that trailer part that isn't designed for such force and which is insiduously rusting out from the inside and growing weaker anyway.

The best place to put a transom saver is on the table at your next yard sale.

One man's opinion. I used to share it until I saw and experienced too much evidence to the contrary. I've watched the transoms on brand new bass boats flex very noticeably during towing without a transom saver. The admiral has even asked me more than once "why is the back of that boat bouncing so much?". Pretty sure it wasn't because the transom was defective. I had to have the motor pod on my barge repaired two years ago, and according to the welder it was most likely because I'd been towing without a transom saver. To each his own, but I'm a believer. Worst case scenario is I spent forty bucks I didn't have to. YMMV

 

[sublauxation]

Re: Trailoring with outboard in verticle or tilt position

To the OP, if you trailer using Home Cooking's method don't forget to strap your steering wheel or run a strap across your outboard with it turned one way to keep it from swinging side to side. I used to do that but it got to be a pain.

I know no tilt lock has ever broken from trailering an outboard which makes me special as I can mail you the one from my Johnson for a couple bucks because it's no longer attached. Freak event? Who knows, but my defloperizer keeps the outboard from falling and turning and that's good enough for me.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Trailoring with outboard in verticle or tilt position

The admiral has even asked me more than once "why is the back of that boat bouncing so much?". Pretty sure it wasn't because the transom was defective. I had to have the motor pod on my barge repaired two years ago, and according to the welder it was most likely because I'd been towing without a transom saver. To each his own, but I'm a believer. Worst case scenario is I spent forty bucks I didn't have to. YMMV

Is this with your Party Barge? So do you tilt it up and then install the transom saver? Which one did you get?

 

[lncoop]

Re: Trailoring with outboard in verticle or tilt position

Is this with your Party Barge? So do you tilt it up and then install the transom saver? Which one did you get?

Yep. It was either ths one or similar. Academy - Attwood? Swivl-Eze Transom Saver Fits right over that little square thingie (technical term) on the barge trailer and the john boat trailer. On the barge, yes, I tilt the motor up, install the TS, then tilt it down onto it. Rock solid.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Trailoring with outboard in verticle or tilt position

Yep. It was either ths one or similar. Academy - Attwood? Swivl-Eze Transom Saver Fits right over that little square thingie (technical term) on the barge trailer and the john boat trailer. On the barge, yes, I tilt the motor up, install the TS, then tilt it down onto it. Rock solid.

I was reading today on a pontoon forum that had a lot of pictures of cracked aluminum transoms.

I would for sure never use the tilt lock. That is the worst of both worlds.