bunk trailer powerloading

[irishwalleye]

with all the boat landing talk will someone please tell me an easier way to powerload on a bunk trailer. this is my first year without rollers and having a heck of a time.

[toddb]

I think the key is getting the trailer just right in the water. This can be tricky sometimes due to the difference in angle of some ramps. I have found if you are in too deep usually you will have problems. On my setup which is a 20' Triton, the front of the front bunks are usually out of the water about a foot or two. Motor up onto trailer slowly if you can, and as straight as possible. The boat will settle into position on the bunks. Look over both sides of the boat to see if you are centered and if you are, then you can give a little until your boat comes up to the front roller. If you are off a little, steer to correct and just bump the throttle some and it should push you a little in the right direction. It always helps when you first back in to get your bunks completely wet before you start the process. It especially helps when the landing is shallow and you have to winch the boat onto the trailer. Practice makes perfect! Hope this helps.

later,

toddb

[PierBridge]

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[LMITOUT]

toddb summed it up and I do pretty much the same. I back in to get the bunks wet and then pull out just so that the middle two bunks have about 6"-12" exposed. Seems to be working so far. Bunks will self-center your boat fairly well and if you're a tad off a steering correction with a touch of throttle will put you right down in the cradle easily. They beat the pants off a roller trailer if you have any sort of side wind or current to fight when loading since the bunks will pretty much "suck" you into the center of the trailer.

[use2bwalleyefanatic]

I can't see my bunks when I back up but I usually look at the wheelwells. I'll stop the trailer when the the top inch or two of the wheelwell is still out of the water. This of course depends on how steep the launch is. I do like the idea about backing all the way down to get the bunks completely wet, will definitely try that this weekend.

[mnfishman]

As you start doing this more you will eventually figure out how much of your trailer needs to be out of the water to successfully load your boat. My first year I owned my Javelin I spent a lot of time at an empty landing loading and unloading the boat. I finally figured out that if I have about 12" of the front boards sticking out or the top front 6" of the fenders (tandem trailer) sticking out of the water it loads the best. But you have to remember that if you are at a steeper landing or shallow landing it all changes. As a rule though 12" out on the bunks is pretty much always going to work.

In windy conditions it may require that you pull the trailer further out of the water so that you can be more stable when loading.

[Lund4Fish]

I had the same problem after having roller trailers for 15 years, I hated my new bunk trailer that I bought with the new boat last year. However like stated in the other replys, once I learned the "sweet spot" for loading it, it loads like a charm. I also added the EZ-Loader bunk "skids" or whatever there called. They are hard rubber and the boat slides a whole lot easier on them than the carpeted bunks, so it comes off easier and goes on easier, but the key is definitely in getting it at just the right depth in the water and it doesn't take being off by much either way to mess it up.

[knoppers]

for unloading, my wheel wells have to be underwater by about a inch or more. for loading, it has a lot to do with the angle of the ramp. most times the very tops of my bunks must be at the level of the water. unless its a steep launch, then they have to be underwater. practice makes it more easy. the more you do it, the better you become at knowing how and where.