I’m new to boating so I watched a lot of videos on how to load a boat back onto a trailer. Your video was the most informative and the easiest to understand. Thank you so much!
Perfect.. I have had my boat for just two years and your video solved the problem I was having getting my boat on the trailer. It's no fun trying to get your boat back in line when it's stuck on a fender. Great job. thank you.
Well I guess it will go wherever you want by putting your hand at 12 but the same thing aside for putting your hand at 2:00 or 9:45. It's going to do whatever you tell it to go. But to take all of the guess work out of backing up, place your hand on the bottom of the steering wheel or at 6 o clock and move your hand left to go left or right to go right. Another big thing is don't go crazy cranking the wheel from stop to stop, little inputs is all it takes.
Followed your trailer part submersion advise. Worked quite nicely and I did not have to wade in the barely above freezing water to secure the boat to the trailer. Thanks.
As a new boat owner, I have been making this very mistake the past 6 months (backing too far into the water). Boat always loads crooked. Thank you so much!
Thanks for the video and especially your consideration of other boaters. An additional safety comment; after your final winching up onto the trailer, an additional safety chain from the winch mount to the bow eye is needed. I believe here in NC, it is a requirement. At our local ramp, saw the winch come loose as the boat / trailer was coming up the ramp. Severely damaged the motor and lower part of the transom. Had the additional chain been there it wouldn't have happened.
And normally when I am backing up I have plenty of room to "once I get close to the stopping point of backing up, I jackknife my truck slightly so now I can see those bunks with my side mirror , I use the driver side one so I jackknife that way ,(I don't have a backup camera )to pinpoint them where I want to be about the water line" not the bunks obviously on the side of the trailer but the ones you are using for lift" ... Another thing if you are not real familiar with the ramp go ahead and slight trim up a little while your coming on the trailer in case of a shallow ramp. Every thing this man said I spot on agree with and he made a really good video!
One of the better instructions on getting a boat on and off the trailer, precise and to the point without a lot of what I call 'salesman talk". That being people who just like to hear their self talking before actually getting to the point.
Now that was an informative video. Thank you. I have found the #1 mistake putting your boat in the water was. Forgetting the bottom plug. I have rescued more boats then you can imagine at the marina. And watched far too many leave the launch to start sinking 100 yards from shore. En joyed the video
A lot depends on the ramp angle. But the main thing is to have the bunkboards to guide you on the trailer. I also installed some short side guide boards to help even more, especially in windy conditions.
Going to pick up my first bass boat soon. Tracker 170. Of the many, many videos I've watched, this was the most valuable and informative I've seen. Thanks. (Wish me luck!)
Amen brother !!! I have seen SO MANY people make the mistake you talked about, backing too far in, then struggle to get the boat lined up square on the trailer (especially when it's windy)....common sense people !!!
Thanks so much for this sir! As a near future first time boat owner, loading the boat gives me the most anxiety, but after watching this I feel more confident I can do it without completely embarrassing myself. Lol
Lucky you..It was super windy today on my first solo load and i ended up sideways on my trailer bc i backed too far in the water🤦♂️ was so embarrassing
Thank you Sir,I was definitely doing it wrong an putting my trailer to deep when loading.I'm only in a John boat and could straighten the boat after I pull out and never knew what I was doing wrong, I sure wish someone would have told me this when I was loading my boat wrong at the ramp. I will practice what you showed in this video and when I'm doing it right maybe I can help someone struggling loading their boat onto the trailer. This information will definitely help if the wife an I get a bigger bass boat because I won't be able to lift and move the boat after I pull out of the water and that was what I almost always had to do with my John boat. Thanks again for sharing and helping fellow boaters to not end up on boat ramp fail videos on youtube!
@@johnbumpus7138 Because they don't know how to operate them nor do they have manners/boat ramp etiquette. They show up at boat ramps and behave like a-holes and sometimes endanger other boaters. Its similar to gun ownership, if your gonna own one know how to operate it and the rules that come with it.
@@omgdbwhatadb5586 I don’t think it has anything to do with how many times they’re able to take their boat out on the water I think it has more to do with the type of people they are I’ve owned a few different boats over the past 20 years because I have other hobbies and responsibilities I don’t get to take mine out nearly as often as I would like but that certainly doesn’t mean I should forfeit my right to own a boat
I've been doing it this way for years except I wasn't backing it all the way down first and then pulling up. No wonder I have trouble getting the boat to drive up on those dry boards. Duh! Good tip.
Thanks man..I was looking for a video like this bc it was super windy for my first lauch/load solo and I ended up sideways on my trailer in front of ppl ..had to push my boat back and try again..now ik what I did wrong..if i hadn't been so far in the water i would have had it.
you did not do anything wrong. it was the wind that fd you over. you were a little bit off and the wind then took it. next time you will have to come in at even a more perpendicular level. and yes once you get it in, having some help from the hull in holding the boat on the trailer at that point is helpful, too.
I have a small 12' aluminum boat pulled with a front wheel drive Corolla. Do you have any tips for launching or landing that? Especially on a shallow ramp where I don't desire to put my cars back end in the water?
Great info. We took our deck boat out for the first time on Lake Travis and had a hell off a time fighting the wake to drive up straight onto the trailer! I do think we probably had the trailer to far in because the boat kept slipping back. So thank you so much for the guidance. Going to practice this week when there are less people out!
there's a good video on youtube on how to pull about onto a trailer in the wind. You drive perpendicular then turn when a right angle will put you on. That way you don't drift one way. Look it up, it helped me a lot. My dad thought I was crazy. He was waving at me with a sour face, then I went right up on the trailer.
Good advice especially for a novice learning how to back in a trailer and getting it ready for someone to drive the boat onto it. Especially when you're married to them.
Here in New Zealand we are not allowed to powerload onto trailers, due to possible damage to ramp. It's much safer for new boaters as well as you have more control winching a boat on and it's probably just as quick.
I would just gauge the level of the water on my wheel fenders. For my boat, the perfect spot was with the water just below the top of the wheel fenders and my boat could be driven onto the trailer and still would grab. I would just back up and look for that. It does depend on the boat and trailer, but after a couple of times, you can determine how much to put the trailer into the water.
I wouldn’t consider myself an expert about loading/ unloading a boat.. however, a lot of people don’t realize that you don’t need the entire trailer in the water. Was just out a week ago and my buddy put most of the trailer in the water (couldn’t see any rollers). Took a minute to get it on right. Good video.
Super impressed by your multitasking with the drone etc. Also your tips on being considerate for other ramp users are much appreciated. I will say though what you’re doing is power-loading (using engine thrust to push the boat up the bunks). This erodes ramps that are hard packed soil and hastens the degradation of concrete ramp foundations. Sure it was just a little burst of throttle, but if thousands of people do the very same thing it reduces the life of the ramp and eventually folks are struggling to get their trailers level on a ramp that’s cracked or has deep gouges in it. Your trailer placement was about perfect and the concept of wetting the bunks is smart. Once the boat noses against them and rides up a bit (engine in neutral) get out and use your winch to come up the last couple feet. That’s what it’s there for.
I cover my factory bunk carpets with a layer of the "old style" grass carpet to ease loading, its slicker than the carpets from the factory these days.
yup, DON'T power load!! But he has some great pointers too, such as not moving on a ramp when others are moving (I've been guilty of this), and turn off headlights if at night, really great pointers. I dunk my bunks as well, learned this early on, and it's really helpful esp w/cranking on.
I went out with friends and family in my teens and early 20s, and would help with loading and unloading. . Bought a nice boat 2 years ago at 48. Have been struggling with this... Also when the current is strong, it is more difficult and I have been backing down too far. THANKS for the tips.
Thank You Thank You Thank You. It is very frustrating having to wait on someone who has no clue what they are doing. Also Boat ramp etiquette is something that should be taught with Every boat purchase. Maybe you could do a video on that also.
i wanted to learn to back my trailer with my side mirrors so i practiced when i would take the boat back to the storage yard backing it into the spot learned how to do it and now i have no problem makes it so much easier because we have a tonneau cover on the back and the new truck is harder to twist around to see out the back window
Several ramps don’t allow power loading because it deteriorates the ramps and leaves big holes for others to back in . I’d be using a safety chain also in case the strap or winch fails.
Decent video. FYI - Before you have a fail and ding up the bow of your boat, you need to fix your bow stop. Looks like the bolt gave way and the roller is leaning.
I worked for the dnr maintaining boat ramps. Power loading with the motor down males and big hole. That makes it harder on people loading their boat. Doesn't take much to trim up.
The boat needs those guides to line up! It took me one season to master that. If the trailer is too deep the boat floats all over the place. Just makes it harder to line up. Great video.
Could you please make a boat launch video and explain that you need to load the coolers, unhook the boat buckles, put the plug in BEFORE you back on the ramp. It ain't going to fall off backing down the ramp. And I don't have to wait 20 minutes to get my boat in the water.
I know it’s an older video but as a new boat owner found this useful. Been putting my trailer to far into water. Also what’s the vertical rod holder you have in your boat
I've been told by a few pros that transom savers transmit trailer road shock (pot holes ,bumps etc.) directly to the lower unit. So the more weight on the transom saver, the greater the shock. I use the rubber pucks myself.
I'm brand new just got my first 89 basstracker 60hp I found this to be a great video..I enjoy the edicate at the beginning as well...they seemed common sense but just great overall pointers.. thank you "tight lines"
nothing wrong with being new and learning....and maybe taking longer time, its the ones who dont care and are not looking to improve and learn more are the real problems
I have a single axle trailer and I back it down until the tops of the fenders are barely out of the water. It works great almost every time. The same placement worked on the other two boat trailers I had. There's a sweet spot for sure on every trailer, once you find it make a visual mark of the waterline somewhere on the trailer, mine is the fenders.
Yes, every boat, trailer and ramp is a little different but the big picture lesson is not to back your back truck tires in the water and expect to not have issues.
10000% agree. MOST people put trailer too deep and don’t dunk and bring back up to wet the bunks. Power loading is not recommended but I do it too on high quality ramps only. Seen people toast motors sucking up debris too many times.
@kvandy5989 yeah . As a matter of fact Ihave. Like I said not on good ramps in clean water/no mud. But I have duck hunted for a LONG time and seen it multiple times. So don’t try to tell me what I have and haven’t seen. Normally it just clogged up the water pump and if you pay any attention you notice the telltale isnt working. But there are some particularly guys in the dark and distracted that aren’t paying good attention trying to race other dudes to their spot and mess stuff up because of it.
Last time we loaded I had it too far down in the water and it was windy. We were having a Hell of a time getting in on until I realized I pulled it too far into the water. Lesson learned. Hopefully this video will help people from making the same mistake.
For years...as a benchmark backing down my trailer...I would put my rear tires just at the water's edge...trailer was perfect...truck was perfect...raise engine...tie up the boat...piece of chocolate cake! Never had any failure.
When you're doing this by yourself you left out the part where that jerk that every boat ramp seems to have yelling hey, sometime today? do you need help or what. Even had one guy jump in my truck and start pulling me up the ramp before I could get out of the boat (had to make a court appearance for that one) other than that good advice. I always tell people watch how other people do it you'll see the difference between the right way and the wrong way. Video shows that pretty well.
I tend to stay out of trouble with the loud mouths at the launch. Usually i'll have some comeback relating to them having a hot date in the lake somewhere. But I took my buddy out once and was showing him the ropes, he is a bit more of a hot head than me. Because I was showing my buddy how to perform all this (I am pretty quick just on my own and my buddy wasn't slowing me down much), some dude was getting all antsy and yelled at us to hurry up. My buddy fired back with "Your mom asked me to give her a little extra time to get ready so just sit your ass there and wait". Dude got a little more than mad.
Great video and I agree 100%, if you can’t back up a trailer that’s a different story!!! You missed the part when you slip and bust your rear on the algae on the ramp, I see that one all the time.
A handy way to gauge how far back to go is how much of your fenders on the trailer you can see. For my boat, if I can see the top 3-4" of the fenders, it's just about right.
For me it’s where the front park of the bunks or set of rollers are still out. That way your can still reverse the boat off the trailer but don’t have other peoples wake affecting you. The trailer fenders are a good easy sign too!
A general observation I've made after watching many hours of boat-ramp videos is that backing into the water until the top of the forward trailer wheel-fenders are even with the surface of the water seems to be a useful mark of how far to back down into the water. My new boat has rollers instead of bunk-boards and I'm really curious to see what difference that'll make.
Great info. You mentioned that you may need to adjust the depth of your trailer depending on the steepness of the ramp. I would add that you may need to be deeper or shallower depending on the weight of your boat as well. Error on the side of too shallow. You will learn just the right depth with practice as you get to know your rig. Pro tip...mentioned in video...back in deep enough to wet the full length of bunks then pull back up to the appropriate depth. MOST trouble while loading happens because trailer is too deep!
That is a pretty good tip on not putting the trailer too far in. To be honest I really don't know how far I put my trailer in. I use my mirror and when I see a certain spot on the trailer that's when I stop. I do remember one time after loading the trailer I'm pulling off the ramp that the boat was not completely straight. It was so busy at the ramp that day that I could not go back into the water to center it perfect. So all I did was when I came home was to take a block of wood and a floor jack and move it over a couple inches. After that incident I pull partly up the ramp check the position and pull it the rest away out if it looks good. Great advice thanks for sharing.
Good advise about wetting the bunks and not putting the trailer too deep in the water at the ramp. These are the tricks that make it safe and easy to load a boat on a trailer. Thanks, PW
I prefer to do it myself, that way nothing gets forgotten, I've made rookie mistakes twice, both when I had others "helping" me, once unloading I forgot the plug, the second, I forgot to trim all the way up and drug my skeg through the sand for about 10 feet. Thank goodness it was a sand loading area or it could have been a mess. When I do it myself, I have my mental checklist I got through in my routine, and no problems. As soon as there is someone there trying to help, I lose my focus and forget something. Most of this I can attribute to my ADHD...LOL!!!
I see this every weekend everything you said I see people do and they seem amazed at how quickly I get out or launched by myself. Some don't get ready to go until they are on the ramp then its 20 min wait somedays it's an hour cause people have trouble getting on the trailer. Great video more need to watch this
Nice job explaining but I would like to see loading boat when conditions are not so perfect busy windy etc maybe you could show how to in bad conditions thanks .
In 100% agreement that the #1 mistake I see made when trailering a boat is the trailer being too far in the water. And the #2 mistake is forgetting to trim the motor up. I’ve seen many times where #2 has resulted in the skag dragging so hard that it drags the boat off the trailer on to the ramp.
Sounds like their number to mistake was not attaching their chain or their winch because how would dragging your Scag pull you off of the trailer if you had everything connected
I saw that your backup camera put a square outline around your boat and trailer as you backed up . Is that a camera that came with your truck or was it an add on ? Plus home much of your bunks are under water ? Do you put any liquid rollers on your bunks . Great video , best one on utube ! Thanks
I tell customers (we sell/manufacture boat trailers) that you should have power on lightly if you trailer in in the water the right distance. I couldn’t decide between a roller or bunk trailer for my new fishing boat. I have both deep and shallow ramps since I fish a variety of lakes. I ended up going with a 4-bunk trailer but I spray the bunks down with silicone at the beginning of each season. Seems to be working pretty well even on the shallow ramps.
Thanks for the info... well done, the drone footage helped tremendously, not enough experts share the VERY BASIC INFO like you do.... as if everyone should just know, well if you've never seen it or been taught ? how are you supposed to know ? WAAAAAAY to many "arrogant experts". THANK YOU FOR NOT BEING ONE of those !! Nick
Should I make a boat ramp fails video?
Can you please make a video using the solix
Yeah, that would be good.
Timothy Mcvay lots of videos I’ve posted already
Hell yes! And make sure to put staging at the boat ramp part of the fails! That's the worst!!!
Make a loading video in high wind conditions please. thanks
Great video, thank you for the no nonsense, no over production and senseless dramatic filler. This is how you make an educational video folks.
Thanks
And there was no terrible awful music 👍
I’m new to boating so I watched a lot of videos on how to load a boat back onto a trailer. Your video was the most informative and the easiest to understand. Thank you so much!
Glad it was helpful!
Perfect.. I have had my boat for just two years and your video solved the problem I was having getting my boat on the trailer. It's no fun trying to get your boat back in line when it's stuck on a fender. Great job. thank you.
Good job multitasking. Filming, backing, loading, droning, talking. You da man! :)
I wish everyone with a boat would watch this. Thank you!
LOL.. me too!
should be law to actually demonstrate like car licence....cant pass, no boating licence
This process seems logical but the use of common sense might be used; in ideal conditions.
@@fike301 The driver's license does not say the driver can drive. It allows the driver to operate the vehicle they are in.
Great video. When you are learning from trial and error, it’s nice to get some wisdom from others. Saves a lot of years of doing it wrong. Thanks!
Thanks
Excellent video about putting boat on trailer correctly at launch ramp. DO NOT put trailer in too deep as you covered several times! Good job.
Well I guess it will go wherever you want by putting your hand at 12 but the same thing aside for putting your hand at 2:00 or 9:45. It's going to do whatever you tell it to go. But to take all of the guess work out of backing up, place your hand on the bottom of the steering wheel or at 6 o clock and move your hand left to go left or right to go right. Another big thing is don't go crazy cranking the wheel from stop to stop, little inputs is all it takes.
Thanks
If you have to deal with tides and wind, getting your boat straight on the trailer is a lot more complicated.
Followed your trailer part submersion advise. Worked quite nicely and I did not have to wade in the barely above freezing water to secure the boat to the trailer. Thanks.
As a new boat owner, I have been making this very mistake the past 6 months (backing too far into the water). Boat always loads crooked. Thank you so much!
Awesome. Thanks!
That’s why you need alignment rods on the back of your trailer so that you won’t be pulling your boat out of the water crooked
Great video, thank you so much. Going to start practicing this week
Thanks for the video and especially your consideration of other boaters. An additional safety comment; after your final winching up onto the trailer, an additional safety chain from the winch mount to the bow eye is needed. I believe here in NC, it is a requirement. At our local ramp, saw the winch come loose as the boat / trailer was coming up the ramp. Severely damaged the motor and lower part of the transom. Had the additional chain been there it wouldn't have happened.
Thanks for this. As a first time boat owner, loading is the one thing I am still struggling with. My bunks are clearly too far in the water.
And normally when I am backing up I have plenty of room to "once I get close to the stopping point of backing up, I jackknife my truck slightly so now I can see those bunks with my side mirror , I use the driver side one so I jackknife that way ,(I don't have a backup camera )to pinpoint them where I want to be about the water line" not the bunks obviously on the side of the trailer but the ones you are using for lift" ... Another thing if you are not real familiar with the ramp go ahead and slight trim up a little while your coming on the trailer in case of a shallow ramp. Every thing this man said I spot on agree with and he made a really good video!
One of the better instructions on getting a boat on and off the trailer, precise and to the point without a lot of what I call 'salesman talk". That being people who just like to hear their self talking before actually getting to the point.
Thanks
Now that was an informative video. Thank you. I have found the #1 mistake putting your boat in the water was. Forgetting the bottom plug. I have rescued more boats then you can imagine at the marina. And watched far too many leave the launch to start sinking 100 yards from shore. En joyed the video
A lot depends on the ramp angle.
But the main thing is to have the bunkboards to guide you on the trailer.
I also installed some short side guide boards to help even more, especially in windy conditions.
Thank you that was very helpful for me and ready to give it a shot next time I take my boat out
Going to pick up my first bass boat soon. Tracker 170. Of the many, many videos I've watched, this was the most valuable and informative I've seen. Thanks. (Wish me luck!)
Amen brother !!! I have seen SO MANY people make the mistake you talked about, backing too far in, then struggle to get the boat lined up square on the trailer (especially when it's windy)....common sense people !!!
Yes, it's a major issue.
Thanks so much for this sir! As a near future first time boat owner, loading the boat gives me the most anxiety, but after watching this I feel more confident I can do it without completely embarrassing myself. Lol
Thanks
Lucky you..It was super windy today on my first solo load and i ended up sideways on my trailer bc i backed too far in the water🤦♂️ was so embarrassing
@@Riddlemethisgaming everyone has to start somewhere, so it's just a learning experience to do better the next time.
Thank you Sir,I was definitely doing it wrong an putting my trailer to deep when loading.I'm only in a John boat and could straighten the boat after I pull out and never knew what I was doing wrong, I sure wish someone would have told me this when I was loading my boat wrong at the ramp. I will practice what you showed in this video and when I'm doing it right maybe I can help someone struggling loading their boat onto the trailer. This information will definitely help if the wife an I get a bigger bass boat because I won't be able to lift and move the boat after I pull out of the water and that was what I almost always had to do with my John boat. Thanks again for sharing and helping fellow boaters to not end up on boat ramp fail videos on youtube!
Thanks
The folks at that Florida boat ramp need to watch this. Great video.
Our ramps have tidal currents. If you line up like he did you're going to miss by 10 feet.
Theres alot of boat owners in Florida that hit the water 2, maybe 3 times a year. They should never own a boat in the first place.
@@omgdbwhatadb5586 Why should not being able to use your boat as often as you would like preclude you from boat ownership?
@@johnbumpus7138
Because they don't know how to operate them nor do they have manners/boat ramp etiquette. They show up at boat ramps and behave like a-holes and sometimes endanger other boaters.
Its similar to gun ownership, if your gonna own one know how to operate it and the rules that come with it.
@@omgdbwhatadb5586 I don’t think it has anything to do with how many times they’re able to take their boat out on the water I think it has more to do with the type of people they are I’ve owned a few different boats over the past 20 years because I have other hobbies and responsibilities I don’t get to take mine out nearly as often as I would like but that certainly doesn’t mean I should forfeit my right to own a boat
I've been doing it this way for years except I wasn't backing it all the way down first and then pulling up. No wonder I have trouble getting the boat to drive up on those dry boards. Duh! Good tip.
You'll be amazed how much it helps
great point, I wasn't doing that either
Thanks man..I was looking for a video like this bc it was super windy for my first lauch/load solo and I ended up sideways on my trailer in front of ppl ..had to push my boat back and try again..now ik what I did wrong..if i hadn't been so far in the water i would have had it.
Glad I could help
you did not do anything wrong. it was the wind that fd you over. you were a little bit off and the wind then took it. next time you will have to come in at even a more perpendicular level. and yes once you get it in, having some help from the hull in holding the boat on the trailer at that point is helpful, too.
I have a small 12' aluminum boat pulled with a front wheel drive Corolla. Do you have any tips for launching or landing that? Especially on a shallow ramp where I don't desire to put my cars back end in the water?
Great instructions for loading a boat. Just got a new one and loading is always a headache for me
Great info. We took our deck boat out for the first time on Lake Travis and had a hell off a time fighting the wake to drive up straight onto the trailer! I do think we probably had the trailer to far in because the boat kept slipping back. So thank you so much for the guidance. Going to practice this week when there are less people out!
there's a good video on youtube on how to pull about onto a trailer in the wind. You drive perpendicular then turn when a right angle will put you on. That way you don't drift one way. Look it up, it helped me a lot. My dad thought I was crazy. He was waving at me with a sour face, then I went right up on the trailer.
Good advice especially for a novice learning how to back in a trailer and getting it ready for someone to drive the boat onto it. Especially when you're married to them.
Be sure they allow power loading.. some places don't.. if they don't, it's no big deal to winch the last 2 ft. of the boat up.
You made it real simple and to the point with no bullshit! Thank you
Thanks
Here in New Zealand we are not allowed to powerload onto trailers, due to possible damage to ramp.
It's much safer for new boaters as well as you have more control winching a boat on and it's probably just as quick.
I would just gauge the level of the water on my wheel fenders. For my boat, the perfect spot was with the water just below the top of the wheel fenders and my boat could be driven onto the trailer and still would grab. I would just back up and look for that. It does depend on the boat and trailer, but after a couple of times, you can determine how much to put the trailer into the water.
Thanks that’s exactly what I’ve been looking for im a kind of new on this
Awesome!
Thanks so much. As a new boat owner I found your video informative and a great review for me as I am bringing my boat in tomorrow. Thanks again.
I wouldn’t consider myself an expert about loading/ unloading a boat.. however, a lot of people don’t realize that you don’t need the entire trailer in the water. Was just out a week ago and my buddy put most of the trailer in the water (couldn’t see any rollers). Took a minute to get it on right. Good video.
Thanks
I've watched this video a few times and just realized this is my home marina, Lakeview!
lol
Super impressed by your multitasking with the drone etc. Also your tips on being considerate for other ramp users are much appreciated. I will say though what you’re doing is power-loading (using engine thrust to push the boat up the bunks). This erodes ramps that are hard packed soil and hastens the degradation of concrete ramp foundations. Sure it was just a little burst of throttle, but if thousands of people do the very same thing it reduces the life of the ramp and eventually folks are struggling to get their trailers level on a ramp that’s cracked or has deep gouges in it. Your trailer placement was about perfect and the concept of wetting the bunks is smart. Once the boat noses against them and rides up a bit (engine in neutral) get out and use your winch to come up the last couple feet. That’s what it’s there for.
I cover my factory bunk carpets with a layer of the "old style" grass carpet to ease loading, its slicker than the carpets from the factory these days.
@@richerwin6397 smart!
yup, DON'T power load!! But he has some great pointers too, such as not moving on a ramp when others are moving (I've been guilty of this), and turn off headlights if at night, really great pointers. I dunk my bunks as well, learned this early on, and it's really helpful esp w/cranking on.
Never thought of getting the boards wet the pull back out a bit, great idea thanks for the video
I went out with friends and family in my teens and early 20s, and would help with loading and unloading. . Bought a nice boat 2 years ago at 48. Have been struggling with this... Also when the current is strong, it is more difficult and I have been backing down too far. THANKS for the tips.
Great video! I’ve also learned if I look where I want to go, when loading, that’s where I’ll go!
Thank You Thank You Thank You. It is very frustrating having to wait on someone who has no clue what they are doing. Also Boat ramp etiquette is something that should be taught with Every boat purchase. Maybe you could do a video on that also.
Good idea!
i wanted to learn to back my trailer with my side mirrors so i practiced when i would take the boat back to the storage yard backing it into the spot learned how to do it and now i have no problem makes it so much easier because we have a tonneau cover on the back and the new truck is harder to twist around to see out the back window
Several ramps don’t allow power loading because it deteriorates the ramps and leaves big holes for others to back in . I’d be using a safety chain also in case the strap or winch fails.
Not to mention the huge hump to wreck your prop on right behind the hole.
Agree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tack a layer of the old style grass carpet on top off your factory carpet, you can "high idle" onto a trailer with that.
They should ban it to keep all the idiots from powering into the dock etc. Already!
LOL LOLOLOL 🤣😂
Decent video. FYI - Before you have a fail and ding up the bow of your boat, you need to fix your bow stop. Looks like the bolt gave way and the roller is leaning.
Thanks. I needed this video. Now do one on how to hit it straight. I have the worst time drifting sideways before hitting the trailer. I’m a beginner.
Yes sir it shows that you’ve done it once or twice before everything in line good job thanks for the video
Thanks
This helped a lot, especially how much to back in the trailer so I can put it on the trailer.
I worked for the dnr maintaining boat ramps. Power loading with the motor down males and big hole. That makes it harder on people loading their boat. Doesn't take much to trim up.
The boat ramp extends about 30 feet from where my motor is. All good.
Aiming at the Ford emblem was such a good tip idk how I never thought of aiming at that rather than struggling to aim at the tip of the trailer
That's what Chevy guys do, aim at the Ford emblem, lol. Just kidding. Great video. Thanks
Thanks, your video helped me a lot with loading my boat!
The boat needs those guides to line up! It took me one season to master that. If the trailer is too deep the boat floats all over the place. Just makes it harder to line up. Great video.
You’re a pro man. Flawless. One day I’ll hopefully reach your level
Thank you so much for this video as we are new to boating and can use all the tips we can get.
Awesome! Thanks.
Could you please make a boat launch video and explain that you need to load the coolers, unhook the boat buckles, put the plug in BEFORE you back on the ramp. It ain't going to fall off backing down the ramp. And I don't have to wait 20 minutes to get my boat in the water.
I'll try!
Amen!!!
I know it’s an older video but as a new boat owner found this useful. Been putting my trailer to far into water. Also what’s the vertical rod holder you have in your boat
I've been told by a few pros that transom savers transmit trailer road shock (pot holes ,bumps etc.) directly to the lower unit. So the more weight on the transom saver, the greater the shock. I use the rubber pucks myself.
Every boat manufacturer I’ve ever spoken to says use them!
Nice, I will be doing it for the first time in my life this thanksgiving day... some great tips right there
Good luck!
I'm brand new just got my first 89 basstracker 60hp I found this to be a great video..I enjoy the edicate at the beginning as well...they seemed common sense but just great overall pointers.. thank you "tight lines"
nothing wrong with being new and learning....and maybe taking longer time, its the ones who dont care and are not looking to improve and learn more are the real problems
great help video,thanks for posting
I have a single axle trailer and I back it down until the tops of the fenders are barely out of the water. It works great almost every time. The same placement worked on the other two boat trailers I had. There's a sweet spot for sure on every trailer, once you find it make a visual mark of the waterline somewhere on the trailer, mine is the fenders.
Yes, every boat, trailer and ramp is a little different but the big picture lesson is not to back your back truck tires in the water and expect to not have issues.
Same for me.
Just bought my first boat, usually use my canoe. Thanks for the good pointers.
Thanks ..good advice especially going solo .. I am starting up again and needed to see this before 1st outing
You got this!
Great Job, easy as pie! Thank You!
Thanks
10000% agree. MOST people put trailer too deep and don’t dunk and bring back up to wet the bunks. Power loading is not recommended but I do it too on high quality ramps only. Seen people toast motors sucking up debris too many times.
@kvandy5989 yeah . As a matter of fact Ihave. Like I said not on good ramps in clean water/no mud. But I have duck hunted for a LONG time and seen it multiple times. So don’t try to tell me what I have and haven’t seen. Normally it just clogged up the water pump and if you pay any attention you notice the telltale isnt working. But there are some particularly guys in the dark and distracted that aren’t paying good attention trying to race other dudes to their spot and mess stuff up because of it.
Last time we loaded I had it too far down in the water and it was windy. We were having a Hell of a time getting in on until I realized I pulled it too far into the water. Lesson learned. Hopefully this video will help people from making the same mistake.
For years...as a benchmark backing down my trailer...I would put my rear tires just at the water's edge...trailer was perfect...truck was perfect...raise engine...tie up the boat...piece of chocolate cake! Never had any failure.
Very nice instructional video. I know exactly where this ramp is located and have used it many times. I need to schedule a trip with you!
When you're doing this by yourself you left out the part where that jerk that every boat ramp seems to have yelling hey, sometime today? do you need help or what. Even had one guy jump in my truck and start pulling me up the ramp before I could get out of the boat (had to make a court appearance for that one) other than that good advice. I always tell people watch how other people do it you'll see the difference between the right way and the wrong way. Video shows that pretty well.
LOL
I tend to stay out of trouble with the loud mouths at the launch. Usually i'll have some comeback relating to them having a hot date in the lake somewhere. But I took my buddy out once and was showing him the ropes, he is a bit more of a hot head than me. Because I was showing my buddy how to perform all this (I am pretty quick just on my own and my buddy wasn't slowing me down much), some dude was getting all antsy and yelled at us to hurry up. My buddy fired back with "Your mom asked me to give her a little extra time to get ready so just sit your ass there and wait". Dude got a little more than mad.
Oh wow, not surprising you got a court case over some jackass jumping in your truck without being asked to do so. I’d lose my mind for sure too! Lol
Great video and I agree 100%, if you can’t back up a trailer that’s a different story!!!
You missed the part when you slip and bust your rear on the algae on the ramp, I see that one all the time.
Great video, thank you Captain!
A handy way to gauge how far back to go is how much of your fenders on the trailer you can see. For my boat, if I can see the top 3-4" of the fenders, it's just about right.
For me it’s where the front park of the bunks or set of rollers are still out. That way your can still reverse the boat off the trailer but don’t have other peoples wake affecting you. The trailer fenders are a good easy sign too!
@@alexpapathomas6814 Yep -- it's all about getting enough practice with your particular boat and trailer. Safe boating to you!
this should be mandatory watching for many boat owners.
LOL
A general observation I've made after watching many hours of boat-ramp videos is that backing into the water until the top of the forward trailer wheel-fenders are even with the surface of the water seems to be a useful mark of how far to back down into the water. My new boat has rollers instead of bunk-boards and I'm really curious to see what difference that'll make.
That’s going to be way too deep for many boats. Every boat and trailer is different.
Wish this video was around when I started. Figured it out on my own but they need to put this video on boaters ed!!
Thanks
I notice you're at Lakeview Marina at Eagle Mountain Lake. Wish all the boat launches were as nice as this one!
Great info. You mentioned that you may need to adjust the depth of your trailer depending on the steepness of the ramp. I would add that you may need to be deeper or shallower depending on the weight of your boat as well. Error on the side of too shallow. You will learn just the right depth with practice as you get to know your rig. Pro tip...mentioned in video...back in deep enough to wet the full length of bunks then pull back up to the appropriate depth. MOST trouble while loading happens because trailer is too deep!
Correct
It surprises me how many people don't know how to back up a trailer. I wish I could share this video with every person I see at the ramps.
I wish I had seen a video like this year's ago . I have always struggled with loading. Thanks.
Glad to help
Chad, you did an excellent job of explaining on how to properly trailer a boat!
Thanks!
That is a pretty good tip on not putting the trailer too far in. To be honest I really don't know how far I put my trailer in. I use my mirror and when I see a certain spot on the trailer that's when I stop. I do remember one time after loading the trailer I'm pulling off the ramp that the boat was not completely straight. It was so busy at the ramp that day that I could not go back into the water to center it perfect. So all I did was when I came home was to take a block of wood and a floor jack and move it over a couple inches. After that incident I pull partly up the ramp check the position and pull it the rest away out if it looks good.
Great advice thanks for sharing.
Thanks
Great tip on getting the bump boards wet first . Thanks
Thanksn
Great video! The drone shots were a nice touch.
You’re a badass for using a drone WHILE trailering and instructing. Well done.
Please do a video in high winds (but don’t worry about the drone).
LOL Thanks
Excellent instructions. Thanks Chad, liked and subscribed!
Can you do the same method with a 23 foot 2 axle trailer??? Im new to this and appreciate the guidance.
Good advise about wetting the bunks and not putting the trailer too deep in the water at the ramp. These are the tricks that make it safe and easy to load a boat on a trailer. Thanks, PW
I have loaded my boat countless times alone but it’s much easier with a second person. Thanks for the vid. Good tips.
I prefer to do it myself, that way nothing gets forgotten, I've made rookie mistakes twice, both when I had others "helping" me, once unloading I forgot the plug, the second, I forgot to trim all the way up and drug my skeg through the sand for about 10 feet. Thank goodness it was a sand loading area or it could have been a mess. When I do it myself, I have my mental checklist I got through in my routine, and no problems. As soon as there is someone there trying to help, I lose my focus and forget something. Most of this I can attribute to my ADHD...LOL!!!
I prefer to not have anyone helping. I can do it three times faster solo.
I see this every weekend everything you said I see people do and they seem amazed at how quickly I get out or launched by myself. Some don't get ready to go until they are on the ramp then its 20 min wait somedays it's an hour cause people have trouble getting on the trailer. Great video more need to watch this
LOL
Nice job explaining but I would like to see loading boat when conditions are not so perfect busy windy etc maybe you could show how to in bad conditions thanks .
Same process
Thanks good info. What rod holder are you using up front?
thanks chad,im new to boating and ill practice your advice.
Thanks
I have been sitting here thinking of a creative way to say what a nice quality boat ya got there... Seriously tho Props!
Lol thanks. I’m blessed more than I should be!
That’s a beauty, truck too.
Thank you for the video. I made this mistake last week. Any special tips for loading a boat in a strong current?
Be quick and deliberate!
In 100% agreement that the #1 mistake I see made when trailering a boat is the trailer being too far in the water. And the #2 mistake is forgetting to trim the motor up. I’ve seen many times where #2 has resulted in the skag dragging so hard that it drags the boat off the trailer on to the ramp.
Sounds like their number to mistake was not attaching their chain or their winch because how would dragging your Scag pull you off of the trailer if you had everything connected
I saw that your backup camera put a square outline around your boat and trailer as you backed up . Is that a camera that came with your truck or was it an add on ? Plus home much of your bunks are under water ? Do you put any liquid rollers on your bunks . Great video , best one on utube ! Thanks
I tell customers (we sell/manufacture boat trailers) that you should have power on lightly if you trailer in in the water the right distance. I couldn’t decide between a roller or bunk trailer for my new fishing boat. I have both deep and shallow ramps since I fish a variety of lakes. I ended up going with a 4-bunk trailer but I spray the bunks down with silicone at the beginning of each season. Seems to be working pretty well even on the shallow ramps.
Pledge furniture polish is cheaper and works better. Spray it on and let it dry.
Exactly my problem. Back end is floating off.
I'll back it in to get it wet but bring it back out a bit before I load. Thanks!
Thanks for the info... well done, the drone footage helped tremendously, not enough experts share the VERY BASIC INFO like you do.... as if everyone should just know, well if you've never seen it or been taught ? how are you supposed to know ? WAAAAAAY to many "arrogant experts". THANK YOU FOR NOT BEING ONE of those !! Nick