Trailer Guides

[C2 RIBS]

Floatem Poles Boat trailer guide pole docking system W | eBay

Just found these whilst looking at Trailers. I have seen home made efforts that work but these do appear to be a useful guide for those that dont trailer / launch that often

[Trailer Guy]

Good bits of kit, in my opinion. Much better than Indy's prior attempts, for sure. Believe they're the ones that SBS Trailers use for their docking arm option.

[camelgas]

I have seen them in use and thought they were very good.
No way I would pay £185 , so have been wombleing bits and pieces over the winter, nearly have everything I need now to make a set .

[j.i.wilson]

The cushions can be made using big shrink wrap.

Put pipe insulation on a suitably sized tube, put shrink wrap over top and heat. Result is a very tough cover .

Available in various colours up to 3" or so.

Think I'll use yellow.

[j.i.wilson]

Shrink wrap here, not expensive.

http://www.heatshrink-online.co.uk/heatshrink/

[Peter_C]

Most every competition ski and wakeboard boat come with some kind of trailer guide, and they are welded on. They ROCK! My Nautique trailer, made by DHM, was excellent in that if you could get the bow between the guides you were on the trailer straight. Okay so it took a little more boat handling skills, but still whether the wind was howling, or launching in a river with current, they make recovery much easier. My current boat trailer doesn't have guides and I keep thinking at some point I will add some to make it easier in the surge.

I would never buy a new trailer without guide poles installed, and it has nothing to do with boat handling skills, but rather weather/water conditions. My experience launching and recovering is far more than most folks, although less than some peoples, and I still consider guides valuable. How many of you kept or keep your boat on a hoist in order to use it more? Something to be said for ease of use when you pull the boat on and off every other day.

Typically they are either carpeted bunks, a metal pole with carpet in the vertical position, or as shown in the OP's link a round 1.75" metal pole with a 2" PVC/ABS roller on it. In turn you can then put a foam cover with nylon fabric over the foam to further protect the boat. They are known to float up and off if someone drives the trailer in too deep.

I should really build a set for my boat trailer, but there are so many other projects ahead of it.

[jyasaki]

Don't need a roller. Don't need a cover if you've got rub strakes. Large holes in the top will prevent the bell jar effect and allow the tubes to be less buoyant.

Keep the metal mount short enough that the boat can't hit it if the pipe breaks. The PVC tube will afford enough flex to be somewhat forgiving if you happen to ram it, and smooth enough that you don't need it to roll as the boat slides along it. The mount is an L shaped metal piece that bolts to the trailer frame, with the upright being large enough to support the PVC without it flopping around. Mine are made of 1.5" square steel tube, about a foot and a half long on each leg, but they don't need to be that sturdy. If they're galvanised mild steel, they'll bend when you really screw up and nail them, then they can fairly easily be bent back into shape by hand (though they will rust out eventually.)

The guides come in really handy when recovering solo in heavy wind or current, holding the boat in position well enough for the self-centering action to still work. Usually, anyway.

jky