Boatmate Trailer Question

[SupraTamu]

I have a 2008 24 SSV Ggravity Games Edition boat with a Boatmate trailer. I bought the boat new last memorial weekend and last summer only got out on it twice due to the lake level being so low and no boat ramps were open on Lake Travis. We went out this past saturday and run into an issue loading the boat on the trailer each time and not sure if doing something wrong or not. When loading the boat on the trailer the nose of the boat never wants to come above the boat buddy catch you have to have two people lift the nose up and have another one winch it up to get the boat loaded. The trailer is as deep as I can go without submerging the exhaust on my SUV. Am I doing something wrong? Are the bunk boards set too low? Is there a roller that I could attach? I am an experienced boater and have owned many boats and never experienced this problem before. Any advice would be appreciated.

[tg0824SSVGG]

Tamu,

My experience with my exact same boat and boat buddy - is that you are TOO deep.

Whenever the nose is below the buddy, I pull FORWARD on the ramp to resolve it.

[iwakeboard]

tg is correct.

I have the same boat with the same boat buddy and you can either lower it so low that you can float it into the boat buddy or you can lower it just enough so as to bring the nose up when it hits the bunks. I have been debating on the best way to do it this season. Traditionally what I do is dunk the bunkers to soak them then I pull the trailer up to where the front of the fender is sitting at water level then I pull the boat on. I have to use a little speed at the ramp I use because otherwise it'll get stuck halfway and you have to try again or winch it (which is nearly impossible given our boats weight). I've also tried to lwoer it where I can float it to the boat buddy and pull out slow but I have a mid-truck exhaust so I don't run into your problem, and at the point where you can do this my guide pole covers have come off before. The dunk then pull forward method seems to be the best way to load them.

[KY Steve]

My experience with my exact same boat and boat buddy - is that you are TOO deep.

BINGO!

I keep the front of the fender out of the water about 4"-6". It looks as though the trailer is not in far enough but it is, just drive the boat on it.

[Matt Laird]

I have the same boat, year older, I took my boat buddy and threw it in the trash, I just installed a bow roller & retractable rear tie downs... Call Jerry Jones @ Boatmate thats his recomendation(atleast it was to me).. Cost me about $30 for the roller, Havent had an oz of problems since

[tg0824SSVGG]

I see the argument about tossing the boat buddy all the time. I still like mine, you just
have to learn how to use it.

[iwakeboard]

I see the argument about tossing the boat buddy all the time. I still like mine, you just
have to learn how to use it.

I really like the idea behind the BoatBuddy, but I can't get it to work consistently. When I attended UT we had a Mastercraft X7 with it and it worked maybe half the time. With my 24SSV I've had it work twice, once being the first time I took it out and the second time being one of the most recent times I took it out. It just wont trigger. I'll still use the pin, and slide it in because it's nice assurance, but it won't engage itself.

[jzelt]

We put the trailer in with 2-3 inches of the front fender out of the water. We also fill the rear ballast tanks and only have the driver in the boat. They then drive it onto the trailer keeping a pretty good pace to keep the boat moving up the bunks. Then we pull the rig out of the way while the tanks are draining.

I like the theory behind the boat buddy, but it is junk. When it goes or I am tired of it, I will go with a roller.
The pin is bent and I don't trust it anyways. I always lock the strap and chain onto the hook after it is on the trailer before getting out of the water.

[SupraTamu]

I appreciate all the feedback. I will take it to the ramp this week and practice some different levels but I will probably go ahead and call Jerry Jones at Boat mate and put the roller on I already spent $350 on some gelcoat repair to the nose the second time we went out that was painfull but at least got my first scratches out of the way.

[jonyb]

Todd says you need to learn how to use the Boat Buddy, and learn how to make the rubber surface slide when it's in a bind.... Sorry Todd, it's not a "learn how to use it thing", when the rubber on the boat buddy contacts the fiberglass on the boat, it doesn't allow the boat to slide.

Bring the trailer out of the water, install a roller, so the BB won't completely stop the boat. Jerry is also a good source of information. I ended up having to lower the bow stop on my trailer. It was too high from the factory and had to be cut down since it was lifting the boat up off the front of the bunks.

[tg0824SSVGG]

John,

I have had trouble like 3 times with mine in hundreds of loads.

Perhaps the bow-stop being too high was also what plagued your experience
with the boat buddy? I can assure you they are not all like what you experienced.

When it doesn't work, it's most-frustrating - but 99% of the time - I have the opposite
experience, and much prefer it to what we had before on the old boat - 2 rollers on the stop
by the crank.

But, then again - a fair amount of my boating season is in water that is VERY COLD (less than 55 degrees) and I LOVE that the BB means I am not wading to get
the boad loaded, but then again -- your experience will vary.

[jonyb]

and I LOVE that the BB means I am not wading to get
the boad loaded

Why would you have to wade?

Driver backs the trailer in, you drive on, hit the roller (the boat is settled on the bunks so it won't roll back), you go to the bow, lean over, hook it, winch it till it's snug, driver pulls out. Works like a charm for me everytime. No one ever gets wet.

[tg0824SSVGG]

Well, i am the one in the truck, and when the water is that cold, the bow cover is nearly always on to help with the cold air. Just saying my experience is different than yours

[jonyb]

Then take the cover off dummy! :D

Another experience I'd like to share about the beloved boat buddy: My 24SSV GG is so heavy, that when the truck would pull the trailer out of the water after the pin tripped, it would pull the boat back against the pin. When it was time to launch, I could never get the pin pulled out without spending 10 minutes on the ramp standing on my head trying to pull it out. Finally the pin bent so much that I couldn't even use it.

Roller FTW!

[ssmith]

I love my BB. Sorry some have had bad experiences. John, I have never had any of the issues you had and I'm thankful for that. BB works everytime (knock on wood). However, I don't trust it to the point that I don't put the winch on before leaving the ramp.

[Matt Laird]

Haha Jony I had a 2lbs hammer I kept in the truck to drive out the dang pin Out while people are waiting to use the ramp... I usually am at the lake on 100* days and I don't have time to jack with a boat buddy..

[Fman]

I have the Boat Buddy as well and only use it as an extra pin for securing the boat, I always float my boat on and hand crank my boat on and get my feet wet. I have seen a few people bend props and damage there bow by driving the boat on the trailer. I have had problems with the BB jamming the pin and not being able to release the boat unless it is put in the water, a little frustrating. After this happened I started crankibng down the ratchet tighter and it has never happened again.

Another thing to keep in mind, each lake also has different angles of launch ramps, so putting your fenders at a certain depth might work at one lake but will not work on a different lake. I am at 4 or 5 different lakes every year and each one is a different launch angle.

[jzelt]

Agree Fman, each ramp is different, but I definitely think having some fender out of the water is a starting point.

Jonyb, I had the same issue with pin jamming 2 times I used it, so I don't. It is in disengage mode all the time now.

tg, I back the trailer down to the water, then climb in the bed (using the wheel) and lower the tailgate (though it is heavier than I thought), then sit on it while she drives on, lean over/stand on the trailer and fasten the straps..Everyone has a system that works for them.

[tg0824SSVGG]

Thanks to all -- but you're all trying to solve a problem that "I" don't *yet* have.

My BB works GREAT -- the system works great for us.

[Fman]

Todd,

If it aint broke, dont fix it! Seems like you have it figured out!

[SupraTamu]

Jerry Jones with Boatmate trailer and I exchanged a few e-mails and I really appreciate his quick response, I also talked with the dealership where I bought the boat to find out what I was doing wrong. It is very interesting that both of them stated this is a typical problem with this type of boat. The boat ramp angle does play a role in this so everybody's situation will be a little different. What I was told was if the nose of the boat is below the boat buddy then the trailer is too deep in the water depends on the steepness of the ramp so pull the boat trailer forward to make it shallower and hopefully this will correct the problem. Basically need to just do a little experimenting on loading the boat on the trailer at different depths until you tune it in to where it needs to be. Jerry did state that if you continue to have the issue that a alot of people have cut down the yoke where the boat buddy is about 1.5" to 2" and that has solved the problem for them. It is really interesting that this is a very typical problem you would think someone would have come up with a easy fix by now. Anyway I guess it comes down to practice, practice and more practice. The good thing is I boat at the same lake and in our community there are three boat ramps there depending on the lake level.

I appreciate everybody's responses I am now off to practice.

[jonyb]

You're talking about lowering the bow stop. When the bow stop is too high, it lifts the bow and keel off of the trailer. That's why so many people have problems with the boat buddy when teh boat jams into it and the boat won't slide up the rubber BB. Lowering the bow stop keeps the boat from being picked up when it gets that high on the trailer.

I'll agree, Jerry is great. Fortunately I live close enough (still 6 hours away) that I could have them modify my trailer. I delivered the boat down there myself and picked it up a week later. It was an excellent transaction and the trailer is now perfect. Yes, the angle of the ramp plays a big role, but I can load mine flawlessly now.

[tg0824SSVGG]

Glad you're happy with that part now John -- (when is your surgery?)

[jonyb]

Glad you're happy with that part now John -- (when is your surgery?)

1st is June 7th, 2nd part is June 22nd. Looks like I'll get 2 weekends on the lake prior to it, then hopefully be able to get back out in August, but cruising and beached out only. That first 2 weekends will be without a ballast system though :(

[Fman]

1st is June 7th, 2nd part is June 22nd. Looks like I'll get 2 weekends on the lake prior to it, then hopefully be able to get back out in August, but cruising and beached out only. That first 2 weekends will be without a ballast system though :(

John,

Fusion or discetomy? L4, L5, S1? In my line of work we have a lot of guys getting surgery on backs, knees, hips and shoulders. Just worked with someone the other day who was 30 years old.... pretty scary, but all of them are returning to work, the technology these days is amazing what they can do.

Hope everything goes well for you, and a speedy recovery to get back out on the water!

[jonyb]

1. Anterior lumbar interbody fusion with instrumentation
2. Decompressive lumbar laminectomy with fusion and pedicle screw fixation.

L4/L5, and L5/S1 areas. Degenerative Disc Disease with Stynosis.

Glad to hear it helps everybody. I haven't missed work yet, but it's not easy doing the things that I used to do before all of this got really bad.

[sybrmike]

Sorry, no input on the Boat Buddy here, but I do have the Randall VIP trailer hinged bow tow bar to deal with while loading).

I feel your pain (literally) - evulsion fractures of L3,4,5, & S1 healed improperly. PT & inversion have gotten me through the last few years, but sure my time on the meat table will come someday...

They are doing some amazing things with the spine these days, so hopefully you'll be better than new & back on the water in no time - "we can rebuild him, we have the technology".

Best wishes for a successful outcome and speedy recovery.

Caution: unintended hijack here: jonyb, did you ever see my delimma on bridging my Pyle (of junk) amp?

https://forum.supraboats.com/showthread.php?t=6307

[klewis]

I'm on the fence when it comes to the BB. Most of the time at my home lake it works fine, but that is on a good ramp. Has anyone ever watched from land as they come into the BB? It flexes the support post ALOT!

There definitely is a learning curve with this thing, unfortunately you can do some damage during the learning process. My biggest complaint is that to get it to work properly you have to keep the front of the fenders slightly out of the water which results in driving the boat up onto the bunks, that is the only way to keep the bow high enough to always engage it right. The drawback to this that you will wear the carpet out on the bunks that much faster. In fact I have a couple of spots on my carpet that are already about to wear through and I've only had the boat two seasons for a total of 130 hours.

Forget it if you are at a lake with a very steep ramp. The first steep ramp I encountered with this boat already put the trailer at too much depth to get above the BB. Here is the result of that incident. I am very unhappy about this damage caused by the BB. When the bow hit the rubber on the BB the rubber split and exposed the metal frame underneath taking a big chunk out of the boat. Of course this was when I was new to this system and thought I needed to go deeper with the trailer and when I did my guide post pads floated off and I drifted over the top of the guide posts. It was very stressful. I have since learned how to handle a steep ramp, but it bothers me how much more I have to power onto the bunks in those situations doing more damage to the carpet. I cringe every time I walk past the bow of the boat and have to look at this.
http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff120/klewis114/Boat%20Repair%20Pics/DSC_0278.jpg

The other complaint I have about the BB is the nice rubber scrapes it leaves in my bow when the bow slides up the BB right before engaging. I know that a little correction in the depth of the trailer could make a little difference, but on those occasions when someone else backs the trailer in for me I cant always tell from the water how exact they got it until its too late, nor do I want to be that guy that tells them to go forward and back a bunch of times until its perfect. It's pretty ridiculous that a matter of inches can make the difference.
http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff120/klewis114/Boat%20Repair%20Pics/DSC_0279.jpg

I wonder if another small v-bunk support in this general location would allow you to put the trailer a little deeper or just be less precise on your depth, but still get guided into the right spot so it can grab . Why didnt the Boatmate just do that?
http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff120/klewis114/Boat%20Repair%20Pics/BowSupport.jpg

I may contact Boatmate and see what they say like others have.

[KY Steve]

I had the exact same experience as you along with the exact same damage to the boat. I pitched the BB and cut down the bow stop 2" and installed a roller, as recommended by BMate and it works 100% better.

However, doing that will not eliminate the bow from going below the roller if the trailer is in too deep. But it will allow the boat to sit on the trailer properly and keep the underside of the bow from getting damaged by the POS BB.

[SupraTamu]

Klewis,

I feel your pain. A friend of mine woere thinking the same thing of adding some sort of roller or bunk on the front of the trailer to raise the nose. The second time I went out on my boat it cost me $350 in fiberglass repair. Everybody I have talked to states it takes practice but it is beginning to sound like lowereing the boat buddy 1.5" to 2" may help.

[klewis]

ya I've got it figured out now, I still get the rubber marks, they dont come off when I wash the boat. I don't know what to use to get them off. I thought about trying a dry rag and a little elbow grease. Anyone have any experience with getting these marks off?

Cutting off some of the guide post to lower the BB will put the boat farther forward on the trailer, is it enough to even worry about?

[jonyb]

ya I've got it figured out now, I still get the rubber marks, they dont come off when I wash the boat. I don't know what to use to get them off. I thought about trying a dry rag and a little elbow grease. Anyone have any experience with getting these marks off?

Cutting off some of the guide post to lower the BB will put the boat farther forward on the trailer, is it enough to even worry about?

It'll put the boat lower on the trailer then it will farther forward. Yes, it makes that big of a difference.