Boat Guides on Extereme Trailer- What's a better Mousetrap?

[Wake Havasu]

Boat Guides on an extereme trailer- What's a better Mousetrap?

Can I use some sort of padding rather than the carpet pads?

Would the Tige Gear covers over some padding work?

[johnbandrews]

Wake,

The standard Extreme carpet bunk guides look great, but if you get sideways it's really easy to scratch the decals off the side of your boat. (Yes, I'm speaking from experience).

Extreme makes an option of PVC pipes, color matched to the trailer that "float" on a round steel guide. When you back into the water, air is trapped inside the PVC and it raises up. This works great because the PVC floats high enough to hit your rub rail instead of the side of your boat.

Call Tony at Extreme trailers ... I don't think it is an expensive option ... on our new Malibu it was an even exchange when we ordered it.

Just my 2 cents. (Second trip out on the Tige, and we had to replace one of the stickers to the tune of a couple hundred bucks).

- John

[CP3]

My dealer told me it was actually cheaper to get the PVC pipes.

[johnbandrews]

Originally posted by CP3
My dealer told me it was actually cheaper to get the PVC pipes.

I didn't actually price it ... you may be right. I just read on the Extreme website that it was a "no charge" option. -- And I took it!

[Wake Havasu]

John are the PVC strong enough for a Tige pilot?

I hit at 25mph! Just kidding!

But can I come in off kilter and rely on them being strong enough to correct my (current) in ability to handle an inboard!

[flackpack]

I wrapped the upright guides of the trailer with "Gator Grip". This is a foam pad, which has kept the stickers in good shape compared to the first couple of outings with only the carpet on the guides. I also used it on the decks where people step into the boat and on the transom as a protective pad for wakeboard scratches. The stuff is really great and easy to use. I prefer this to the PVC roller guides. The PVC guides don't look very nice in comparison to the carpeted guides, and they tend to take a weather beating in the sun.

http://www.wakejunky.com/

[johnbandrews]

Yes, even for a Tige pilot they should work fine. It's only a small portion of the PVC that is above the steel pipe inside when it floats up. We've hit ours relatively hard and it worked great.

I'd tease you about trailering the boat, but it's my wife that puts the boat on the trailer. She nails it everytime ... much to my delight and the praise of ramp onlookers.

The key is to get a long, straight run at the trailer, and don't over-correct, She usually gets the boat within a foot or so of the bow stop and I just winch it up from there.

The best thing about the PVC pipes is that they "guide" the boat along the rubrail where it won't do any damage to your gelcoat or graphics.

FWIW, I'd recommend going to your lake on a day when there's no one around and practice a few times putting your boat on the trailer. It will give you more confidence when the wind is blowing and there's a long line of folks waiting in line.

[Wake Havasu]

Originally posted by johnbandrews

I'd tease you about trailering the boat, but it's my wife that puts the boat on the trailer. She nails it everytime ... much to my delight and the praise of ramp onlookers.

What kind of man makes his wife load the boat!

Just kidding!

Yes, I note that longer runs seem to help.

I did great the first three times but looked like I was pushing spaghetti last Sunday at Parker Blue Water Casino ramp.

[johnbandrews]

Originally posted by Wake Havasu
What kind of man makes his wife load the boat!

And I reply:

What kind of woman makes her husband run up the darned launch ramp in 120 degree heat to get the trailer?????

Seriously, we're a great team. We're off the water in minutes and haven't had a screaming match ever. When we bought our first boat, Rhonda wanted to be capable of doing everything, and quite honestly, I'm sure she's better at putting it on the trailer than I would be.

She's not so comfortable backing the trailer ...

[NICKYPOO]

I don't have the Extreme trailer but, I do have the PVC over the guides on mine. We got jacked up in some wind on day and ended up snapping one of the pieces of PVC. Went to Home Depot and picked up a couple of lengths of black PVC and a couple of caps. Cut them to fit, slide the foam pads back over them, salt and pepper to taste and your back on the road.

PS- PVC floats. Even if you don't have the caps on the ends. john

[NICKYPOO]

Oh, yeah. We use the same method as johnb at the ramp. My wife is a bad *** when it comes to dealing with launching/loading. Backing the trailer down, not so much.

[johnbandrews]

Nicky,

Aren't we lucky to have wives that don't just sit there and watch us do all the work??? Two people working together makes launching and retrieving a breeze. Doing it by yourself is one big pain in the butt!

[NICKYPOO]

In-n-out, bang zoom, boom done. She is like me in that we both pride ourselves on boat ramp efficiency. Sure does make it nice, don't it?

[Tequilasun]

This needs "my wife can load the boat on the trailer better than your wife"

BTW, my wife rocks at putting the boat on the trailer

[NICKYPOO]

She is a champ on the preflight checklist also.