Loading RZ2 on the trailer

[jbgp1200]

Hey guys, I am sure that this is yet another topic that has been beaten to death but before my wife says shes never driving the boat again I have to figure this out. I found some info from 2005 that was helpful but wanted to see what others think the best way to get my boat on the trailer with out beating the #$%^& out of it is.

I used to own a Moomba LSV and to get it on the trailer and get the nose above the front roller, I had to submerge the tires of my truck and completely float the boat onto the trailer. Obviously Tige has designed a much better boat and trailer as it has no issues keeping the bow above the roller.

So here are the 2 issues.

No matter what we do the trailer guides are below the rub rail and leaving really hard to remove PVC lines on the side of the boat. Fortunately this has not yet scratched the gel coat but I have to scrub pretty hard to get the lines off. I am pretty sure these guide rails should be above the rub rail no?

Second issue may be completely my fault and not the boat drivers. Seems like almost every time my wife gets turned about 1/2 way onto the trailer. As long as shes not coming in too hot I can usually turn the boat to straighten it out. But last night that was not the case and I didn't feel like losing an arm so I left it in her hands. As so came in the boat turned to the right on her and in a panic she threw it in reverse a bit to hard and slammed the side of the boat into the bolt holding the front roller on. Chip in the gel coat, heart sunk for a minute but no big deal. I assured her we will do that another half dozen times and just get all of the nicks repaired at once.

So help me out here. I have to think if shes getting turned on the trailer I must just be backed in too far and shes floating above the bunks. What is the ideal position for an RZ2 trailer in the water? Submerge all of the bunks and float the boat on like we have been? Or, do we leave the front ones out of the water and have her power up on the trailer?

Any advice is appreciated.

JB

[Duncan]

Sounds like you have a deep ramp.

On our ramp, my wife backs the truck and just barely submerges the fenders. I ease the boat onto the bunks then power up to the roller. You really need those bunks to make contact for guidance imhop.

I know some ramps do not allow powering on. But ours is not one of those.

[mnpracing]

what has worked for us is to have the front bunks about 1/3 out of the water, just enough so that the next set of bunks back are just poking out of the water a couple inches (or less). If you're getting turned, then that means you're probably trying to drift in and getting push sideways when you tap a bunk, or you are tapping one of the guide poles and it's knocking you sideways. Once your bunk heights in the water are set, then try coming onto the trailer slower, but with power by blipping the throttle just enough to maintain forward momentum (it's many cycle of throttle-neutral-throttle-neutral etc). Slow enough that when you connect with the bunks or guide poles, it's just tapping them, and not rocking the whole trailer around. Key to success is to not tap the guide poles on the way in (which is hard to do, just takes practice).

Lots of advice starts with "...fenders just below the water..." or a similar reference to positioning of the fenders. IMO, it's more critical to make sure the front bunks and tips of the 2nd set of bunks are at the proper level in the water. Fender depth can vary so much depending on the steepness of the ramp.

The keel should be settled into the front bunks long before the bow reaches the roller. If that's not the case, then the trailer is too deep, and the bow has drifted over the tops of the front bunks.

[JohnZ3]

I'll back the trailer in just deep enough where the front of the bunks are out of the water. That way the boat driver can see exactly where to aim.

Wife brings the boat in and the trailer bunks will help keep her straight. Even hitting it at a good 20 degree angle the bunks will still straighten you out.
Once the boat is on, pull out the winch hook and hook it up. The boat may still be a good distance from the roller stop at this point.

I then get back in the truck and back down a few more feet and she'll put the boat in forward to move up the trailer.
(This is only needed on shallow ramps.)
Get out of the truck and start cranking the winch and use some boat power if need be until it's all the way up and on.

This process has worked at steep and deep ramps as well as shallow ones.

Keeping the trailer shallow should also help with you side guides being above the rail.

[dukesofhazzard]

I can't believe your guides would be below the rub rail, I have a 22ve but man I have lots of height above rub rail, I too am experimenting with the correct depth for trailer, I think I was too deep before as the back end of boat would never quite sit in the middle of the trailer I would have to pull the boat out look, back in float back of boat over then try again sometimes a few times, last night I left the front on the fenders out a little and the back of boat settled in nicely but was tougher to get eye of boat up to the roller.

[jbgp1200]

Just took a look and the guides are about 4 inches above the rub rail when the boat is on the trailer. However when the trailer is in the water I get nice PVC racing stripes along the boat above the decal. Last night was a good one. It was about 3 feet long. I think ill just get some longer PVC and make new ones that are 8-10 inches longer.

[BCRider]

It does really depend on how steep the boat ramp is but I do agree with the just a few inches above the rear fenders and to leave about a 3rd of the trailer bunks out of the water to help guide you and keep you straight. As John said starting with the trailer out a bit then backing in after the boat is one would work well too. Pay attention to where the trailer is when you put the boat in the water when you first get there. You can then see how much it is or isn't floating and give yourself an idea of where it should be when you leave.

The biggest issue when learning is over steering and coming in hot. You really have to learn to bump the throttle in and out of gear to come in at a nice slow speed. The gotcha is, that you also have to time your steering when you are in gear as when you are coasting you have very minimal steering ability but you do have some.

My old MB trailer had the bow bumper that came up from the trailer which was nice because you knew where you were on the trailer and when powering on you could just hold it on the front pads that held the bow. I've debated installing one on my new one.

[jeremiah.hough]

I had the same issue on my 22ve. i believe the pvc and foam covers are supposed to float up so they aren't ever below the rail. you might check and make sure they are free to float. i could be wrong about this but that's what i was told and i think the one's on my z3 float.

[Stingreye]

Just took a look and the guides are about 4 inches above the rub rail when the boat is on the trailer. However when the trailer is in the water I get nice PVC racing stripes along the boat above the decal. Last night was a good one. It was about 3 feet long. I think ill just get some longer PVC and make new ones that are 8-10 inches longer.

Get something like this to go over the PVC, if you have bare PVC. It won't leave a mark.

http://www.bakesonline.com/detail.aspx?ID=2654

They should spin as the boat hits it.

I agree with others, Its much easier to load the boat with the trailer shallow. The more wind, current, etc, the more I will have the trailer shallow. The tracking fins and running gear are far enough back, it it should not hit anything and you are more likely to hit something if you are too deep with the trailer, IMHO.

If my trailer is too deep my boat will float right over the bunks and never center itself.

You can then back the trailer further in or winch it up. To keep the rear centered, I usually winch a pretty decent distance because our ramp is gravel and dirt currently so the trailer isn't even level half the time from power loading.

I still get nervous loading every time.

[Stingreye]

I had the same issue on my 22ve. i believe the pvc and foam covers are supposed to float up so they aren't ever below the rail. you might check and make sure they are free to float. i could be wrong about this but that's what i was told and i think the one's on my z3 float.

Mine float too, and when there is a huge ditch on our ramp when launching, my trailer dropped a couple feet and I have had mine float way and I had to retrieve them.

[jeremiah.hough]

the elastic on mine was around a bold on the bottom of the pole so they couldn't float. after i fixed that they worked fine. x2 on floating away on deep ramps.

[whiteflash watersports]

We always go until water is a few inches below top of fender. Regardless of the ramp. I usually winch it on the last few inches. My wife or 14 year old daughter always load on the trailer and they just center nice and slow and coast on the bunks take over and I hook up and winch the last couple of feet if that much.

They never give throttle to push it further on trailer or all the way to the rollers. No need to load all they way to the roller the winch does a great job. Also never be standing there when someone is giving throttle to get all the way up the trailer - if they hammer it and launch you could be in the wrong place at the wrong time pretty quick.