Lead Placement (Follow up to WAKE BALLAST group buy)

[BurnMac42]

Hey guys, just got my 500 lbs delivered from Wake Ballast and I see that most guys are putting their bags underneath the rear bags. Does anybody put a couple bags behind the bulkhead on each side? I'm pretty sure even with dual batteries I could get two bags behind the port side batteries and there is definitely room on the starboard side....anybody put em there or are they all just under the ballast bags? Assuming that's 200lbs total that shouldn't be tto much weight in the rear of the boat to make it backside heavy while towing do you think?

To follow up another question I had I checked my trailer weight it has #7500 stamped on it. I don't believe an R21 comes near that weight but I could be wrong? For the additional 6 bags do you guys stack em as close to the back as possible or just lay 3 down on each side as far back as possible (assuming even weight on each side)?

Lastly, assuming I don't exceed my trailer max weight would having an additional 500lbs in the rear lockers make the boat "rear heavy" and dangerous to tow?

Sorry for all the questions, just want to be safe while enjoying this thing as much as possible!

- Matt

[Zackdogg]

I keep them in the back, on the water, and throw them on the floor, slightly forward of my front axle while towing. 500# is too much to leave all the way back, while towing, at least in my opinion. These trailers are designed for fairly light tongue weight, as is..

I’m sure you’re good as far as weight, on the trailer itself, but if your trailer has 18s on it, that’s a design flaw. Make sure it’s towing real level, and that weight is evenly distributed over the tires. The weight ratings are pretty close.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[BurnMac42]

I keep them in the back, on the water, and throw them on the floor, slightly forward of my front axle while towing. 500# is too much to leave all the way back, while towing, at least in my opinion. These trailers are designed for fairly light tongue weight, as is..

I’m sure you’re good as far as weight, on the trailer itself, but if your trailer has 18s on it, that’s a design flaw. Make sure it’s towing real level, and that weight is evenly distributed over the tires. The weight ratings are pretty close.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

No 18's so should be ok there. What about 200# behind the bulkhead...think that will be too much in the rear?

[Jetdriver]

I keep them in the back, on the water, and throw them on the floor, slightly forward of my front axle while towing. 500# is too much to leave all the way back, while towing, at least in my opinion. These trailers are designed for fairly light tongue weight, as is..

I’m sure you’re good as far as weight, on the trailer itself, but if your trailer has 18s on it, that’s a design flaw. Make sure it’s towing real level, and that weight is evenly distributed over the tires. The weight ratings are pretty close.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I agree with Zackdogg. You definitely don’t want to be heavy on the back of your trailer. If you take enough weight off the tongue you can lose stability real quick. Bad things happen to trailers that are heavier on the backside of the axle.

[bsreid]

I’ve got 300 bow, 200 rear and 400 mid towing with no problems on a already maxed out boatmate trailer.

[jslayde1]

... on the trailer itself, but if your trailer has 18s on it, that’s a design flaw.

Design flaw? I haven't heard anything about this...can I get some info on this?

[Zackdogg]

You’re good up near the bulkhead. I’d spread them kinda evenly, left to right. I usually throw 2 wakeboards on the floor and use the lead to hold them in place while driving.

As far as the 18s, on the tandem axle trailers, they don’t make a “trailer” tire for 18s, so you have to run an SUV tire, which the highest weight rating I can find is 2271#. So those tires are semi-close to maxed out. I had a tire fail because it was overloaded, all to just look cool, not for any function. If they had put 16s on those, instead, it would have been a completely different story. I’ll most likely be changing my trailer to 16s.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[UNSTUCK]

I don't know about a design flaw per say, unless he means its just under capacity. Apparently the 18's don't have the capacity that the 15's (or maybe 14's) have, which is at least one reason guys go for a triple axle trailer.

[Zackdogg]

Yeah, I guess “design flaw” could be a little off. It was a really dumb move, either way. They could have run a nice 16” wheel and there are the proper tires available. And correct, the triple axle trailers are good to go, because six 2271# rated tires is plenty of weight capacity.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[UNSTUCK]

Just watch out. Some triples are still 8k rated, not 10k. It I don’t understand that one. Boatmate has really confused me about how they come up with gvw on their trailers. I’d still pick boatmate over anything else I’ve seen though.

[Zackdogg]

I’m 100% with you. I’m sure these trailers aren’t cheap, as far as cost, and they seem to be well built, as far as construction. Then you’re going to cut corners on weight ratings, when they know exactly how much weight is going on the thing? It’s pretty ridiculous. I’m also completely blown away that mine didn’t come with any kind of system for transom straps, how is that even a thing!!??


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[BCRider]

I leave all my bags on the floor area over the trailer wheels while towing.

When on the water they start getting tossed around on seats or the floor depending which side of the boat we are riding and how I want to fine tune the wake.

[BurnMac42]

So had the boat out with the bags for the first time yesterday and WOW what a difference. The push was immensely increased farther back in the wave. The wave felt REALLY steep and kind of "dirty" though..I had a hard time cleaning it up granted there was a breeze and the lake was pretty choppy so some of the dirtiness can be blamed on the conditions.....I felt like the boat was pretty nose high too which I imagine would attest to the super steep vs long wave (I know I'm limited on length because of the 21ft hull)

I had Taps3 at 3, Taps at 1 and running 11.4-11.6. Ballast was 100% all the way around with the lead even at 250lbs per side. Any suggestions to elongate the wave? I was thinking about putting a 50 lb bag in each front compartment to get the nose down a bit and leave 200 lbs in each rear locker?

Suggestions?

[Zackdogg]

I’m definitely no expert, but from some of the stuff I’ve tried, and taking to some guys that know more than me, we swap all the back lead to the rider side, and run some up front..


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro