I have a used (new to me) 19 ft lund glass boat with a bunk style trailer. what is easiest method to load it?
Do you run the boat up up until it hits bumper on winch?
I did try this and it seems to put a lot of stress on trailer.
Or get half way up and crank the rest? Then how deep does trailer go into the water?
Like others have already said, back the trailer in the water until you are fully submerging the bunks, then pull it forward until about 1/3 of your bunks are out of the water. Drive into the trailer and just give it a little shot with the throttle and then winch it up the rest of the way. I put a Fulton F2 two speed winch on my trailer and it really makes it easy. I think one of my grandchildren could winch my boat up now. Well worth the money.
Tim,I swear it's nothing like my old shorelander roller was! So far I love em.Going to Star Lakein Vilas this coming week which has a pretty shallow launch.Should be a big help. It was really tough going without them. This is my 3rd boat and trailer.Present trailer is a Trailmaster. I suppose there would be a chance of losing it,I never chance it,always have a chain on it til it's time.I don't think they're as slippery as I was warned about. Like I said,I had a roller for the last 15 years!! I would guess if you didn't like them,it would be easy to just take them off."
A couple months ago I posted a similar question. Great response,appreciated the different responses. I went with E Z slide pads that bought from Cabelas and am VERY pleased with the results. Probably 7 launches from 3 different ramps. Cheap,and very easy to install. I had just purchased a new(used)18.5 Lund,and was used to roller trailers.
Power loading is frowned upon at most places and illegal in many places. With that said, winching a 20 footer up bunks is a pain!! Get the bunks wet, or spray them down with Silicone which can be done when you launch and they are wet, will make it slide much easier. Each launch and trailer will be different how far in you need to go. Bottom line get trailer in far enought so you can float on and winch it the last foor or so if you need to.
I do the same as below: Back in to wet the bunks, pull ahead so top of fenders are above waterline. Back boat off of dock and drive boat ahead to get a little momentum at idle speed and slide up bunks until it "sticks", jump out and winch it up the rest of the way.
I personally don't consider this powerloading. To me, powerloading is driving the boat on until it contacts the trailer then giving it throttle to push it up to the winch post - similar to what Bugle Trout described. I have seen guys go to 1/2 to 3/4 throttle wiht the engine trimmed up. To me this is where the launch damage is done. I see this quite often on lower Green Bay, there are no signs that forbid powerloading..... yet.
Back in, soak bunks, pull out to the desired depth based on the landing and drive it on. You should be easily able to get pretty close to the bow stop at idle speed and maybe winch it up that last few inches. As many have said it will be trial and error with your setup as for the depth u need your trailer. Once you find the sweet spot it should glide right up. I doubt you will enjoy winching a boat that heavy halfway up the bunks, not to mention the stress you will put on your bow eye, winch and winch strap. I was fishing a river once with a 18.5 glass bass boat. The water dropped so far over the course of the day I could only get my trailer in to a certain depth that evening. Winching it up halfway was a royal pain even after wetting the bunks.
I generally drive my boat up on the bunks till it sits and won't back off. I won't power load all the way to the winch. I would recommend backing the trailer all the way in so the bunks get wet and then pull the trailer back out to desired depth. The wet bunks help the boat slide better when cranking it up the rest of the way.
I don’t mean to highjack the thread but I’d like to also hear everyone’s take on what is considered to be power loading and what is and is not acceptable as far as driving the boat onto the trailer when answering the OP’s question. I have a roller trailer and find it’s just easier to tie up, back the trailer in and winch the boat onto the trailer. My bro-in-law has a bunk and he drives on. He tilts his motor up so it’s almost making a rooster tail. He claims that this raises the bow and does not hurt the launch as he’s directing the thrust upwards. I still see the sneers and head shakes from other boaters from time to time though. He is by far not the only person I see load like this on a regular basis.
