Boat Trailer Guides are a wonderful way to protect your boat and trailer from costly repairs. These manuals are attached to your trailer and help guide your boat onto the trailer, preventing wear and tear on your boat and trailer and avoiding costly accidents.
Wholesale Marine has towing guides and trailer padding systems in stock to ensure your launching and towing efforts go smoothly. No matter what your boat trailer guide ons needs, we’ve got you covered. From carpeted bunk-style boat runners, runner guards and trailer runners to light kits and frames, we have the products in stock to get the job done.
Do you want to look like a pro at the boat ramp but also evade damage during launching and loading? See the C.E. line. Smith or Sea Sense trailer guides are available in versions with or without LED lighting. These boat roller guides are available for all styles of boats and personal watercraft. We offer all types of guides, from post-tow guides to floating trailer guides, bunk trailer guides and trailer guide pads, to offer the best solution for your needs.
Boat Trailer Guide and Guide-Ons
Loading a boat on a trailer takes work. Many factors play a role, from skill to patience, and even an experienced boater can struggle when the winds are strong, the water is rough, or the angle of the boat’s trailer is more challenging. Moving water also makes it difficult to load a boat. Fortunately, it’s easier to load, thanks to the trailer guide. Boat trailer guides are poles or poles that are typically placed at the back of the trailer, usually above the brake lights, and stick out of the water to make it clear where the center of the boat is.
When a ramp is particularly steep or the water is murky, seeing the boat trailer guide ons from the operator’s point of view can be a challenge. Boat roller guides come in a variety of lengths, so there is no question about where the trailer sits. They also arrive in a variety of types, from back guides to bunk guides that are carpeted for smooth entry and run along the side of the boat when loaded.
Roller guides have rollers that rotate to allow an easier approach, especially for heavier boats. Many of these can be upgraded with guiding accessories, such as lights and mats, that protect both the boat, indoor boat storage, and the trailer.
Benefits of Boat Trailer Guide
- Prevent damage. If you run your boat into the roller bracket, frame, or fenders, you might easily damage the hull. Having guides maintains the excellent condition of your boat.
- Safer hauling. Your boat must be centered over the trailer. Driving on the road is safer as a result of maintaining the weight balance. When a boat is balanced, it stays steady during takeoff, landing, and turning maneuvers.
- Faster loading. Trailer guides help swiftly put your boat onto the trailer. The guides steer the boat in the right direction so that it stays in the center without requiring any adjustments.
Trailer and Boat Size
The size and shape of your trailer and boat are key. Your guides will only be useful if they fit the frame of your trailer. Likewise, you want to use something other than small roller guides for a 50-foot yacht, and giant rollers would be overkill for a small aluminum fishing boat.
Consider the size of your entire team. Pay special attention to what you can see when you have a boat on your trailer. Guides are meant to guide. You need to be able to see and use them.
Always take accurate measurements. Measure your boat and trailer. You have plenty of room to work with when it comes to tow guides. If you choose the wrong size, they may not fit or fit properly. Each guide should tell you the proper dimensions. Then, it’s just a matter of making sure your boat and trailer can work with it.
Consider your specific boat before installing the guides. If you have a flat-bottomed boat, you need guides designed for it. It works very differently than a V-shaped keel. If you have a 10-foot-long boat, you will obviously need different guides than a 50-foot one. Likewise, a jet ski can get by with much smaller guides.
Proper sizing guides are important for two reasons. The obvious one is that they help you load your boat onto the trailer. But the other is a security issue. Once you have your boat in the trailer, the guides still have that important support job.
Good guides keep the boat firmly in place. If the guides are too small or loose, the boat may move. It could spell disaster when driving or if the wind picks up. The right guides will keep you, your boat, and others safe. They may not seem like much, but you should take them seriously.
Check Your Equipment
Boat trailers often spend a lot of time standing still. Out of season, we tend to put them away and forget about them. Always give your guides a thorough inspection at the beginning and end of each season. If you use rollers, check the quality of the rubber. After too much time in the heat, sun, or dry conditions, the rubber wears out. It can become brittle and flaky. If it starts to fall apart, it needs to be replaced. Old rollers can damage your boat.
Also, check your bunk boards. They can be damaged without you realizing it. If the carpet is held up, the boards may begin to warp and crack underneath. More than one ship has suffered from planks creaking around bolts. You are trying to load your boat, and the entire board breaks under the weight. It may result in only a thin layer of carpet between your boat and the metal supports.
If the carpet begins to wear out, replace it. Not only does it look better, but it also works better. Holes in the carpet expose the helmet to scuffs and scratches.
Be sure to check the quality before use. The idea is to consult the guides every time you load and unload your boat. It doesn’t have to be an in-depth inspection, but it does have to take a look. Make sure nothing is broken or loose. It’s best to find out before the ship starts moving.
Make sure all your supports are secure. If necessary, tighten the bolts. If things are corroding, clean them, treat them, or replace them.
Look at the PVC pipes. They can crack during cold weather or due to sun exposure. If you have cracked PVC, you should replace it as soon as possible.
Boat Trailer Guide Care and Maintenance
If you maintain your new boat trailer roller guides, they will last for a while. Although they are often simple to maintain in good operating order, they do take work, much like your boat or trailer.
The sea, the sun, the rain, and the extremes of heat and cold wear us down. Rust and corrosion are the main issues you have. Regular wear and tear comes next: plastic or metal that cracks and bends. Wearing out of rubber or wood for the boards and carpet is another possibility.
The majority of our list of boat trailer guide-ons are useful on their own. Not all, though. It can be beneficial to have a variety of guide types. It’s a terrific idea to use poles in addition to boards or rollers. As you load and unload your boat, the poles give you a clear picture. It slips in effortlessly because of the boards or rollers. Poles may not be to everyone’s taste, but they are rather beneficial. It implies that you can quickly align the boat. That allows you to enter and exit the water considerably more quickly.
Always check how things are installed once the boat is in place. If they seem unbalanced, then something needs to be fixed. Once it is on the trailer, your boat should be straight and level. There should be approximately 2 inches of space between the tower and the tongue plate. If it’s closer than that, you should adjust it.
Clean your boat trailer guide-ons regularly. You wash your boat, surface drive mud motor, wash your car, wash your trailer. Keep them free of dirt and grease. If you boat in salt water, always rinse the entire trailer after use.
If the guides do not already have rust protection, apply it. A paint job or other coating can help prolong life.
Store them properly out of season. Protect them from both extreme cold and extreme heat.
Boat Trailer Guide Brackets Tips!
- Review your trailer boat guides before every season. Verify that your trailer’s brackets are firmly attached. Examine your PVC poles for cracks. Check metal components for corrosion. If necessary, rewrap the carpet on wood floors.
- It is advisable to install many guides on your trailer. It will facilitate loading your boat in any water or location.
- Verify that your boat is perfectly positioned following installation. The tongue plate cover and keel should be separated by at least two inches.
FAQs
Do boat trailer guides really work?
Indeed, instructions make loading your trailer boat guides at the ramp simpler and help prevent damage to your vessel.
Do boat trailers need to be made easier to use?
No, but getting the hang of it does require practice. Practice on a day when the ramp isn’t crowded, and you’re not in a rush. Start slowly. Pressure only makes learning more difficult. Trailer maneuvering will become second nature to you with enough experience.
What are boat trailer roller guides for?
Using trailer boat guides makes getting your boat on and off the trailer considerably simpler. You’ll know precisely where the trailer is, which improves your aim. The boat will then stay more aligned while loading, lowering the possibility of hull damage.