My brothers trailer is like that. You have to unhook one sside and swing it around to the other to launch boat. It will protect the drives though.

Hot Duck,
How in the world can you not see a rig like that?

If you can keep your drives down while towing and the bar is close enough to your drives, wouldn't it make someone think twice about stealing the drives and/or props if you were parked out in the open overnight? You could install a lock on the swing gate. Is anyone set up like this?

I believe they're an asset...
 

As Gary Anderson said; the drive guard protects the drives if you're backing up and make the mistake of hitting a pole, tree, or hillside, etc. Or from someone else who may bump into you with their vehicle. I think they're intended more for minor stuff rather than the major, but as you can see with Hot Duck it happend to save them a lot of further damage....and looks like it may have even saved the woman's life or severe injury.

I have an Eagle trailer with the drive guard the swings open on a hinge....only takes about 20 seconds.

Catmando - Nope..it was hit on the right rear corner as we were making a right hand turn. This is what caused the trailer to bend to the left.

MnFastBoat - The person following the lady that hit us said that she was traveling approx 50mph and never hit the brakes!??!!

Aqua-Holic - I have asked myself that questions a few hundred times since the accident. I guess the fact that the lady who hit us is in her low 80's may have something to do with it. Crazy huh?