Tired of getting wet everytime....
 

I retrieve my Rage. I have a few problems with my Roadrunner trailer I'd like to remedy over the off season. Each time I retrieve my 2005 Nordic Rage I have to get in the water to make sure it lines up straight. If it's not straight a strake gets on top of one of the 2 x 4's and snaps the edge off as soon as I get it out of the water.

I spoke with Bob from Full Throttle and his analysis is that I probably need to put guide polls on the back if I don't want to deal with this. His assessment is that it's a trailer design issue and it works properly only on a perfect ramp aka a constant level ramp like at Havasu.

I'm considering the guide polls and also moving the outter 2 x 4's outward as far as possible to give a little extra room so the strakes don't so easily get on top of the bunks.

I'd appreciate your ideas as I'm sure other folks have dealt with this issue. Thanks.

How deep do you back your trailer in the water? I stop with about 2" of the front of the fender above the water and have only had a strake on top the bunk once. My bunks are 2 x 6's.

X2. I put my trailer in the same, just as soon as the boat gets on trailer I put nuetral and boat centers itself, and then I put in gear and drive boat on the trailer and pull trailer out fairly slowly. This seems to work perfect everytime, whether ramp is fairly level or steep.

I don't know...
 

I guess it depends on the ramp. When I don't get it deep enough and try to winch it up it's waay too much pressure so I have to back up a bit more to get it up to the bow stop and at that point the tail is floating and if I'm not guiding it and even sometimes when I am it'll drop down on top of a bunk and snap the edge.

You could try this... After you have the bow hooked and begin to winch, when you reach the point of "way too much pressure", have the person in the boat put it in gear and then slowly back the trailer in a little further. That should keep the boat up on the trailer and not let it become uncentered by starting to float off.

The ramp i use is so steep that the first time I used it the peak of ramp caught my spare tire brace/arm and ripped it completely off. I've never repaired it as the ramp is only a mile from the house and I like it.
Several times new with the boat & trailer I would pull up and redip cause the back floated off. Now I power my boat all the way up with never having to winch and back trailer as close to the dock as possible. That way I can have someone be close enough to help guide the back up as it is pulled foward.
If I did not have that dock there I believe I would be screwed.

Maybe
 

I should dip the whole trailer so the bunks are wet and then try the drive on method? This does seem to be predicated on a ramp that fits a certain profile. Do y'all think the guide polls on each side, angled to keep the hull in the proper attitude to sit on the trailer without jacking the bunks would work. I live in Texas and we really do have some good boating weather for another couple of months but not if I have to wade in to get the boat on the trailer.

I always dip the whole trailer to get all the bunks wet then pull back up with point of front fender. Boat seem to ease up better. For powering up just know your ramp, as I said mine is pretty deep.
I know people with guide poles, most with alum. trailers and they like them. I'm just not sure they would guarantee to hold back end into position as it dont take much to sway off of the bunk.
I'm taking it that you have no docking at ramp?

my .02
I agree that the trailer isn't the best. On good ramps, I do like Desert, just a bit of fender up. @ Utah lake, the ramps are real steep & if I use that approach, it doesn't get up enough. I still do it, but then back down a few more feet & winch. I don't think any trailer works on every ramp. I get wet, but usually just to the knees. If I could find a winch that would hold up to more than 2 ft/lbs before the handle strips, it would cure everything.

Dock
 

I usually don't have a dock I can drop the trailer in next to. I have had more success getting the boat square without a load of folks in the boat.

I am going to redo the bunks this off season. Are 2 x 6's what folks are using when replacing?

I've had boats for twenty years and I've had this one for over a year now and I have no confidence that if I don't get wet that it'll get on square.

I'll try dipping all of the bunks first and then driving it on after it gets lined up on approach. I think I've seen the exact opposite of that advice in good ramp etiquette though.