Old debate, but I have a question

[DaveBrabec]

Bar support from trailer to outboard for me. Transom doesn’t flex as much as a motor mate.

[Coastal Mountaineer]

Does it really matter which one you use? I've never heard of a transom or other problem from the use of either.

[Highcentered]

Ever seen how much a boat trailer flexes without a boat on it? The boat acts as a structural member of the trailer when secured to the trailer, typically at 3 points (1 front winch and 2 rear buckles). A bar style "transom saver" acts as a 4th point, and one of the most rigid points at that. This can result in significant forces being applied to the lower unit while towing. But I would imagine this force to be significantly less than the force that is required to push a boat through and on the water at max speed.

I confidently use a motormate.

But to the original question, you may try to mount a transom saver mount above the center tail light. Hard to tell if there is enough room there. The mount would create a pinned connection to the trailer.

My dinky Tracker trailer looked like a snake wiggling between the ramp and parking spot. Felt like my boat was the main structure of that thing. My Xpress trailer isn't as bad but still has some wiggle if you look hard enough. That said, hard to say which motor support is better. Sometimes I feel like the wedge style is better for the hydraulics and the long stick is just there to make sure your motor doesn't end up dragging the pavement while also trying to push the motor up while bouncing down the road. Always gotta make sure those transom straps are tight.

[Mahomee]

I never understood so much confusion of functioning adults. If someone doesn't think that the bar-to-trailer, helps give less flex to the transom, then I probably can't make you understand.

But I say this. Balance a coin on your transom edge, jack plate, jack plate bolt, protruding transducer. And try two things.

1). First no extra support to the motor. Grab skeg/prop and put your body weight on to it. Observe what happens to the coin.
2) Same set up but put a bottle jack and correct lenght of 2x4 and just it up tight under the lower unit. Then apply your body weight to prop. Observe coin.

It's not rocket science. Just a simple lever block.

The back center on most if not all trailers isnt strong you can push on the motor w the support in down to the frame and flex the frame, thats why they fall out so often and need secured on both ends.

[ChuckTR21]

Rick Pierce at BassCat has built more boats than any of us and he still recommends the long, trailer to lower unit models. If it's good for him, it's good for me.

[DewRonInc]

I have a DD26 toter, works amazing, also use their steering locks, also have a heavy duty one that goes to trailer for long trips just for piece of mind

[blkfalc4]

Motormate on both present rigs as in past ones.

[rudapa]

DD26 for my current boat. I had a motormate previously. Much better mouse trap than the old school cumbersome transom saver LU paint remover style.

[Crappie Bob]

I will still say that with the motor tilted up and the powerhead leaned over into the boat, 80% of the weight is "inside" your boat making the balance point over the transom and not behind it. All these videos of 200 Lb men standing on the foot and shaking the foot up and down is misinformation to me. There is not that much weight back there trailering, the weight is over the transom in the boat. Get a friend to film you driving your rig down a bumpy road and you will see. I honestly believe the old pole type "transom savers" were thought up and designed for the older motors that had no hydraulics to keep them locked in place, now they would bounce up and down drastically because there was nothing holding them down.

But in the end, it's my engineered opinion, and you should choose your own path.

[PMantle]

That guy gets it.

[Mcjenson]

Rick Pierce at BassCat has built more boats than any of us and he still recommends the long, trailer to lower unit models. If it's good for him, it's good for me.

He also recommends triangle lids though... (I'm joking)

[FES313]

I will still say that with the motor tilted up and the powerhead leaned over into the boat, 80% of the weight is "inside" your boat making the balance point over the transom and not behind it. All these videos of 200 Lb men standing on the foot and shaking the foot up and down is misinformation to me. There is not that much weight back there trailering, the weight is over the transom in the boat. Get a friend to film you driving your rig down a bumpy road and you will see. I honestly believe the old pole type "transom savers" were thought up and designed for the older motors that had no hydraulics to keep them locked in place, now they would bounce up and down drastically because there was nothing holding them down.

But in the end, it's my engineered opinion, and you should choose your own path.

You could spend all day here talking science, physics, fulcrums and levers but the belief that "I'm saving my transom" is strong here. I learned my lesson when my trim unit went out. I had prepared chain falls, jacks, blocks, etc. because motor heavy. Much to my chagrin I did not need any of it. With the motor being free from the trim unit, I could pick it up by hand and once if got it up with some angle, I could move it with one hand. The motor weighed 430 pounds according to Mercury.

[fly by night]

RMP makes a very good one as well. I have had Motormate, ToteRite, and RMP.

[Mark Perry]

Do yourself a favor and order a couple spare endcaps. They like to fall off.

Put a dab of silicone on them then pop back in.

[Thamelau]

Do yourself a favor and order a couple spare endcaps. They like to fall off.

I ended up epoxying mine in place.

[Grizzly]

Bar support for me when I do trailer my boat.

[JJohnSind]

I understand the physics to be confident in Motor Mount style braces, BUT, the My-Wedge is not a good one. There is way too much movement in that one and it needs steering stops. The ones that need steering stops will not hold the motor absolutely still (and possibly cause damage to steering), unlike the Motor Mate.

[bass.man65]

Rick Pierce at BassCat has built more boats than any of us and he still recommends the long, trailer to lower unit models. If it's good for him, it's good for me.

And this is coming from same guy that still uses lid latches and vent covers from 1978

[Mark Perry]

Rick Pierce at BassCat has built more boats than any of us and he still recommends the long, trailer to lower unit models. If it's good for him, it's good for me.

Skeeter makes a sells a ton of boats and many are sold with the newer style transom saver. NY dealer is one of if not the largest Skeeter/Yamaha dealers and have been for over 20 years. Every new boat they send out has the new style saver on it.

[PMantle]

Skeeter makes a sells a ton of boats and many are sold with the newer style transom saver. NY dealer is one of if not the largest Skeeter/Yamaha dealers and have been for over 20 years. Every new boat they send out has the new style saver on it.

Those aren't savers. They attach the engine to itself, so they do nothing but possibly take weight off the hydraulics. You cannot take forces off the transom or more importantly, the engine mounts, by linking the the engine to its own mount. This isn't an issue upon which reasonable minds can differ.