Caracal trailer question

[BeantownBee]

Caracal owners. Having a slight issue when i'm putting my 2015 Caracal on the trailer. If I back the trailer down too much the bow hits below the roller . So when I pull the trailer up a little bit I cant seem to get the boat all the way up to the top roller when power loading and I have put the hook on the boat then back the trailer down some more and hand crank it up to get all the way to the top roller. Wonder if anyone has had this issue and what they might have done to resolve it or is it operating as designed? Hope i'm explaining this correctly? :(

Thanks in advance!

Brian

[billius]

I have a 2015 Caracal. I found the sweet spot is to have the outside bunks (shorter bunks) about 2-3" out of the water. The boat loads perfectly all the way to the roller. It makes little difference how steep or shallow the ramp is, as long as you get those bunks in that position. Actually that was the same way I loaded my CougarFTD too.

[Bobby8]

On steep ramps Brian I have the same issue. Took me 20 minutes on a steep boat ramp this past weekend on Toledo Bend loading by myself. Had to keep adjusting the trailer to get the bow just over the top roller, hook up the strap, back it down a bit, tighten the strap, and keep repeating.

[flybyy1]

I have a 2015 Caracal. I found the sweet spot is to have the outside bunks (shorter bunks) about 2-3" out of the water. The boat loads perfectly all the way to the roller. It makes little difference how steep or shallow the ramp is, as long as you get those bunks in that position. Actually that was the same way I loaded my CougarFTD too.

good response!

85% of time I am alone, and my findings are similar,,, you want the outer,(shorter) bunks wet, but visible. Steeper ramps require little more out of water but never over what Billius recommended,,, unless it's a dang drop off.
Good luck, give these tips a try.

gene

[D-wayne]

Do you back the trailer in far enough to get the bunks wet?
Then pull the trailer up far enough to load properly.
I found that there are a bunch boat ramps that I have to winch the boat up so I got the two speed F-2 Fulton winch which makes the job so much easier.
Hopefully you can get it figured out.
If you still need a bit to get the boat loaded try spraying the bunks with silicone spray makes the carpet slippery

[SethRstein]

I was having the exact same problem and I finally found the sweet spot. I have a 2015 Caracal, 225 pro XS, Atlas Jack Plate.
1. back the trailer all the way in the water to get the bunks completely submerged. This will help with lubricating the bunks and let the boat slide easier
2. Pull the trailer back up so that the outer bunks are exposed maybe 2 to 3"
3. I have my jack plate set at 6 and trim all the way down and bump the trim back up approx 1 second
4. Line the boat up and idle towards the trailer. When the bow gets to the trailer put the boat in neutral and let the boat settle on the bunks. This is a crucial step
5. If the boat is lined up correctly, power on, If the boat is not lined up correctly, reverse off and try again.

This works for me every time now with no issues. I struggled with loading this boat for a while. If you are on a steep ramp let the outer bunks stick out a little more (3-5")

[Louie]

Billius is spot on, you have to have it in the right spot. No way you cranking that boat up. Wetting the bunks then pulling the trailer up also helps. A 4 blade fury also helped my loading some. You have to commit to throtting her up, if you let off shes gunna stick and be short of the roller. Then its a trip or two back in the truck.

[catdude28]

Cats were designed to be driven on, and not cranked. You have to find the exact sweet spot for your boat. I am on my third Cat, and as Bill described, just the tips of the outside bunks just out of the water has worked for all three of mine. The Caracal might be a bit different, but there will be a sweet spot. A lot of good suggestions above.

[BeantownBee]

Thanks everyone...Appreciate the help with my 1st Kitty Cat. Next time out I will try some of the suggestions/sweet spot.

Thank you again!!
Brian

[Cajunhunter67]

Thanks everyone...Appreciate the help with my 1st Kitty Cat. Next time out I will try some of the suggestions/sweet spot.

Thank you again!!
Brian

What prop do you have? The Fury series will drive the boat in the back of the truck. The Trophy or Tempest will usually peter out while loading if you don't have the momentum or boat aligned properly.
The other posts pretty much covered what needs to be done. Power load with the outboard bunks just out the water.
Another thing I do is trim the engine up a lot. As soon as I hammer the throttle, the bow lifts momentarily and slides up easily.

[franktank009]

What prop do you have? The Fury series will drive the boat in the back of the truck. The Trophy or Tempest will usually peter out while loading if you don't have the momentum or boat aligned properly.
The other posts pretty much covered what needs to be done. Power load with the outboard bunks just out the water.
Another thing I do is trim the engine up a lot. As soon as I hammer the throttle, the bow lifts momentarily and slides up easily.

This!
An earlier post suggested motor almost trimmed all the way down. This will make your life difficult and can stir up small rocks on the ramp and ding your prop. Trim all way up to just before you get into the tilt and the boat will climb right up