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  1. #1
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    Please explain this bit of engineering to me...

    So here's what I've got. The boat is a 99 201 Pro Elite. The trailer is the one that the boat came from the factory with.

    First, I'd like to understand why it is that my stopper (or roller, or whatever it's called) is on this spring loaded swinging arm? In the pictures below you can see that when fully retracted the stopper is up where I need it to be. When pushed down towards the frame of the trailer, the spring stretches and the stopper arm goes way down flat... What the hell for? I've looked at it a thousand times and I can't understand the benefit. Why isn't it just solid? It must not have been a very good idea because I can't say I've seen the same design on many other boat trailers.

    Second, I'd like to know if anyone else with this same trailer has troubles with their boat loading too far onto the trailer and their eyelet jumping over the stopper when power loading? I've owned several different bass boats and loading has always been very simple. With this one I have nothing but trouble. If I don't short stop the stopper, I'm almost always guaranteed to end up with my winch strap eyelet six inches ahead of the stopper, causing me to have to back everything way into the lake and having to manually crank the boat into place. It's extremely annoying and frankly a little embarrassing after a tournament when it takes me three times longer to load than everyone else. Am I doing something wrong? Or am I safe to blame the trailer?

    Part of me thinks that if I could readjust that arm so that it would be a little higher before stopping I might solve my overshooting issue. If I were to grind off the little bar the stops the arm from going higher and weld a new one just an inch or two higher I think I might be in business. Please, someone stop me if I'm going to far here.

    So there it is... My cry for help. Please share any tips that you might have with me.





  2. Member
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    #2
    my 96 is like that and i've never had any loading issues.Only time the spring has came into play
    is when loading on short steep ramps the nose wants to go under the roller,I can push down
    on the roller and crank it up.I don't think i have ever went over the
    roller.

  3. Member
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    #3
    also looks like your roller post has scooted forward.you can see the verticle
    bolt mark and the skid marks on top of the trailer.Or someone moved it
    maybe.Mine is set where your original marks are about.
    Last edited by hulapopr; 10-18-2018 at 11:08 PM.

  4. Member e-tec's Avatar
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    #4
    The spring deal was to keep you from ripping the trolling motor off when launching from a steep ramp. Poor design. A deeper "V" bow stop roller may help you when you are loading. My winch stand is about 6" farther back than yours. I am not saying that is correct. Just where mine sits.
    99' 201 Pro Elite
    08' Evinrude 225 HO

  5. Member
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    #5
    Agree with all the replies. Mine is back farther as well. I think Your spring maybe weak and putting a tighter spring will help your problem. Also You maybe putting the trailer in the water to far. I redesigned mine and is welded. Could not be happier with it.

  6. Member
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    #6
    I've wondered about this as well - have the same trailer on my 98. Fun fact - these trailers, while called "EZ Loader" brand, were made in Tennessee by a company called Custom Frame for EZ Loader. I needed the VIN number for my trailer recently (The sticker had faded to white) and called EZ Loader, they got me what I needed, but had to look the frame up in a different file. Custom Frame went out of business around 2004 they said.

  7. RIP Evinrude 1907-2020 JR19's Avatar
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    #7
    I have one on my 1999 trailer and I have no issues with it. I have owned my boat/trailer since 2001 so I have loaded/unloaded several times over the years. I can only recall once or twice where I had an issue and it was because the trailer was too deep on a steep ramp. Looking at your picture I think your spring is too long or too weak. When my boat is not on the trailer my post only slides back a few inches.

    I know it's hard to tell by just looking at a picture but it looks like the spring is a new and shiny whereas the trailer seems to show some age. I suspect the spring has been replaced with one that is too long or too weak.
    Last edited by JR19; 10-21-2018 at 08:49 PM.

  8. Member Fish Boy's Avatar
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    #8
    I got extremely annoyed with mine so I just put a bolt through the top hole and tightened it really good so it never moves again. When I get the chance I'm just going to weld it so it for sure never moves again.

  9. Member
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    #9
    Sounds like if it's jumping over the roller, the trailer is too deep. I had the same trailer with the spring with a 283, I never had any trouble in the 20 years with it. You could always weld the swing arm in the up position if you wanted.

  10. Member
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    #10
    Get a tighter spring and make sure the roller arm moves freely and doesn’t bind. They were originally used because those boats all came with OMC trolling motors that had huge front plastic parts sticking way out front and a solid roller arm would rip them off the TM.

  11. Member e-tec's Avatar
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    #11
    Quote Originally Posted by ScottOz View Post
    Agree with all the replies. Mine is back farther as well. I think Your spring maybe weak and putting a tighter spring will help your problem. Also You maybe putting the trailer in the water to far. I redesigned mine and is welded. Could not be happier with it.
    Could you post a picture?
    99' 201 Pro Elite
    08' Evinrude 225 HO

  12. Member
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    #12
    If you get pictures email them to me and I'll resize and post them on BBC and can ask for a sticky.

  13. Member KutTail71's Avatar
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    #13
    It's too far forward. Needs to go back about 6 inches at least. Agree with the other statements about putting trailer in too deep.
    Eddie
    2017 Phoenix 920 Pro XP Mercury 250 Pro XS

  14. Member
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    #14
    Hey guys thanks for all the responses. As soon as it was mentioned that it might be too far forward, I ran outside to check if there was more evidence that perhaps it had moved. It does not appear that it has. This prompted me to google image search "201 pro elite". I wanted to see about how forward the images showed. What I noticed is that on the single axle trailers the post seems to be all the way forward. On the tandem axles it's a little bit back like many have mentioned. My trailer is a single axle. Does anyone have an example to dispute this pattern? I only had a few pictures to look at so I'm not entirely certain.

    I think for right now I might just get a short tie strap and secure that swinging arm so its really tight. My spring is way too floppy and letting it sag. I don't know if it's necessary to go as far as welding it.

  15. Member
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    #15
    I had one on my 96 and loved it really helped on steep ramps