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  1. #1
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    Putting a 273 back on trailer by yourself

    Hey guys, I have a '99 273 and a 2005 Tacoma with a cap on the bed. When putting the trailer in the water, I have to get the rear tires of the truck right at the edge of the water. Getting the boat off the trailer isn't the issue. I use a rope tied off back the trailer in far enough for the boat to float off the trailer then pull the truck up some and then retrieve the boat with the rope. When putting the boat back on the trailer I put the tires right at the edge of the water pull boat on and winch it up tight. Here comes the part I don't like. Getting my feet wet getting back into the truck. I can't go into the bed of the truck then over the bed rail because of the cap I have. I haven't tried this yet, but can I back the trailer in so far that I would still have enough room to get back into the truck without getting my feet wet and still be able to drive boat on trailer as far as I can. Would the winch be able to pull the boat on up to the bow stop? I have had the boat about 10 months now and love it but I am still trying to figure out a few issues as such. Any info/opinions would be great.

  2. Electrical/Wiring/Trolling Motors Moderator CatFan's Avatar
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    #2
    You should be able to drive the boat all the way to the stop without having the trailer in so far you can't step out onto the ramp. But some states don't want you to do that, so if you have to winch it on, you might want to consider a two speed winch that has better gear reduction to make winching easier. Bunk trailers are designed to load shallow so the boat self-centers.
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    #3
    Moose for me it depends on the angle of the ramp. On ramps with little angle (shallow) you have to back in farther. If the ramp has more angle (steep) then you do not have to back in as far. One thing you can try is to back in a little farther to get the bunks on the trailer wet then pull up to where you wouldn't get your feet wet. With the wet bunks on the trailer your boat should slide up a little easier. I am not sure if this would be enough to solve your problem but it would be worth a try.
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    #4
    I have to crawl into the bed of my Sierra when I am by myself. And that is power loading and staying as shallow as possible.
    Dont really see an option if you have a cap. This isn’t something that is model/brand specific.
    Any boat is gonna be this way, unless you can find a way to swing around the edge of the cap to jump onto the ramp
    This is why I havent bought a suburban to tow with yet. At least with suburban, I could crawl thru to the back seat with the hatch door open.

    When we use my dads truck with a cap, there is no way I could get out of boat on the ramp without getting in the water.

  5. Member Grizzly's Avatar
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    #5
    I wear hip boots when the water is cold.

  6. Electrical/Wiring/Trolling Motors Moderator CatFan's Avatar
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    #6
    Quote Originally Posted by 201pro View Post
    Any boat is gonna be this way, unless you can find a way to swing around the edge of the cap to jump onto the ramp
    Odd. I can easily walk behind my truck on a standard boat ramp after I load. I lean over the bow and latch the winch hook, snug the winch and climb out onto the tongue then step down onto dry ground.

    It can be a problem for me on really shallow ramps or during high water on ramps that break quickly after they come out of the water though, and I can certainly see how it would be a PITA if you had to do it without a truck bed to step into with the truck back that far.

    Out of curiosity, any of you have larger tires on your trailer than what it was originally equipped with?
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  7. Natalie Gulbis tdt91's Avatar
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    #7
    I think you are backing the trailer in to far. Your trailer should be in the water deep enough for you to float the boat about half way on the trailer. The rest of the way you will give it some gas to Power Load it up until the bow hits the bow roller. Most bass boats are similar in how much of the trailer is in and what to gauge it from. For mine I leave about 2'' of the rear vertical side rollers exposed. Another spot of the trailer guys use to gauge is the fender. Many boats you can leave about half of the fender exposed and you will be in the right height. Anyway, if you don't have to give it some gas to power it up the trailer a few feet then you are in too deep. Get a local experienced guy to show you how sometime.
    I use that roller on my trailer no matter how steep the ramp is. If there is 1-2'' of it exposed then it's just right. You have to experiment with your trailer to find the sweet spot.

    The other thing I do you may want to try is to back the trailer in close to the dock that's next to the ramp. This allows you to step off your boat onto the dock.
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  8. RIP Evinrude 1907-2020 JR19's Avatar
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    #8
    Quote Originally Posted by tdt91 View Post
    I think you are backing the trailer in to far.


    The easiest way to tell how deep to back your trailer is by establishing how deep it was when you unloaded but when it comes time to load you back it to the same point or slightly more shallow as you were when you unloaded...when unloading let about 1-2 feet of slack in the bow strap. Back in very slowly paying close attention to the boat on the trailer. Once you see the boat start to slide back, stop and make a mental note of where the trailer is in the water. In my particular situation I have guide rollers that stick straight up in the air. I make a mental note of how deep they are. When load/unloading a boat from someone else and they don't have a vertical item to use for a marker I look at how much water covers the fender or how much of the frame is showing in front of the fender. It really does not matter what you use as long as you have something to make a mental note of that it needs to be X deep for the boat to slide on the trailer. I cannot emphasise how much I mean slide on the trailer and not float off the trailer. Anyways what you have established is the depth the boat will slide on the trailer and NOT float off the trailer. When it comes time to load back onto the trailer you have your mental note of how deep it needs to be so put it at that mark or slightly more shallow but only slightly more. Never back deeper because the trailer will be too deep causing your transom to float as you power load. You want the boat to slide onto the trailer not float onto the trailer.

    Having loaded/unloaded my boat many times I know the sweet spot for various different ramps. I have multiple depths I load my boat at and they all are dependant on the angle of the ramp. A boat on a ramp with a slight incline will slide at a different trailer depth than a ramp with a sharp incline. In high water when the ramp is underwater and the grade of the ramp is very small I will back way out to get my boat to slide off. On a sharp drop off quick angle I don't have to go as far as what I call a normal grade sloping ramp. Hopefully I did not make this sound complicated...the easiest way to explain it is learn what depth the boat slides off then when loading get the trailer at the same depth or maybe slightly more shallow.

    If your trailer is too shallow when power loading you can always winch it the last few inches if it won't power load. If its too deep there is nothing you can really do. The ass will float and swing around and just cause trouble.

    One other note I just thought of is when loading/unloading have your trim angle sit right where the tilt stops and the trim starts. This does two things. One it has your motor in an angle so the prop will not hit the ramp. Two when you power load at full trim it helps pop the nose up and lift the bow onto the trailer.

  9. Member Indianabasser's Avatar
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    #9
    A general rule of thumb I use when reloading is to put the trailer in to about half way up the wheels. Of course each ramp is different but this will give you an idea of where you need to be. These are short tongued trailers.
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    #10
    I will drive my 273 to about 2 feet from the roller. Winch it the rest of the way and it is no problem.

  11. Member Indianabasser's Avatar
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    #11
    Quote Originally Posted by stratos273v View Post
    I will drive my 273 to about 2 feet from the roller. Winch it the rest of the way and it is no problem.
    Same here
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    #12
    Quote Originally Posted by stratos273v View Post
    I will drive my 273 to about 2 feet from the roller. Winch it the rest of the way and it is no problem.
    I do this as well. I tow mine with a Ford Explorer so I feel your pain. It's much easier to load without driving it on if you have a steep ramp.

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    #13
    OP - 98 273, and an 07 Tacoma here. I have the same issue at most ramps. To get water even to the tops of the trailer fenders and get the boat to float my back tires are at the waterline.

    I hadn't thought about your launching solution with the rope, - so thanks for that. I've only launched this boat a couple of times since I bought it.

    I've got a bedcover - I have been climbing the rear tire onto the bedcover and stepping across.

    For recovery - at least I can reverse that process.

    I have to try the winching it on solution - I have that odd spring loaded roller mount setup, and I can't find the sweet spot where I'm getting it all the way up, without the hull eyelet hopping over the roller.

  14. RIP Evinrude 1907-2020 JR19's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by adrenalnjunky View Post
    OP - 98 273, and an 07 Tacoma here. I have the same issue at most ramps. To get water even to the tops of the trailer fenders and get the boat to float my back tires are at the waterline.

    I hadn't thought about your launching solution with the rope, - so thanks for that. I've only launched this boat a couple of times since I bought it.

    I've got a bedcover - I have been climbing the rear tire onto the bedcover and stepping across.

    For recovery - at least I can reverse that process.

    I have to try the winching it on solution - I have that odd spring loaded roller mount setup, and I can't find the sweet spot where I'm getting it all the way up, without the hull eyelet hopping over the roller.
    definitely too deep if your going over the spring loaded post...read reply #8 for helpful tips.

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    Quote Originally Posted by JR19 View Post
    definitely too deep if your going over the spring loaded post...read reply #8 for helpful tips.
    So, here's the question then - much shallower and the roller doesn't go under the bow. My roller arm drops down a lot (6" or so) when the boat is off the trailer. The previous owner might have replaced the spring with one that's too long, or too weak possibly? I understand what the spring is there for, but never owned a trailer with one. Is it supposed to hold the arm in the full up position when the boat isn't on the trailer? That would fix my whole loading issue, as far as the roller position goes.

  16. RIP Evinrude 1907-2020 JR19's Avatar
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    #16
    Based on what you say I think you have a weak spring or possibly too long of a spring. As an experiment add a bungee cord or wrap something around it to prevent it from going down very much. Mine barley moves down when the boat is off the trailer. When unloaded I can push the post arm down by hand and it returns back to home position when I release it. If restricting the movement of your spring works then replace or shorten your spring. Also read reply#8 about how to find perfect trailer depth on ramps with various angles.