Motor toters...

[Garfish]

will absolutely ruin the paint on your LU and those with the two rubber contact pads on each side can really stick sometimes. I've tried the two styles and have chosen to use the kind I'll call 'Duck Bill' type. I cut two strips of 2" wide Velcro loop with the sticky back and put a strip on each of the sides of the 'V' of the duck bill and it will no longer stick when you lower the LU and it will not scratch the paint..................G

[Bassmeister]

Gar, after my 'toter broke I quit using it and started using the factory bracket. You can make clips for the steering rams to keep the motor straight out of pvc or they can be bought from most places.

[waterfoul]

But Bassmeister, you are not really taking any stress off the transom unless you can remove it from the BOAT and transfer it to the trailer.

I do like the velcro idea though!

[Alan S]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by waterfoul &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">But Bassmeister, you are not really taking any stress off the transom unless you can remove it from the BOAT and transfer it to the trailer....!</TD></TR></TABLE>

[colreb2000]

Why not just use the V-style toter and put some carpet in between it and the LU. Just my .02

[reelman]

If a Yammy, get a Pro Rule!
Its lifetime...slips over the tilt pistons, bevel out the holes a bit with a sturdy knife for 2 minutes or so...it fits anywhere in your boat and if you forget...you can remove it while IN the boat without a scuba mask...roll up sleeve to elbow at most and its done...been there...also comes with sturdy red clamps you put over the steering rods so engine stays straight...
PRO RULE

[JR19]

Garfish

If you have the Evinrude that is listed in your signature I would use the factory bracket and steering clips like Bassmeister recommends.

I have read the pros and cons about the factory bracket VS the motor toter. In my opinion both do have good and bad points. I prefer the factor support bracket because it is much easier to use. The bracket is permanently made onto your motor so there is no storage issue. You will have to install clips on the steering arms to keep the motor straight while towing down the road. I would estimate that my steering clips are 6" long and 1" in diameter.

It is faster to use the factory support bracket and install steering clips VS the motor toter due to the fact that you don't have to walk to the truck or open a locker on the front deck to store a transom saver. I have put my steering clips in my pocket... try that with a motor toter Most of the time I raise my back deck lid and slide them over the lip on the lid and shut the lid. They will not go anywhere plus they are located an arms reach away from the motor when you need to install them for the trip home.

Another plus is if you forget to remove the motor toter you will have to pull the boat out of the water to remove it or jump into water waist deep. I have never forgotten to the remove factory bracket but if/when all will I have to do is lay on the back deck and get my arm wet up to the elbow. I have forgot to remove the steering clips. They are simple to remove even after you launch...just reach back and remove them.

Factory support bracket and steering clips may or may not be easier on the transom but they are defiantly easier/more convenient than a transom saver.

[Bugs]

I have had 3 Evinrude motors in the last few years. A 115HP (if I remember right) 225HP Ficht and now a 225HP ETec and have used the factory flip down motor totor on each one. Have never broken anything nor have there been any stress cracks on the transom. I figure the Evinrude engineers knew what they were doing when they put it there so, why not use it!

[wildkat7]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by colreb2000 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Why not just use the V-style toter and put some carpet in between it and the LU. Just my .02</TD></TR></TABLE>

I've been doing this....however the paint had already been worn some so it still doesn't look good...need to get some lower unit paint and fix it up.

[Garfish]

In my orig. post I stated that I'm talking about the "V" style, if you use carpet it will fall off every time you remove the toter and it looks crappy. The Velcro disappears and it sticks to the"V"

[Garfish]

JR19, I didn't go into great detail, but my point was to show a trick on the toter. Yes, I use the built in trailering bracket and also use T&H steering stops. I have to run my Hyd. jackplate down some so both bracket and toter are snug but not a problem. Then you might ask "why the toter"? I reason thatthe toter minimizes the up&down motion of my lower unit which translates to transom flex. Hope this answers any questions..........G

[ripb8ts]

Just slip on some microfiber auto mitts. Wont fall off, scratch and easy to replace.

[Al from Canada]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Garfish &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">JR19, I didn't go into great detail, but my point was to show a trick on the toter. Yes, I use the built in trailering bracket and also use T&H steering stops. I have to run my Hyd. jackplate down some so both bracket and toter are snug but not a problem. Then you might ask "why the toter"? I reason thatthe toter minimizes the up&down motion of my lower unit which translates to transom flex. Hope this answers any questions..........G</TD></TR></TABLE>

Personally I wouldn't use the toter in addition. If you hit big bumps, the boat and trailer are two separate things, regardless of how tight you might have the tiedown straps. With the toter braced to the trailer, the bumps will be transfered to the motor more than if the motor was just supported by the factory bracket.

The LockNStow is similar to using the factory bracket and the motor basically doesn't move when you hit bumps. Follow a boat being trailered down the road with only a motor toter. Then follow one down the road with either the factory bracket or a LockNStow......big difference. I'll never use a standard motor toter again.

And for those that think that weight is being transferred to the trailer.......if a motor weighs 450# sitting on the transom it still weighs 450# whether it's held by factory bracket, LockNStow or motor toter. No difference.

[Nikon Man]

Al is right. The whole key is to keep the motor & the boat as one piece, thereby moving together when any movement occurs. Bumps will lift the mass as one componet. External forces just add exactly that, "EXTERNAL FORCES", and you don't want that. Keep it all in a freestate, moving as one.........

I rest my motor on some home made hard plastic round stock slipped over the trim rods and the motor tightly brought down on top them. I've watch my rig go down the road when my brother was towing it, and I never saw any movement of the motor on the transom. When movement occured over a big bump, everything moved as one.

[arjone01]

Here's my two cents about transom strength. When a boat is running on pad the motor pushing against transom carries and pivots the entire weight of the hull AND gear in the boat to the transom. Even though you may argue that the pad has the weight what is pulling the front up in the air? It's pivoting off of the pad. That's right around 2000-2500 pounds on average and even more. That is pivoted off of the transom. Not to mention the stresses of rough water driving exert more stress in waves and such. Now, an average 2 stroke weighs about 550 lbs. That is in turn carried in reverse still pivoting off of the transom. Tell me how the transom can carry the hull, gear, fuel and personnel on it in rough ever changing conditions not near as nice as a highway yet it can't transfer 550 lbs in the opposite direction on smooth finished highways. That motor is nothing compared to the hull. If your transom fails trailering your motor then that is good because it'd definitely fail running up on pad so unless a car behind hit's your motor and transom in the road then that is good because it'd be more catastrophic if it did with you in it going 70 + . Not trying to stir anything just making an observation.