Hi All,
Wondering if anyone has a specific setup for the motors when they are traveling long distances with their boats.
A lot of the american youtube vids seem to show them using these 'transom savers', essentially a steering wheel lock looking thing that is set between your trailer and the bottom of the motor.
On the other hand do you think that the tilt supports are sufficient to handle impact of a 3+ hour drive over sometimes rough coastal roads?
Cheers!
Personally, I think that "supporting" your motor by running a support up from your trailer is not a good idea. Got popular briefly in Oz, then most people realised that the boat never sits exactly still on the trailer, and you are sending that movement up onto the leg and putting more strain on your ram/s, rather than less. As for "saving " your transom, think of the stresses you are putting on it driving a boat through choppy seas at whatever speed. Simply supporting a motor with a little up and down movement means stuff all by comparison. As to the rams, unless you are trimmed hard in to the stops, the rams are also having to take that strain, huge amount of thrust and bashing on a rough day--compared to which, trailering is stuff all. Some people get very precious about this, we all have our opinions. People will claim their rams "failed" because they bounced too much on the transom--nothing to do with the flogging you gave it into that sou'easter? nah, couldn't be
At the end of the day as far as the transom is concerned, I don't think it makes that much difference unless the bracket work on the motor for trailering isn't up to task. I ran a old school motor support on my last tin rig for 20 years - including a tow from Perth to Brisbane via Port Lincoln without issue but the "trailering support" on that engine was basically a bit of stainless angle that was pretty easy to bend. The boat was also never towed without being strapped down with transom tie downs. The current engine on my Victory has a very robust trailering bracket that would see no benefit from the addition of a transom bracket. At the end of the day, as Ranmar posted, unless there is an underlying issue, your transom really should be up to the job anyway. The rams have an inbuilt pressure relief that should prevent any sort of failure but there have been failures where extreme forces have been applied to the rams in an extended position - doing "proppy's" and the like whereas the maximum force applied to a ram under operation is usually done with the motor down thus with less chance of bending the shaft.
Interesting little topic.
The support bar is perfect on small boats with the outboard floating in the support.
But with with tilt/trim its basically locked into a set position so any movement between trailer and boat will cause some stress, but so would not having a support.
Always had one of those gearbox to trailer arms but the one with the suspension spring thing
From 25hp to 225hp
Never had a issue to offer a negative but then it may have been fine with out it.
As Scottar said, these systems are bult to take it. You'll do more damage jumping a boat over a wave, and having the prop leave the water then re-engage under power than you will in a lifetime of trailering. Why do people think that a photo of an airborne boat means its a good design???? any f*ckwit can get a boat airborne, just drive it too hard.
Transom saver or T&T saver?
Not all motors are built to take it.
For years I just used the little flip down support on the motor ….. more than anything to take some pressure off the power tilt trim - it seemed to work ok .
When I bought my Yamaha - (2 x Yamahas) ….. both times I was told not to use those supports when trailering & It was recommended that I use the spring loaded support from the trailer - as much as anything to relieve pressure on the ram on bumpy roads .
When I bought the Barcrusher - it wasn't possible to use one of these .
I'm convinced that on a long journey & say that the road is corrugated - that unnatural cadence would not be good on the power tilt - So what I came up with was this IMG_4687.jpg ….. It's a rubber boat roller & Nylon bush that I made which slides down a ram & then I lower the motor down on the ram slightly compressing the rubber …… it seems to be working well & it does absorb the shock .
I tow long distances (thousands of Kms) & over some pretty bad roads through inland NSW & Qld ……. it does give me peace of mind .
Chris
Give a man a fish & he will eat for a day !
Teach him how to fish
& he will sit in a boat - & drink beer all day!
TEAM MOJIKO
Nagg probably not a good idea using the tilt up locking pin while towing if some hits u up the ass they could slide under the boat and your engine would go strait thru the windscreen
If you can trailer in the trim range of your trim and tilt, you don't need anything.
That's certainly not the advice Yamaha dealers (x 2) gave me - specially for longer trips . Yamaha actually have their own engine support available .Originally Posted by Noelm
Chris
Give a man a fish & he will eat for a day !
Teach him how to fish
& he will sit in a boat - & drink beer all day!
TEAM MOJIKO
My outboard sits fully down when trailering and tied off to one side.
No issues for the 24 years I have had this boat.
It has seen some very bad roads regularly in it's early life.
The forces on the transom are far greater when on the water than on the worlds worst roads.
If anything all a transom saver will do is minimise wear and tear on the bolts and pivot of your motor.
If your transom fails it is not from trailering at all.
Jack.
On the Etec, 130hp, I use the specifically designed arms that the motor tilts down on. 2010, 730 hours not an issue. Manual says to use these for towing so I have. Have towed from Airlie beach to Wallaroo South Australia and not had an issue.
I resemble that remark!
Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk
I just use the Yamaha rubber block that is basically a rubber block about 400mm long with a slot in the side and you fit the block onto the raised ram rod then lower the tilt/trim down onto the block until secure. There is another brand called My Wedge that is identical.
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