Let’s face it, boats get all the love and attention. But the trailers that are responsible to get those boats to and from the water? They often don’t get more than a second glance. Spending a few dollars on trailer upgrades, however, will actually not only benefit your boat but also take some of the hassle out of launching and loading at the ramp. Here are three upgrades that offer the best bang for the buck.
1. Trailer Guide Posts
Many boaters may find loading a boat onto a submerged trailer a visual challenge, as the rear of the trailer is submerged. Guide posts provide that much needed visual, as well as help keep your boat aligned as the boat moves forward on the trailer bunks. An added benefit? Those same guide posts also make it easier to back an empty trailer down the launch ramp as they mark the sides of a trailer frame that is often below the driver’s field of vision.
2. Transom Support
Outboard engines are heavy, and can put stress on your boat’s transom when trailering, stress that’s further increased by bumpy roads and the cantilevered position most engines are left in out of the water. Transom “savers” reduce this strain by adding a physical brace between the engine and trailer frame.
3. New Bunk Carpet
Trailer bunks, or more specifically a trailer’s bunk’s carpeting, takes a lot of abuse. The obvious culprit? That boat that repeatedly slides on and off it during launching and loading. That same carpeting, however, also is subject to a continual environmental assault, soaked in the water one minute then left to dry under the sun’s harsh UV rays. The result is that it eventually wears out, leaving your hull exposed to the bare boards below and making getting on and off the trailer more difficult. New bunk carpet is a simple-to-install upgrade that any do-it-yourselfer will accomplish with ease.
