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Pontoon Trailer Function Upgrade

dezertrider

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We have a pontoon trailer that needs new bunks. The trailer is only 3 years old and the bunks have allready cracked. While its getting service I want to upgrade the guides. It currently has the field goal style guides that are a pain in the ass. Every time I put away the boat I have to remove the goal posts to get it into the garage. It gives me another 24" and I can place it close to the side of the garage.

1. Does any one have feed back on using the Toon guides like in this Instagrram post versus the standard goal posts?
2. When replacing the bunks they want to add the PVC covers to the bunks. Does anyone have any pros or cons adding this material to the bunks. Same material as the video
 

FlyByWire

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I had shadow trailers put actual vertical guides on mine. I took off the field goal posts as they did literally nothing. Night and day much better with the trailer mounted vertical guides on the trailer itself. They run about 3/4 the length of the toon and are carpeted just like the bunks.

You just have to get the nose on it and it sucks the boat to the right place every time. You’ll love them.

Can’t comment on #2.
 

mbrown2

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I get the goal posts guides help when trailering with a current but with the middle guides I don't think the outside are a requirement....as long as you can aim the middle correctly the boat is gonna settle and those integrated v glides on the outside will also help center it. I really only see the need for outside guides on v drives where you don't want that shaft moving left to right...
 
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RiverDave

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The internal vertical guides are much better than the poles.. and they won’t potentially damage your boat like the poles do.

RD
 

dezertrider

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I get the goal posts guides help when trailering with a current but with the middle guides I don't think the outside are a requirement....as long as you can aim the middle correctly the boat is gonna settle and those integrated v glides on the outside with also help center it. I really only see the need for outside guides on v drives where you don't want that shaft moving left to right...
I took the goal post guides off one time and I almost couldnt get the boat to sit on the bunks. I ended up having to try 3 or 4 times to get it to sit.
 

mbrown2

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I took the goal post guides off one time and I almost couldnt get the boat to sit on the bunks. I ended up having to try 3 or 4 times to get it to sit.
Maybe those V guides would help with that..but they don't come up very high....
 

C-Ya

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Here is a pic of my World Cat trailer. The guides are in the inside, which work perfectly. It automatically sets the boat in correct spot, once I start pulling it out.


Just remember, the above info is based on my knowledge of World Cats and their trailers. I have actually never had my boat on its trailer. But the inside guides are the way to go.

IMG_0372.jpeg
IMG_0370.jpeg
 

Groper

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The internal vertical guides are much better than the poles.. and they won’t potentially damage your boat like the poles do.

RD
This ^^^ I made vertical guides with DF 2"x 6"x 12', 2"x 2" x 1/4"ts welded to a 3/8" pl. and u-bolted them to the trailer and they work like a champ even if you get all crossed up by your neighbors prop wash or in most cases the wind.

On busy weekends I'll use ramp #3 @Windsors with zero issues, before the guides it was nearly impossible to use #3 with it being so steep.
 

DLC

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I have an Adrenaline trailer like the video it works really well

Only screwed the pooch 1 time in heavy wind and popped a rear weld on the internal upright on one side - it now has a slight bend & it needs to get fixed….
Totally my fault

1-
The internal upright seems to position the toon right on the bunks as your pulling up and out, although you need to stick the bow in the right spot!

2-
I’ve had the pvc covers since 2018 - ripped & tore the fabric ones in less than a year ( when it was brand new ) and they said to try the PVC & I did & they work really well, zero issues


I want to add some runway lights to help retrieve at night.
With the trucks brake lights on, the boarding ladder blends in w/ the tail gate & gets shadowy, they are all about the same height / angle of the dangle
 

dezertrider

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I have an Adrenaline trailer like the video it works really well

Only screwed the pooch 1 time in heavy wind and popped a rear weld on the internal upright on one side - it now has a slight bend & it needs to get fixed….
Totally my fault

1-
The internal upright seems to position the toon right on the bunks as your pulling up and out, although you need to stick the bow in the right spot!

2-
I’ve had the pvc covers since 2018 - ripped & tore the fabric ones in less than a year ( when it was brand new ) and they said to try the PVC & I did & they work really well, zero issues


I want to add some runway lights to help retrieve at night.
With the trucks brake lights on, the boarding ladder blends in w/ the tail gate & gets shadowy, they are all about the same height / angle of the dangle
My carpet was ripped in the first year also, Thanks for the tips on the PVC covers
 
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zhandfull

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Inside guides are effortless when loading. As mentioned, just get the nose pointed in right position and it everything falls in place.
 

Melloyellovector

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I have the exact trailer from adrenaline on my southbay.

if you have a southbay, be careful hitting the internal guides since they contact the pressurized toon, slight dent will start the implosion of a toon. But I still like better then external pole guides

on the pvc liner. it isn’t very “grippy” house to lake no problem. long trip strap front and back and strap again. It will move around.
also a sharp toon across the pvc shit cuts and splits right open also. At least carpet you could make it look ok until fixed. PVC there is no make it look ok, lol
 

dezertrider

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I have the exact trailer from adrenaline on my southbay.

if you have a southbay, be careful hitting the internal guides since they contact the pressurized toon, slight dent will start the implosion of a toon. But I still like better then external pole guides

on the pvc liner. it isn’t very “grippy” house to lake no problem. long trip strap front and back and strap again. It will move around.
also a sharp toon across the pvc shit cuts and splits right open also. At least carpet you could make it look ok until fixed. PVC there is no make it look ok, lol

This is new to me but how does this cause an implosion? Friends of mine recently took there boat out of storage and found a huge dent at the rear of the boat. Looks like the hit something but they put it away and it was fine. Is this what your taliking about?
 

Melloyellovector

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This is new to me but how does this cause an implosion? Friends of mine recently took there boat out of storage and found a huge dent at the rear of the boat. Looks like the hit something but they put it away and it was fine. Is this what your taliking about?
Southbay, Berkshire, and trifecta have pressurized toons.
The ”performance toons”
they are like beer cans, fine as long as pressure pushing them out.an empty beer can crushes very easy. In havasu in particular. Outside temps 120, metal toon even hotter. Into the lake and up river 50-60 deg water super cools the toon and it contracts, creating vacuum pressure. Next thing ya know, the ding from say a rock on beach, or trailer guide ding, contraction starts, you hit a wake and the toon will try and turn itself inside out. Warranty‘s are covered by flipping a coin to original owners only. Otherwise 11k per toon.

Also had a toon quarter size ding turn into a bowling ball punch while in storage. Those can usually get pressurized and popped out. Its nuts
 

Riverbottom

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Pros and cons to the inside guides. I have a big Bennington which has the lifting strakes on the inside of the outer toons, and both sides of the center toon. Shadow trailers told me not to add center guides if you have strakes on the toons, which makes sense. I replaced all the trailer bunks with 2" X 6" bunks instead of the 2" X 4" bunks. This made a huge difference loading the boat. Since I only launch in Parker, I only use the down river pole guide. It is so much easier with the larger bunks, my wife drives the boat to the ramp and puts the boat on the trailer first time, no matter the wind or current. Just the two inch wider bunks adds much more V and the toons settle right in the center.
 

SLT Kota

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Inside guides work great on my pontoon trailer, I keep breaking bunks where the the front of the pontoon initially hits the bunk though.
 

Sawtooth

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Internal guides for the win. Super easy to load.
View attachment 1458977
Surely you need all the advantage you can get, I mean with all that horsepower and speed you are wheeling 😜🤣. I will say the guy that built that trailer did an outstanding job on it 👍🏻😁……..
It’s just to bad it’s for a barge boat 🫢.
 

dezertrider

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I just set the appt for next week. I will send picks when done. They said it will be done by the next day at the latest.

They are having a 10% discount on all services right now
 
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