CONTINUOUSWAVE

I am interested in [trailer]guide bunks [for a c.2016 170 MONTAUK.]

Backstory: I just bought a 2016 170 Montauk with Mercury 90 FOURSTROKE with 2.7 hours for $26,500 in Daytona beach. {The seller] had health concerns immediately after delivery, and there it sat in the garage.

I just bought a Mercury Vessel View mobile. I extended the factory warranty by five years to a total of six years with the Platinum Plan.

Karavan swing trailer.
Fishing package.
Rear livewell.
No guide bunks.
Garmin 73 cv.
Flare gun.
Bimini.
Full bow rail.
Raised rear rail.

Impeccable boat. Getting everything ready to break-in. I'm retired. My last whaler was an 1989 Outrage with twin 70-HP engines; I went to a Yamaha F115. Best boat. I'm quite excited.

My tow vehicle is 2000 TUNDRA 4WD 4.7-liter.

Ready to fish.

Congratulations! Very nice price for a great boat! Good luck with her.

Excellent price for a great boat, you'll enjoy it immensely but won't be as smooth as the old Outrage you had.

richiemac wrote:I am interested in [trailer]guide bunks [for a c.2016 170 MONTAUK.]

Trailer guide are a good addition, but I don't think side bunks are particularly necessary or the best option.

I have been using the taller white PVC poles mounted at the extreme rear of the trailer. The tall poles keep the stern of the boat in line while loading. I find them essential. They are particularly useful if there is any sort of cross wind or cross current at the loading ramp. All of the ramps I use prohibit "power-loading" where the boat is driven onto the trailer with propulsion from the boat engine. I load the boat by floating it onto the trailer and then winching it forward the last few feet. The tall pole trailer guides do a great job in keeping the stern of the boat from getting out of line.

There really are not trailer guides that are specific to a particular boat model. These tall PVC poles will adapt to almost any trailer.

Trailer side bunks will add more weight to the trailer and the total towed weight. I don't see much advantage to them. They are usually engaging the sides of the boat until the boat is almost fully loaded on the trailer. The tall poles hold the boat during the entire loading process.

richiemac wrote:...I'm quite excited...

I think that emotion came through in your post. Boating often does add excitement--or sometimes a bit of panic.

If one needs additional assistance getting the hull lined up on the trailer when winching the boat (note-power loading is not recommended) onto the trailer, pvc guides are highly recommended. If one has very rough sea conditions at the ramp, rear guide rollers are preferable to PVC guides given their added strength.

The key factor to an easy retrieval is the appropriate location/depth of the trailer in the water. Each boat/trailer combination is unique so trial and error is necessary.

Most owners either dunk the trailer either too deep or not enough.

Once the ideal depth is identified, mark the water level on the front face of the left trailer wheel fender horizontally with white duck tape so it is viewable in the driver side mirror. This will allow you to easily back the trailer in to its sweet spot every time.

Phil's comments about the importance of the trailer's depth of immersion are extremely good advice. I have water-level marks on my tall white PVC posts (with black tape) that show the perfect water depth. When I back the trailer down the ramp, I watch these marks in the rear view mirror, using them to position the trailer.

I've had a couple of different trailers with PVC pipe guides. They seem to come in two types, heavy duty and other. Our current Sport Tail trailer has heavy duty guides and they are superior. The PVC pipe is thick wall but I don't remember the Schedule Number. The aluminum stubs are very well mounted and somewhat tall to provide additional lateral support. The PVC essentially provides a visual target while the metal stubs provide good positioning as the boat moves toward the winch stand.

I recommend heavy duty trailer guides.