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  Winch post height - 190 Outrage

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Author Topic:   Winch post height - 190 Outrage
alfred posted 01-07-2011 06:42 AM ET (US)   Profile for alfred   Send Email to alfred  
I finally put on a set of full length slides on my trailer bunks and I must say that launching and recovering now is so easy. Without the slides in place the only option was to drive on and winch at the same time as we have very shallow ramps - even with the winch on low it was not possible to pull the boat up the last 12 inches or so with just the winch, but now with the slides on, it is truly no issue.

However, I now have another problem. The bow stop on the winch post extension is now too low. I can raise it, but the problem is, I will have only 2 bolts holding the winch/bow stop extension, instead of the factory 3 bolts. Take a look at this picture to see what I mean.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b176/alheng/TrailerWinch.jpg

Any suggestions?

alfred posted 01-07-2011 06:47 AM ET (US)     Profile for alfred  Send Email to alfred     
Here is a side view where you can see the bow eye up against the bow stop/roller.

The winch strap is also pulling against the bow roller, so when I winch it down hard, it actually bends the trailer frame due to the downward tension.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b176/alheng/Trailerwinchside.jpg

Robert V posted 01-07-2011 07:21 AM ET (US)     Profile for Robert V  Send Email to Robert V     
Alfred,

I have the same trailer with my 205 Conquest. I am going to take a look at my set-up and let you know if I have any ideas for a solution to your problem. I will do this over the weekend and get back to you.

Robert

wezie posted 01-07-2011 09:48 AM ET (US)     Profile for wezie  Send Email to wezie     
Can the bunks and rollers be lowered?
fno posted 01-07-2011 11:09 AM ET (US)     Profile for fno  Send Email to fno     
My thoughts also. I would not compromise the integrity of the winch post any more than necessary. It is the main thing that will keep your boat on the trailer and not in or on your tow vehicle in the case of an accident or even an emergency braking event. Let us have a pic or two of the bunks to see what is going on there.
alfred posted 01-07-2011 11:40 AM ET (US)     Profile for alfred  Send Email to alfred     
The bunks are in the lowerst position already, so the only was is to raise the winch post. I was thinking of drilling another 2 sets of holds and putting in a total of 4 sets of nuts and bolts.

I was just taking a closer look earlier and it looks like the post itself has more adjusting holes then the winch/bow roller extension piece, so I figured that if I just drilled extra holes in the extension piece ..........

What do you think? Will it weaken the piece enough to worry about?

alfred posted 01-07-2011 11:41 AM ET (US)     Profile for alfred  Send Email to alfred     
Grrrrrrrrr..... no edit button for correcting spelling errors!
Phil T posted 01-07-2011 06:39 PM ET (US)     Profile for Phil T  Send Email to Phil T     
Alfred -

How about posting a side view of the roller/winch post bracket.

You can purchase a taller winch post but drilling additional holes may work. The requested photo would help me provide accurate advice.

alfred posted 01-07-2011 07:35 PM ET (US)     Profile for alfred  Send Email to alfred     
Here you go.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b176/alheng/Trailerwinchside2.jpg


I believe the holes on the post are 50mm apart but on the extension, they are 100mm apart.

The extension currently has 3 holes and the top one is already inline with the top hole on the post, that is why I was thinking of drilling another 2 holes, so the extension will also have holes every 50mm.

This will allow me to raise the extension by 50mm, which should be enough. This way I can also use 4 bolts to hold it all together.

I am just wondering if it would weaken the extension enough to worry about as there will be more unsupported area on the extension, especially now that the boat is on slides.

alfred posted 01-08-2011 04:50 AM ET (US)     Profile for alfred  Send Email to alfred     
Just went to measure it and the holes on the post are 40mm and the holes on the extension are 80mm, center to center. Think I will take it all apart and drill the extra holes, that would probably be the simplest way of doing it.
Robert V posted 01-09-2011 01:09 PM ET (US)     Profile for Robert V  Send Email to Robert V     
You don't need to drill additional holes, just go up one set of holes, that is how mine is set up. I had the same issue as you, different boat but same trailer, and it worked fine for mine. Going up one set of holes raises the post about one inch. Let me know if you have any questions,

Robert

Robert V posted 01-09-2011 01:10 PM ET (US)     Profile for Robert V  Send Email to Robert V     
You don't need to drill additional holes, just go up one set of holes, that is how mine is set up. I had the same issue as you, different boat but same trailer, and it worked fine for mine. Going up one set of holes raises the post about one inch. Let me know if you have any questions,

Robert

Robert V posted 01-09-2011 01:12 PM ET (US)     Profile for Robert V  Send Email to Robert V     
You don't need to drill additional holes, just go up one set of holes, that is how mine is set up. I had the same issue as you, different boat but same trailer, and it worked fine for mine. Going up one set of holes raises the post about one inch. Let me know if you have any questions,

Robert

Robert V posted 01-09-2011 01:13 PM ET (US)     Profile for Robert V  Send Email to Robert V     
You don't need to drill additional holes, just go up one set of holes, that is how mine is set up. I had the same issue as you, different boat but same trailer, and it worked fine for mine. Going up one set of holes raises the post about one inch. Let me know if you have any questions,

Robert

alfred posted 01-10-2011 08:38 AM ET (US)     Profile for alfred  Send Email to alfred     
If I go up one set of holes, the top hole on the extension will not bolt to anything, so all the weight will now be taken by just bolts. Do you think that will be ok?

Look at pic one again and you will see what I mean.

Robert V posted 01-10-2011 09:48 AM ET (US)     Profile for Robert V  Send Email to Robert V     
Sorry for the previous quad post, using my wife's iPad. As I said, mine is up one set of holes. I will look at mine on my way home from work and see what is going on with the top set of holes. I will let you know what I find,

Robert

Robert V posted 01-10-2011 09:52 AM ET (US)     Profile for Robert V  Send Email to Robert V     
I see what you mean, I checked out pic #1 again. I will look at mine from the same perspective as your picture and let you know how mine looks. Going strictly from memory, mine looks a little different.....maybe not.

Robert

Robert V posted 01-11-2011 07:21 AM ET (US)     Profile for Robert V  Send Email to Robert V     
Checked it out last night, it appears I have one more hole for adjustment on my post. It looks like yours is "maxed-out" on the vertical adjustment. I have two suggestions for you; 1) longer u-bolts and a galv. 1" plate under the vertical post or, 2) move the post and boat forward...this will shift the weight of the boat forward and move the bow down. The second suggestion will change/increase the tongue weight and may affect the handling of your tow vehicle. For the record, my vertical post has been moved forward until it can't go any further and the additional tongue weight has not afffected my vehicle handling while towing. I'm sorry I cannot offer more help to you on this issue, feel free to bounce more ideas around.

Robert

Robert V posted 01-25-2011 09:22 AM ET (US)     Profile for Robert V  Send Email to Robert V     
Alfred,

Any luck with the trailer and winch post height...just wondering how it turned out.

Robert

David Pendleton posted 01-27-2011 08:55 PM ET (US)     Profile for David Pendleton  Send Email to David Pendleton     
I have a galvanized steel winch post for sale if you are interested.

Let me know and I'll post pictures and details.

alfred posted 01-29-2011 02:17 AM ET (US)     Profile for alfred  Send Email to alfred     
Robert - I have been away for the last 3 weeks and only just got in, so it's a project for the coming week.

David - postage will cost the earth, I am in Australia, but thanks for the offer.

contender posted 01-31-2011 08:29 PM ET (US)     Profile for contender  Send Email to contender     
alfred: I would undue the hook and undue the three bolts that hold the post vertical. Move/put the boat in the position you want on the trailer and move the post up over the bow eye and mark the bottom with a pencil, see what holes line up and if none do re-drill to match the post. The winch needs 3 bolts, mark where the winch is on the trailer post, remove the winch and drill a third hole from the bottom of the winch plate. Place the winch back on the post, mark for the new hole, remove the winch and drill the new hole. Your safety chain on the bow eye of the boat should have a turnbuckle in the middle. You would winch the boat on the trailer, the roller should stop at the bow eye, the turnbuckle/chain should be at a 90 degree to the bow eye(this will hold the bow of the boat to the front roller and not let the bow bounce on the trailer) tighten the turnbuckle. You need to drill through the center beam of the trailer Another way you could try is there is another trailer part that goes on the front that swivels and holds two front rollers (looks like a long triangle with 3 holes center hole bolts to were the bow roller is and the other 2 holes hold 2 bow rollers) the part allows the front roller to swivel into place... If you do not understand what I'm saying give me an email and I will send you some pictures of my trailers...Good luck
alfred posted 02-01-2011 10:26 AM ET (US)     Profile for alfred  Send Email to alfred     
Email sent!
HawaiianWhaler posted 02-09-2011 07:14 AM ET (US)     Profile for HawaiianWhaler  Send Email to HawaiianWhaler     
What kind of slides did you put on your bunks such that after doing so your winch post extension bow stop now seems too low? Must be pretty thick slides?

Be that as it may, what about simply 'reversing' the winch strap such that it winds on from the bottom of the winch instead of the top as it now does? From examination of the photos, it sure looks like having the winch take up the strap from the bottom instead of the top will allow a straight pull on the bow eye and avoid the strap pulling up against the trailer's bow stop like you now have.

The winch looks like it has the little lever on the port side that allows winch gear engagement in either cranking direction so there should be no problems from the winch itself if you 'reverse' the strap take up direction.

Also, it looks like you have the strap running under the bolt forward (winch side) of the bow stop. Can you instead run the strap above that bolt, meaning between that bolt and the stop? Seems that doing so will also allow a straighter pull on the bow eye.

This might at first thought seem 'bass-ackwards', but if it works and eliminates drilling and modifying things, why fight it? Follow the K.I.S.S. principle. Just my 2ยข.

alfred posted 02-12-2011 10:23 AM ET (US)     Profile for alfred  Send Email to alfred     
Will give that a try before I drill anything, but the real issue is that the eye goes up against the bow guard/roller instead of the chine.

Hmmmm ..... do I even have to worry about that?

HawaiianWhaler posted 02-20-2011 07:08 AM ET (US)     Profile for HawaiianWhaler  Send Email to HawaiianWhaler     
alfred - In taking another look at the second of your photos, I can see what you mean regarding the boat's bow eye coming up against the trailer bow stop rather than the bow itself doing so.

The most often cited conventional wisdom for having the bow eye be below the bow stop is to keep the boat from riding up over the winch stand and into the back of the tow vehicle in a panic stop or collision, but simple common sense should show that the relatively small rounded shape of the bow eye itself will contribute little to that preventive action. More significant in that regard is that the winch strap be fastened to the bow eye from below the bow stop and that there be a safety chain, as well as that the stern be tied down. You do have the winch strap fastened from below the bow stop and a safety chain in place (don't know if you also tie the stern down) so IMHO it is relatively inconsequential that your bow eye is not completely below the bow stop.

If 'reversing' the winch strap does not help to pull the bow eye lower such that the bow itself makes more snug contact with the trailer's bow stop then, again IMHO, I would not worry about it as long as there is no bouncing of the bow when trailering. Some folks here will tighten a strap between the trailer and the bow safety chain to help hold the bow down and eliminate any up and down movement of the bow. That also adds another safeguard against overriding the bow stop.

I would be less concerned about whether the bow eye is completely below the trailer bow stop (as long as the other safeguards are in place) than I would about overextending the winch post. Raising the winch post by drilling additional holes may or may not exceed some of its design parameters, but I wouldn't know. Leaving it as is should certainly be keeping within parameters.

The beauty of it being your boat and trailer is that you get to make the final decision. Aloha.

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