After 20 years with a stern drive our family is excited to have our first inboard- a 2002 Malibu Sunsetter. We always power loaded the sterndrive and just snugged the winch and drove up the ramp. The boat self centered and self leveled....of the 10 or so times out with the Malibu we've only managed to get it on the trailer right one time. What gives? I've tried deep, shallow, winch, power all with no consistency.
The trailer is a shorelandr with only one set of bunks and the guide poles are like 6" from the rub rail on both sides. This is most likely NOT the original trailer but what gives???? The bunks are spaced just outside the center hull chines if we can load it level. Any suggestions??
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My Echelon likes just the tops of the fenders out of the water to have it float most of the way on with the right angle. Too deep and the bow eye is too low, too shallow it take a lot of power to get it on correctly. I put a piece of tape on left guide post I can see in the mirror so I know it’s in far enough. Gotta play with it.
Not a mechanic but I play one at home
Ideally the guide posts should be a little wider than the widest point on the boat. On your Sunsetter it will be near the drivers/spotters seats.
Not a mechanic but I play one at home
We tried not backing in as far last night as well as having my wife move to center before pulling up the ramp....almost right....like 1.5" off in the back but the front is right. Maybe even less in the water? The wind this time of year doesn't make things easy either.
Get your boat unloaded before you haul it out or you risk people having injuries.
Here's a couple pics from the back. My concern is the boat sitting on the port chine....is that hard on the boat to do that?
The bunk should not be ON the chine. Either inside of it or outside of it. Looks like by the way that trailer is made it would be easier to widen them a little.
I've starting looking for possible trailers as I agree it is most likely not the original that came with the boat and my wife and I both think that could be the root of the problems
Not a mechanic but I play one at home
BTW the axles have 5 lug rims