I recently purchased a new 232 gulf stream with a 5 star trailer rated for this boat. The boat was placed on the trailer with the dealerships equipment and I guess never tested. After my first launch the boat came out of the water like the trailer was never fit. It was crooked no matter how many times I tried it was not right. We have had nothing but problems for 2 weeks back and fourth with the dealer adjusting all rollers and it is still not right. Is it possible that they fitted me with the wrong trailer for this boat.? p.s. this is not my first boat to be trailered. any help from anyone with the same boat please help. thank you
the right trailer for my new 232 gulfstream
- Thread starter Joe Romano
- Start date
Welcome to the forum!
When you took delivery, did the boat sit on the trailer correctly?
It almost sounds like you're floating the boat on, and it slides to one side or the other when you pull out of the water? I have the same issue if I put the trailer too deep.
Is the trailer too deep when you retrieve? My understanding is that roller trailers launch and retrieve pretty shallow, they winch on up over the rollers.
That's all I can think of, I have bunks. But I wanted to welcome you aboard.
When you took delivery, did the boat sit on the trailer correctly?
It almost sounds like you're floating the boat on, and it slides to one side or the other when you pull out of the water? I have the same issue if I put the trailer too deep.
Is the trailer too deep when you retrieve? My understanding is that roller trailers launch and retrieve pretty shallow, they winch on up over the rollers.
That's all I can think of, I have bunks. But I wanted to welcome you aboard.
Our ramps @ Cumberland are very steep. How much bunk do you have out of the water when you put your boat on the trailer?CJBROWN said:
capt chris said:
The fronts are just above water level. Actually, I go by the fenders - I stop when they're just under water. She floats on and off like a dream.
Some of our ramps are steep, some not so much. The gentler slope is actually a little easier. When they're really steep it's hard to get the bow cranked all the way up on the bow chock/roller. Many times I have to crank it hard, drive a few miles and crank it another half a turn to get it all the way on. Kind of a PITA.
Everyone's heard of Lake Mead, it was created by the building of the famous Hoover Dam. Currently it is at 52% fill, or a hundred feet low. Some scientists say if conditions don't change it will be dry in less than ten years. Lake Powell, in Utah, is just above it, after the Grand Canyon (AZ). Anyhow, we were there last year, the marinas are having a hard time, some have closed. The bays are empty and the docks are WAAAAYYY down the road to the waters edge. We took the boat over with the motorhome, it's a 32' winnebago. In order to get the boat launched, the FRONT wheels of the motorhome were in the water! I was afraid we were going to sink in the mud. But we made it without a hitch, was fun running on the lake. But my oh my, it's a shame to see it that low. Took the tour of the dam too, absolutely fascinating. They spill a LOT of water to run the turbines, powers half of Vegas and some to LA too. The water flows into Mojoave Lake, then Havasu, and then it's the Colorado river down into Mexico. I guess by the time it gets there there's no water left
My sig-pic is us running on Mojave lake, they keep it at about 97% full, and Havasu is too. BTW, Havasu is the city Muculloch built, he married Stratton of Briggs and Strattons' daughter, and it's where the fairy-tales famous London Bridge was rebuilt.
End of history lesson for you east-coasters...
I have a Venture roller-type trailer and 9 times out of ten it does the same thing. The dealer adjusted it several times ( once at the ramp) and the problem still persists. One thing that works for me is after The boat is winched tight, I back down just enough to get the weight off the rollers and then come up slowly. For some reason this works most of the time.
Just curious, I have the 232 t150 2007 and was looking to get a trailer. Do you think a slick bunk would be better than a roller?
I've got an EZLoader trailer with my Gulfstream and have the same problem... if I'm not careful. I would bet your problem is your lateral loading in the boat is off and you don't have centerline rollers on your trailer. At the dock, I kick everyone out of the boat, stand on the centerline, and slide the fish cooler towards the Port side to level the boat. If you don't have a heavy fish cooler, you may need to have someone sit in the boat to level it. I put a little bubble level (on velcro) on the transom gate to ensure the boat is level. If the boat is not level it will come up the trailer crooked every time, whether you have rollers or bunks, regardless how deep or shallow your trailer is in the water, if you don't have centerline rollers to hold the boat in place. For my boat, the side guides I tried didn't do a damn thing to help.
I have a magic tilt with bunks and it seems to work perfectly. The bunks sit right under the lower chines and the boat has never set crooked. I trailer fairly often and have only run into a problem once with a really steep ramp. I had to winch the boat up instead of power load it. That is the only issue I have ever had.
Trailer Guys
I know you already bot the trailer, but there's a couple of brothers down in Pt Pleasant, NJ who did a bang-up job of fitting my boat to the trailer. Try Dom or Perry at Camp Marine. Probably have to give 'em a few bucks, but it may be worth the trip to see them since they too are Load Rite dealers.
I know you already bot the trailer, but there's a couple of brothers down in Pt Pleasant, NJ who did a bang-up job of fitting my boat to the trailer. Try Dom or Perry at Camp Marine. Probably have to give 'em a few bucks, but it may be worth the trip to see them since they too are Load Rite dealers.
I have a Nextrail bunk trailer that's equippted with the vertical guides. I launch and recover the boat by myself all the time. The guides are aluminum and have PVC covers that spin freely where they come in contact with the boat. Like others, when the ramps are steep, I still have to pull the as far up as possible and then pull out and re-crank some more to get the boat all the way to the stand.
I have a Venture trailer with bunks and have no problem loading the boat level. Do you have the vertical PVC guides on the rear of the trailer? This is a teriffic aid in level loading the trailer.
2 things..
1.) I feel a custom-fitted trailer is necessary..I have a bunk -style; I don't know how you'd "fit" one with rollers.
My guys,(Integrity trailers,Nunica, Michigan,) took my Gulfstream and custom-built my trailer to the hull.
2.) As CJBROWN said, if your backing the trailer too deep in the water, the stern will just float-free, and not line up right. Pull out to where the bunks are just barely hitting the surface and the boat can't help but track on the same way every time.
I would think this principle would apply to roller-trailers also..Barely submerge the back end of the trailer so the hull HAS to be guided by the rollers.
I also have 2 sets of gears on my winch so that I can switch to the easier one when the boat gets hard to winch on..Sort of like switching gears on a 10-speed bike when you encounter a steep hill.
1.) I feel a custom-fitted trailer is necessary..I have a bunk -style; I don't know how you'd "fit" one with rollers.
My guys,(Integrity trailers,Nunica, Michigan,) took my Gulfstream and custom-built my trailer to the hull.
2.) As CJBROWN said, if your backing the trailer too deep in the water, the stern will just float-free, and not line up right. Pull out to where the bunks are just barely hitting the surface and the boat can't help but track on the same way every time.
I would think this principle would apply to roller-trailers also..Barely submerge the back end of the trailer so the hull HAS to be guided by the rollers.
I also have 2 sets of gears on my winch so that I can switch to the easier one when the boat gets hard to winch on..Sort of like switching gears on a 10-speed bike when you encounter a steep hill.
Hey CJBrown,
Just so you know, I appreciate the history lesson. I live on the St Lawrence River, on the Canadian border in upstate NY. I don't get to travel too much, and you taking the time to tell us about your part of the world is, to me, very interesting. I'll bet I'm not alone. Thanks.
Up here we have some of the most beautiful water there is. Our trouble is the length of the season. The St Lawrence Seaway is an interesting place, great to watch ships, fish, sight-see, and visit our Canadian friends just on the other side of the River. We're located right where the St Lawrence River meets Lake Ontario. Some of the interesting history involves smuggling booze during prohibition, and earlier than that, rafting up hardwoods for transport down the River. We fight a lot over water levels, but otherwise get along fairly well. The terrorism thing has changed the security thing along the border/River, but it's still pretty much a open thing, with friendly people all around. We like them Canadians, and they like us, for the most part. They talk a little funny and end sentences with the word "eh", pronounced like the long letter a. Why, I have no idea. If you talk that way, it helps get you through customs, but only when heading north. Heading south it slows you down.
Frost tonight, but we still have at least another month of GOOD boating.
Goodnight.
Just so you know, I appreciate the history lesson. I live on the St Lawrence River, on the Canadian border in upstate NY. I don't get to travel too much, and you taking the time to tell us about your part of the world is, to me, very interesting. I'll bet I'm not alone. Thanks.
Up here we have some of the most beautiful water there is. Our trouble is the length of the season. The St Lawrence Seaway is an interesting place, great to watch ships, fish, sight-see, and visit our Canadian friends just on the other side of the River. We're located right where the St Lawrence River meets Lake Ontario. Some of the interesting history involves smuggling booze during prohibition, and earlier than that, rafting up hardwoods for transport down the River. We fight a lot over water levels, but otherwise get along fairly well. The terrorism thing has changed the security thing along the border/River, but it's still pretty much a open thing, with friendly people all around. We like them Canadians, and they like us, for the most part. They talk a little funny and end sentences with the word "eh", pronounced like the long letter a. Why, I have no idea. If you talk that way, it helps get you through customs, but only when heading north. Heading south it slows you down.
Frost tonight, but we still have at least another month of GOOD boating.
Goodnight.
Hey, that's terrific, eh? I've heard the rivers and lakes up there are fantastic. I've also heard of fly-in fishing resort lakes in Ontario where you fish for trophy lake-trout, huge ones, and northern pike, or as my Grand Dad would say, 'northerns'. He would ice fish for them in Minnesota. That was Mom's side, Dad's side...well...
My Dad is Canadian, grew up in Regina, Saskachewan, moved to BC when he was a kid, met my Mom at the border at a dance and married a time later. They bought a house in Vancouver and I was born there, but Mom was homesick and Dad was being worked to death at the steel foundry and driving cab at night, so they packed up and moved down to Everett, just north of Seattle, late 50's. My two sisters were born in WA, but I'm the oddball with a Canadian birth certificate. I'm a naturalized citizen thru my Mother.
I had a Grandmother in Victoria, and Grand Dad in Vancouver, and we'd see them every year and they would 'eh' you to death! Grandpa was a Scot, born in Edinburgh.
Lots of great boating in the NW, but the season is short there too.
Now, California?? It's 85 today, and is almost every day except for a few hot days in the summer (90's) and a few cold days in the winter (60's) and boating year round. We put 85 hours on the boat Oct to Mar the first year we had 'er. 'Tis the life.
Thanks for joining in, it's all good. I love hearing the stories too
My Dad is Canadian, grew up in Regina, Saskachewan, moved to BC when he was a kid, met my Mom at the border at a dance and married a time later. They bought a house in Vancouver and I was born there, but Mom was homesick and Dad was being worked to death at the steel foundry and driving cab at night, so they packed up and moved down to Everett, just north of Seattle, late 50's. My two sisters were born in WA, but I'm the oddball with a Canadian birth certificate. I'm a naturalized citizen thru my Mother.
I had a Grandmother in Victoria, and Grand Dad in Vancouver, and we'd see them every year and they would 'eh' you to death! Grandpa was a Scot, born in Edinburgh.
Lots of great boating in the NW, but the season is short there too.
Now, California?? It's 85 today, and is almost every day except for a few hot days in the summer (90's) and a few cold days in the winter (60's) and boating year round. We put 85 hours on the boat Oct to Mar the first year we had 'er. 'Tis the life.
Thanks for joining in, it's all good. I love hearing the stories too