Would boat buckles work in this situation ? 2025
jbmaine reply :
Hi all,
The stern of my boat sits about a ft. back from the cross member of the trailer. I currently use a strap that goes all the way around the boat to hold the stern down. I think that two boat buckles mounted on the cross member and hooked into the back grab handles would be much easier. However the boat buckle straps would be at about 30 degree's from vertical as they wrap around the back of the boat. Do you think they would work coming out at angle like that?
Here's a couple of pic's of the back of my boat on the trailer. I hope these will show you better what I'm trying to describe.
Thanks
Jim
J Francho reply :
You should see how far back the stern eyes are on my Bullet, compared to where the buckle is on the trailer. They should work fine.
jbmaine reply :
Thanks,
That's what I needed to know.
Jim
Further North reply :
You don't want the straps to come into contact with the bottom edge of your boat as they come out of the boat buckle housing and make their way to the transom...they will get cut at some point.
If you need to, have extensions made so that the strap can run from the Boat Buckle to the transom without touching the back of the boat hull.
Pictures later, if you'd like.
WRB reply :
You don't want the transom strap you are now using going under the your engine transom saver bar.
Just but 2 stainless steel eye bolts 1/2-16 X 5" long and 4 nuts and washers so you can double nut the bolts to adjust for proper length away from the end of your trailer frame. I would drill the bolt holes about 12" on each side of the centerline so the tie down straps miss your transducer. The hold down straps have S hooks on each end, one end goes to the boat hand holds for transom handles the opposite end to the eye bolt, close the tightening buckle and your done. You need just enough pressue to hold down the boat on the trailer to prevent bouncing.
Tom
Further North reply :
On 9/18/2016 at 3:35 AM, WRB said:You don't want the transom strap you are now using going under the your engine transom saver bar.
Just but 2 stainless steel eye bolts 1/2-16 X 5" long and 4 nuts and washers so you can double nut the bolts to adjust for proper length away from the end of your trailer frame. I would drill the bolt holes about 12" on each side of the centerline so the tie down straps miss your transducer. The hold down straps have S hooks on each end, one end goes to the boat hand holds for transom handles the opposite end to the eye bolt, close the tightening buckle and your done. You need just enough pressue to hold down the boat on the trailer to prevent bouncing.
Tom
That seems like a lot of torque to put on the eye bolt if you have it extended...all going into a small hoe in the frame.
What we;ve done up here is a U-shaped piece is 1/4 Stainless steel with flanges at the top of the U that bolt to the frame. That way you get at least two bolts, plus the flange to help with the upward torque.
Works great.
WRB reply :
On 9/18/2016 at 6:02 AM, Further North said:That seems like a lot of torque to put on the eye bolt if you have it extended...all going into a small hoe in the frame.
What we;ve done up here is a U-shaped piece is 1/4 Stainless steel with flanges at the top of the U that bolt to the frame. That way you get at least two bolts, plus the flange to help with the upward torque.
Works great.
You are confusing torque with bending moment. How much force do you believe it takes to bend a 1/2 diameter bolt extended about 2 1/2" to 3"? You could stand on the 1/2 bolt and not bend it unless you weighed over 500 lbs. The only reason I suggest a adjustable tie down is I can't tell how far back the transom is form the trailer frame.
Tom
Further North reply :
Tom, thanks for the terminology - I'll forget it in an hour, but I appreciate being accurate. 
...but I'm not concerend about the eye bolt. It'll be fine. I am concerned much more about where the bolt would go through the frame of the trailer.
Here's what we did for my trailer:
IMO, those will hold up better than an eye bolt through the frame.
...but I do have a tendency towards over-engineering things. Flip side: my stuff never fails... 
WIGuide reply :
boat buckles will work just fine for you. If you're worried about wear where they will touch on the back of your boat, take the green pads off the strap that you currently have and slide them on the boat buckles.
tcbass reply :
On 9/20/2016 at 11:36 PM, WIGuide said:boat buckles will work just fine for you. If you're worried about wear where they will touch on the back of your boat, take the green pads off the strap that you currently have and slide them on the boat buckles.
Forgot you were talking about boat buckles, these will fall off.
I ended up buying the boat buckle extension bracket for my old boat.
Further North reply :
The green pads will fall out at some point...ask how I know...
I tried most of the cheap ways around this...none of 'em worked long term. Best to do ti right from the get go.
J Francho reply :
On 9/21/2016 at 3:09 AM, Further North said:The green pads will fall out at some point...ask how I know...
Two slits in the pads, and feed the buckle through....or don't bother with them at all.
Further North reply :
On 9/21/2016 at 3:23 AM, J Francho said:Two slits in the pads, and feed the buckle through....or don't bother with them at all.
That'll work...for a while...until the slits tear out...or the green pads wear through in the middle.
...either of which will happen in the middle of the longest week long fishing trip you take to the most remote place you can go where you can't get replacements...Like Ontario, abut 9 miles north of Ignace...
I think the OP should do whatever he wants to try to save a nickle...but at the end of the day doing it in a way that'll last is the best option.
I tried all kinds of "budget" fixes on a Lund Pro-V where the bottom of my transom looked very close to what the OP pictured...it just chewed stuff up...and usually pretty fast.
J Francho reply :
I just went without. The buckles have to like 25 years old. Seems like a non issue.
I do like your mod though - very clean!
WRB reply :
That will work if the OP needs to fabricate a bracket. You might want to consider the brake lights being visible.
Tom
J Francho reply :
Brake lights....just a luxury. 
It looks like FN's bracket is just covering an extra reflector. Not sure you need that past the three at the bottom/center. Even then, I thought those were for trailers wider than 84".
Further North reply :
The red thing under my brackets is just a reflector. Brake lights sit forward and to the outside a the back of the step. the inside corner is visible in the 2nd picture.
My trailer is wider than 84" by a bunch. Tough to measure, but I'd guess it pushes 102".
WIGuide reply :
The other option might be to move the winch stand up on the trailer if possible. It's usually just U-bolted on so unbolt it, move it up until the stern is not touching the straps once installed.
Further North reply :
On 9/21/2016 at 11:43 PM, WIGuide said:The other option might be to move the winch stand up on the trailer if possible. It's usually just U-bolted on so unbolt it, move it up until the stern is not touching the straps once installed.
That's thnkin' outta the box!
tcbass reply :
On 9/21/2016 at 11:43 PM, WIGuide said:The other option might be to move the winch stand up on the trailer if possible. It's usually just U-bolted on so unbolt it, move it up until the stern is not touching the straps once installed.
Be aware though that this can shift the boats weight balance and may make the tongue heavier and harder to lift/move.
J Francho reply :
Also increases your turn radius if you're one to drop the gate in order to back down the ramp to retrieve.
Count me as part of that camp, especially on a narrower trailer that disappears from both side mirrors.
Further North reply :
On 9/22/2016 at 1:20 AM, J Francho said:Also increases your turn radius if you're one to drop the gate in order to back down the ramp to retrieve.
Count me as part of that camp, especially on a narrower trailer that disappears from both side mirrors.
I don't understand...the distance from the hitch ball to the axle stays the same, right? That defines the turn radius, and the wheelbase of the vehicle.
I raise my tailgate to back in as well, too much dyslexia in my family to not...
J Francho reply :
No, the winch post hits the gate. Ask me how I know...
Further North reply :
On 9/22/2016 at 9:48 AM, J Francho said:No, the winch post hits the gate. Ask me how I know...
I'd laugh...but that's not funny...until much, much later.
One of the benefits towing with an SUV with a lift gate that goes up...
Scott F reply :
On 9/22/2016 at 9:48 AM, J Francho said:No, the winch post hits the gate. Ask me how I know...
No need to ask. I could show you a dent in the tail gate of my truck that would tell you, I already knew that.
Further North reply :
You know...it's too bad that so many of us have to learn the same things, the same ways...
I am 100% certain that if I had a pick-up instead of an SUV, I would be able to show off a similar dent.
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