Boat trailer guide posts will this work?

Short story, Bought truck with tonneau cover. Takes to long to roll up and I have storage in there. Putting tailgate down as well only 6 inches clearance to winch post. I made these homemade posts to try out they work great I only need them to see backing up with out the boat on my trailer is 5 inches narrower than the truck so within a short turn cant see it and I can use mirrors. Does this look like it will work it may rust but the components are cheap and can be replace quickly just a 2 inch pipe holder and a square bolt. I did not want to take of the guides I have already they cost enough as it was and they work good or should I just take off and get the actual pvc guides? they are 4 foot tall and Just enough to see if going backwards down hill also I’m 5’4 so it is hard enough to see over the steering wheel . Thanks

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They look like they should work. The hardware may rust but it would be easy and inexpensive to replace in 5 years or so if needed. They’re just markers so you know where the trailer is, the other guides would keep the boat from ever hitting them.

Should work just fine. They are there for a visual guide and that’s it. And remember if you have a skinny trailer when backing up and you cannot see it then it’s in the right spot. I imagine the truck has a back up camera so you can see tire depth in the water.

Those should be fine. Another option that I’ve seen used, is a pair of bicycle or atv flags on a fiberglass pole.

My Father put some like that on his Crestliner years ago when he went to a full size truck with a tonneau cover too. He always used to look back instead of using the mirrors and of course the tonneau cover blocked some of it. So he started rolling that thing up and down and putting the tail gate down every time he unloaded and loaded at the access.

Finally after about 2 months he just got sick of it. I had told him multiple times to just start using the mirrors instead. It took a while but he got it figured out.

The PVC markers do help regardless of whether you are looking back or using the mirrors. His PVC markers are installed with galvanized components so they’re still good after 17 years.

Anything will work to help you see, it stink’s when the trailer is narrower than the truck. If you can’t see the trailer, you’re OK, if you can see the trailer, you’re screwed. A very uneasy situation backing up when you can’t see the dang trailer. The BEST way is to do the IDO thing and buy a bigger boat.

Those look fine. For reference, after 4 years the shore-land-r factory guides that I have on my impact have rusty hardware. But it’s a light surface rust, which has not affected performance in any way. I use mine as a catcher’s mitt to keep my boat straight when trailering on the river, so I’m smacking into mine often. Your solution might not take that abuse but that’s what you’ve got the bunk guides for. Should be all set.

Black ABS pipe might give a cleaner look, if we’re gonna get nitpicky.

Anonymous wrote:

Anything will work to help you see, it stink’s when the trailer is narrower than the truck.

Narrow trailers are the absolute worst to back for this exact reason. You cant see it and when you do its often too late to correct it.

Anonymous wrote:

The BEST way is to do the IDO thing and buy a bigger boat.

This^^ JK My boat trailer is easily wider that my truck so it is easy to back up. Now when backing up the duck boat, that’s a whole nother story.

John Rasmussen wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>mnice wrote:</div>
The BEST way is to do the IDO thing and buy a bigger boat.

This^^ JK My boat trailer is easily wider that my truck so it is easy to back up. Now when backing up the duck boat, that’s a whole nother story.

My dad made me back up a small yard trailer behind his old Ford when I was a kid all the time. I guess I got lucky and he forced me in to learning to back up a small trailer. I never had a clue the life lesson he was really teaching me. If I tried to look out the back window I’d be kicked out the drivers seat
Now if you guys have issues backing trailer up or needing to drop tailgates. Go practice with your lawn mower and yard trailer.

Yeah I have gotten pretty good at it over the years but in the dark with the duck boat still sucks.

Mr. Pike what you need now is some oversized white and red bobbers on the top.

Bearcat, does your lawn mower have mirrors?
I get your point and I primarily use the truck mirrors too. I credit growing up on a farm and towing/backing equipment to teaching me how to back up a trailer. If a narrow trailer creates a challenge, nevermind trying to back up a hay rack or a trailer with steering front axle. Uffda, never got that figured out.

They make guide post that work for this, no need to reinvent the wheel.

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blank wrote:

Bearcat, does your lawn mower have mirrors?
I get your point and I primarily use the truck mirrors too. I credit growing up on a farm and towing/backing equipment to teaching me how to back up a trailer. If a narrow trailer creates a challenge, nevermind trying to back up a hay rack or a trailer with steering front axle. Uffda, never got that figured out.

You are correct. Lawn mower has no mirrors lol wrong thing. I was picturing my wheeler with mirrors.

blank wrote:

If a narrow trailer creates a challenge, nevermind trying to back up a hay rack or a trailer with steering front axle. Uffda, never got that figured out.

My father made me learn how to back up a hay rack at a very young age. One of us needed to do it and he couldn’t do it very well. He said he could do it with horses but never mastered doing it with a tractor.

Thanks for the replies I wanted black but I’m color blind the black on a green tree back ground or black asphalt blends in so white is best. Yes they make them but I need the 60 inch guide posts not the 40 I measured today and would have to cut the pipe on the new one almost $200 just to hack up. I like the Bobber Idea

I don’t want to be a smart A$$, but people just need to learn how to back a trailer using their mirrors. not just one but both the left and right mirrors. Take a look at a big rig they just use their mirrors to back the trailers. just saying!

Bearcat89 wrote:

Go practice with your lawn mower and yard trailer.

This brings back so may memories of my grandfather and his cabin. I always had to do this as a kid. He laughed his butt off everytime I jack-knifed that trailer. Kept saying one day you will figure it out.
He was right. I would thank him if I could.

AS a former semi driver I can back anything on earth that I can see in my mirrors. I also drove flat bed as well. Always saw the wheels.

mrpike1973 wrote:

Thanks for the replies I wanted black but I’m color blind the black on a green tree back ground or black asphalt blends in so white is best. Yes they make them but I need the 60 inch guide posts not the 40 I measured today and would have to cut the pipe on the new one almost $200 just to hack up. I like the Bobber Idea

Black would make no sense, so you can’t see them in the dark when you really need a marker. The white is the way to go

Bearcat89 wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>mrpike1973 wrote:</div>
Thanks for the replies I wanted black but I’m color blind the black on a green tree back ground or black asphalt blends in so white is best. Yes they make them but I need the 60 inch guide posts not the 40 I measured today and would have to cut the pipe on the new one almost $200 just to hack up. I like the Bobber Idea

Black would make no sense, so you can’t see them in the dark when you really need a marker. The white is the way to go

put a couple 3M red & white reflective strips on them, your reverse lights will light em up!

Great tip thanks!

They make ones with trailer lights on top, cats meow.