Transom saver

Has anyone tried the Cabelas Frame Mount Transom Saver?
I has a bend in the shaft which will allow it to reach to the cross bar of your trailer if it is that happens to be tucked under the boat like the one on my Karavan trailer.

I don’t see vary many boats using a transom savers. Seems like a lot of stress on the transom and trim rods to be riding around with out one.

When I bought my boat they suggested I use a 2″x4″ and put is between the motor and the mount and lower the motor down to pinch the board in there tight. I have a 115 Yamaha 4 stroke and it works great so far.

I have one and it works fine. I have a Shorelander and the cross bar is the same as yours,tucked under the boat. There is a new product called the “Wedge”. It’s not made in a size that works for my 90 Merc. Supposed to be coming out soon.

Are these highly recommended? I have a 150 HPDI, and it didn’t come with one.

nubbin,

if you are talking about transom savers, they usually don’t come with the boat. I’m no expert but I think you should have one especially with a big motor like that. Take all the pressure of your trim unit when trailering. They cost about 50 bucks if I remember right. Small price to pay to help protect a substantial investment.

Well after reading my owners manual on the motor it does recomend that if the boat is trailered most of the time that a support like a transom saver be used. I takes some of the weight off of the transom and it also keeps the motor from bouncing around on the trim rods (assuming you have a newer boat with power trim). I also called my dealer and asked and they claimed that I should have been told when I picked up the boat that a transom saver should be used if the boat was going to be transported alot on a trailer. Of course the transom saver that Cabelas is the first on I have seen that has the bend in the shaft to handle my kind of trailer so I don’t understand what they were talking about. I’m sure a dealer will say anything to cover there ass.

They take just a few seconds to put on/take off. I figure it’s adding years of life to the rig. I also think a 2 x 4 will work as well. Anything to take the pressure off.

I have that HPDI set up and a shorelander trailer. I have seen transom savers at Fleet Farm… do I need to get a particular brand with that set-up, or will anything suffice? Is there a way to tell prior to buying one???

I use the Cabela’s Frame Mount Transom Saver. Seems to work well.

If you decide to use one, make sure you boat is strapped down VERY tightly on the trailer. Otherwise if the boat moves at all, the force of that movement is applied to your lower unit where it rests on the transom saver.

It is all a matter of the distance between the connection point on the trailer and the lower unit of your motor (when it is in the position you want it).

Measure that, then get a transom saver that can be adjusted to that lenght.

My 03 90 hp Johnson has a little flip up brace on it that the dealer said serves the same fuction as a transom saver. Does this sound accurate?

My Mariner has a similair flip-up bracket called the “tilt lock” bracket. The manual says to never, never, never use this for trailering. It’s only there to hold the motor when you’re servicing the trim or working underneath.

Gianni’s right, don’t use that lever lock as a transom saver! For gosh sakes guys, what you’re talking about here is a “TRANSOM” saver. Not a tilt and trim saver or lower unit saver. By using a transom saver you are transferring the weight or downward pressure from the lower unit to the frame of the trailer. Thus taking some outward pressure off your transom. Sticking a block or 2×4 between the motor and the tilt and trim does nothing to relieve pressure and weight on the transom.
Sorry if I come across too blunt. Let’s just call it “shade tree physics”.

Herb, That was not blunt at all in fact it cleared alot of questions up for me. Often the direct approch works the best!
Particularly when you are as thick skulled as myself.

Hey guys the “Wedge” is OK for short trips(I use one on my 115). But it doesn’t relieve the motor weight from your transom as it rests on the jack or power trim plate. I have the Cabela’s frame mount and replaced the pipe with a heavier gauge tubing. It works fine.

Hey, I finally broke down and looked at my manual. The flipper thing is called a motor trailering bracket and is shown being used as I was told. Herb, the mechanics didn’t seem right to me either thats why I asked.

The wonders of technology never cease.

I’ve never used a saver, but the 50 on my boat is pretty light. I really should, and have a saver in the basement that I snagged near the ramp at lake MacBride. All I have to do is do some work on the trailer.

Speaking of technology, my motor is too old to have the trim switch on the side of the cowling. Is there an easy way to hold the saver in place while you’re running the trim from the console (assuming you don’t have a buddy to help)?

John, if it was me, I’d break down and get an extra switch and mount it inside the transom. I really don’t see an easy way to cradle the lower unit from the console by yourself.

I suppose that would be easy enough, just vampire onto the lines somewhere near the cowling. I’ll have to add that to my list of projects… let’s see, yep it’ll be done by 2036.

Yeah, as soon as I finish the house I’ll be up to give you a hand. 2036 sounds about right.

You guys are getting two items confused! The Tilt support is not the same as the trailering bracket. the trailering bracket is what flips down. And its purpose is for trailering. The tilt support is what they talk about in the manuals about not using ehen trailering. I hope this makes sense.

Yeah, I’ve just never heard of a trailering bracket before. The cavemen who made my Mariner hadn’t thought to include that yet.

Sorry, I did describe it as a flip-up bracket but it does swing down.

Well I picked up the Cabelas transom saver and now all I have to do is install it.

One comment to those who don’t use a transom saver. When trailering your boat with out a transom saver I would think it is best to put the motor at the smallest safest angle that gives you clearance from the ground rather than all the way up. This will minimize the torque on the transom created by the weight of the motor. If you can trailer the boat with the motor vertical then that is the way to do it but I’m sure most motor shafts are too long to do this.