steps on Eagle trailers (Alumicraft Competitor Sport 185)?

I’d like to get some feedback as to the utility/usefulness of adding the steps onto my new rig… The trailer is an Eagle bunk (JB package), carrying a Competitor Sport 185. I found a picture of the steps on a listing at Warner Dock.

I bought the rig at Warner Dock – have to say they were great (thanks Brandon!) and the boat is awesome… have it rigged up nicely – Suzuki DF150SS, Helix 9 Mega SI, Terrova 80 w i-pilot link, etc. Just wondering if I should add those steps – I do go out alone quite a bit but with the spare tire mounted just ahead of where the steps would be, would the steps really be all that useful?

Attachments:

1. 

   steps.jpg
   

Can you put them on the other side? Or is your trolling motor over there? Use the spare as a step?

Dusty Gesinger wrote:

Can you put them on the other side? Or is your trolling motor over there? Use the spare as a step?

The brackets for both the spare and the ladder are welded on so no chance to move it… plus, the trolling motor does hang over the other side… Key question is whether the steps are worth adding or, as you said, just use the spare as a step…

You wouldn’t necessarily have to put the factory steps on. Can you put the spare where the steps are in the picture and the steps where the spare is or a winch post mounted version with better steps?

I purchased a Competitor 205 with the Eagle JBU trialer this year and was contemplating the exact same thing as you. After using the boat now for a few months I personally don’t think it would be worth it for me anyways. when loading the boat, I power the boat onto the trailer until it comes to a stop. Some practice with depth of trailer is needed, but I have it dialed in now. And when the boat comes to a stop I simply step on the spare tire, it is welded onto the frame so not worried about that, and then step down onto the trailer. Crank it up the final 6-8″ hook up the safety chain and off we go. So in this scenario the ladder would not do anything for me, the only thing I could see it being useful for is getting into the front of the boat when the boat is on the trailer, but at the same time it is just as easy to use the steps on the tire well to get into the boat. SO my long winded answer is I didn’t think they would be useful to me after a few months of using the boat!!!

thanks for the feedback, bigstick56… I guess I’ve been thinking the same thing – when getting back onto the trailer, I’ve just motored up, climbed over using the spare and then down to the trailer. I’ll probably wait until I have more times using the boat and see if I change my mind.

By the way, the 205 is a nice boat!

Glen, I took the ladder/steps off of my Eagle trailer and use the spare to step down on. I do like the flat pad that they were mounted on and use that to step on if I want to put something in or get something out of my boat. My legs are short and it would be nice to have a step on the right side of the spare to step down on before I step onto the tongue.

Its been a great boat for the first couple months of ownership….

Attachments:

1. 

   IMG_0719.jpg
   

2. 

   IMG_0720.jpg