Transom Saver Bar for a 2017 Targa trailer

Anyone have any issues with the transom saver bar that connects to the trailer? I purchased a new Targa last year, used it for the season with no issues. This year I start to see that the heavy rubber V end of the bar where the motor rests started to split down the middle causing the V to get wider while losing it’s grip on the motor. The other end of the bar is simply a half circle that rests on a roller that is attached to the bottom back end of the trailer. So there is nothing securing this bar to the trailer or motor except for the pressure the motor provides while trimmed down into the bar and a heavy rubber bungee cord I wrap around the motor and attach to the bar. Long story short, I lost the bar completely this last trip and my Tracker dealer tells me there is only one left in stock in the national data base, which is a major concern for me considering the replacement is $60 and then the fact they tell me there is only one left? I cannot find any information if this is a known issue so I’m asking the group here. I feel this is a flawed design and wondering if anyone else has had this issue that maybe came up with a more permanent solution.

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   bar.jpg
   

Hmm, I don’t believe that resting your motor on that while in transport is that roller’s intended purpose. I wouldn’t be trailering my motor all the way down resting against that I know for sure. The skeg will be awfully close to the road.

I’m sorry the picture doesn’t show the actual angle in which the motor is resting in transit. This is my boat in the garage and due to space restriction, I have to trim it all the way down. The pic was simply to show the roller itself. So the motor is certainly up at a 45º angle resting on the bar while in transit. The bar was about 3 feet long. So if it were resting on the roller, the other end is supporting the motor up quite a ways away from the road and hazards like that.

Here is a pic of the rubber V that started to split down the center and a pic of the normal towing angle of the motor while in transit.

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   angle.pdf
   

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   Rubber-V.pdf
   

Ah, I see. That makes much more sense. Do you have a bracket that is mounted to the trailer that the transom saver goes into or is it a universal style that just goes around that roller kind of a U-shape?
I have the same transom saver, but it has a bracket that mounts beneath that cross member.
You can control the angle of the transom saver by where you put your motor in the transom saver. The higher the motor, the more severe the angle. Not sure if playing with that at all would solve your problem, but might be worth a shot.
Honestly, I am not sure that roller serves much purpose. My trailer doesn’t have one at all. When loading your boat does the hull ever come in contact with it? Might save yourself some stress and headache and just remove it.

No there is no bracket that can be used to secure the saver bar. The bar simply slips over the roller in the middle there with a U shaped end. It’s a very cruddy design in my book. The roller does nothing for me really. I don’t believe the under side of the boat is guided on the trailer by this roller so to me it service no purpose other than to have the bar sit against it while towing down the road.

I just now found the item on the BassPro’s parts website and it got horrible reviews. Rightfully so. So it appears many others have had this issue. https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/bass-pro-shops-outboard-boat-motor-transom-saver#tab1

I feel the only way to fix this problem is to completely remove the roller and it’s mount and attach some other sort of mount for a different style transom saver bar that will allow me to secure it to the trailer. It sounds like that is how your’s works. Other tracker boats and pontoons have the bar fixed to the trailer. I’m not sure why they decided on this design for the Targa. No good.

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   Transom-Saver-Bar.pdf
   

Dominic Wooten wrote:

Here is a pic of the rubber V that started to split down the center and a pic of the normal towing angle of the motor while in transit.

One option would be to replace with a different style support bar. I believe it is available with both style of lower end pieces (either bracket mounted or roller yoke).

link to image

Do yourself a favor and get a My-Wedge Motor Support. I had the old bracket style and didn’t care for them (mainly because of storage) and the My-Wedge came with the new boat. 150 HP Merc.

or, see if you can convert the trailer-end to the style used by Shoreland’r, with a frame-mounted bracket, and an end that goes in and twists a 1/2 turn.

HRG

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   Transom-saver-bracket.jpg
   

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   transom-saver-bracket-006.jpg
   

I had one on my trailmaster trailer that hooked up the same way. I never had a problem with it and I hauled it all over Canada and Mich. The only difference on it was it did not have the Vee on the one end. It had 2 short bars that could pivot and on each bar was 3 rubber bumpers. Then it had a short bungee that held it in place on the motor. I never had it loosen up

This is the one I have. I used the screw end that goes into the bracket which is mounted to the trailer. You should be able to use this on your trailer, but might require you to drill a hole or two to mount it. This way you can remove that roller.

https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Max-3001-1068-Adjustable-Universal/dp/B001AXGT7O/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_200_bs_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=VGM7KKK0XAD0RWPBX1JZ

Get the Universal one ivan is talking about.

Thank you all for your thoughts on this topic. It’s helped me a lot in making the next decision.