What to do for transom saver?

I’ve ordered a bunk trailer with my new Impact 1875. The trailer does not have a keel roller at the back of the trailer that is usually used to hold the trailer end (yoke) of the transom saver. The rear cross member where a roller is usually mounted has LED lights and a rubber pad on it. I have a keel roller I can mount there but will have to remove the lights and pad. Another option is to use a bracket on the trailer for the transom saver but would still interfere with the lights. Am I missing something obvious? Anyone know what Lund and trailer MFG. had in mind? Appreciate any info from others that have encountered this.

This is what I use
http://www.m-ywedge.com/

you can get one with a bracket you attach to the trailer and a pin that it fits in

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I’ve got this one, that mount goes on the underside of the cross bar. I’ve got same pad and light in it like you describe. (guy who owned it before me put it on, but it’s exactly like pictured)

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I have used the one Sticker posted. It has scratched my lower unit. So this year I switched to the style Poomunk posted.

carnivore wrote:

The rear cross member where a roller is usually mounted has LED lights and a rubber pad on it. I have a keel roller I can mount there but will have to remove the lights and pad. Another option is to use a bracket on the trailer for the transom saver but would still interfere with the lights. Am I missing something obvious?

One thing that needs pointed out; You can NOT legally remove those center mounted lights. They are there because the law requires them for the width trailer you have. Narrower trailers are not required to have these lights.

Google:
“Shorelander trailer with transom saver”

Look under images and it should give you a good idea. I have a “my wedge” on my Lund Pro V and use the pin style Poomunk shows above on my smaller Lund river boat.

I used 3 keel rollers wide in between a pair of bolt on keel roller brackets and that spans the center clearance lights on my toon trailer. It’s easier than putting a pin in the other styles I think.

kidfish wrote:

This is what I use
http://www.m-ywedge.com/

X2 My Lund dealer told me that Mercury recommends the m-ywedge.

I’m using the same one as Poomunk. In the attached picture you can see the mounting bracket under that center LED light. A half turn and it comes out and has been great so far. For what it is worth my dealer said to stray away from the my wedge because it doesn’t actually take any of the weight off the transom it just helps with the motor bouncing. That being said my dad has one on his F200 on his Skeeter and has never had a problem.

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Ryan Hughes wrote:

For what it is worth my dealer said to stray away from the my wedge because it doesn’t actually take any of the weight off the transom it just helps with the motor bouncing.

Exactly. IMO if you use one of those with a bit outboard you are asking for trouble down the line. If you keep your boat 5 years no big deal, it will be someone else’s problem.

Ryan Hughes wrote:

For what it is worth my dealer said to stray away from the my wedge because it doesn’t actually take any of the weight off the transom it just helps with the motor bouncing.

True, but it directs and stabilizes the load at the center of mass and takes the load off the hydraulics.

How much weight does your transom saver support? Does it take all the load off your hydraulics? Strap that baby down TIGHT!

I have also heard the argument that using a transom saver transfers all the impacts of the trailer to your lower unit and transom. Just using your outboard put more stress on the transom than the motor just hanging on it. If you think about it.

Mwal

mwal wrote:

I have also heard the argument that using a transom saver transfers all the impacts of the trailer to your lower unit and transom. Just using your outboard put more stress on the transom than the motor just hanging on it. If you think about it.

Mwal

Was that started by the My Wedge manufacturer or sales staff? The transom savers have been around 20-30 years? How many have sued them for a damaged transom? Just sayin

sticker wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>mwal wrote:</div>
I have also heard the argument that using a transom saver transfers all the impacts of the trailer to your lower unit and transom. Just using your outboard put more stress on the transom than the motor just hanging on it. If you think about it.

Mwal

Was that started by the My Wedge manufacturer or sales staff? The transom savers have been around 20-30 years? How many have sued them for a damaged transom? Just sayin

Exactly! The transom saver is “mounted” to the cross member of the trailer not the axle. What sort of impacts are the frame receiving?

This is what I ended up doing with mine. It works for me.

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Take a 2000# boat and motor, stuff 3 guys in it with gear, go full throttle and imagine what kind of pressures being put on that transom while cutting through water.

Weight of motor on trailer, angled at that, think it even comes close to the torque put on a transom, even close, even remotely close?

Stick something in to take pressure off hydraulics and be done with it.

Under power is a different kind of stress it is much smoother and not constantly bouncing up and down. When it’s on the trailer with nothing to brace the to brace the outboard it wants to bounce, I’m sure you have noticed that on other boats going down a bumpy freeway. All that bouncing even if it’s not bad is fatiuging the metal and or wood and that’s what causes excessive wear and eventually cracks. Just like when you try to rip or break a credit card. If you use a transom saver and trim it down so you can’t physically move the lower unit up and down there will be no more bouncing, no wear on your hydrolics and also you won’t lose the transom saver on a bumpy road.

Thanks for all the good information. I think I’ll start with a wedge. I had one on my 150 Yamaha on a 1850 Skeeter and thought it worked fine until I forgot to take it off at the ramp. When I raised the engine with the boat in the water the wedge stuck to the engine long enough to come off the cylinder rod and fall in the river. Water was too cold to go diving so there goes $40. Also found out it is very hard to steer if you don’t remove the two rubber things used to keep the motor centered. Having learned those lessons I’m willing to try it again. One thing that has always bothered me about the conventional transom savers is that you circumvent the suspension and tie the lower unit to the trailer frame so the boat moves with the springs but the engine sees the undampered movement of the trailer frame. And yet it has worked for billions of miles. I might just install a bracket and take a conventional with me on long trips as a back up.

If the boat sits on the bunks or rollers that sit on or in brackets that are directly attached to the frame that rides on springs witch are attached to the axles. How is a transom saver that is attached to the frame circumventing the suspension when the boat is not?

You are right catnip. I stand corrected.

I use the built in bracket on my e tec. I asked a dealer when I had a merc why transom saver he said it was to keep motor steady and in case hydraulic let motor down causing it to hit roadway. Transom saver prevented that situation. The evinrude have built in bracket for trailering. I asked why not transom saver he said due to transom saver transmitting impact anyways why bother

Transom saver bracket attached to just above rear LED light strip (enough room) and my engine doesn’t move. The moment, or pinch point when using a wedge is transferred to the hinge pins and tilt/trim parts as your trailer bounces down the road. I’ll stay with my transom saver. Your rig, your choice.

Where’s the popcorn emoji? I love this episode.

DonG How did you install the bracket? Did you put it under the lights or mount it from the rear of the cross member? I plan to keep the lights and use a bracket but will have to wait till I get the boat to see if I can go over or under the cross member.

carnivore wrote:

DonG How did you install the bracket? Did you put it under the lights or mount it from the rear of the cross member? I plan to keep the lights and use a bracket but will have to wait till I get the boat to see if I can go over or under the cross member.

I installed mine below the cross member beneath the lights. I had to drill a hole, but everything regarding the lights is still intact.

I’m not really looking to tell someone what to do or what not to do. A poll of what people use would be interesting. My estimate would be that about ~50% use a traditional transom saver, 30% use a wedge or something similar, and ~20% use nothing at all.

I run a traditional transom saver on my 115hp Optimax. It has not given me any problems, and therefore I do not plan to change. It also is almost impossible to forget about. The my-wedge could be easily forgotten.

The only thing that really bothers me is when I see people with their main motor tilted up for clearance purposes (mainly older boats), with no transom saver or wedge of any sort going down the road. That is asking for a disaster.

I had enough room between the light and the rubber on top of the cross member to sneak it in.

When I asked the dealer about putting a transom saver on the boat I just ordered, I was told a transom saver isn’t needed. Said the motor mfg recommends against it because it transfers all the trailer’s vibration to the motor. He also said something about the G2 comes with a way to lock the motor trim (I think) in place for trailering. Not sure how to protect against the motor steering itself while trailering.

My “MyWedge” says Yamaha on it. Thats good enough for me.