R23 trailer

[Kromhout]

Hi All,
My wife and I just purchased a new ranger tug 23 . Love the boat so far but having a bit of difficulty choosing a trailer .
I do know that Ez loader makes a trailer specifically for the Ranger 23 , which I’m sure is great but it seems to be very expensive relative to a trailer of the same size and capacity . Just wondering what other owners experiences are picking and using a trailer for this boat . We do plan on doing some longer hauling of the boat in the future so it’s important for me to get the right trailer .

Thanks in advance , Al+Christine

 

[az9133bm]

The previous owner of our R-23 chose the LOAD RITE ALUMINUM AB BUNK MODEL #LR-AB26T6700102LTB.

The Galvanized Steel Bunk-Tube Supports are unique to this manufacturer and add strength to this critical area while still automatically adjusting the bunk to the boat as she settles on. The target bunks up front and PVC Side Guides truly help "catch and hold" the boat during recovery at the ramp.

We live in Arizona and there are no dealers out west but we have found the factory service department at LOAD RITE and the part support on the factory website to be excellent. We added two additional bunks under the stern (inboard of the factory bunks). We also lowered all bunks 2-1/2" using the adjustable brackets; I'm not sure why our trailer was set up to hold the boat so high but it was fairly easy to lower and the boat seems more secure with a lower center of gravity while going going down the road.

We have pulled this trailer (loaded with the boat) for over 3000 miles at highway speeds and have had no problems but, if we were choosing a trailer from LOAD RITE we would consider the 8400# MODEL #LR-AB26T8400102LTB2. Our 6700# model is likely at the load limit when fully loaded for a trip (likely overweight when fully fueled and watered).

Another piece of advice: Torque your torsion-axle-to-frame attachment bolts/nuts regularly. Early on, we noticed that the axles seemed not to be aligned with each other; after we measured, we discovered the rear axle moved back and starboard due to loosing attachment bolts. After re-aligning and torquing, we do check the torque setting before long trips and are often surprised to discover that they do loosen regularly. Perhaps, some manufacturers weld the torsion system to the frame but in LOAD RITE's system they are bolted...something to consider.

We can't speak to the corrosion resistance of this trailer. Our's remains corrosion free; we're strictly freshwater sailors.

Let us know if you have questions.

 

[Kromhout]

Thanks for the help . We ended up buying the #8400 just to be safe . Still have to make some adjustments after winter storage . Mainly lowering the bunk to have it sit a little lower as you suggested ..

Thanks again , Al

 

[az9133bm]

You're welcome! Glad we could help.

Lowering the bunks begins with the Bunk Support Tubes. Consider lowering them to the "lowest" hole. From there, lower the front Target Bunks supports to the top of the adjustment slot then adjust the rear support. We replaced the Target Bunk support brackets with shorter brackets available from the Load Rite website for a more finished look and to increase the breakover angle to avoid scraping over deep dips in roads, driveways, ramps, etc.

We installed a 7 pole wiring junction box underneath the tongue to allow a separate connection to the RT factory installed boat-mounted-trailering lights. The wiring junction box (see our photo album for details) is available at eTrailer.com and makes the splice between the two systems elegant and easy. Adding a bracket to hold the female five pole connector is available on eTrailer.com and is easy to install as well.

We replaced the winch stand bow roller with a large rubber pad. We found the pad is much gentler on the gelcoat and not as susceptible to gouging from the RT factory stem chafe plate fasteners. To reduce movement/excess rubbing in this area, we also attach two "transom straps" from the boat's bow eye straight down to the winch-stand brackets; this keeps the trailer's winch pad and boat's stem almost perfectly aligned while traveling over rough roads.

Let us know if you have any questions.

 

[ixlr8]

How did you lift/support the boat while you moved the bunks? I am getting ready to so something similar to the trailer for my 27OB.

 

[az9133bm]

We lowered our boat's position on the trailer by using a launch ramp, a set of wrenches/sockets, calipers and a Sharpie. These bolt-together trailers like our Load Rite seem to be infinitely adjustable in almost all directions. Here's how we did it:

Before launching the boat:
- identify where the boat is currently located fore-and-aft relative to its placement on the trailer. We used the distance from the vertical transom edge to the rear edge of the Main Bunks. In our case, they are flush with each other.
- measure the distance between the two vertical holes on the Load Rite Bunk Support Tube Brackets; in our case 2-3/8"

After launching the boat on a calm day during a deserted launch ramp, here are the steps we used while our trailer was unloaded in the parking lot:
- unbolt Bunk Support Tubes and re-attach the entire assembly to the lowest hole on the brackets
- make a mark on Target Bunk Brackets that is 2-3/8" lower than current positions (use your dimension)
- loosen Target Bunk Bracket U-bolts to allow the brackets to lower to those marks; in our case the forward brackets slots rested directly on the U-bolts (which we consider ideal because it likely strengthens the assembly)

Back at the launch ramp:
- recover the boat on the trailer as usual but gently bring the stem to the Bow Stop; recognizing that the bow eye will be lower and you will likely need to move the entire Winch Stand assembly forward and lower the Bow Stop.
- secure the boat and pull up the ramp
- measure the fore-and-aft placement
- back the boat back into the water (no need to launch, just go back far enough to float her slightly away)
- adjust the entire Winch Stand forward by the amount of your fore-and-aft measurement
- adjust the Bow Stop downward if needed
- recover the boat and check adjustments and clearances

Subsequently and on dry land, we fine tuned, adjusted and replaced (with shorter brackets) the Target Bunk Brackets by using a hydraulic jack on the bottom of the bracket:
- carefully exerting upward force to take the load
- loosen U-bolts
- exert upward (or downward) force to position where you want
- tighten U-bolts

 

[ixlr8]

We lowered our boat's position on the trailer by using a launch ramp, a set of wrenches/sockets, calipers and a Sharpie. These bolt-together trailers like our Load Rite seem to be infinitely adjustable in almost all directions. Here's how we did it:

Thanks for the info. Unfortunately, all of the local docks have been pulled for winter so using a launch ramp is not available at the moment. Looks I am going to have to use a few hydraulic jacks and some boat stands.