Is a Transom Saver Bar a Must?....

[SLJ]

Hi Very new to RIBs. I have a 5M Brig with aSuzuki 60HP DF outboard.

I have towed it once so far with the engine in tilt postion supported by the tilt lock. I was told this is suffiicent. Howerver the Suzuki manual suggests 'a Transom Saver Bar or similar device to support the weight of the motor".


See photo.

Is one of this a 'must' or a nice to have? Also where can I buy one?

Thanks

[office888]

If you secure it with a transom saver, you effectively remove almost all of the dynamic loading. Instead, it becomes a predictable static load that doesn't bounce a bunch as you drive.

[SLJ]

HI Richard, Thanks for the fast reply., thats what I thought.

I need to work out how to connect to the trailer. If I can find one.

thanks again

[office888]

Originally Posted by SLJ

HI Richard, Thanks for the fast reply., thats what I thought.

I need to work out how to connect to the trailer. If I can find one.

thanks again

They typically thru-bolt through the rear crossmember.

[Dan Gurney]

Hi SJ,

Best way to do this is a topic of some debate on here (along with most things tbh) and I think you'd have had more action on this thread if you were posting 'in season'.

You very seldom, in my experience, see anyone towing with a transom saver type device in the UK. What you see more often is what might be characterised as a 'ram saver'. That is something which is designed to prevent the tilt ram from having to take the strain of supporting the engine while towing. Generally it'll be a block of wood jammed between the engine and the yoke to take the weight of the engine. I certainly found this a necessary with my old 20 year old Yam 2 stroke because the ram would gradually let the engine done while towing of i didn't chock it up with something. With my new rig I've towed it for a season without a chock with no noticeable ill effects, but this season i have made provision to chock it up.

There is a school of thought that says a transom saver which attaches to the trailer doesn't really do you any good as there's a certain amount of flex between the boat and the trailer and you don't want that flex transmitted to the ram or the transom. Others will say that the boat should be strapped down tight so that this isn't an issue.

What I think you'll find most people agree on is that:
a) the tilt lock isn't up to the job and probably holds the engine at too high an angle
b) you should probably have the engine at and angle less than 45 deg from vertical.

Sorry, no concrete answers but some more to think about.

[paintman]

Bit of reading for you from a quick 'Search', no doubt many more in the old threads:
1. http://www.rib.net/forum/f8/transom-savers-outboard-support-when-trailering-70272.html

2. http://www.rib.net/forum/f8/another-towing-question-68180.html

3. http://www.rib.net/forum/f49/towing-67536.html

4. http://www.rib.net/forum/f49/trailing-a-boat-with-outboard-on-the-transom-58692.html

[SLJ]

Hi Dan

Securing the engine vertical position I don't think will work as the prop will be to low/close to the ground.

A possible problem with a Transom bar is that the only place I can see to connect to on the trailer is the lighting/number plate board...this has a certain amount of flex.

The block of wood idea. Is there a purpose made product you know of that does the same thing?

thanks

[Dan Gurney]

Originally Posted by SLJ

Securing the engine vertical position I don't think will work as the prop will be to low/close to the ground.

Not vertical, but at less than 45deg. Over that , so the theory goes, there's too much weight inboard of the transom.

Originally Posted by SLJ

A possible problem with a Transom bar is that the only place I can see to connect to on the trailer is the lighting/number plate board...this has a certain amount of flex.

Yup, that's usually the concern. Probably not much support there and you may even break your lightboard.

Originally Posted by SLJ

The block of wood idea. Is there a purpose made product you know of that does the same thing?

There's a sort of yellow spring loaded tube thing as far as I remember but I think they're only available from the US.

[jyasaki]

Originally Posted by SLJ

The block of wood idea. Is there a purpose made product you know of that does the same thing?

thanks

Do a search for M-Y Wedge. Pretty similar as I recall.

jky

[Dan Gurney]

Originally Posted by jyasaki

Do a search for M-Y Wedge. Pretty similar as I recall.

jky

That's the one!

[SLJ]

JKY

Many thanks...checking online now..Simon

[Ribster]

I was trailering my boat last season on a poor enough road using the engine tilt lock on the engine and when I got home I found that it had completely sheared off on one side due to the repeated bouncing. I contacted Suzuki and they informed me that the tilt lock is only for use when a boat is in storage or when on a mooring to keep the engine up and is not designed to take the forces during trailering.

I bought a "M-Y Wedge" at the end of last season, it looks like it will work well but I haven't tested it out yet.

[MatFromPoland]

But EVINRUDE manual states:

Trailering Bracket
The outboard is designed to be trailered in a
vertical position or tilted, using the trailering
bracket. Use the position best suited for your
boat.

I did more than 5000 km in 2015 with boat on trailer uses "trailering bracket".
Not any problem at all. Do you think that "m-y wedge" give me better protection ?

[mattswan2512]

I always use one. Its not alot of money and it can help to reduce engine stress on the ram seems like a no brainer if your risk averse

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by MatFromPoland

But EVINRUDE manual states:



I did more than 5000 km in 2015 with boat on trailer uses "trailering bracket".
Not any problem at all. Do you think that "m-y wedge" give me better protection ?

Afaik, OMC/BRP engines were the only ones with a "proper" trailering bracket. Until I got a Suzuki I assumed all engines had such a device. Suddenly I was faced with wedging a lump of timber into a £10000 engine, which tbh I thought was sh1te. So necessity being the mother of invention.....

[headdamage]

In addition to having an electric trim mounted to the engine, the OMC/BRP motors also have both a trailer bracket (blue arrow) to take the load off the hydraulics when trailering, and a trim bracket (red arrow) to serve the same purpose when tilted.

[MatFromPoland]