Suprod HD200 transome wheels

Tel1965 · 19 October 2020, 11:59

Can anyone tell me if these wheels are easily removable for when the boat is deflated ? Or can they be left on the SIB and folded away when deflated?

Fenlander · 19 October 2020, 13:28

You mean this type?

https://shop.titaps.com/Launching-Wh...SABEgJU7PD_BwE

I guess not. Just a bit of extra weight to lift and make sure to put something like a bit of old carpet over them so there are no sharp edges to damage the cone ends as you fold them in to pack away.

Tel1965 · 19 October 2020, 13:32

Yes that type. They look quite neat and tidy flat against the transome. I didn’t like the idea of the ones where the wheels are above the transome when in the water.

Fenlander · 19 October 2020, 13:37

No I don't like the mickey mouse look, extra clutter and possible restricted outboard turning of flipped up transom wheels so for those reasons... and to save extra weight being on the transom... we always remove ours after launch and pop them back in car or holiday cottage.

Tel1965 · 19 October 2020, 13:40

They are supposed to weigh 4kg for the pair so not too bad I suppose. Made in Germany so I would think the quality is quite good. Would be nice if they are removable though.

Blankton · 13 November 2020, 18:10

I have these wheels. I was impressed by the marketing (made in Germany etc) but couldn't find many reviews. I've had them for a year and I have to say they are pretty good. They don't get in the way of turning the outboard.

The only criticism, is that the wheels are fairly small. This isn't a specific criticism of these wheels, a lot of the launching wheels have similar sized wheels. They work well on a proper slipway or compacted estuary shingle or sand, but on soft sand or loose pebbles they will dig in. I know it sounds a bit like British rail "the wrong kind of snow" but the surface you are going to pull them across is definitely the biggest factor.

Strength wise, these seem very strong. my outboard is 51kg and when I have tried to pull them on soft sand and they have dug-in, they have taken a lot of force without bending. I've now learnt though to assess the surface and only try and launch on firm ground.

Tel1965 · 14 November 2020, 04:24

Do you remove them when you deflate the boat? Or leave them on? The ob I’ll be buying weighs 26kg which is half the weight as yours so hopefully won’t be too much of a struggle on a beach for me. I’m just waiting for the boat to come back into stock before I start buying everything else for it.

Blankton · 14 November 2020, 07:12

Leave them on. You need to drill through the transom to fit them and seal them with sikaflex type sealant to stop the water getting in the ply of your transom, so once fitted it's a semi permanent addition.

I can fold the boat up with them present. There's not really any sharp bits. The only thing I have noticed is a wire pin through a castellated nut type thing, which holds the wheels on. I put some insulation tape over this, just in case the wire marks the tubes.

smallribber · 17 November 2020, 06:52

Do they rotate or do you have to remove, rotate and then put back in. ie is there a risk of dropping them in the drink

Blankton · 17 November 2020, 07:29

They are spring loaded. You pull them to disengage the locking mechanism, which allows them to rotate and fold up. You can't drop them in the water.

In my opinion I think these are worth the money. I've seen a few photos of people that have brought cheaper wheels and the box section buckles when they are dragged on some difficult ground. I've dragged mine through soft sand which has taken 3 people to drag the boat and heavy engine and they have stood up to it fine.

The only drawback is the small wheel size, fine on slipways or packed estuary mud/shingle, but not so good on soft sand. I think the only way to deal with soft sand is a much bigger wheel, which would be incompatable with this kind of stowing mechanism.