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The motor end has a "V" that the outdrive rests in and the trailer end has either a "U" that fits over the rear roller or a pin which affixes directly to the trailer frame. The most common type is essentially a bar that extends from your outdrive to your trailer, such as those offered by Swivl-EZE and West Marine, available with either a fixed shaft or one that is spring loaded to help absorb some of the road shock. If you decide that a transom saver is right for your situation, there are several different options from which to choose. One universal word of caution is that the outboard's tilt bracket is designed to support the motor during maintenance or storage only and should never be used when trailering. Newer Evinrudes, on the other hand, have a built-in spring-loaded support that completely eliminates the need for an aftermarket product. If this is not possible due to limited ground clearance, additional support is recommended.
#Mercury motor toter full#
Mercury, for example, recommends trailering with the motor in the full vertical position, and no additional support is required. It may work but one must remember the power tilt on an outboard was never designed to support the engine for trips over potholes and dirt roads, other than to lift it when in shallow water or when leaving the boat ramp. Advocates of this idea point to the fact that the weight of the powerhead is shifted forward so the transom actually is used as a fulcrum of sorts.
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Indeed, many outboards trailered across the country are set in the "up" position and held in place only by the powertrain tilt/lift system support. "There is a great deal of impact on the transom while traveling down the highway," notes Ranger's Trailer Engineer Rick Huddleston, "and a transom saver is far more effective at preventing stress at the engine bracket and transom than using the 'tilt/lock' feature on many outboard motors." Ranger Boats is another transom saver advocate. Aluminum boats also seem to be more prone to damage (broken welds, popped rivets) than heavier, reinforced fiberglass transoms. These findings fall in line with the general notion that smaller jonboats and bass boats are more susceptible to transom damage due to their higher motor-to-boat weight ratio. Tracker Boats, on the other hand, endorses their use and includes a "motor toter" with all of their packages. As one tech put it, "You will be hard-pressed to find any builder willing to admit that their transom isn't strong enough to handle the load," and he was right. Not only did the majority of the boatbuilders I contacted dismiss the need for a transom saver, but a couple of them seemed to almost be offended by my calling into question the structural integrity of their hull.
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To clarify this point of contention, I went directly to the source and contacted several major boat manufacturers to get the official company line and was surprised by what I found. A common argument against the need for one of these is that the forces exerted upon your transom during typical boating conditions greatly exceeds those encountered while trailering. Its name would imply that the transom saver is a device designed to protect your boat's transom from undue stress while trailering your boat. The deeper I delved into this, however, I discovered that isn't necessarily so. My assumption before writing this article was that they are, at the very least, a good idea if not a requirement. Are transom savers essential protection for your boat and motor, or simply snake oil designed to drain an extra nickel from you? It depends on whom you talk to.