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Rick from Lafayette.
My Classic has just about impossible to load on its trailer smoothly. At every tournament I felt like such a dork having to take extra time to get the boat front tiedown to snug to the trailer bow roller correctly. The top rubber roller would dig into the underside of the bow so much that it was wearing out the gelcoat, and then leave me about 5 inches short of the correct fit. If I put the tailer deeper in the water the darn post would get over the top of the bow causing even more grief. I knew this front post of the trailer was made just too darn high. A good buddy had the tools to cut this post down an inch and drill new holes in the fork of the post. We then custom cut the bottom roller enough to allow the installation of the top roller to load my Classic simply just like it should. Smooth, easy, and no grinding down the gelcoat. Taking that front post down an inch was the solution. I wonder how many other Classic owners are having this tailer post issue.
Thanks for posting a solution to loading your Classic on the trailer. I have experienced similar problems. The fix for the end caps on the top roller has helped, however, it is still a struggle getting the boat snugged next to the roller without scarring the gel. What did you use to cut the metal fork to lower the top roller. Can you post a picture of the modification you make to the fork and rollers.
I have a 05 Classic and dont have the problems you are discribing. I leave the trailer in the water to where the water is almost to the flat top part of the fender ( tandem axel ). I run a Tempest prop and can push the boat on the trailer with ease. I have heard if you run a Trophy it is harder to load. Brian Hash
I have an 08 Classic on a tandem trailer. It is the worst loading trailer I have ever owned like it is. You cannot drive the boat snug against the roller stop. Lowering the front post would solve the problem.
The only time Ive ever seen a Cat that was hard to load was in Mississippi where the ramps were extremely steep, or when the trailer was in the water to far. My Classic (tandem) I usually back it fully into the water to wet the bunks down, pull up till the metal at the rear of the fenders is barely touching and drive fully up onto the trailer.
It is a fairly hard trailer to load in terms of getting the boat all the way up to the front eye or not having the roller above the bow. The key is that you figure out how far to put the trailer in on each individual ramp. Steepness of each ramp requires that pick a spot on the fenders to back it into. This will wary from ramp to ramp. If the ramp is steeper you tend to get the bow down so you do not need to back it in as far. On less steep ramps it tends to take a tank to push it up to the eye so you need to back it in farther. Having owned a few boats in my life time I would say this one is the most critical on exactly how far you back the trailer into the water.
I have a 2000 single axle trailer and had same issue. I switched out bow rollers and went with the clear Stolz brand to eliminate the scuffing. (Bass Pro Shops) But you should back trailer up until water is at the top of fenders as stated below. Have not had a problem since. hope this helps Sam
The trailers are some of the best out there as they cradle the boat. I have used 5 different BassCat trailers, 4 tandems and a single axle. As with driving the boats, there is a learning curve to loading them onto the trailer. Tandems need to have a couple of inches of the front wheelwell fenders exposed. The boat will usually seat onto the bunks and drive right up. This will vary as has been stated in the past at lakes like Ross Barnett, where the angle of the ramp vs length of ramp causes an awkward angle. Gouges near the bow eye would seem to indicate backing in too far and hitting the roller or not “seating” on the trailer. Yes, there will be one point when the you do have to throttle after the boat is seated on the bunks, just feathering the throttle will get you there. Just my two cents.96 Eyra/12 Mercury 175 Pro XS with 2015 single axle trailer2017 Victory Gunner
It may be unique to the Classic, but I too had similar problems. Ive put a lot of boats on trailers, and the Classic was by far the most demanding. On my ramps, I usually put the outside bunks just below the surface of the water as a start point. If the trailer was any further back, the boat tended to drift from side to side, and wouldnt sit on the bunks when I pulled it from the water. More often than not, I could drive the boat up within a few inches of the bow roller. I had to exit the boat and stand on the tounge, while my partner backed the boat down a couple of feet SLOWLY while I cranked on the winch strap (not the safest feeling.) Again, it may be unique to the Classic, because I now have a Sabre FTD and no longer have any problems…
The key to loading the Classic is backing the trailer until the outer/smaller bunk boards are sticking 2 feet out of the water. Because all ramps have different angles you cant tell another boater how much of the fender should be sticking out of the water because his ramp may be steeper or more shallow than anothers. This means that you have to lower your tailgate to see how much the smaller bunk is protruding out the water. If you have a suburban or cover on your P/U bed then you need to get out and look or have the boater or someone else guide you. I got this tip several years ago from this board and it has worked for me every time. I must mention that this is for the Classic. I cant comment on any other models.
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