Despite our best efforts to take care of them, trailers will eventually break down. In our case the actual Hoosier trailer was still in good shape, but it was the stand that was in serious need of replacement.
Our first call was to Spreuer & Son, the manufacturers of Hoosier Trailers in Indiana. Its first pontoon trailer was built in 1957 and nearly 60 years later, Spreuer's Hoosier Trailers can be found through America's waterways. These durable workhorses have been a reliable partner for thousands of boaters and a great asset to the pontoon industry.
We knew they’d be able to help us out so we ordered a new stand and they sent it to us immediately.
The Right Fit
The next step was to find a winch for our Hoosier trailer. When it comes to finding just about anything boating-related, it’s hard to beat the convience or the prices at West Marine. There are stores all over the country, but we’ve found www.westmarine.com to be one the best one-stop shopping places for boaters.
After some deliberation, we went with the Fulton F2 Manual Trailer Winch that has a 3,200-pound load capacity. The manual trailer winch with a 5.5:1/16.2:1 gear ratio was a perfect fit for our needs and one nice advantage to shopping online is you can read the reviews on the West Marine site from other boaters before you buy.
When it arrived we opened the box to inspect the new winch. The one-piece aluminum frame and handle make these sleekly-styled winches far more corrosion-resistant than steel winches. In fact, they’re backed by a limited lifetime warranty.
Install
Finding the right spot for the trailer stand is actually quite easy. When the pontoon is on the trailer bunks, we just made sure the back pontoons were perfectly flush with the end of the trailer. This placement takes pressure off the transom—especially if you have a big outboard—plus won’t give you too much tongue weight in the bow.
With the pontoon in the right place, we placed the stand in position and then using the two U-shaped bolts we were able to secure it to the trailer. It’s really that simple. The carpeted stops are nice when loading the pontoon and the built-in stairs make boarding the boat from the ground easy. The final step was to bolt the handrail on and we were ready to move on to the winch.
Winch Placement
The stand came with two bolt holes for a winch, but the Fulton F2 Manual Trailer Winch needed three holes, which required a little drilling. The winch comes fully assembled for the most part, you just need to decide if you want a right or left hand drive and then mount the handle. An added feature is the adjustable handle that allows you to set the handle to 6, 7, or 9 inches long.
Trial Run
The smooth-operating dual-gear drums and center-drive ratchet systems made winching the boat up a breeze. The 2-inch-wide strap is 20 feet long and includes a galvanized zinc snap hook.
We now have a safe and well-functioning trailer as well as the confidence of knowing our pontoon is secure and ready for the next trip to the lake.
Sources
Hoosier Trailers
260-463-3513
www.hoosiertrailer.com
West Marine
800- 262-8464
www.westmarine.com
