Trailer for 3000 Express

[Coach Aeg]

Looking at buying a 2003 3000 Express, and will need to get a trailer for it. I am hoping to get some advice from those that do/have trailered one.

First, it looks like there is no bow eye, so did you install one? I know there will need to be a backing plate. Any alternatives? I saw one on a trailer where there still wasn't a bow eye, but that doesn't seem like a good idea.

Second, I have seen quite a few pictures of 3000's on trailer and they all seem to go further back than the bunks. I know there isn't engines or outdrives off the back, but I always though this was a bad idea. Is a foot overhang okay?

Third, I am going to trailer once a year back and forth about 100 miles on way, and then the rest of the time in the marina or 15 miles to my house. I would like to know how far from the ground your props were and if you left them on or not.

Any additional advice would be great.

[bnc]

Same boat. I trailer mine twice a year into & out of the water. I have a standard triple axle aluminum I-beam trailer.

Mine does not have a bow eye. Having one would probably make life a little easier I suppose. The boat is ~12,000lbs, so it's going to take a lot of effort to winch it onto the trailer. There was a someone recently that installed one. Can't remember if it was on this site of over on the facebook group. That person used a piece of stainless round stock as the backer with the eye drilled into it perpendicular. Looked like a good setup.

Loading the boat takes some time. Generally, I loosen and push both my bow stop & winch post w/ roller as far forward as they will go. Back the trailer in till the forward bunks are just under the water. We then float the boat onto the trailer till it touches the forward bunks. I then power load it till its far enough forward on the trailer. Pull forward and see where it settles, check the position on the trailer, then adjust if necessary.

If I leave my bow stop in place and run the bow in tight, the boat rolls back on the trailer too far because of the angle of my local boat ramp. I put them back once its out of the water.

On my trailer, my prop shafts are extremely close to the last cross member at the end of the trailer. 1/4" or less depending on how well I have it positioned. My main bunks are on brackets, as far out as they will go. (not on top of the i-beams).

I pull my props for going down the road, every time. This past retrieval, I scraped one on the ground on the way off the ramp because the blade was rotated down. They are too close for my comfort. Might be ok if they are rotated just right.

My boat hangs off the trailer quite a bit, I can get some measurements later if you'd like. The engines are generally centered on the axles.

Hope this helps.