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A Better Guide-On Made in the USA
New Guide-On for boat trailers and lifts. The Keel Guide is designed to rise up about 12" when the boat is not on the trailer. This allows for direct contact with the bottom center of your boat as it enters your trailer from the water. The keel Guide will hold your boat in the proper centered location until you pull the trailer out of the water and the boat comes to rest on your bunks in the correct position.
The Keel guide comes fully assembled
Two bolts are used to fasten the Keel Guide to your trailer.
That's it! Nothing special to do.. It just works!
Back your trailer in like you always do, and the Keel Guide will hold your floating boat until you drive out of the water.
The Keel Guide will also work on boat Lifts!
A better device to center your boat!
US Patent # 10,351,041
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How it works!
The Keel Guide comes fully assembled. Use two 5/16” stainless-steel bolts through pre-drilled holes in the Keel Guide Bracket to fasten to your trailer frame. If you already have holes in the frame, you could drill new holes in the bracket to match.
Two sizes of stainless-steel bolts are included with lock nuts and washers to accommodate most trailer frames (1-1/2” long and 4” long). See next pages for more detailed mounting instructions.
WARNING! The Keel Guide is NOT intended to replace the keel rollers that are on your boat trailer!
Do NOT remove any existing rollers. The Keel Guide must be mounted on the FRONT side of your trailer frame so that the swing arm moves forward and down as the floating boat enters the trailer.
When mounting Keel Guide, make sure that NO PART of the mounting bracket is above trailer frame.
Some trailers have a “V” shaped frame. The top of the Keel Guide Mounting Bracket must be bolted on below the lowest center point of the top of your existing frame! This will prevent your boat from hitting the mounting bracket!
The Keel Guide is designed to mount directly in the center of the trailer (between the wheels) on one of the frame members that runs left to right. The very first frame member in front of the axle is recommended. Keep in mind that the Keel Guide works best the further back on the trailer that you mount it. The very back may be too far under water to make contact with the bottom of your floating boat when backed in fully on deep landings. Every boat landing is different. Also, some boats flatten out in the back on the bottom keel center. The Keel Guide needs a “V-Shape” boat bottom, or a keel bump to work properly! If you mount the Keel Guide closer to the axle of your trailer it will work every time.
When the Keel Guide is mounted, it will extend 12” above the frame of your trailer and make direct contact with the bottom center keel of your boat as soon as the floating boat enters the trailer. The Keel Guide will never lose contact with the boat as it floats onto your trailer. The Keel Guide will swing down as you drive out of the water and the boat comes to rest on your bunks.
This will eliminate the need for a second person to make sure the boat is centered when driving out.
After hooking the front of your boat to the trailer, just make sure your boat is centered on the trailer, and the Keel Guide will hold it in place while you drive out. Once you mount the Keel Guide properly, there is nothing special you need to do. It just works!
The Keel Guide will also work on Boat lifts! Same basic principal. Mount the Keel guide to the rear cross bar.
Detailed instalation instructions
Patent # US 10,351,041 B2
Made in the USA
Install Guide
The Keel Guide should be installed with the boat OFF the trailer. Before removing the boat, select the cross bar that you want to use to mount the Keel Guide to. Make sure the boat bottom is not flat in that location. You need a keel bump or a “V” shape bottom on the boat Use a black marker to locate the “Boat Center” location on the top of the cross bar that was selected for mounting the Keel Guide. You will set the “Center Line” of the Keel Guide on that black mark when mounting. You could also measure to find the center of the trailer after the boat is removed.
Now remove the boat and you are ready to mount the Keel Guide.
Look for the sticker on the top side of the mounting bracket. The sticker will show the centerline of the Keel Guide. Match up the “boat center” with the centerline. Two 5/16” bolts are required to secure the Keel Guide to your trailer. Two holes are pre-drilled in the mounting bracket for this purpose. You may also drill new holes in the mounting bracket in order to use existing holes in your trailer frame.
Two different bolt lengths are included to accommodate most trailers ( 1-1/2” and 4” ).
Use the template included in the box to mark and drill your two holes on the trailer frame.
WARNING… Make sure the Keel Guide Mounting bracket does NOT sit above your cross-arm frame at any point! It must be below the top of your trailer frame when mounted or boat damage could occur!
Use the two bolts that best fit, along with washers and lock nuts to secure the Keel Guide to your trailer.
Your installation is complete!
There is nothing special you need to do. Back your trailer into the water like normal. In some cases, it will be better to back your trailer in the water a little further so that the trailer bunks do not catch the bottom of the boat and prevent the Keel Guide from working properly.
The Keel Guide will make constant contact with the bottom of your floating boat as soon as you enter the trailer and hold it in the center until you pull the boat out of the water.
Not every boat and trailer will need this. But if you have ever had difficulties with loading your boat, the Keel Guide will work for you!
Thank You
Requirements
The Keel Guide can be installed on either a bunk boat trailer or a roller trailer. You will need a cross bar that is open on the front side to mount the Keel Guide Bracket . You also must have 13" minimum width clearance in the center between the bunks or rollers for the keel Guide to move up and down without hitting any frame members of the trailer.
The Keel Guide will also work well on Boat Lifts . Mount the Keel Guide on the cross bar so that the boat pushes the swing arm forward and down as it enters the lift. It will hold the boat in the center of the lift until you raise the boat out of the water.