I ask this here because most run big motors and fiberglass boats

Is it still necessary to trailer your boats using a Motor Support (Motor-Toter, Swivl-Ease) or any similar devises? Long ago the transoms were not as strong as now, so is it still necessary or just a carryover from the past.
Here is a few observations I gathered up on the net:
If you hit big bumps, the boat and trailer are two separate things, regardless of how tight you might have the tiedown straps. With the toter braced to the trailer, the bumps will be transfered to the motor more than if the motor was just supported by the factory bracket.
When a boat is running on pad the motor pushing against transom carries and pivots the entire weight of the hull and gear in the boat to the transom. Even though you may argue that the pad has the weight what is pulling the front up in the air? It's pivoting off of the pad. That's right around 2000-2500 pounds on average and even more. That is pivoted off of the transom. Not to mention the stresses of rough water driving exert more stress in waves and such. Now, an average 2 stroke weighs about 550 lbs. That is in turn carried in reverse still pivoting off of the transom. Tell me how the transom can carry the hull, gear, fuel and personnel on it in rough ever changing conditions not near as nice as a highway yet it can't transfer 550 lbs in the opposite direction on smooth finished highways. That motor is nothing compared to the hull. If your transom fails trailering your motor then that is good because it'd definitely fail running up on pad so unless a car behind hit's your motor and transom in the road then that is good because it'd be more catastrophic if it did with you in it going 70
What is the opinion of the TFF?

I use one because there is no reason to let the motor bounce around all the time. Necessary maybe not but it doesn't hurt.

Well my thinking is the tilt part of the motor isn't as strong as the trim part. If I put my motor up high and hit the gas it will loose pressure and slide down til it hits the trim part. I guess you can do anything you like but I'll keep mine supported while on the trailer. Tilt/trim are quite different in strengths, what would a person do if they didn't put a transom support on and while they were trailering the trim motor lost pressure causing the skep to get eaten off on the asphalt road?

I always use one, if nothin else it give me peace of mind

+ 1 It cant be good on the tilt and trim and the hydraulic steering as well.

It also helps to keep the motor strait when towing.

some of the newer braces use the motor itself to brace it up. Check those out, the older trailer to motor toters have pretty much gone by the wayside

Thanks for the help, I will be moveing to Zapata this weekend and it is a 950 mile tow.

its also a failsafe for your hydraulic tilt/trim, which could possibly fail, and if that happened your skeg and prop could be scraping the smooth finished highways going 70.

The brace I use is braced against the mounting bracket of the motor. I used to have a tracker with a 40hp and did not think I needed a motor toter. I kept the motor from turning with a bungee on the steering wheel, but after an hour in tow the motor would slowly descend from the bouncing. I would have to pull over and trim it up every so often. With my 200hp, if I did not use a toter it would drop even faster and be draging on the road in no time. So as other posts said, the toter keeps the motor straight and trimmed up. Also I believe that when the motor is trimmed up with a toter it changes the center of gravity and puts less stress on the transom. Picture trying to hold a weight and walk with your arm extended vs. bent. In the bent or trimmed position it is much easier to hold up and requires less energy to do so. Just my 2 cents.

yes, i've seen people that have messed up transoms with only a 9.9 hp engine

I broke my thumb two years ago because a hydrolic lift released when it wasnt supposed to. A good brace wont fail but hydrolics will. I wouldnt trust a lift to hold goin down the road

Not only is there stress placed on the transom if you trailer without a support, but energy caused by undue movement is introduced into your entire motor system and can cause stress on your motor components through movement at the tilt and steering pivots. A support such as the Lock-n-Haul will eliminate all movement, thus eliminating stress caused by such movement.

+1 That's how I feel. Definitely can't hurt anything. If it does nothing else, it saves you a big headache if the hydraulics were to fail as you cruised down the highway.