I picked up a boat with a "Dilly" trailer that has a pin able 4 feet back from the hitch that will let the trailer "sissor".

how and when do I use this feature?

its to aid in launching, pull the pin at the waters edge with the boat in the water, the trailer will pivot up to allow the boat to slip off easier. same for loading just remember to put the pin back in.

Hrm.. what exactly is that type of trailer called?

no idea we had one on an 18' thunderbird in the 60's and it made launching and loading easier, my guess would be call it a breakaway.

"Tilt" trailer

Lol you guys wont believe this.. do a Google search for "How to use a dilly tilt"..

this thread is the first thing to come up! Merely hours after it was posted... amazin!

I guess They aren't very popular! I still don't understand how it works.

i would love to have one becasue i put a boat in the river where i slide it down the bank. it sure would make it easier.

I have a Tracker trailer with the pin/ I pull the pin to park trailer so it does not take up so much room and also when you hook up just get back far enough hook trailer up pull forward insert pin no pushing trailer to the side to hook up. Also it makes it nice in the grage to fold back so you can get around boat easy and close door without it hitting the trailer.

You are talking about a swing away tounge, they are talking about what I have always heard of as a tilt trailer. The pin and part that tilts is about half way between the bow and stern of the boat on the trailer.

For the most part I think they are intended for use when launching like yellacat said, in an unfriently location such as a river or creekbank. When launching on a boat ramp they seem to be more trouble than they are worth. I know several people who have welded theres up to make the trailer not make as much noise and ride smoother.

matt

The tilt traiers were common years ago before the drive on trailer became the norm. Last one I remember dealing with was my dad had a 69/70 Chrysler Bassrunner and believe me it was a b to load, launching wasn't to bad but trying to winch that heavy thing up on that trailer was a work out. He tried to convert it to a drive on by adding roller bunks and guided side rollers as well as deep v rollers down the center and it worked alright for a while until he noticed the roller bunk were putting ripples in the bottom of the boat. Then the glass started cracking down the center. He found out that Chrysler had a recall on that boat for the glass cracking. While Chrysler had it redoing the bottom of the boat he went out and bought a new "drive on" trailer for it to go on. Best thing he ever did. But to explain the theory the pin would be pulled so the trailer would give while winching the boat onto the trailer. Do not try to drive a boat onto this type of trailer with the pin removed. You won't be happy.

tilt trailers was made to lunch and load in shallow water where you can't get the boat to float off the trailer you can load and unload with the runners above the water just pull the pin if you don't need the tilt just leave it locked