Ram trolling motor stabilizer

Anyone use one of these? How do you like it? Does it hold well enough? I ordered the ram trolling motor stabilizer with tough claw yesterday.

They work well. A little piece of mind in rough water or while trailering. I’ve seen them in use many times, still haven’t grabbed one for my own boat though.

I have one and would not consider travelling without it – land or water. It keeps everything rock solid and only takes several seconds to install/remove. Well worth it.

Please excuse my ignorance.

Can someone please explain to me what it does? I have never seen a need for one on my boat.

Timmy wrote:

I have one and would not consider travelling without it – land or water. It keeps everything rock solid and only takes several seconds to install/remove. Well worth it.

X2 ! Can’t go without.

-J.

biggill wrote:

Please excuse my ignorance.

Can someone please explain to me what it does? I have never seen a need for one on my boat.

Some boats are a rougher ride than others. On a previous boat I had a 60” Powerdrive and if I went over a wave and slammed the bow down the head of the trolling motor would slam down on the gunnel. Definitely needed one there. For just normal day to day use on a smooth running boat in acceptable conditions I don’t see much of a need.

munchy wrote:

Some boats are a rougher ride than others. On a previous boat I had a 60” Powerdrive and if I went over a wave and slammed the bow down the head of the trolling motor would slam down on the gunnel. Definitely needed one there. For just normal day to day use on a smooth running boat in acceptable conditions I don’t see much of a need.

Got it. I’ve been in every practically condition and seen up to 10’ waves with my boat and never seen the motor head come within 3” of hitting the gunnel. Obviously other boats are different. Makes sense.

I think someone asked me one time why I don’t have one. Don’t need one. Now I don’t feel like a dumbass.

The other thing it does well is prevent any unintended deployment of the t-motor. Both on the water and on the road.

Keeps everything snug when running chop!

-J.

I’ve never seen my motor head come close to hitting the gunnel either but I guess I want one to prevent stress on the shaft of the t-motor. When t-motors are a few thousand bucks, a stabilizer doesn’t seem like too bad of an insurance policy

For those that have one, how did you mount it? I will have to mount it to an alumatrac bracket. Is yours mounted similar or screwed/bolted to the top of the gunnel?

Certainly helps stabilize the head.

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My ranger has a track also. Had to buy an extra rod holder track mount. Just bolted the round ball base to that, then adjusted it to the right height. I would not travel without one.

I have a rail mounted one. Works great.

I’ve only heard of this happening once, but it wasn’t pretty. A friend of mine had a trolling motor deploy itself at about 35 MPH last summer.

Not sure if it was user error (not tightening things down enough) or a malfunction, but the result was not good. Trolling motor destroyed and significant damage to the boat.

A stabilizer is some insurance in a chop or on the road, which is the only time I would hook mine up. I would have rail mounted mine if I could, but ultimately I had to mount mine to the vertical part of the front deck on my old Lund. I would mount it as close to the motor head as you can.

I went with the Cisco trolling motor stablizer…

My dad has the RAM version on his boat, and although it works fine, I hate having to unscrew the RAM to loosen it up. Cisco is just as good but takes less time to detach from the trolling motor. And they’re pretty close in price.

If you’re running in rough water its a must in my opinion. Seen to many people this year losing trolling motors from accidental deployment.

For me I know my trolling motor isn’t deploying, and my 72″ xi5 comes pretty close to hitting my front rail. I don’t feel like wrecking it.

I made my own stabilizer.
Used black abs plumbing tubing and a quick clip strap from an old boat cover.

To prevent inadvertent deployment, I always slide the collar down towards the motor as far as it’ll go and tighten. I’ve never had a problem when doing this.

Like others have said, its a combination of preventing the head from hitting the boat and the stress of the motor bouncing and flexing unnecessarily. Great piece of mind for ~$50 especially on big water. Less concerned about unintentional deployment but clearly it’s happened to some of these guys so

Francis K wrote:

To prevent inadvertent deployment, I always slide the collar down towards the motor as far as it’ll go and tighten. I’ve never had a problem when doing this.

How does that work on an Ulterra??? They don’t have one.

I purchased a RAM Tough Claw (RAP 400U) to attach to the front rail on my boat. Works well!

Chris Messerschmidt wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Francis K wrote:</div>
To prevent inadvertent deployment, I always slide the collar down towards the motor as far as it’ll go and tighten. I’ve never had a problem when doing this.

How does that work on an Ulterra??? They don’t have one.

You have to get the version with the tough claw to clamp over the rubber track.

Christian Slick wrote:

the stress of the motor bouncing and flexing unnecessarily.

The flexing shaft is actually going absorb a lot the shock. By firmly fastening it to the gunnel, all the shock and vibration will be transferred directly to the head. Physically hitting the gunnel is much worse though.

If I were to mount it, I’d actually put it about 1/2 way between the base and the head. It’ll provide the support needed to prevent contact with the gunnel and still allow for some shock absorption.

Sounds like a transom saver thread….

I like biggill thoughts on this. Halfway

nhamm wrote:

Sounds like a transom saver thread….

I was thinking the same thing.

I have a stainless rail on the front of my boat and without the ram stabilizer I have definite contact with the trolling motor head banging on the rail. Installed the ram version and problem solved.

I have the RAM version and if it was mounted half way up the shaft you would only be able to deploy your trolling motor a very short distance in the water below the support ball.

biggill wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Munchy wrote:</div>
Some boats are a rougher ride than others. On a previous boat I had a 60” Powerdrive and if I went over a wave and slammed the bow down the head of the trolling motor would slam down on the gunnel. Definitely needed one there. For just normal day to day use on a smooth running boat in acceptable conditions I don’t see much of a need.

Got it. I’ve been in every practically condition and seen up to 10’ waves with my boat and never seen the motor head come within 3” of hitting the gunnel. Obviously other boats are different. Makes sense.

I think someone asked me one time why I don’t have one. Don’t need one. Now I don’t feel like a dumbass.

10 Feet! How often do you have your boat on the Bering Sea?

rswan wrote:

I have the RAM version and if it was mounted half way up the shaft you would only be able to deploy your trolling motor a very short distance in the water below the support ball.

Look up the RAM Tough Claw, no ball needed to be on the shaft.

walleyevision wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>biggill wrote:</div>

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Munchy wrote:</div>
Some boats are a rougher ride than others. On a previous boat I had a 60” Powerdrive and if I went over a wave and slammed the bow down the head of the trolling motor would slam down on the gunnel. Definitely needed one there. For just normal day to day use on a smooth running boat in acceptable conditions I don’t see much of a need.

Got it. I’ve been in every practically condition and seen up to 10’ waves with my boat and never seen the motor head come within 3” of hitting the gunnel. Obviously other boats are different. Makes sense.

I think someone asked me one time why I don’t have one. Don’t need one. Now I don’t feel like a dumbass.

10 Feet! How often do you have your boat on the Bering Sea?

Lake Superior my good man!

Oh yeah…forgot about the big lake! My mind was spinning trying to figure out how an inland lake could ever get waves that big.