For anyone that trailers their kayak and has a torqeedo mounted.  Do you remove the motor while transporting to/from the your fishing spots?

 

I recently purchased a trailer and noticed in the torqeedo manual that they recommend removing the motor while towing.  I was hoping to avoid the number of things I have to mount and unmount each time I launch, that's one of the reasons I got the kayak.

 

Seems like it should be like any other trolling motor that I see going down the highway mounted on the boat. ?‍♂️

 

Except a boat is made of something much sturdier and the thin HDPE plastic of a kayak.  And with the weight of the motor bouncing up and down, it can wear down the plastic around the mount.  

 

But it's up to you.   A lot will depend on how rough the ride is to and from the lakes.  Plus, the construction of the kayak, the rigidity of the mount, and how well the motor is balanced during transport.  It might be fine for practical purposes.  Who can say.  I'm sure the Torqueedo people put it in their literature for liability reasons.  But since they mention is, there is an obvious risk involved.  And it's one you'll have to decide if it's worth taking.  

i think it comes on/off easy.  tool-less.  im with Bankc on this one.  i have seen kayak crack in the weirdest places with sanctioned regular use.  a motor cantilevered off the end with cyclic loading...no thanks.  

 

 

i take mine off even in the bed of my truck. one screw.

KYK,

    I remove mine every time. It is easy to do and the 1103AC weighs about 33lbs (15.3 Kg). It's very easy to remove. One lever unlocks it from the motor bracket.  My trailer will bounce with the kayak going over almost any kind of bump/pot hole/railroad track.  That 33lbs hanging off the back end in either the up or down position would generate some pretty good forces.

     One thing experience has taught me is to be careful of (IMHO) is attaching the motor power cord to the battery. It's plastic threads that are pretty fine and can easily be cross-threaded. So take the extra couple of seconds to make sure it is properly threaded and don't force it.  I screw it backwards till I feel the threads seat properly then tighten.

Regards,

FM

no torqeedo or me but i do have a NK180s and i leave it on for trailering.  I fasten it down using the pull string on to a cleat then a strap through the mount over the top for the just in case factor. 

 

Thanks for all the responses.

 

Seems the general consensus is to remove it.  I was hoping to avoid it, but like everyone's mentioned, it's relatively simple and quick.

 

I have the One Objective mount, so I can pull it up and snug it up tight to the Power Pole unit, but that might just be concentrating more mass on the end. 

 

@Fishingmickey Yeah, you do definitely have to pay attention to the connections.  I picked up the bigger, 915W battery this spring, I can tell the difference between screwing the cable on to a new battery vs my older one.

 

Take it off, it takes about 7 seconds to remove/install.  The 1103ac doesnt have a stow option like the 403 does.