Frequently Asked Questions

The Drotto Latch is designed to replace the existing roller wheel on your trailer. In some cases it will also work to replace v-shaped rubber bumpers.

Measure the width of the metal bracket where your roller wheel is located. You should measure the inside width as the Drotto latch is designed to fit inside the roller bracket. Most boat trailers have a 3" to 4" bracket.

Latches come in two models. The only difference in models is the width of the body where it mounts to the trailer. Read about these models, shims/spacers, an wide bracket mounting kit below.

3" – 3 3/8" Wide Trailer Bracket
The R300 model has a 3" wide body to fit in trailer brackets 3 – 3 3/8" wide.

3.5 – 4" Wide Trailer Bracket
The XD375 model has a 3 5/8" wide body to fit in trailer brackets 3.5 – 4" wide. Most trailer roller brackets have some flex built into them to get a snug fit on the roller, so the XD375 will fit snug into 3.5" wide trailer brackets.

4" Trailer Brackets
The XD375 model will fit your trailer, but you will need a longer bolt and shims for a proper fit. Click here to purchase the Mounting Kit for 4" Brackets.

Shims / Spacers Available
Click here to purchase shims designed to fill the gaps between the body of the Drotto latch and the inside edges of your trailer bracket metal washers from your local hardware store.

Click here to view our Return & Exchange policies.

This latch is desgined to fit v-hull boats that use a roller wheel at the front of the trailer.

This product will not work with pontoon boats, jetskis, or flat bottom boats.

Tighten the latch so that it fits snug enough in the roller bracket that it will hold it's position, but still move if forced. The latch should pivot as the boat loads or unloads.

It depends on your boat, and it'll take some trial and error to get it right.

When launching, make sure that your boat still has some space to float backward and down off the trailer. Having the trailer too far into the water may cause the nose of the boat to be forced down into the water causing the latch to not release properly.

When loading, make sure the trailer is not too deep or your bow eye may float over the latch. It's often best to not have the trailer backed in too deep, and driving the boat up onto the trailer. The plastic plate will help guide the bow eye into the latch.

Just be sure to back in far enough to avoid over-revving and tearing up the ramps!

If your handle won't' release DO NOT FORCE IT. Typically if there is too much pressure against the front of the latch jaws it won't allow the release mechanism to function. Try to relieve forward pressure from the jaws by backing the boat down the ramp, or floating it in the water.

YES! The Drotto Latch is designed to work on both bunk-style trailers and roller trailers.

YES! Make sure that the jaws on the latch are open and you can use the winch to manually crank your boat forward into the locking jaws.

All Drotto latches are proudly designed, manufactured, and assembled in the United States! And we won't do it any other way.

Any boat latch purchased or reviewed through Boat2Trailer prior to Jan 1, 2023 is a Drotto Catch-N-Release latch. Any latch purchased from them after Jan 1, 2023 is a different product, and not a Drotto latch.

Boat2Trailer does not design or manufacture their own boat latch. They are an online reseller and often rebrand other manufacturer's latches with their own name and stickers. 

In an effort to provide our customers with the best direct service and pricing, we chose to stop making our product available to some resellers including Boat2Trailer.com.

If your latch looks like ours but has a Boat2Trailer sticker on it, it is a Drotto Catch-N-Release latch. We are proud to honor all warranties for any Drotto latch purchased through Boat 2 Trailer, within 1 year of the purchase date.

Hare are some tips if you are comparing a Boat2Trailer latch vs Drotto:

• Drotto is the original and official designer, manufacturer, and seller of the Catch & Release Boat Latch system, the most popular automatic boat loading system on the market.
• Boat2Trailer does not design or manufacture their own boat latch. They are an online reseller store and often rebrand other manufacturer's latches with their own name and stickers.
• Find the brand of the latch(es) they are reselling and do your own research to figure out which latch (ours or a competitor's) will work best for your boat and trailer! 

If you need assistance with choosing a latch, or need help with a product purchased from Boat2Trailer prior to Jan 1, 2023, please email us at support@drottoproducts.com.