Side bunks are very handy. My last two boats have had them and it sure makes things easier in several ways.
I drive a pretty big truck and with the boat off the trailer I can't see the trailer out of my rear window or even the mirrors very well. My solution has always been just to lower the tailgate so I can put eyes on it.
Not saying this applies to you Josh, but one of the biggest mistakes I see at boat launches all the time is people putting their trailer in too deep. Unless you specifically need the depth for the type of hull/trailer, if the stern of your boat us floating and swinging around over the top of trailer it's too deep. Just a general thought.
Nothing like watching a crew back the trailer in super deep and one guy wades out to his chest in waders and then fights the swinging stern for 10 minutes trying to center the boat.
When I retrieve my boat I like to back it in until the front of the boat glides on about 3/4 or so of the way up the trailer. At this point its almost fully sitting on the bunks but there's still enough water that winching it up isn't a struggle, but it doesn't go off center since the back end is always on the bunks. Slowly motor up, cut and raise the motor right about when the bow meets the trailer, and wherever it stops I hop off the bow, hook up the strap, and use the winch for the last little bit. All boats/trailers are different of course, but this has worked well for me on my smaller boats as well as the 33' deep V I run on the ocean.
