Keel rollers

NOTHING ELSE MATTERS · #1 09-23-2009, 10:45 PM

I just picked up a V20 cuddy this morning and i have a question on the trailer keel rollers. As you see on the picture, the keel does not touch the rollers, is that normal ?
I had ask before this and i'm not sure i got the correct answer, maybe i wasn't clear enough.

tsubaki · #2 09-24-2009, 04:31 AM

Congratulations on the V!!
It has been my assumption, the way you use the trailer dictates the the setup of it.
I'm partial to bunk type trailers with rollers contacting the keel, sharing the weight evenly with the bunks.
Other people simply use the rollers as a protective bumper when at a hoist or a good ramp that will allow floating the boat off.
Be sure to have at least 8 foot of bunk contacting the bottom (I see you do) or lower them so as to also contact the rollers with the keel. On lesser made boats, I've seen short bunks deform the bottom of the boat from too much weight on them. Also I've seen hooks in the keel from a trailer setup with only 3 keel rollers and the bunks barely contacting the bottom.

nymack66 · #3 09-24-2009, 08:03 AM

On my old trailer it had four bunk boards extending exactly even with the transom , and three keel rollers as shown in your pictures , the bracket holding the rollers are adjustable and my rollers were touching with pressure, hopefully this helps ..

NOTHING ELSE MATTERS · #4 09-24-2009, 09:28 AM

Any specific placement of the bunks? (like where the stringers run?) or doesn't really matter. I have the 8' bunks 2X6 with the flat 5 1/2" to the boat hull.
Anybody has a picture of the bunk placement and the keel touching the keel rollers ?

nymack66 · #5 09-24-2009, 11:49 AM

Notice in this picture my bunk is NOT flush with the transom

This picture is after I move the Boat forward and shifted the axles forward..

Now as for the Rollers touching mine was mounted with this adjustable bracket ..

Bonita Dan · #6 09-24-2009, 04:47 PM

Some might say the boat needs to rest on the rollers and some don't. Mine only has pads to prevent clobbering the trailer directly when loading and offloading. Our tide is usually only 6" down here with a big one being 12". Don't most of the folks up north have full roller trailers since the tides are so extreme?

NOTHING ELSE MATTERS · #7 09-25-2009, 08:32 AM

I had bunk and roller trailers before and did not find much difference between them as far as launching/retreiving the boat.

Skools Out · #8 09-25-2009, 04:38 PM

keel rollers should not touch the hull once loaded or the boat can tend to rock when towing only used for loading and unloading to protect the keel, hints keel roller

NOTHING ELSE MATTERS · #9 09-25-2009, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skools Out

keel rollers should not touch the hull once loaded or the boat can tend to rock when towing only used for loading and unloading to protect the keel, hints keel roller

That makes sence but would they ever touch when loading/unloading? iI have about 1 1/2" space between boat and keel rollers. I'm asking because they are broken apart, they are there but hardly turn, should i change them?

tsubaki · #10 09-26-2009, 04:31 AM

Change them, they will be contacting the bow when used at a ramp.