trailers - Page 2

RobsTV · #11 05-22-2006, 10:10 AM

In the trailer forum at iboats, seems the consensus about rollers or bunks depends on when hull was built, and if trailer was setup properly.

Older boats like my '72 came with a 14 hull rollers, and that was it. Side pieces of wood were only to help guide it on. Looking at photos of other old Wellcraft boats, and many used the exact same trailer.

Don't know how common forklifts and dry storage was in '72, but today it is common. Today's hull are for the most part designed for bunks.

Most will work with either, but you don't want to use a trailer that supports boat with rollers "only" if it only uses 4 or 5 rollers. Weight must be spread out. 4 or 5 rollers along with bunks works, or just bunks.

While we rebuild the roller trailer, friend is letting us borrow his new bunk trailer with zero rollers. Works great but is scary. If one of the wood bunks splits....

macojoe · #12 05-22-2006, 10:41 AM

There is no doubt that bunk trailers better support a boat!

But they have come a long way with roller trailers over the years!!

Gone are the trouble some keel rollers! The roller shafts are now flat on 2 sides, allowing the rust and dirt to just roll out when you use the trailer.

Older trailers used round shafts which trapped dirt and rust to the point that the rollers could not move anymore.

And most now have a good amount of rollers to support boats better.

It just depends on your needs, I guess we have bigger tides and steeper ramps here, that make a roller more necessary?

Eaither way I love my roller, and it has been the best thing I have ever bought to make boating easier!!

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Blu_Lunch · #13 05-22-2006, 10:07 PM

Tinman, thanks for the reply but Macojoe is right about the north where I launch out of Niantic Ct low tide IS low even with rollers you are putting the trailer in a ways....

#14 05-22-2006, 10:33 PM

hey maco, in that pic, in the background i see a v20 on a single axle trailer. how did that work?

ebol5 · #15 05-24-2006, 06:12 PM

I had a single axle, crank on, back in the 80's for my 1st trailer. graduated to a drive on tandem axle which handles much better and safer I think, also better with weight over 4 wheels versus 2 wheels, every thing lastes longer.. tires etc. Lost a wheel with the single axle too. :o I thank God it happened 1/2 block from the house and not 5 minutes earlier when I was hauling *** up I-95 at 65 mph.... some body was watching over me that day... ::)

macojoe · #16 05-24-2006, 08:11 PM

That single worked great for 3 years, it was a 1980 Calkins.

I had to put a axle on it and springs, but 4 years after I had the frame starting to rot, so was time to go!!

If you drive slow, make sure you grease all, all the time, use the right tires, a single will be fine!

I towed anywhere from 3 miles to 30 miles each way and never had a problem.

ebol5 · #17 05-24-2006, 11:31 PM

Same here, I had my single for almost 7 years, it work great for my two mile trips to the ramps and went down to the Keys (150 miles avg each way) many a time. It was on a trip back from the keys that I lost the wheel, it was my fault for not changing out the bearings when I should have... I went down the same path as macojoe, replaced parts until it wasn't worth it. just keep after it and it will work fine.