Adjusting rollers

[fvstringpicker]

I need help adjusting the boat roller on a 16 ft alum bass boat. When the boat is on the trailer and sitting on the bunks, how much distance should there be between the center of the rollers and the bottom of the boat? Any help wil be appreciated.

 

[airshot]

If I am understanding you correctly they should be touching. Weight should be distributed along rollers as well as bunks.

 

[fvstringpicker]

Thanks airshot. That would make sense. I poked around on google and couldn't find anything that addressed it.

 

[Georgesalmon]

I usually just adjust the rollers while the boat is on the bunks. I use a small hyd jack and push the rollers up with a little pressure on the keel and then tighten the bolts on the rollers. I don't have as much pressure on the rollers as there is on the bunks, just tight to the hull.

 

[airshot]

If their is no weight on the rollers then why have them? With a lite weight boat the distribution is not as critical as it would be with a heavy boat. When I had a bunk trailer I used a similar method as described in the previous post to adjust my rollers. I believe you are referring to your keel rollers down the center, if so that keel is one of the strongest areas of your hull and should support a good amount of the boat weight. Bunks are to keep it from rocking from side to side and distribute weight over a larger area so as to not dent the hull.

 

[bonz_d]

I've had trailers with no rollers, trailers with no bunks and trailers with both bunks and rollers. They have all worked and did what they were supposed to do. I currently have one 16' aluminum on an all roller trailer and a 14' aluminum on a bunk and roller tilt bed trailer.

As long as the bunks are properly sized and placed it doesn't matter much how you adjust the keel rollers with this light load. If you are going to use it as a submersible trailer and float on and off then leave the rollers light. If you are going to use it as I use my tilt were you have to push it off then put more weight on the rollers so it's easier to slide on and off.