bunk or roller

[cobalt252]

Re: bunk or roller

Bunks with keel rollers (for v-hull boats). Keel rollers to support and guide the boat, bunks to stabilize the boat:

 

[JimS123]

Re: bunk or roller

Correctly setup.

Both do a great job.

How many places do, or even care about setting ALL the rollers up correctly. Dam few.

How many places do, or even care about setting up ALL the boards on a bunk. Dam few.

Every season spring time is reset new & used trailers correctly.

That's the problem! Wasn't that way in the old days. Not just boats but everything you buy.

If you want it done right, do it yourself.

Once it done, no need to reset.

 

[chriscraft254]

Re: bunk or roller

I'd like to know what some of you think is so hard to set up on a roller trailer. Most roller trailers self adjust to some point. I bet I could put anything from a 18 footer to a 26 footer on my trailer and only have to adjust the winch post forward or back. My rollers adjust to the hull as it is pulled onto the trailer. They tilt. Not to hard to set up a roller trailer. The rollers conform to the hull, unlike bunks.

Also most roller trailers have a very wide spread to spread the load as much as possible.

 

[M9.9]

Re: bunk or roller

Hi all, I used both (rollers-rear & keel; bunks near bow) and it took hours to set them up, eyes full of rust and sh_t. But once done and boat balanced never had any problems with sway or at the launching dock.

 

[cyclops2]

Re: bunk or roller

I reached a point where the mind was able. But I am tired of trailers. So the Marina gets both boats. They do a FAR FAR better job of winterizing the plugs & oils than I do.

Bless them all. Great bunch.

Rich

 

[bonz_d]

Re: bunk or roller

I think this question is going to be like asking what is better Chevy or Ford but here goes any way. Have a new 5100 pound 26 foot Sea Ray 260 Sun Deck on order and I need to think about a trailer. With the boat purchase I have my choice of a Load Rite bunk or roller trailer. This is my first boat that I have ever owned so I do not know what I would prefer. I would only use the trailer for trips and maybe winter storage.

Well aatp you have received many responses and opinions on your quest. Don't know it any of this has helped or has just confussed the issue even more. The most important thing is to be sure whichever trailer you should decide on is make sure the trailer properly fits the boat. Length and load capacity. My opinin is that with roller trailers the larger the boat the more rollers there should be. More is better!

Then concider the way you are going to use it and also the enviroment in which it will be used. If it will only be used a few times a year to move from one location to another and then used to store it on during the off season then a bunk trailer may be the way to go. If it will be used frequently like mine, my boat lives on the trailer and is used 3-4 times a week and sometimes more, or is going to be used in saltwater then maybe a roller trailer might be a better choice. I also can't see shallow water being an issue with a 26' boat. You are not going to be trying to launch this in 16"' of water.

Anyways, good luck with your quest and I hope you can find the one you need.

 

[novakm]

Re: bunk or roller

Just to confuse things a little more....

I have an aluminum boat with side console. Bunk trailer. I always found it easy to load, but hard to push into the water at the shallow ramp I use. This particular lake stated getting scared of invasive species, so they outlawed carpet! So I went to the local plastics supply, bought some strips of UHMW and replaced the carpet with plastic strips. This was the best thing I ever did! After that, I had to keep the chain on backing down,because the boat would slide on and off the trailer like it was sliding on ice!

 

[cyclops2]

Re: bunk or roller

There is no reason to worry about any invasive species !!
By the time Fish & Game sounds the alarm, man has spread them everywhere .

Rich

 

[LilRedNeckGirl]

Re: bunk or roller

I trailer a 85 model Wellcraft Sportsman 248. Im thinkin its around 3500 pounds plus fuel and gear. Our trailer is carpeted bunks, with keel rollers.
The trailer was made for the boat and comes with the extra long tounge.
Never had any issues loading even when the tide is low. we have steep ramps so its always a float on, float off deal. with the big boats, we either wade in and hook the line, or in colder weather, we use a short strap around the main deck cleat to hand pull the boat up to the bunks, then hook the main eye bolt and winch it up onto the bunks tight into the stop pad.
Ive had rollers on smaller / lighter boats, and again, they worked fine.
I prefer the bunks with the heavier boat, as the bunks provide a more even weight distrabution surface for rough roads and long hauls.

 

[novakm]

Re: bunk or roller

Cyclops2,

It gets even better. They were worried about Zebra Mussels. The Government scientists hired to study this determined that Zebra Mussels cannot possibly live in this particular lake because there is not enough calcium in the water, and the PH is too high. So after the report, they put in the retrictions anyway.

The excuse was that there may be other species to worry about.

There is no reason to worry about any invasive species !!
By the time Fish & Game sounds the alarm, man has spread them everywhere .

Rich

 

[Abelseaman]

Re: bunk or roller

Wish I had roller under my 17ft Sunbird, coz where i am in Malaysia, ramps that actually work are rare. Most dont reach the water line at low tide, and so I often launch off the beach which is hard going in shallow water on bunks.

Having said that, the fact that my pickup has a recovery winch in front is handy as well, as I use the winch to pull the trailer in some times, then hitch it up to the pickup, and have to set up the winch cable to a tree or another car to help me pull the pickup and trailer up the beach....

Boating should not be so hard

 

[Silver Eagle]

Re: bunk or roller

It must be where I live but I have never seen a Pontoon boat on a roller trailer. If you had a roller trailer wouldn't the boat sit awfull high. ? I had a load rite roller trailer for a long time .It was so easy to load and I never got wet .The toe bar on a pontoon boat is way too short. and if your not careful you can damage your tow vehicle when turning to sharp.Has anyone ever looked at what holds those 2x4's on to the trailer ,not much,and if the wood is a couple of years old look out.last year I saw one of the bolts coming loose so I removed it. The bolt was so rusted up I wound up replacing all the bolts and the wood too.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: bunk or roller

Wish I had roller under my 17ft Sunbird, coz where i am in Malaysia, ramps that actually work are rare. Most dont reach the water line at low tide, and so I often launch off the beach which is hard going in shallow water on bunks.

Having said that, the fact that my pickup has a recovery winch in front is handy as well, as I use the winch to pull the trailer in some times, then hitch it up to the pickup, and have to set up the winch cable to a tree or another car to help me pull the pickup and trailer up the beach....

Boating should not be so hard

check this out http://www.quadratec.com/products/92144_8000_07.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9h-37tGEOlk

 

[cyclops2]

Re: bunk or roller

ONLY did 1 really looong shallow launch & retrive by myself. Backed out to the limit . Kept the vent pipe of the rear axle out of the water. Unhooked the trailer, jacked it free of the car. Snapped the strap to the hitch ball.picked up the trailer neck & walked the trailer out to floating water. Drove the boat off & anchored it . BLAH BLAH BLAH

I was REALLY hard up to fish that day in the summer.

Rich