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Adjusting trailer to fit a boat?

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wingsandwater

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Just bought a boat and when i brought it home, I noticed the boat was not properly seated on the trailer. There are 2 carpeted bunks and 3 rollers. The bunks are raised up as high as they go but do not support that much weight of the boat. When i take the strap off, the boat rolls to one side and there is approximately a 1.5" gap between the boat and the bunk on the other side. The boat is raised up above roller #1 and not touching it so that currently is serving no purpose. The boat is dug deep into roller #2 and slightly into roller #3. I assume I just need to lower roller #2 until the boat rest on roller#1 and lower roller #3 until the boat rests on the 2 bunks evenly? Should i remove roller#3 and just use the bunks? I have a 16' aluminum starcraft v hull. Thanks

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Your plan will work assuming you can go low enough on roller 3.

If not, removing #3 could be a problem if the hull scrapes against the trailer crossbeam before the bunks contact the hull.In that case you might want to consider a pad instead of a roller.

Make sure your weight distribution fore-aft is correct before you do any adjustments.

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yes, if you have the option, I would lower some of the rollers. If you can do this near a ramp, that would be a good idea too. The rollers may be set a specific way, so that while retrieving, the bottom of the boat does not hit parts of the trailer. So, I would lower a little bit, launch and retrieve, then lower a bit more, launch and retrieve. Continue til you get it right.

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Your rollers are just keel guides that aid alignment when the trailer is submerged and don't add a lot of support. Picture the angle the trailer is at when you are loading. When you pull out, the hull should fully rest on the bunks with no influence from the rollers or they should just touch the keel. The bunks should bear the full weight of the boat.

"All people have the right to stupidity but some abuse the privilege" wink.gif
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Actually, as I understand rollers and bunks, the above is incorrect. Boats are built to take the most pressure on their keels, hence the majority of weight should rest on the keel rollers. The bunks serve primarily as balancers. My boat rests very lightly on the bunks, and can be rocked very slightly from side-to-side before the tie down is snugged up Too much weight on bunks can make for very hard launching and retrieval.

 

Best regards,

 

Irv

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View PostActually, as I understand rollers and bunks, the above is incorrect. Boats are built to take the most pressure on their keels, hence the majority of weight should rest on the keel rollers. The bunks serve primarily as balancers. My boat rests very lightly on the bunks, and can be rocked very slightly from side-to-side before the tie down is snugged up Too much weight on bunks can make for very hard launching and retrieval.

 

Best regards,

 

Irv

 

In as much, I understand trailer loading too. Bottom line is to distribute weight as evenly as possible.

"All people have the right to stupidity but some abuse the privilege" wink.gif
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View PostActually, as I understand rollers and bunks, the above is incorrect. Boats are built to take the most pressure on their keels, hence the majority of weight should rest on the keel rollers. The bunks serve primarily as balancers. My boat rests very lightly on the bunks, and can be rocked very slightly from side-to-side before the tie down is snugged up Too much weight on bunks can make for very hard launching and retrieval.

 

Best regards,

 

Irv

 

actually you want everything evenly supporting the entire boat. usually bunks are set to sit under the stringers so I would not worry about not having something solid on top of the bunks. as far as making it easier to get on/off if it's not coming off easily enough then you need to back in more. I see so many people fighting the bunks trying to get off. if you're scared to get the tires wet on your truck then get a mooring.

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View PostActually, as I understand rollers and bunks, the above is incorrect. Boats are built to take the most pressure on their keels, hence the majority of weight should rest on the keel rollers. The bunks serve primarily as balancers. My boat rests very lightly on the bunks, and can be rocked very slightly from side-to-side before the tie down is snugged up Too much weight on bunks can make for very hard launching and retrieval.

 

You are right that if you have a bunk trailer and most of the boat's weight rests on the bunks, it will take more effort & energy to load and load a boat. But from the point of view of supporting the boat's weight without damage to the hull, either way is ok for most boats.

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View Postactually you want everything evenly supporting the entire boat. usually bunks are set to sit under the stringers so I would not worry about not having something solid on top of the bunks. as far as making it easier to get on/off if it's not coming off easily enough then you need to back in more. I see so many people fighting the bunks trying to get off. if you're scared to get the tires wet on your truck then get a mooring.

 

I guess you haven't seen some of the really shallow ramps some of us have to use! And one of the problems of going in deeper on more inclined ramps is that the stern will still be floating after the bow is secured. Which then leads to putting on guides to help with *that* problem....

 

If someone with a bunk trailer wants to reduce friction, they can buy plastic strips that are screwed down into the top of the bunks.

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A bunk trailer is also known as a "float-on" trailer. You should not be pulling a boat UP a bunk trailer, it is not good. However, not all ramps are created equal, and you can find yourself in this situation. A bunk is meant to float on, and that is it. If you are at a very steep ramp often, get yourself some rigid pvc rear guards to keep your stern inside the cradle at the right spot. If you are at a very shallow ramp, get yourself some silicone grease spray, and spray your bunks down. When doing this, do not release your winch until at least some of your boat is wet, because I have seen a few people trying this as a "new" process, and they bounced their boat off the ramp. They make those plastic bunk-slides, but I do not like them at all.

 

Irv is right in theory, the keel is built to support the entire weight of the boat. However, in terms of the weight-bearring loads of the bunks and rollers, fender is probably more correct. Yes, it would be nice to have some weight on everything, but that is USUALLY impossible. Most rollers do not have slide-adjustments, but multi-hole configurations(at least what I have seen). So, you are usually given a choice of either having no contact with the roller, or all the weight is on the roller. If I had to choose by rollers bearring all the weight, or bunks, it's the bunks every single time.

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Can the OP take some pictures of the boat on the trailer and post?? That would be greatly helpful in addressing the issue. Side view and underneath from behind and infront.

 

Bunk trailers are made to power on as well. I have to imagine that 99% of the poeple that own bunk trailers power on. Float-on is just a brand name. Everyone down south (where i grew up) uses bunks and everyone I have ever known powers on just like I do. I cant see a situation where it would become a float on trailer?? If you have enough water to float it on why wouldn't you just not go in so deep and drive it on? Doesn't make sense

"It isn't that Liberals are ignorant. It's just that they know so much that isn't so." Ronald Reagan
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View PostActually, as I understand rollers and bunks, the above is incorrect. Boats are built to take the most pressure on their keels, hence the majority of weight should rest on the keel rollers. The bunks serve primarily as balancers. My boat rests very lightly on the bunks, and can be rocked very slightly from side-to-side before the tie down is snugged up Too much weight on bunks can make for very hard launching and retrieval.

 

Best regards,

 

Irv

 

 

NO NO NO NO NO...The rollers are just there to protect the keel should it contact a crossmember when loading. The keel should not make contact with the rollers when the boat is at rest on the trailer. The bunks carry the load. You need to adjust your trailer if it's really carrying the load on the keel. That is not good

"It isn't that Liberals are ignorant. It's just that they know so much that isn't so." Ronald Reagan
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