Replacing trailer rollers with a bunk board

[beshman2]

I am pulling the three keel rollers from my trailer and replacing them with a single 2" x 10" bunk board.  Has anyone else done a similar conversion and if so, how did you attach the board?  I was thinking of using the existing roller supports (vertical tubes with holes for the roller axle) and simply running a large galvanized lag bolt and washer into the sides of the bunk board through the hole the axle used to live in.  Any real problems with this approach?  The board should be low enough that the main weight will rest on the cross frame members and the bolts would just keep it from leaving the trailer with the boat on launch.

[Paul]

Seems like there are some photos in the old cp owners' gallery regarding this.  He used a board much as you describe.  Photos worth more than my words.  There might be an older thread on the subject using search.

0.02

[Craig Weis]

Well if you look at the center line of each roller on my C-P 19 trailer one will see that the roll center lines do not a line themselves with...say a string held on the first and last roller axle.

They vary, hence bolting a board to these...maybe the board will vary too. Then the question becomes how thick is the board? Raise the hull bunks that much more. Then gaining boat-on-trailer height equals deeper trailer in the water.

The difference ought to be so small one won't notice any change.

So what is the purpose of a board to replace the rollers?

Certainally the boat's keel does not 'cantiniary' around the rollers radius. And so what if only a few rollers vs all rollers touch the keel at one time. What do you gain? The boat is supported either way.

The hull remains balanced regardless 'tween the hull bunk boards, higher at each end than the center, so the boat can't fall off the trailer. And the keel may resist being winched forward if sitting on a board vs. rolling on a roller. A few thoughts...skip

[roland cobine]

 just my two cents. i replaced the rollers on my trailer with lexan (gold colored) ones from bass pro. the pins on the new rollers had to be larger diameter (1/2 inch i think). i made new pins then drilled the roller mounts to the appropriate size. i then fashioned a carpeted board (see pics under salty 16) and positioned it between the first and second rollers just a bit (1/8 th inch) lower than the height of the rollers. this enables the keel to roll on and off the trailer but keeps the keel from bumping against the rollers upon retreival. i thought about attaching a similar board between the 2nd and third roller but it hasnt been necessary.