trailer rollers

[roland cobine]

     just a thought. i was thinking that the three rollers on the trailer for my 16, although positioned to carry the boat level might work better if they were progressively lower towards the front of the trailer. my thinking is that the boat  would be on an angle while trailering and when backed down the ramp would be near level making launching and retreival easier. anyone have any thoughts on this modification?

[Pat McL]

Gave up on the roller concept last year and will never go back. Installed a treated 2x10 plank, rug covered it, and installed bunk slicks on the plank. Left the rear roller as a guide on, and is it ever an improvement over the roller system!

 

Have to be careful launching as the boat slides off extremely easy, and boat weight is no longer a point load on rollers  (figure lbs/sq-inch). Retrailering is also much easier. Some others have done similar mods over the years, and I have heard of no problems -- info also on the yahoo site. Look into it as it has been a major improvement for us. (Suzy says to mention that the only problem we encountered was that the boat can come off the trailer too easily and quickly. First launch with the mod, and another story). --- Pat

[NormD]

I agree with the plank concept. I removed all keel rollers on my former Suncat trailer and replaced them with a plank. The roller brackets were all cracked badly!! The boat was then much more secure on the trailer, had more even weight distribution along the length of the keel and allowed launching or retrieving with probably more security and ease than with the rollers.

Once I get my new 19 home in March, (woohoo!) I'll swap the keel rollers for a plank.

You may have to make a minor adjustment to the height of the bunks depending on where the keel rests on the plank compared to the old rollers. It's pretty easy to take the necessary measurements.