boat trailer question

O

oteps

Senior Member
I have a 86 v20 . The trailer has rollers on it right now and its a pain to get loaded up straight. It seems like the rollers hit the ribs on the boat, I looked at it and if I adjust them I still think it will be a pain to load. Would I be better off running 2x4's with carpet and getting rid of the rollers? Yes I am new to boating so maybe I just need to practice loading it up more? Most of the time I have to back the boat into the water 3 or 4 times to get it straight. I know someone has to be the idiot at the docks but I dont want it to be me anymore.
 
Do you have guide on posts? With properly adjusted guide ons and winching it on, its almost impossible to get off center. You do not want the boat resting on its ribs. Too much weight on a small area. One member on here simply replaced the rollers themselves with short bunks and was very happy, he kept all the fancy pivot and twirly stuff.
 
I got rid of a roller trailer that was under my boat that wouldn't line up. No mater how i adjusted it, there would always be a roller or two sitting right under a strake. I've got a double bunk trailer under my boat now. Post up some pics, we've guided more than one person thru the roller to bunk conversion
 
I have guid on's with lights like these, THIS IS NOT ME!! I never woukd get that deep in the water and I have a 23 footer!!

d_416.jpg


West Marine and, I am sure others sell Self Centering Rollers also, I know a guy that swears by them.
It the bottom roller in this picture. And as spare said we can help you convert to bunks if you want to!! There are plenty here and other places that have done it.

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wc...0&langId=-1&searchKeyword=rpsc12#.UG-DBpjA8l9
 
I see this question a LOT... 99% of the time the person is backing WAY too far into the water and 95% of those are SURE that that isn't the problem.... Otherwise the next step is adjustment and if that doesn't work (my V loads VERY easily on my ez loader full roller trailer) then the final best option is usually to sell a perfectly fine roller trailer an buy a bunk trailer.... almost always cheaper than converting.......


If after all of this the trailer won't work for you and you are stubborn enough to insist on converting then we'll help you through it.
 
From what I've seen, it pretty much depends on the ramps you use as to whether you need bunks or rollers...deeper ramps allow drive-on bunks and shallower ramps require winch-on rollers...are you driving onto a roller style trailer?...I'm not familiar enough w/rollers to say for sure, but Rob and Pete used their winches to load their rollers and I'm not sure you can drive on one w/good result...maybe the guys w/rollers can clarify...
 
I have always had a roller trailer, and in the begining with the V had a hard time loading. But after a few years of doing it and learning it got easy, Now I would never have it any other way!!
I line up the boat with the trailer drive it on mos of the way, Kenny hooks the winch cable and winch does the last 3 or 4 feet, works everytime!
I back trailer in right to the bottom of the fenders, any more the back will float off the back making a uneven load.
 
macojoe said:
I have always had a roller trailer, and in the begining with the V had a hard time loading. But after a few years of doing it and learning it got easy, Now I would never have it any other way!!
I line up the boat with the trailer drive it on mos of the way, Kenny hooks the winch cable and winch does the last 3 or 4 feet, works everytime!
I back trailer in right to the bottom of the fenders, any more the back will float off the back making a uneven load.
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MJ, I think your point about finding the right depth for the trailer is key to getting her loaded right...and I've always been able to load mine alone if need be, but havin' a second person slicks the process out REEL nice like...
 
with my old carver santa cruz on an ezloader full roller I drove it on all the way and hooked the winch.... the v, I have only launched twice but it went on perfectly both times the same way....
 
yep i use to fish alone a lot, and got good at loading and unloading. but i old and feeble now so i never alone. :oh:
 
Yea don't give up on the roller trailer yet. When I got my trailer it was more than 20 years old...could never get it to load straight. Finally one day looking at it took out a tape measure and realized the front set of rollers was something like 3 inches off of center as compared to the other side.....I evened them up, used it once or twice gave the front ones another little adjustment and now all is good....

Point being, get under there and see what the problem is. Those front rollers are infinitely adjustable. Just takes some figuring to get them in the right spot.
 
My problem probably is backing the trailer in too deep along with the rollers not adjusted right. I normally winch it the last 6 or 7 feet. I would like to be able to load it myself easily. My wife wants to go fishing next year and my son will be old enough to take along. Normally I have someone pull the trailer out while I stand on the dock and try to hold the boat in the right place. One of these days I will fall in and get ran over by the trailer.
What are those guide poles made out of? The ones I have seen are pvc but they were for smaller boats. They look like they would just snap off. remember I am a new boater, I might just run into them.
Thanks for all of the comments, i would like to get this thing figured out this fall so I am ready in the spring.
 
oteps My problem probably is backing the trailer in too deep along with the rollers not adjusted right. I normally winch it the last 6 or 7 feet. I would like to be able to load it myself easily. My wife wants to go fishing next year and my son will be old enough to take along. Normally I have someone pull the trailer out while I stand on the dock and try to hold the boat in the right place. One of these days I will fall in and get ran over by the trailer.
What are those guide poles made out of? The ones I have seen are pvc but they were for smaller boats. They look like they would just snap off. remember I am a new boater, I might just run into them.
Thanks for all of the comments, i would like to get this thing figured out this fall so I am ready in the spring.
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We can tell you all you need to know, but it is going to take doing it to get it right!!

First I would back down till the back rollers are just under the water, this should be a good start for ya. You may have to go deeper, but to deep the back is going to float off the trailer and get you all messed up!
Thats were the guide ons come in handy, they will keep the boat centered, but they can still let the boat uneven if you are to deep.

Yes the guide on's are PVC, but they bend pretty easy and come back fine, as long as you don't run them flat!

If loaded right there is no reason for you to be holding the rope when they are pulling out, and they don't need to be going 100 MPH, just a nice slow pull ahead. So you no fall in!!

The wind is not your friend!! Just be careful and slow down some, and you will get it, when you think you are deep enough, you are probably to deep,you no need to be deep at all!
 
The guide ons have a three foot long piece of 2x2 steel tubing that the pvc slides over. I have mine set tight to the boat. When i load, my pvc flexes out around the bow where its wider then is a half inch away from the hull when winched all the way on. When winching on and using guide ons your are creating a triangle effect. the transom cannot move side to side and the bow with the winch is held on course. Also check out the 12" wide keel rollers that are self centering. They have spiral grooves that line the boat up as it goes on. One just past midways may be the ticket to what you need, along with the guide ons.
 
Stating the obvious, the whole objective when loading your trailer is control of your boat at all times. Making it go where you want it to go. I launch and load my boat myself most of the time. I don't have guide-ons, although when the wind is blowing I often think about getting them. The thing that makes loading the boat back on the trailer a snap is the winch. Not any winch.... an electric one. Now I know that there are several good ones out on the market. Dutton-Lamison makes one of the very best. But the one that made trailer loading a snap for me is a Powerwinch. Yes, they are expensive, especially when compared to the cheap Chinese imports now being offered, but in my book they are well worth the price. What makes them so damn good is that you don't have to be by the winch in order to load your boat. You can be by the boat itself, guiding it back onto the trailer. The winch has a switch that you hook a lanyard to. You simply play out the lanyard as you walk to the back of your trailer, hook the winch cable to your boats bow eye, pull on the lanyard and the winch does all the work.. you just guide the boat, keeping it centered on your trailer as she comes aboard. Piece of cake really. If your trailer has keel rollers I also highly recommend the advice given by RW and a few others about having self centering keel rollers. Not all roller trailers are designed for center keel rollers however, so if yours doesn't have them don't worry. (But they do make the job just that much easier). Remember, control is the key.
 
Another thing that helps is to make sure that each "rack of rollers?" is pushed down towards the rear of the trailer. The front of the racks being in the up position will help keep the boat on track.

rkc
 
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