Is there a weight limit for roller bunks?

[wrvond]

The bottom of my Sea Ray is painted and the friction between the bottom paint and the bunks on the trailer really make recovery a chore at times. I'm pondering on going to roller bunks or a "hybrid" with a mix of carpet bunks and roller bunks.
The boat weighs about 7000 pounds. Would this present a problem with rollers? Are the rollers rated for various weights?

 

[82rude]

Somebody else can pipe up with particulars but ive seen lots of boats larger than yours with rollers.

 

[Brandon5778]

I have a roller trailer with a pretty heavy boat, while I was researching on trailers awhile ago I believe I saw someone on this forum put out 125lbs per roller. Obviously I wouldn't take that as standard but it gives you an idea. My trailer has 32 rollers which gives about a 4k capacity. My boat is about 3k lbs unloaded.

 

[wrvond]

Wow, 32 rollers sounds expensive!

 

[Brandon5778]

Tell me about it! I have a white hull and I need to replace everyone one of them with the non-marking type, and I'm looking at a few hundred

 

[Thalasso]

Why don't you go to bunk slicks. Never need to replace carpet

http://www.surfixinc.com/

 

[wrvond]

Why don't you go to bunk slicks. Never need to replace carpet

http://www.surfixinc.com/

​ I had initially discounted the slicks because, on the surface, it appears that a hard surface has got to be hard on the boat hull. However, upon reflection, if there is less friction than wet carpet, I guess there would actually be less risk of wear to the hull.
​One thing to possibly consider is the lack of "give" of this material when travelling down the road. I can't help but feel that carpet or rollers is going to provide a certain amount of cushion to the boat. The roads around here are very rough - patches on top of patches on top of patches - and gel coat cracks are common.
​Not counting shipping, the slicks would "only" cost $418.00. Significantly less than a new roller trailer or trying to convert this one.

 

[Horigan]

Why don't you go to bunk slicks. Never need to replace carpet

http://www.surfixinc.com/

Aren't those meant for aluminum hulls?

 

[wrvond]

Aren't those meant for aluminum hulls?

​Good question! Which prompted me to call the dealer and ask about that. What they told me is that fiberglass has a higher durometer value than the material the slides are made of, so there would be no issue using them. However, road dirt and sand are a potential problem with this material. Since I'm in rivers that have a lot of suspended solids, I may have to look into more conventional solutions after all.

 

[Thalasso]

Aren't those meant for aluminum hulls?

No.

 

[Thalasso]

​Good question! Which prompted me to call the dealer and ask about that. What they told me is that fiberglass has a higher durometer value than the material the slides are made of, so there would be no issue using them. However, road dirt and sand are a potential problem with this material. Since I'm in rivers that have a lot of suspended solids, I may have to look into more conventional solutions after all.

Ugggh.
Don't know what kind of roads you have but PA is up there with some of the worst. As for road dirt sand and river water, i have been using them since 07 and my boat is used in the river also. Dirt and sand will set on anything,more so carpet. That's why you dunk the trailer first and it get's cleaned off. Not so much with carpet.

I see your from WV. Boating on the Mon or Kanawha River? If so it's cleaner down there then it is up here.
The farther south i go on the Mon (Morgantown) the cleaner the water

Mine were no where near $418.00. and my trailer is larger then yours if that's it in your sig.

 

[wrvond]

I live ten miles from where the Kanawha and Ohio rivers meet, so I travel both.
I have four bunks, two are eleven feet long and two are fifteen feet long. They are 2x6's so I would need the extra wide strips, hence the greater cost.
It occurs to me that I wouldn't necessarily have to change all four bunks; simply changing the two main bunks would decrease the friction significantly whether it be slicks or rollers.

 

[JimS123]

My personal trailer is a vintage TeeNee. Its a combination of swinging roller bunks under the engine, full keel rollers every 4 feet, and two 6 foot long carpeted bunks located midship. IMHO, after owning many trailers, the combo approach is the ideal solution to launching and retrieving, consistent with good hull support. The bunks merely keep the boat stable from side to side. Once the boat is moved back about a foot, only rollers touch the hull.

If you read enough manufacturer's literature for roller trailers (and do some calculating), the really good ones will have enough rollers so that at full trailer capacity each one will hold no more than 125 pounds. I have run a trailer at 150 per roller with good success. The key is proper adjustment so that you can turn any roller by hand (other than keel rollers). If you look at a cheap roller trailer you might find each roller at 200 lbs.

I'm also a fan of bunk slicks. My jetski trailer has full coverage. Even though it only weighs about 900 lbs, it DOES slide off like greased lightnin. After a little use, the surface of the slicks appear to "chalk". Maybe that's part of the reason they slide so good. In any event, I see no damage to the hull, nor any marks.

My tinny had carpeted bunks and it was a PITA to launch. I modified the whole trailer and now its another greased lightnin. Some people swear at rollers on an aluminum boat citing dents, but that's just not true unless they screwed it up. Mine weighs only about 700 pounds, it has no dents, and my trailer is equipped with 36 rollers of various sizes. Do the math!

 

[Thalasso]

I live ten miles from where the Kanawha and Ohio rivers meet, so I travel both.
I have four bunks, two are eleven feet long and two are fifteen feet long. They are 2x6's so I would need the extra wide strips, hence the greater cost.
It occurs to me that I wouldn't necessarily have to change all four bunks; simply changing the two main bunks would decrease the friction significantly whether it be slicks or rollers.

:thumb:

 

[82rude]

This an option??https://www.etrailer.com/Boat-Trailer-Parts/Dutton-Lainson/DL21741.html

 

[wrvond]

This an option??https://www.etrailer.com/Boat-Traile...n/DL21741.html

​That was the first thing I came across and considered posting on here to ask about experiences. I'm not jazzed that they add 2.5 inches to the bunk height, but haven't completely ruled them out either.
​At this point, I'm thinking that installing the slicks on the two main bunks may be the most economical way that will still make an appreciable difference in recovery.