boat not sitting correctly on trailer?

JackBronson

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jun 4, 2012
Messages
170
Hello,
I have a 2008 Chaparral SSi 190 on a LoadRite roller trailer that came with the boat. I am not the original owner. This is the second boat I've owned and trailered regularly.
The rollers are all the way back at the transom. I use transom straps.
Yesterday I noticed the boat bouncing up off the front rollers leaving the ramp. So I hooked up a video camera and went for a ride. Now this may be normal, but it seems that this boat is not sitting down properly on front set of rollers and is way too loose on the trailer.

In this video I am leaving the driveway, you can see the boat floating over the forward rollers on the left side: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_kIeHtX_dI

And, when I took a 90 degree right turn on a bumpy road, the right side of the boat completely rose up off the rollers in what appears to me to be way too much. 15 second mark: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm3CzXt3_Wg

I've always felt this boat seemed back heavy on the trailer.

Can anyone provide any feedback on if this is normal? If not, how to correct? Thanks.
 

jimmbo

Supreme Mariner
Joined
May 24, 2004
Messages
12,944
Is the bow eye snug up against, and under the bow stop on the winch stand?
What is the capacity of the trailer and what does the boat weigh?
 

tpenfield

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 18, 2011
Messages
17,621
Some boats bounce a bit depending on the balance point vs. the support points.

Nothing outrageous in the video. Is the winch line under the bow stop? You could always do a tie-down line up at the bow. I had to do that with my 24 footer because the bow was a bit too bouncy for my preference.
 

JackBronson

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jun 4, 2012
Messages
170
2800 lb boat, 3600 lb capacity for the trailer.
the bow eye is snug up to the bow stop. it isn't snug up underneath in that it would stop the bow the boat from lifting when going over bumps, but I can't imagine it should be that way anyway. my expectation is that the boat would be sitting with its full weight on the rollers and not be so quick to lift off the front set of rollers.
 

JimS123

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Jul 27, 2007
Messages
7,952
It shouldn't bounce like that. That's why some people swear against roller trailers because of damage to the hull.

The boat is not strapped down tight enough. You need a bow tie down made of chain with a turnbuckle.
 

Silvertip

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 22, 2003
Messages
28,758
If the bow eye is NOT against the stop (under it) it should be. Even if it is, when you crank the bow up it may be lifting the boat not off the rollers but unloading them considerably. Try lowering the bow stop so the bow eye still pulls up under it. Then try again. If there is no adjustment for the bow stop height, raise the rollers a bit. As it is, this boat is moving around way too much. Where it not for your stern tie-downs you may have dumped the boat on your 90 degree turn.
 

JackBronson

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jun 4, 2012
Messages
170
the bow eye is against the stop. its not going to stop the bow from lifting up - the eye is against the stop. it doesn't go under it.

I wonder if you're on to something with the front rollers getting unloaded when the boat is pulled up snug to the bow stop. that seems to describe well what is happening.

there is less than 4 inches left between the center line of the last roller and the transom.
 

Fed

Commander
Joined
Apr 1, 2010
Messages
2,457
Put up some pictures of the bow eye & winch area including the winch post.
 

Tinman2809

Cadet
Joined
Aug 23, 2017
Messages
16
Wow that would have me nervous driving...my bow eye is up against the bow roller. I lock the winch right along with safety chain and transom straps. Interested to see the reason..be safe
 

JackBronson

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jun 4, 2012
Messages
170
this whole thing started because it caught my eye leaving the ramp, and I set up the video camera thinking I had one or two rollers needing adjustment. the hard right hand turn in the second video was me finding a place to turn around, I didn't do that because I thought the boat was going to do THAT! I did accelerate through the turn just to see if the boat would move. so when I got home and watched the video I was like "whoa, WTF?? I've been driving this thing all summer like this??!!"

fortunately the local ramp is 3 miles away, but I have done about 300 highway miles this summer.
 

Silvertip

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 22, 2003
Messages
28,758
What happens as you winch the bow closer to the stop. Is the bow lifting? If so you are unloading the rollers. Lower the bow stop.
 

JackBronson

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jun 4, 2012
Messages
170
Can't crank it any closer to bow roller.
(Thinking out loud here:) Now if I lower the bow roller on the winch post that moves the boat backwards but lets the boat sit more heavily or solidly on the front set of rollers. I would then need to slide the back rollers backwards to sit as far back as they should. But can they be moved back? Not home to see. Hmmm...
 

ajgraz

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Mar 1, 2010
Messages
1,858
Can't crank it any closer to bow roller.
(Thinking out loud here:) Now if I lower the bow roller on the winch post that moves the boat backwards but lets the boat sit more heavily or solidly on the front set of rollers. I would then need to slide the back rollers backwards to sit as far back as they should. But can they be moved back? Not home to see. Hmmm...

More likely you'd be moving your whole winch post forward a little.
 

ajgraz

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Mar 1, 2010
Messages
1,858
Of course. That will effectively shift rear rollers toward stern.

Just watch that your tongue weight doesn't increase too much. If it does, you may also need to move your axle forward.

On the other hand, it is very possible that you don't have enough tongue weight now...maybe all you need is to move the winch post forward three or four inches.
 

jimmbo

Supreme Mariner
Joined
May 24, 2004
Messages
12,944
Lowering the boat, by spreading the rollers apart would lower the center of gravity and making it a little less tippy
 

roscoe

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Oct 30, 2002
Messages
21,657
Not rocket surgery.

Get the boat positioned on the trailer.
Then move the winch post and bow roller so the eye is against and under the roller.

I think lowering the winch and roller an inch, and moving the post forward 2 inches, would do the trick.
 

JimS123

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Jul 27, 2007
Messages
7,952
You want the winch line to be pulling slightly upward when its in all the way. If the eye is too high winching on the last few feet will be hard. Once the boat is tight on the bow roller the bow tiedown will keep it firmly in place.
 
Top