EZload is NOT EZ to load

cecho · Apr 5, 2013

I have an EZLoad roller trailer and am having an issue when loading the trailer. The front rollers want to fall outside the trailer like: / \ instead of like this: \ / and the front of the boat goes right between them the rollers end up getting jammed on the strakes which ends up loading the boat VERY crooked despite nearly perfect forward entries. What can I do to resolve this issue? I can see the previous boat owner used (now dry rotted) bungie cords to try to force the roller in like this: \ / This seems like a very Mickey Mouse solution though.

I did find out today the trailer is VERY easy to unload... A bit too easy. Boat went into the water a lot quicker than I had originally wanted it to. Thankfully the skeg didn't break

UncleWillie · Apr 5, 2013

Re: EZload is NOT EZ to load

Well I have never had rollers, but but I once stayed at a Holiday Inn Express!

Instead of the bungee cords,
Would it be possible to weigh one end of the rollers so gravity works the way you want?

Or... could you tighten the hinge bolt so the rollers stay where they were when they last touched the hull?
Not so tight they can't swivel, just tight enough to remove all the flopping around.

Speaking of gravity....
Never unhook the bow strap until you are ready for the boat to leave the trailer!
A boat on Rollers, or Lubed Bunks, is like like a Golden Retreiver...
Once they even smell the water they will head for it unless you keep the leash on!

cecho · Apr 5, 2013

Re: EZload is NOT EZ to load

Thanks for the great ideas! I'll tighten them up the next time I'm out. Hmm, my Golden Retriever bee lines it for the truck or the boat. She's not interested in the water unless I'm next to it... then again she also has some dalmatian in her.

roscoe · Apr 5, 2013

Re: EZload is NOT EZ to load

Put a weight on the bottom of the roller so it doesn't flop over.

smokeonthewater · Apr 6, 2013

Re: EZload is NOT EZ to load

you are missing pieces under the hinge points... There are bushings, usually plastic that limit the outward movement of the roller groups that have disintegrated on your trailer

smokeonthewater · Apr 6, 2013

Re: EZload is NOT EZ to load

250-021769 Glide roll - Freeway Trailer Parts and Accessories

cecho · Apr 6, 2013

Re: EZload is NOT EZ to load

Yup! That's it. I can see the remnants of one of them. Thanks! I'll make sure to order some of those

JaseBosto · Apr 9, 2013

Re: EZload is NOT EZ to load

put bunks on it and save yourself headaches. Roller trailers turn a very good day, into a rather bad one.

cecho · Apr 9, 2013

Re: EZload is NOT EZ to load

I've got it figured out now. The rollers are VERY helpful with the lakes being as shallow as they are right now. Unloading it fast and loading is quick and I don't have to get the wheels on my SUV wet like I would have to with a bunk.

JaseBosto · Apr 9, 2013

Re: EZload is NOT EZ to load

Everyone's got their preference and you gotta respect that for sure. Me? I am getting rid of my roller trailer this weekend for a bunk. Besides it being too narrow, I loved loaded my previous boat. With the bunks, you could go on crooked and it always straightened out by itself. With this POS roller trailer, its a two person job minimum and someone is getting wet.

cecho · Apr 9, 2013

Re: EZload is NOT EZ to load

True enough.

I've got it down now. One person can do it without getting wet if you don't mind climbing down the front, but it's easier with two. After fixing the roller issue I have yet to have a problem with getting it on straight while my last bunk trailer always got the boat on a little crooked.

I think the rollers really shine when you have a shallow ramp and/or a low lake. I use a rope tied the the winch tower and the front cleats to prevent the trailer from rolling away with the boat. That way I don't need to get wet.

jkust · Apr 9, 2013

Re: EZload is NOT EZ to load

Rollers depend on the trailer set up a lot and user knowledge it seems. I see people struggle with misusing their roller trailers a fair amount usually going in too deep and not allowing the rollers to do their job but always see the struggles of bunk trailers as they heavily outnumber more expensive roller trailers. For me rollers are simply a better mousetrap but my trailer is a well set up shorelandr and I know how to use it. I launch in every kind of ramp set up you can imagine given the number of lakes here. The roller trailer is the great ramp conditions equalizer.

cecho · Apr 9, 2013

Re: EZload is NOT EZ to load

I absolutely LOVE the fact I can use the winch to get the boat on the trailer. I could NOT do that with my last boat. If it wasn't floating it wasn't gonna get on the trailer. This is how I can get the boat on the trailer without getting wet. Since it also can move on the trailer it always ends up sitting in the proper position fore and aft. My last boat always varied a little front to back. Port to starboard alignment doesn't seem to be a problem because the boat has a vee-hull shape all the way back. My last boat was pretty much flat at the back. The last time I loaded this boat I was a little crooked. Once I started cranking it up the rest of the way it straightened itself right out.

The first time I tried to load the boat was when I had trouble. First I didn't understand how the trailer was supposed to be used and second I had the problem with the front roller assembly. Now it's easy.

WIMUSKY · Apr 9, 2013

Re: EZload is NOT EZ to load

jkust said:
I see people struggle with misusing their roller trailers a fair amount usually going in too deep and not allowing the rollers to do their job. For me rollers are simply a better mousetrap but my trailer is a well set up shorelandr and I know how to use it. I launch in every kind of ramp set up you can imagine given the number of lakes here. The roller trailer is the great ramp conditions equalizer.

Yep. I really like my Shorelandr' roller....... Get the bow between the rollers and it tends to align itself all the way up.

littlerayray · Apr 9, 2013

Re: EZload is NOT EZ to load

rollers and bunks both have their application
i will stick to bunks unless i absolutely needed a roller trailer to launch my boat

Home Cookin' · Apr 9, 2013

Re: EZload is NOT EZ to load

rollers are the way to go, especially in salt water so you can avoid submerging much, if not almost all, of the trailer.

they are also a great option if you use a ramp that doesn't allow power loading/launching--like most of them.

They do, however, require skill and practice, qualities that elude many boat owners (which aren't the same as boaters).

And if you are getting wet, you aren't doing it right.

jkust · Apr 9, 2013

Re: EZload is NOT EZ to load

WIMUSKY said:
Yep. I really like my Shorelandr' roller....... Get the bow between the rollers and it tends to align itself all the way up.

It's really quite a sight when for whatever reason it isn't lined up straight from wind, etc and only allow it on the trailer exactly as you want. The truck tires never even touch the water and your feet don't need to get wet. It's like a smart phone compared to an old school flip phone.

Oshkosh1 · Apr 9, 2013

Re: EZload is NOT EZ to load

In my best Christopher Walken voice..."You got it all wrong".

I've got a Shoelander for my Wellcraft...love it.
A little bunk for the Mirrocraft...wish it were a roller.

I do keep up on the maintenance though. I'll put the boat in on a weekday when the ramps are deserted, tie it up, then pull up and spend a ?hour going over things.

As far as the getting wet part...
The Captain doesn't get wet!...that's the "crew's" job if necessary!:laugh:

The burden of command DOES have it's advantage...until we get home!

coolbri70 · Apr 9, 2013

Re: EZload is NOT EZ to load

rollers vs bunks? i vote rollers, but like to compare reasoning

op2:, may be some day change my mind

unless i back in too deep mine self centers even if i start crooked

southkogs · Apr 9, 2013

Re: EZload is NOT EZ to load

Wow ... this is starting to sound like a cell phone thread.

EZload is NOT EZ to load

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