Pros and Cons Roller Vs. Float on Trailer

[MikeM40]

My trailer bent today so I need to find a good used trailer.
What are the pros and cons of each. I have a 19.5 ft bowrider.
PS now my boat is sitting on a trailer that barley moves, Any suggestions best way to move it?
Thanks in advance

 

[tommays]

Re: Pros and Cons Roller Vs. Float on Trailer

They can both work correctly on most boats with some boats that do require bunks OR Keel rollers

I have not seen many LI ramps were you need rollers to launch BUT there are a lot of both types of trailers here


I would say with the saltwater you need to keep on top of the roller condition as they will stop rolling with no care


Tommays

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Pros and Cons Roller Vs. Float on Trailer

the up keep on roller trailers is a PITA. just had to tie a boat to a tree in order to slide it off the trailer for maintainance. none of the rollers would turn. was worse than a bunk trailer.

 

[G-Daddy]

Re: Pros and Cons Roller Vs. Float on Trailer

The last two wobble rollers are the only ones on my trailer that have ever been in the brine. I use a little Boeshield on the axles of the rollers a couple of times each season and after 15 years it still works fine. I like the fact that it is self centering, I never have to get the hubs wet, and I can load and unload in cross currents and winds with very little effort. I love my roller trailer.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Pros and Cons Roller Vs. Float on Trailer

It depends on the boat for me, I have my 17' aluminum boat on a roller trailer and it's a real breeze to load, but my bass boat and even my trihull are on bunk trailers. It's all in how and where you are launching and on what type of support you need for a particular boat. My aluminum boat is light and it would work well on either type, but since I load in shallow water and often alone, the roller works best for me. My trihull sits super nice on a pair of twin 3x4" custom made bunks that I cut to fit the contour of the inner area of the hull. That trailer requires it be dunked up to the front axle to get the boat on just right.

 

[gejandsons]

Re: Pros and Cons Roller Vs. Float on Trailer

Don't get a trailer with a boxed in or tube frame. Get angle iron or C channel. Galvanized is a plus in freshwater & a must in salt or brackish water. Rollers are good only if they roll. Most don't roll long. Silicone spray on carpeted bunks made sliding your boat off much easier.
How to move it depends on where & how severe the bend is.

 

[SuzukiChopper]

Re: Pros and Cons Roller Vs. Float on Trailer

Don't get a trailer with a boxed in or tube frame. Get angle iron or C channel.

I'm curious as to why you don't recommend a boxed or tube style frame?

 

[WaterWitch2]

Re: Pros and Cons Roller Vs. Float on Trailer

I'm curious as to why you don't recommend a boxed or tube style frame?

Boxed or tube style can trap water and rust out where the ends are closed wherever they meet another part of the trailer. My latest trailer is C-channel and has no rust except where the winch post mounts. I had to replace that piece of 3"x3" square box because it was rusted through. It was 3/16" thick wall. I drilled a 1/2" drain hole in the new piece on the end that is closed off.

 

[SuzukiChopper]

Re: Pros and Cons Roller Vs. Float on Trailer

Boxed or tube style can trap water and rust out where the ends are closed wherever they meet another part of the trailer. My latest trailer is C-channel and has no rust except where the winch post mounts. I had to replace that piece of 3"x3" square box because it was rusted through. It was 3/16" thick wall. I drilled a 1/2" drain hole in the new piece on the end that is closed off.

Thanks for that explanation. If it was galvanized or stainless I don't see that being a big deal if there are drainage channels but it makes perfect sense to not even have to deal with it.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Pros and Cons Roller Vs. Float on Trailer

Thanks for that explanation. If it was galvanized or stainless I don't see that being a big deal if there are drainage channels but it makes perfect sense to not even have to deal with it.

It depends on the design of the trailer as well. I have Loadrite made from galv. box tubing. It's designed such that both ends of the tubes are open on all member so water can't get trapped anywhere. It?s used in SW and it still shows no signs of rust after 10 years of service.

 

[Wotam]

Re: Pros and Cons Roller Vs. Float on Trailer

I've owned both bunk and roller trailers and had excellent results with both.

IMHO: Design, quality manufacture and proper fit to the boat are more important than the bunk versus roller issue.

All that said, my roller trailers would launch and retrieve better on 'difficult' ramps and require less immersion getting the boat on and off.

This feature has some importance around here (Pacific Ocean) as a roller trailer will let you launch the boat on a minus tide when you may not have a lot of ramp extending below the waterline.

If that issue isn't a concern where you boat... then a bunk will work just fine... if there is any chance you'll ever launch in saltwater, get a galvanized trailer... heck, get a galvanized trailer anyway, lasts a long time fresh or salt.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Pros and Cons Roller Vs. Float on Trailer

It depends on the design of the trailer as well. I have Loadrite made from galv. box tubing. It's designed such that both ends of the tubes are open on all member so water can't get trapped anywhere. It?s used in SW and it still shows no signs of rust after 10 years of service.

I've got two later model Load Rite single axle trailers that are made from 4x4 or so square tubing, both use bent or V shaped cross members. On both the ends of the cross members are open, but they failed to add drain holes at the lowest point? The cross members fill with water even when it rains. I hadn't noticed this until the old one rusted out. I have since drilled the others to add drainage and made up two new cross members for the other trailer. I have seen some with drains and some without. Mine are 2000 and 2003 models and are both 2700 lb and 3400 lb. GVW single axle, full roller trailers with no keel rollers. Both are great trailers when it comes to towing and launch and loading, but they both have pretty light boats on them and are the easiest to load trailers I have had.

 

[Mark42]

Re: Pros and Cons Roller Vs. Float on Trailer

From what I've seen at the launch ramp, the roller trailers are almost always under the biger boats, 20ft and up.

The only real problem I can see with rollers is that nearly all the accidental unloading of a boat onto the concrete ramp happens with roller trailers. With a bunk trailer, the boat just can't slip off that easy when not in the water.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Pros and Cons Roller Vs. Float on Trailer

With any trailer it's a matter of proper fit and adjustment. I've seen a few roller trailers on which the rollers indented the glass in spots while on the trailer, but that can be avoided by simply having enough rollers and with proper placement.
On my Load Rite under my 16' aluminum Starcraft, I can push my hand in between any of the individual rollers, it has very little weight on any one roller which spreads out the load very well. It makes for a very soft touch on the boat hull. The same goes for bunks, they need to be properly placed and should extend as far as possible to support as much of the lower hull length as possible.