Roller Trailer vs Bunk Trailer

[cbavier]

I have the EZ Roller Trailer with 24 rollers for a Glass Boat. It has three cradles that float as well as all rollers. the trailer was bought separate from and before the boat was picked up at the Marina. It took me originally about five launches each time moving the rollers after the boat was off the trailer and after marking where to move them with a pencil on the frame. It lines perfectly now every time. However the Boat seems to set awfully high on the trailer. My question.

Does a Boat set higher on a roller trailer than a trailer with just bunks? I also have an adjustable and unusally long tongue on the trailer which makes launching fairly easy at most launch sites.

 

[jimmbo]

Re: Roller Trailer vs Bunk Trailer

If your EZLoader is 1997 or newer, EZloader does make Hardware that lowers the crossmembers a few inches.

 

[cbavier]

Re: Roller Trailer vs Bunk Trailer

Thanks JIMMBO
I'll look into that as soon as I get the trailer out of winter storage. I don't know the year of the trailer but have a hunch it's somewhere around a 1998 or 1999. There are no tags or plates on the trailer that I know of. The foil stick on label that was on the tongue was unreadable so I removed it when I refinished and striped the trailer to match the boat.

 

[jimmbo]

Re: Roller Trailer vs Bunk Trailer

does it look like

http://www.ezloader.com/Brochures/EZBrochure.asp?page=2

 

[cbavier]

Re: Roller Trailer vs Bunk Trailer

JIMMBO writes

does it look like

http://www.ezloader.com/Brochures/EZBrochure.asp?page=2



Yes, this one is the closest picture I have been able to find except I have one more set of crossmembers/cradles than shown, and they rock too as well as the roller brackets as pictured in this brochure. So the crossmembers cradless rock and the Roller Brackets rock giving a perfect line up every time. Try my Pictures on Flicker you will see what I have. You can stop the slideshow or choose individual Pictures and enlarge/Zoom them. My email address is in the top right corner of this post we can continue to converse through this forum which might be of interest to others as well or you may email me direct. Type EZ Roller in the subject line if you choose to email me direct. I have the same pictures I can send you as attachments in an email. Also you will see in the pictures this was a project boat completely restored.

I took a boat that looked like it was ready for the scrap heap and after about 120 hours labor made it "WOW"! People who saw it before I started are amazed it's the same boat.

Thus was born "Chuck's Fiberglass
Boat & RV Color Restore"

The Flicker URL is below. You probably will have to copy and paste.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/24589494@N00/455517598/

 

[jimmbo]

Re: Roller Trailer vs Bunk Trailer

Well I have news for you. Your trailer is a Calkins, not an EZLoader. Looking at your photos you wouldn't be able to lower the boat much without hitting the wheel covers.

 

[cbavier]

Re: Roller Trailer vs Bunk Trailer

Thanks jimmbo,
I thought I would have to wait until the boat came out of storage next week and look at the height and clearance issue. By looking at the pictures. Does the boat seem to set abnormally high on the trailer to you?

We got four inches of snow yesterday here. Twenty six turkeys in the back yard right now.

I'll try and find calkins Web Site.

 

[cbavier]

Re: Roller Trailer vs Bunk Trailer

Well jimmbo,
I had a hard time finding any calkins Trailers on the Web, but I did find one, and I don't think it's a Calkins. The Crossmembers/Rockers are tubed
like a normal box frame on mine where the Calkins are round pipe. Unless the one I found on the web was an older one. It was Red in case you should look
I think it was either on Amazon or shopzilla. Not sure and it really doesn't matter since we bboth don't think I can drop the carriers down or the Rollers
down.
Thanks for trying to help. I also checked Laodmaster and Loadrite and it's not either of them.

 

[jimmbo]

Re: Roller Trailer vs Bunk Trailer

Calkins from the early 70s were green, had square tubes for frame and round tubes for the pivoting crossmembers. Around 1980 they switched to a reddish colour. In the mid 80s they switched to a new design altogether, your trailer is that design.

BTW, Calkins no longer makes boat trailers.

 

[cbavier]

Re: Roller Trailer vs Bunk Trailer

Thanks again jimmbo,
I spent about three hours this afternoon looking. No wonder I couldn't find any web site for Calkins Trailers. I had no idea they were out of buisness. I imagine, if I had a need to replace any parts. I could go to the EZ Loader parts and they would probably work. The only concern I would have would be the Bolts that hold the carriages that rock. Three of them, and maybe Rollers. Probably the new lg Yellow yellow rollers would work. I think those rollers on my trailer are about 5-6 inches in diameter?? I am going to keep WD40 on them often so they will continue to work freely. I thought the trailer was from the late 90's because of it's condition. It certainly never sat outside very much. Because it had very little rust. I ground the rust down that was on it, primed and painted the whole trailer so as to match the boat. Then last fall I removed all the red stripes and took the trailer to a Design Company and they restriped the trailer to match the Boat and put the name on the Boat.

"OWN-IT"

 

[cbavier]

Re: Roller Trailer vs Bunk Trailer

jimmbo

Hey John I got to thinking on the way to a Birthday Party today. I couldn't lower the boat on that trailer anyway because the keel rollers are on the bottom of the frame already. The whole frame would have to be dropped. That wouldn't be possible since all three crossmembers rock. The only other way to lower it might be to put smaller tires on the trailer. I think it has
P225/75R15's on it now. I think! I would be afraid to go to any smaller tires so I guess I'll just leave well enough alone. I saw a car today that had those real low profile tires on it. You know the ones that the wheels almost run on the ground. There's only about three inches of clearence between the wheel and the pavement. I was really hoping someone else might jump in with some ideas, but I guess they are all getting ready for "SPLASH"

It's sunny here today, about 40 dg. We should lose the rest of our snow in the next couple days. Then I'll be thinking about splash to.

Thanks again for your help.
Chuck

 

[jimmbo]

Re: Roller Trailer vs Bunk Trailer

Don't use car tires on a trailer, Sidewalls are too soft and very few have the capacity required. Take your trailer and boat to a weigh scale, weigh it. Odds are you are already overloading the 235s. A good spring shop could probably make or locate a drop axle which would lower the trailer 4 of 5 inches. If you go that route consider a torsion axle.

 

[cbavier]

Re: Roller Trailer vs Bunk Trailer

Thanks jimmbo

 

[cbavier]

Re: Roller Trailer vs Bunk Trailer

Jimmbo

Boats out of storage now and Spring Prepped. Got three little jobs done yesterday. It took all day. Now I just have one more major and then wax. It's ready to go. The tires on it are 235-15's and the trailer definatly is a Calkins. I checked the rollers. One is starting to split just on the edge. I probably will be looking at new rollers in the next couple years. I'll keep a real close eye on them. Calkins was made by Hardline Products. seems they have gone to all Motorcycle accessories now.
There are 16 - 4 inch rollers and 8 keel rollers. I'll really be able to tend to them, oil and inspect when I get the Boat off at the campground. In the meantime I'm going to start looking for replacement rollers. I might try Ebay but I doubt if I find any. It would be a miracle.
They also are going to be a challenge to get off as they are pressed on and the ends peened over.

 

[jimmbo]

Re: Roller Trailer vs Bunk Trailer

Oil, or any petroleum based lube. is not the best thing to use on rubber/neoprene. Perhaps a silicone or a teflon lube. I've used graphite on some of my older trailers rollers. Check around a few dealers, especially those who sold Calkins, for a source for new rollers.

 

[cbavier]

Re: Roller Trailer vs Bunk Trailer

I was thinking silicone too. Because oil DOES cause rubber to soften and deteriorate rapidly or at least faster. Also Silicone doesn't collect dirt and dust like oil or like WD40 would.
I always used silicone on our Motor Home steps and jacks. Because of the dirt and dust collecting problem. I now use silicone on our Fifth Wheel jacks.

I'll do some checking around to find the right rollers and how to put them on. The crack I saw is just starting on one edge by the axle so hopefully it won't get bad too fast.

Maybe after asking at a couple Marinas somebody will know who sold Calkins or a source for the rollers. We are surrounded by several Lakes and there are probably 15 or more Marinas within 20 miles of us, so somebody should know.

Thanks Jimmbo, Stick my email away somewhere just in case you should happen to come across any rollers. The Hull Rollers are 4 inches Diameter and the Keel rollers are 7 1/4 or 7 1/2 inches.