Setting rollers on EZ Loader trailer

[arimatation]

I have a shallow V Arima boat 15 1/2 ft. Galvanized roller trailer. The trailer has a 4 roller pod on the port and one on Stbd. It then has 2 rollers together fwd on port and Stbd. Has 2 keel roller fwd. So it has 12 rollers plus the 2 keel rollers.

The 2 rollers farthest outside "port and Stbd" are sitting smack in the middle of the strakes. This does not seem right? Any thoughts? Can't seem to find any info on this even at the EZ Loader site. My next step is contacting them.

It is a 1985 year EZ Loader trailer I believe about 1250 LB.

 

[Knightgang]

Re: Setting rollers on EZ Loader trailer

In this instance, pictures would be a great help. Trying to describe where the rollers are located is like trying to tell someone where the needle is located in a haystack...

 

[arimatation]

Re: Setting rollers on EZ Loader trailer

Same on both sides. Was not sure if this works the same as other forums, I now know it does.......

 

[douglloyd]

Re: Setting rollers on EZ Loader trailer

It's not the worst.
Get some Big wood blocks and a car pump jack. Jack up the blocks to raise the transom of the boat and loosen up the u bolts holding the roller assemblies.
Move them in or out to avoid the strakes then lower the jack to see how it looks.
Remember if you move the rollers in you will raise the center of gravity by raising the boats overall height. You must move both assemblies so the boat will self center as it comes on the trailer.
I just noticed the blocks DO NOT GET UNDER THE BOAT USE JACK STANDS!

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Setting rollers on EZ Loader trailer

It looks like you need to move the whole roller assemblies inward a few inches.
Make sure both sides match, take measurements from the outside of the frame to be sure that the boat sits level when you done.
(I'd say move them outward but it looks like the hull is already pretty close to the fender tops?) From the pics, I'd say your going to be moving the rear ubolts inward about 3 1/2" or so on each side, enough to get the outer roller to sit flat inside of that strake.

 

[arimatation]

Re: Setting rollers on EZ Loader trailer

Just needed confirmation that the rollers on the strakes are not ideal.
Thanks Guys

 

[rockyrude]

Re: Setting rollers on EZ Loader trailer

I can't be sure from the picture, but the distance from the pivot bolt to the outer roller looks shorter than the distance to the inner roller. Maybe flipping it over will help the problem.

 

[Capt'n Chris]

Re: Setting rollers on EZ Loader trailer

I can't be sure from the picture, but the distance from the pivot bolt to the outer roller looks shorter than the distance to the inner roller. Maybe flipping it over will help the problem.

I'm not a big fan of trailer rollers, particularly rollers that support the weight of the boat. Rollers place pressure points on a boat hull much the same way a poor mattress is uncomfortable to sleep on. After all, your boat most likely spends most of its life on a trailer. Bunk boards support and distribute the load over a much larger area and are much kinder to your boat bottom.

 

[ky gravy]

Re: Setting rollers on EZ Loader trailer

The OP was asking how to position his rollers on the trailer that HE ALREADY OWNS, not for another discussion on the roller vs bunk... There are lots of threads for that.

 

[arimatation]

Re: Setting rollers on EZ Loader trailer

I might find a way to support the boat better while it sits. Or maybe add more rollers. I do agree that it is not supported as well as I would like it to be.

Thanks for the tips guys...... This is a great boat forum

 

[Boatist]

Re: Setting rollers on EZ Loader trailer

I also have a EZ loader roller trailer and adjusted mine three times before I got it perfect.
My trailer has a lot more rollers than yours but that is because I have a aluminum boat so
I ordered with twice the normal rollers.

I agree your needs adjusting but do not just look at the stakes.
You should also try to get the rollers to sit under your stringer inside the boat.

My boat has more adjustment than your boat does on the rear rollers as my rear rollers
can be adjusted for how far apart they sit.

On lifting the boat off the trailer to adjust I did it with the toung jack.
Lower the front of the trailer all the way and then built and support under the stern and
raised the toung jack so the back roller lowered and I could adjust. Very easy and safe.

 

[arimatation]

Re: Setting rollers on EZ Loader trailer

Your Quote: My boat has more adjustment than your boat does on the rear rollers as my rear rollers can be adjusted for how far apart they sit.

Do you mean sideways adjustment, or fore and aft adjustment.

Having the rollers support on the stringers can't be a bad idea. I will have to check with the boat MFGr to know where they might be? I am even thinking about the support of the rollers at the keel. Don't know how important either the both of them are? I am going to shoot an E-mail to the MFGr.

I only have a choice of moving my rollers out to the sides. I don't have enough room to move the rollers in towards the keel. I might even need to space the roller brackets up a little because when I move them out the hull will drop down a little bit. When I put my fenders back on they might be to close, or might touch the hull.

 

[Boatist]

Re: Setting rollers on EZ Loader trailer

My back set of rollers (8 per side) can adjusted side to side so the rollers are closer
together or farther apart. I do not have a good picture so will try to describe.
The very back set with two rollers to each side of the center support are each on a seperate shaft
so you can loosen two U bolts then slide the right rollers left or right
without the left two moving. Normally you want to keep both left set and right set
the same distance from the center supportn so the weight is the same on both.
So on mine I have them pretty far apart so the left set is near the keel and under a
stringer there and there and right set is under another stringer. If you look closely you will
see the two rust colored U Bolts in the center of the rollers that alow them to be
adjusted closer together or farther apart.

 

[arimatation]

Re: Setting rollers on EZ Loader trailer

I wish my rollers could be adjusted like yours. Is your trailer an EZ-Loader? I see the aluminum brackets on your crossmember look just like mine. I have sent an E-mail to Arima and hope to get an answer about where the stringers are.

On an unrelated issue.....I see you are using a blue tarp. I can't seem to find a cover for my boat. The boat MFGr want's like $400. I was thinking of building a tarp/support system. I am concerned about the tarp chaffing. But I think I can deal with that. How is it working for you.

 

[chirs craft concept]

Re: Setting rollers on EZ Loader trailer

Very interesting topic guys,Im learning something new everyday,I had no idea
they could be adjusted,(rollers)

 

[Boatist]

Re: Setting rollers on EZ Loader trailer

My Trailer is a 1980 EZ loader. You can buy my type roller setup but would cost quite a bit.
They do sell each part of the roller system but as you add up all the parts it adds up quick.
In my case I had them double the number of rollers on the stern to support the hull better since the boat is aluminum.
Most of my weight is in the stern to midship. I/O and kicker motors at the stern and 34 gallon fuel tank midship.
Since they did this as it was built they did not install the normals rollers so the labor was the same to install the extra Rollers.
The price of the trailer was $80 more and I felt a very good deal.

My main cover is a Sunbrella cover and is custom made for my boat and also cost about $400.
In the wet part of the Winter I usually also cover it with a Cheap Plastic blue tarp.
These blue plastic tarps are cheap and shed water pretty good.
If you use the plastic ones out in the Sun then they are good for about a year max.
In my case I only use the second plastic one durning the wet season or Oct to May.

My cover support system is very smiple and works very well.
It is just a 1 inch square aluminum tube that rest on the top of the window and then
has a 4 inch tall PVC pipe that plugs into the stern light plug that is in the center of my rear deck.
Then I have one center support to support the center of the pole right in front of my I/O cover.
Also at the back half I have two 3/4 inch PVC pipes that go over the top of the center support and rest on the gunnels.
Inside these two cross over PVC pipes I have a 3/4 inch aluminum tube to help the pipe keep it shape.
This is required because my boat sits in the sun all summer and the temperature get 140 degrees almost every day.
With out the Aluminum inside the PVC will not hold it shape in the summer.
If I use just the aluminum tube with the cover rubbing on it the cover will turn black where it rubs.
I could probably just Paint the aluminum pipe and it would be fine alone.
The PVC pipe is cheap and I use a PVC T on each end and cut a slot in it to fit over the edge of the lip that my full canvas snapes to.
This makes it easy to remove the corss over before trailering.

Current Sunbrella cover is 8 years old and still in good shape.

 

[arimatation]

Re: Setting rollers on EZ Loader trailer

Thanks for the info.

I found out my stringer is part of the fish boxes built into the floor. It does not appear that the rollers are on the stringers right now. I have the trailer totally torn apart and in about 80 pieces right now. It needed a total rebuild and that's what I'm doing. So I will be trying to optimize it for my needs.

 

[arimatation]

Re: Setting rollers on EZ Loader trailer

I have thought long and hard and I will be moving the rollers out. I can't go in because each roller pair needs to move about 3 1/2-4 inches. But there is only 4 inches between them.

So I will go out and space the roller support brackets up to keep the same vertical dimensions. I might even add a keel support near the stern. I don't know how it will affect the boat loading on the trailer. So that is an unknown.