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I usually go to the nearby boat shows to walk through boats I can’t afford and maybe get some ideas for improvements to my boat.
Anyway, I was a the Savannah boat show yesterday and there was a Venture trailer factory representative and a stack of Venture trailers. I stopped to talk to him since my own trailer is a Venture and the conversation got around to bunks versus rollers. He mentioned (and this is not the first time I’ve heard it) that nobody will buy roller trailers in the south and nobody will buy bunk trailers in the north. I’m originally from MD (not really “north”) and many, if not most, of the trailers I saw there were roller trailers. In SC, I rarely see a roller trailer other than my own.
I’m just wondering why that is? The water’s the same and the boats are the same.
Not sure if that's true or not but here on the board is very mixed. I say if you have deep ramps then bunk work great but if they are shallow ramps rollers maybe the best option.
I agree with Fishingfun on this but prefer the bunks myself, I just find it easier on/off and no maintenance of the rollers. I have been on the end of not being able to launch a boat because there wasn't enough water to get the boat off the bunk trailer though. Plus the two roller trailers I had used the black rollers that did a nice job of putting black scuff marks on my boat.
Just a theory, but the farther you get from the equator the more pronounced the tides are. Having been in Maine a few times I have seen this first hand. As such, people in the north are dealing with really low tides and need roller trailers to get them in and out because a lot of times you are dealing with minimum levels of water. I guess it could also be that the boat ramps are better/deeper in the south. We are in NJ and the dealer really did not want to sell us a bunk trailer but after explaining to him that the trailer was going to used twice a year for the most part he "agreed" to get us a bunk trailer. I personally prefer bunk trailers for the support aspect of it but I am by far in the minority in the NorthEast.
Bunks perform a necessary function such as supporting the hull that rollers can not. The rollers add to making it easier to launch and retrieve the boat. One can replace the black rollers with the new plastic type. I have owned many diffrent brands of trailers and they all had bunks and a roller. I never heard that the closer one is to the north pole that a dealer would refuse to make a sale, it must be a northern thing.
__________________ Living in South Carolina, fishing any place. "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf". G. Orwell
I've heard that some boat manufacturers will not warranty a hull that is stored on a roller trailer......
Yes, Boston Whaler but because it's built differently than most boats. Many manufacturers package their boats with roller trailers and provide "lifetime" hull warranties.
That's a different discussion. I'm just wondering why there's such a regional preference.
hhi angler - 4/2/2007 11:23 AM
........ I never heard that the closer one is to the north pole that a dealer would refuse to make a sale, it must be a northern thing.
To clarify - I was speaking with the factory representative of a trailer manufacturer. It's not a matter of refusing to make a sale, the dealers in the south order bunk trailers because that's what their customers want, the dealers in the north order roller trailers for the same reason.
A dealer or customer could obviously order whichever they wished no matter where they lived. It might be a special order, the dealer or customer might have to depart from the usual supplier, etc. but they can be purchased and delivered..
We have extreme tide changes up here in Alaska but the ramps are designed for it (at most places anyhow). I would guess bunk trailers outnumber rollers 3 to 1. I just float my boat on or off anyhow. The bunks just support it while trailering.
Generally speaking, it is better to store boats 25' or more on a bunk trailer as the bunks offer better support. Roller trailers are not as tide dependant, so if the boat is primarily trailered and tides are a factor, then they make better sense.
I've always owned a roller trailer. Two years ago I was talked into buying a bunk trailer , as far I'm concerned its a pain in the butt when it comes to painting the bottom. I never had a problem with rollers. They made moving the boat in order to paint very easy. Now I have to lift the boat off of the trailer with jacks and stands. I won't buy another bunk trailer again especially since it's oonly used twice a year. Once in the spring to put the boat in the water and once to take it out in the winter .
Many many more boat manufacterers void the hull warranty if on roller trailers, Shamrock being another.
And yet Bayliner bundles their boats with roller trailers (in some parts of the country) and provides a "lifetime" hull warranty.
I'm not takling about boat manufacturers or levels of hull support, I'm trying to get ideas on why bunk trailers are popular in the south and roller trailers are popular in the north.
It all depends on the ramps you use-also with an electric winch and the plastic
things on the bunks I feel the bunks are a bit easier to load--Someone
mentioned Boston Whaler mandated bunks--that WAS correct-but it may have changed-
The sandwich manufacturing process was the reason--I did use a roller on my
27 OFFSHORE without a problem but it had a lot of rollers and also keel rollers.
I use a venture bunk trailer simply because I use it twice a year. Its more a Storage trailer than anything. Have never had a problem on & off with the boat & no roller maintenance. Painting is also easier. 2 bottle jacks & some cribbing & she's up and clear.
There are a lot of Bunk Trailers here in N.W. Pa. I have one of each and prefer the Bunk. Just a personal preference I guess as my Launch Ramps are kind of steep.
Shorty - 4/2/2007 5:51 PM There are a lot of Bunk Trailers here in N.W. Pa. I have one of each and prefer the Bunk. Just a personal preference I guess as my Launch Ramps are kind of steep.
But Shorty, don't forget you and I don't have the tides to contend with like the saltwater folk do.
I prefer bunk myself because of the increase in hull support over a roller trailer. But I understand rwidman's question as I have wondered the same. Obviously, there are folks out there that prefer or require a roller trailer for areason. What are some of those reasons?
__________________ Grady White SeaFarer 226 w/Yamaha F225 - SOLD
Trailers - Bunks vs. Rollers 
