bunk trailers vs roller trailers

[ruggrat]

what are the pros and cons of a roller trailer vs a bunk trailer?

[Onewolf]

Roller Pros: easier to load/unload on poor ramps
Roller Cons: A lot more maintenance, can mark up hull if the rollers are sticky black, some boat manufacturers will not warranty hull on roller trailer, must be careful when loading/unloading or the boat can be accidentally dropped. Ouch.

Bunk Pros: better hull support, less maintenance
Bunk Cons: usually requires a better (deeper water) ramp to unload/load.

[Mist-Rest]

and the cost of the rollers. Those non marking rollers add up quick.

[njmello]

My trailer has keel rollers, 4 bottom bunks w/glides, and 2 side (guide) bunks. All of the pros and no cons. I can load and launch solo at any ramp, regardless of wiind, tide or curent. The glides on the bottom bunks are a big help. Just my 2 cents.

[pappastratos]

I once heard that a roller trailer could deform the bottom of the boat causing it to be wavey

[MIfirst]

pappastratos - 8/15/2007 9:32 AM I once heard that a roller trailer could deform the bottom of the boat causing it to be wavey

My 23' cuddy sits on 48 rollers, that's about 80 lbs per roller. No deformation after 12 years.

[fishhrd]

Some boat companies such as scout only recommend bunk trailer. I prefer rollers because I have to launch in shallow ramps sometimes.

[lemaymiami]

I've been using roller trailers now for some years for the following reasons:

1. I tow on the road 25 to 30,000 miles a year (I've cut back some, but still work off of my trailer...)
2. With a roller trailer you don't even submerge your rims in the launch / recovery process (but you should have a PowerWinch)
3. Because you're not dunking your trailer, the bearings, lights, and springs (I don't like the way torsion bars perform while towing)
last a lot longer. That's really important when you're towing 200 miles a day, day in and day out... With the addition of a proper
walkboard, all the loading and unloading is done with dry feet..... that's a big plus for me
4. Years ago, when I was learning the ins and outs of towing, many ramps in the Keys were poorly designed for submerged trailers.
They were just too shallow to properly float off of. With a roller trailer that's just never a problem. I can actually launch without
ramp if I can get up and down whatever incline is there.5. With an all roller trailer, you can safely load by yourself in almost any weather conditions (try 3am in 40+ mph cross winds and
howling rain...) and your rig will always self center...
6. Newer roller trailers (I run EZ Loader, they make both kinds of trailer) don't come with black rollers anymore. The currently
available standard gray rollers don't mark your hull.

I must say that the roller trailer and PowerWinch combination is old fashioned and not very common these days. You will see south Florida guides that have been around for a while that favor them. They do take a bit of learning to master, but perform well for years with less drawbacks than the submerged type of trailer that will always have lights, bearings, and corrosion issues. The "float on" style of trailer is certainly easier for a beginner to use. I think that's why there are so many of them. I wanted to post a picture of my rig, but can't do so on a "Reply" thread so I'll post a photo of what I'm talking about on a separate thread titled "Roller trailers"
Hope this helps.

[ruggrat]

Thanks guys........this is just the info I was looking for.

[96whaler]

lemaymiami:

Nothing quite like the public "ramp" at Islamorada marked, of course, by the cannon.

[lemaymiami]

My favorite scene, quite common down here, is some poor guy who's been forced to dunk the back wheels of his tow vehicle in salt, trying to get a boat to float off of a trailer on a ramp that's just too shallow. I've actually seen a few that did that when recovering their boats and, of course, once your rear tires are in the water you have no traction at all. I've even seen rigs that began sliding back down the ramp while the guy was spinning his tires trying to pull his rig out of the water... It can lead to disaster for a beginner, particularly when the tow vehicle is a little too small for what the guy is trying to pull up the ramp.

If the ramp has the right angle of descent, submersible trailers work just fine (if you don't mind all the problems that come with dunking a trailer in saltwater...). These days most ramps are constructed properly. That just wasn't the case more than 35 years ago when I started fooling around with boat trailers. I've seen many posts on this site from guys complaining that their tongue winch (jack stand) was rusted and ruined after a year's use... That just doesn't happen with a roller trailer since that end of the trailer never comes near the salt.

"and so it goes" -Vonnegut