Boat trailer setup

 Hi guys, I need assistance with a better setup on my trailer, as it is a pain in the ass to retrieve my boat.

The current setup has keel rollers with just 2 wedges on the stern of the trailer, and works shit.

The nose of the boat has no guide, and if the trailer is not fully submersed and the ute is driven into the water, the winching in of the boat is hard work and grinding the rear of the boat onto the stern wedges, and the boat does not centralise...

This always makes an unpleasent retrieve and pisses me off after a good day out.

I know I can take $5K to Dunbier and get a ride on trailer, but the boat is only worth about $8K, so that is not an option..

Looked around the internet, and heaps of wobble roller sets and guides and stuff, and it looks like about $500 could sort it if I fitted the bits, but... if I select the wrong bits and sit with more issues, thats a waste of money..

Who would assist down Rocko way, or even do a reasonably priced job to fit these rollers, or be able to advise me on the ideal setup with these wobble rollers and new guides.

It is a 5.5m fibreglass runabout with a single v hull - nothing too complicated..?

 

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 Cheers,

Cold Feet 

 

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Posts: 4570

Date Joined: 01/02/10

 Got a pic of the current set

Tue, 2015-11-10 14:16

 Got a pic of the current set up?

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bradz's picture

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Date Joined: 29/10/07

Photo

Tue, 2015-11-10 14:18

Post a photo of the rear of the trailer so we can have a look. It may only require something very simple to make it all work nicely.

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I did then the best that I knew how. When I knew better, I did better.

Cold Feet's picture

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Date Joined: 04/08/15

Pics added..

Tue, 2015-11-10 14:31

 ... and I have never really noticed those 2 sets of red twin rubber wobble rollers before, but they dont help currently.. the boat always loads to one side..

Cheers for taking a look...

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 Cheers,

Cold Feet 

 

Posts: 4570

Date Joined: 01/02/10

 That's not a lot of side

Tue, 2015-11-10 14:37

 That's not a lot of side support at all. The hull is designed to sit on its keel but there should be more support on the side as well. 

I would add another set of rollers forward as a minimum. If the hull is rocking the side rollers need to be lifted a little as well. 

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Does anyone know where the love of god goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?

bleicester's picture

Posts: 219

Date Joined: 10/09/14

eziguide

Tue, 2015-11-10 14:59

Have you looked into a self guiding setup like the EZIguides? For less than $200 it might be the go.

www.whitworths.com.au/main_itemdetail.asp

 

 

 

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Cold Feet's picture

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Date Joined: 04/08/15

Yeah..

Tue, 2015-11-10 15:24

 I saw the eaziguides, but that will guide the boat on, but not stop it from been a pain to winch onto the trailer, thanks anyway - might add that if i get the load balanced and sorted..

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 Cheers,

Cold Feet 

 

Cold Feet's picture

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Date Joined: 04/08/15

Sliders..

Tue, 2015-11-10 15:26

 Can you use those Blue Teflon sliders on a wooden support on fibreglass boats for guides and supports, as it seems they are only recommended for ali boats?

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 Cheers,

Cold Feet 

 

Marineboy's picture

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Sliders

Tue, 2015-11-10 17:21

 you can get white/opaque stuff for glass boats, I have a length in the garage if you want it. 

Located hamersley. 

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 Replace that side roller and

Tue, 2015-11-10 15:49

 Replace that side roller and wedge with a skid similar to how Epic Marines trailers are setup on the post he just did. That's how my old trailer was setup, still wasn't super but got the job done easy enough for an old fraser 525. I also replaced the old  rubber on the skids with the blue stuff and it was no worries on fiberglass.

bleicester's picture

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skids are generally only for ali boats

Tue, 2015-11-10 15:54

i think skids will tend to scratch a glass boat over time. 

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You haven't got enough

Tue, 2015-11-10 16:19

You haven't got enough support on the side of the boat. Either add more rollers on the side to support and guide the boat as it comes on the trailer or add a skid on each side. Add the ezi guides and it will be easy to load boat by yourself.

DTrain's picture

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Date Joined: 10/02/12

It looks like those wedges

Tue, 2015-11-10 16:39

It looks like those wedges are straddling between the two chines on the boat. So the two pointy parts of the chines are digging into the wedges instead of the boat sitting flat on the wedge if that makes sense. I think if you put the wedges on lengthways and try and position them on the flat section between the chines then that would help the boat winch up easier. Or you could just remove them and put in some bigger skids.

You want to try and put 90% of the boat weight on the center rollers and just use the side skids to stop the boat moving from side to side.

Also check that the rollers are all greased and spinning freely.

Cold Feet's picture

Posts: 120

Date Joined: 04/08/15

Cheers, will check all that out and let you guys know how i go..

Tue, 2015-11-10 16:44

 Thanks for the help so far..

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 Cheers,

Cold Feet 

 

epic restos and marine's picture

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Date Joined: 22/06/15

reckon step one put another

Tue, 2015-11-10 21:41

reckon step one put another bracket at the back widen thous skids weld braceing between your cross members and add few more rollers in between (replace the old ones to, but most of all straighten the side roller so its pushing in not out

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BlueKiaser's picture

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Date Joined: 22/04/15

Like DTrain

Wed, 2015-11-11 00:12

Like DTrain, I'm a little uneasy with those blue wedges at the back.

I would like to know if the boat loads ok in very calm conditions with the trailer in normal depth. That is, if the boat only goes off the central rollers in non-calm conditions, then I would suggest you try to ignore the temptation to put the trailer too deep in the water when retrieving.

I have a suspicion that when the conditions are not extremely calm, the wind, waves and those blue wedges are encouraging the hull to easily lift off the middle keel rollers (especially when the lowest deadrise section about a third from the back of the boat is sliding up over them). Again as DTrain says those central keel rollers should be taking the majority of the weight. If they aren't, and if the blue wedges (or the red side rollers) are taking too much weight, then it will become harder to retrieve.

My boat (22ft Ali) has a very flat deadrise at the stern. In windy or rough conditions, contrary to most suggestions, I need to retrieve the boat with the trailer quite a long way OUT of the water. This puts extra weight on the central keel rollers. It does make it heavier to wind up on retrieve, but it stops the back of the boat lifting (from wind and waves) to the side and off the central keel rollers. That is, by retrieving the boat with the trailer further out of the water, the central keel rollers can generally self guide the boat up straight. As soon as too much water gets under the hull and takes weight off those central rollers, the waves and wind can easily move the back of the boat off to the side.

I would first start with the current keel rollers. Your black central keel rollers look very small and the back two red keel ones do not look like they do much in the way of self guiding.

Cold Feet's picture

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Date Joined: 04/08/15

Thanks for the feedback..

Wed, 2015-11-11 09:47

I will check this out over the weekend, and make a few changes.

The red side wobble type rollers can be turned by hand with the boat loaded on, and the blue wedges seem to be taking the weight only on the side that the boat is loaded to, like in the pics, the left wedge. I plan to remove the blue wedges and replace them along the side of the boat to just take some weight when the boat is on - so along the length of the stern against the hull, instead of wedging the stern as they are now.

I pulled this off the net this morning.. any comments on this type of setup??

These guys sell rollers, wobble sets and stuff, and I have ordered a centralising roller and 3 other replacement rollers to match the trailer, as well as 4 x wobble rollers to replace the existing red rubber wobble type rollers, and see how it goes - that was just over $100 including freght - so will give this setup a bash and see how it goes..

 

DIY Boat Roller Intallation

You only have to look at the workouts happening around boat ramps to understand most boat roller setups are wrong. You have to be crazy if you enjoyed huffing and puffing when launching the boat from your trailer.

Launching and retrieving should be an easy, professional operation. With some minor alterations and additions to your trailer, boating will be a dead set breeze.

Most manufacturers do not build trailers for their boats rather they source trailers their trailer suppliers range of boat trailers. There are a few boat manufacturers making their own trailers which is good news because these boats fit their trailers perfectly. 

Have a good read below and you will find the best setup for your boat.

THE GOLDEN RULES FOR POWER BOATS

  • More boat rollers rather than less make your boat easy to launch and easy to retrieve.
  • Do not grease spindles. Grease attracts dirt, grim, and organic matter that is in the salt water. Do not use zinc coated spindles, reasons follow.
  • Stainless spindles are fantastic if you cut your own stainless rod otherwise stainless can be a tad expensive. Use marine grade 316 Stainless. It's a great investment when it lasts forever.
  • Galvanised spindles are far better than zinc spindles. I would not recommend Zinc spindles. (Note: Manufacturer of Super Zinc Spindles claim longevity similar to Galvanised spindles.)
  • Boat rollers fail for two main reasons (a) Rust expands the zinc spindles inside the roller bore and this causes rollers to split. Zinc will rust in time whereas Galvanised last longer or stainless steel spindles last forever.
  • (b) Grease can harden which causes rollers to jam on spindles.
  • Inspect rollers every two years if you are using gal and every year if you have existing Zinc spindles. Personally, I do not like Zinc spindles, go Gal and you will never regret it. Go stainless and you're a winner. 
  • Use big rollers where the weight is located, usually on the transom. Use smaller rollers as the boat approaches the winch post so the bow is aiming nicely at the bow stop on the winch post.
  • Remember, most of your boat weight should be on the keel. This will help centre your boat. If your boat is not cantering right then drop your wobbles on one side 5mm. 

Boat rollers setup.

  1. Your stern rollers should be large and suit the contour of your stern keel. A large flat or curved roller are the go on a tandem bracket. Most sterns would use a flat roller set up on a tandem roller bracket which is supported by a 6" two post assembly and bolted onto a twin post holder bracket. Both rollers will hold a major share of weight placed on your transom. Larger boat use larger rollers.
  2. Your next roller will be situated about 1 meter away and will probably be an 8" curved, again to match the keel of your boat. Unless you have a 50mm Keel strip running the length of your keel then go with a curved single roller on a flat or post bracket.
  3. Towards the front of your boat you will either need a self centering or a keel roller. Remember that you now need to start centering your boat on the trailer in preparation for docking into the bow stop. Self centering rollers are useless down the stern unless your have retriever mates or spring loaded roller systems.
  4. If you have skids, get rid of them. They do not allow your boat to roll off. I have never been an advocate of submerging your trailer to get your boat off. I admire those skippers who have put some thought into their boating and it is evident at the ramp where your skills are on display.
  5. Well OK, skids are OK on some boats. Boats with flat bottoms and boats that travel a lot of miles to get launch should be using skids. Harder to launch sure but you just cannot trust wobbles and other rollers not to rub through your hull over the long haul roads. Example: Mt Isa to Cairns trailers would be using wide skid mounts.
  6. One of the big arguments for skids is surface area holding up your boat. A 2" wide skid at 6 foot long equals 120 sq inches of surface area under each skid. Problem is most skids do not sit flat under boats and in many cases the skid is either sitting on one edge or the skids has been installed without consideration given to the curvature of the hull. Skids will also mark your hull unless you have an unpainted aluminium hull. Wobble Rollers work fine and do not cause damage to hull but more importantly fit the curvature of the hull. Ok, so by now you've guessed I don't like skids.
  7. If your boat already has skids or a combination of skids and wobbles then consider putting in some KEEL rollers to carry some of that weight. If your boat has skids only, then you will need some keel rollers.
  8. IMPORTANT: Replace those skids with single, twin wobble or quad rollers depending on your boats weight. Years ago Jet Ski's were on skids, today you see most of them on wobble rollers. Long distance travelling require more rollers due to vibration of the rollers rubbing on your hull.
  9. Replacing keel rollers is easy once your have selected the right rollers. Now put your boat back onto the trailer and install one wobble on one side of the transom so it fits hard up onto the hull. Get your mate to lift the other side of the transom and the bolt the wobble up onto the hull. Repeat the process for the other wobble further forward.
  10. Now while you can rest the entire weight of the boat on the keel, it is best to shift weight onto the wobbles because the more weight you have evenly distributed on as many rollers as you think fit will cause your boat to roll off your trailer in an easy manner.
  11. Always select galvanised or if you can afford it, stainless spindles. Zinc spindles can cause pre-mature rusting and splitting of those expensive rollers you have purchased. I have seen too many zinc spindles and brackets fail over time to even consider them.
  12. TIP: Now this may sound funny, but when purchasing black or grey rubber rollers, smell them. If they smell like old burnt rubber then that is because they contain up to 10% re-grind material. Rubber is a mild smell and not a horrid smell. The re-grind component will cause pre-mature aging and will mark your boat.
  13. Remember to have your bow hook in place when launching. It is not uncommon to hear about the boat coming off the trailer with a good roller setup.
  14. With your new setup, your launching depth will be shallower. Look at your mudguard and see how far it is out of the water during your best launch. Your mental note will be handy next time you are launching the boat.

EXAMPLES

  • Have you ever seen shark cats with skids running across the supporting beams on trailers? Wrong setup, 3 to 4 tonne of boat being launched and retrieved can be mighty dangerous stuff. 12" flat or curved rollers take very little engine power to launch and retrieve. I have had one of these beautiful boats and I can tell you that while it looks great at the ramp to see a big cat being launched and retrieved, the skipper is having kittens getting that 4 tonne monster back onto the trailer safely.
  • Skids and winches do a powerful lot of work and place huge pressure in the U hook on the bow. My little ski boat has a U hook which now needs replacing because the trailer needs to be at an EXACT depth in the water for skids to work properly and it's real hard to judge exact depth every time. The ski boat get wobbles next time I am down at Lower Portland on the Hawkesbury. (Update: Ski Boat got wobbles. Should have done it years ago, what a difference)
  • Finally, the worst thing you can see when launching boats is a skipper who has been given the wrong setup. Oh yes, manufacturers make mistakes because they design boats and not trailers. Their trailers are built by trailer builders so it is quite likely you do not have the best roller and bracket setup for your boat. So have a good look around your hull and understand how it works. Then you will be in a good position to make some small adjustments or additions to your setup.

The key to a good setup is 60% keel weight and 40% wobble weight. Once setup up, your boat will glide off the trailer.

I hope you find a few clues on how to improve your boating. Good luck

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 Cheers,

Cold Feet 

 

BlueKiaser's picture

Posts: 422

Date Joined: 22/04/15

Good info there

Wed, 2015-11-11 11:11

I'll be utilising some of those recommendations myself. Good info and thanks for sharing.

bleicester's picture

Posts: 219

Date Joined: 10/09/14

# 12 is a new one

Wed, 2015-11-11 10:22

That's a great resource Coldfeet.

I knew that the harder rollers (usually blue) are recommended for Ali boats while the softer rollers (usually red) are for glass boats but I've never heard of smelling the rollers too!

 

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Cold Feet's picture

Posts: 120

Date Joined: 04/08/15

Bit late to smell them after buying though..

Wed, 2015-11-11 10:50

 Imagine the return note: - " These rollers smell funny, so I want a refund" lol..

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 Cheers,

Cold Feet