trailer roller setup question.

[tropicrows]

My trailer has keel and side rollers, and when the boat is full of fuel, bait gear etc it's a pig to drive off the trailer at the ramp.
I did raise the side rollers by 4 mm a while back, but it's still hard to get off.
Should I raise the side rollers so they take more weight or lower them and put the weight onto the keel rollers. All advise appreciated chaps.

Bruce

[Lucky_Phill]

Bruce,

My new custom trailer does not have keel rollers at all. It literally falls off soon as the hook is released.

Next time the boat is off the trailer, might pay to remove and grease the shafts of the rollers.

Certainly alignment is important and having a back roller with more pressure ( sitting slightly higher ) than a front roller will make ' rolling ' more difficult.

There could be arguements either way about keel rollers, no keel rollers, and what amount of weight should be placed on side rollers. Setting up a trailer takes a lot more time and skill than most people give it credit for.

Cheers Phill.
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[finga]

Weight should be on the keel rollers.
Side rollers/slides are purely for stability of the boat on the trailer.
There should be a blonde one (smidge) of clearance on the side rollers/slides.
I assume it's for the trailer that holds the boat in your avatar???

[Cheech]

Bruce, you may recall when I was at Timmi's place that I scored his old keel rollers. My trailer did not have any and I wanted to add them. My previous trailer did have them and it just slid off. Anyway, I have fitted them to my trailer, and there is a big difference. I use to drive it on and had to stop 2m from fully on. Now it is less than half that. So for my trailer it works having keel rollers. I will have a play with the settings as I think they need to go up a little bit more, to see if I can improve on this, but not bad already.

I agree with Phil. I spent ages with my wabble rollers to get them as close to right as I could. Boat use to go on very crooked. Now it is nearly straight, and even weight distribution. I suspect that this helped when I added the keel rollers.

But then for Timmi his boat is now better without them. All very odd that some seem better with, and some better without.

Are you getting the trailer in as far as you can? With the extra weight when fully loaded, if you can sink it a bit more it will help float the back, and relieve some of the extra load.

Cheech

[TimiBoy]

Cruisecraft are recommending no keel rollers for the 685. I don't know about other sizes.

Cheers,

Tim

[Jarrah Jack]

Is that a Dominator in your avatar? Anyway it look a heavy boat.

As Lucky has said so much is in the setup of the rollers once they are working properly and rolling. Has your boat always been as difficult or does it seem to be getting more difficult especially after you made the changes to the side rollers?

With my glass boat I don't mind the side rollers taking some weight to even the load out. It may be worthwhile checking out all the rollers with the weight on to see that they are getting equal loads with the center rollers taking most of the weight.

We had a similiar problem with my mates Vamp and ended up taking it to a boat trailer place who added a few extra rollers and did the set up correctly for around $300 including parts. Its been perfect since.

[Chimo]

I was told years ago to set up my trailer so all the rollers, keel and side wobble rollers have equal weight on them. Boats (several) rolled on and off very easily.

The only other point that,if it was mine, I would consider is whether or not there are sufficient rollers to carry the weight without deformation when the weight is on them. Jarrah Jacks mates Vamp heighlighted this issue too.

Good luck sorting it out, theres nothing that is more of a pain on a ramp than sticking boats. Mind you the way my Vag wants to roll off is also a trap fro young players; it needs to be managed which I do with a climbing 8 or it wants to go too quickly.

Cheers
Chimo

[tropicrows]

Yyep it's the tub in my avatar, and it's a heavy boat for its size (5.7m for 1240kg approx)
I don't run any grease on the rollers phill, and they all felt free enough after the boat did come off.
I put the trailer so far in now I have to get my feet wet, which pisses me off.
I do run a brass keel strip and I put more load on the side rollers as I thought the keel strip might be digging into those rollers.
I did notice when I load the boat was back onto the trailer after soaking some baits (could not call it fishing) it waited to roll off when I slackened the winch strap ??
I’m just not sure which way to go.

[Jarrah Jack]

Don't mean to flog the thread but...
Chimo what is a climbing 8 as my boat wants to fly off so its difficult to stop it and get the hook off.

[wags on the water]

My trailer has keel and side rollers, and when the boat is full of fuel, bait gear etc it's a pig to drive off the trailer at the ramp.
I did raise the side rollers by 4 mm a while back, but it's still hard to get off.
Should I raise the side rollers so they take more weight or lower them and put the weight onto the keel rollers. All advise appreciated chaps.

Bruce

Did you untie the straps holding it on????

[tropicrows]

Wags your a dick mate.

PS did you catch any fish sat nite.

[Chimo]

Hi Jarrah Jack

I know what you mean. Nothing worse than 2 plus tonne of boat wanting to do its own thing.

When I've backed down the ramp and the last rollers are in the drink and the rear-most brakes and rotars are out of the water what I do is attach the pictured set up to the hayman reese bar, ie offset to centre line of the trailer.

Then slip the long loop over the centre / forward bollard on the bow of the Vagabond.

Then undo the "dee" and safety chain

Then with the "8" loop held in one hand I loosen the winch right off and the boat starts to move back. I have a 912 and use a double cable through a hooked pulley block. So as the boat rolls back into the water it pulls the doubled winch cable all the way out so its ready to retrieve pull the boat back on later.

Using the "8" means that with one hand initially and then two, if you feel like it, the Vag rolls off the trailer at a controlled speed and I then unhook the double winch cable / block and clip it onto the rear of the trailer for later use. If you have ever tried to pull a doubled 912 cable out by hand you like me me look for an easier way to get it out. As you would know the 912 is a pullin winch only.

So thats about all there is to it. Without the "8" it was a pain as I had to try to hold the Vag with the paynter looped around the winch post and it was never a smooth safe operation and were frequent dramas esp with new crew. I hate drama and excitement, love boring esp when it comes to boats and the sea.

If you have any Qs we can start a new thread or keep hijacking or PM. I think the pic was taken for Splash who asked the same Q ages ago.

Cheers
Chimo

[bigjimg]

Tropicrows definately grease up the spindle on your keel rollers as Phil said..As the weight of the boat bears on them they tend to not roll and this is where things get stuck.I put 12in red poly on mine only to stop the keel from riding on the cross members as the boat launched and retrieved,there is no weight on them when fully on the trailer the wobble rollers hold the hull when fully trailered.What trailer do you have?Jim

[Jarrah Jack]

Thanks Chimo ...best if I start a new thread on the matter as more people may want to contribute.

Cheers

[wags on the water]

Bruce, not as sucessful as we'd hoped. Although great time with great company.