Centre Rollers on Trailers for Vagabonds etc

[Chimo]

Hi Guys

We were getting into the placement of centre rollers on another thread so to avoid hijacking it heres the new thread. After the last posts on the other thread this issue got me thinking so I figured I would ask the expert, ie the guy who used to build and supply the trailers to Lindsay at Seafarer and who I got to do some work to my Tinka some years ago.

So the word is that the centre rollers are not supposed to touch the keel as that may put too much stress on the boat as the trailer flexes as its designed to do with the boat secured to the trailer at the bow and at the stern. The trailer is designed specifically to carry the boat on the wobble rollers.

If you want to ring the man and ask specific questions I can provide contact details. If you need work done he is still working on trailers, from the job he did on mine he is good and certainly knows his stuff.

Cheers
Chimo


trailer2.jpgtrailer1.jpg

[stue2]

Just replaced the keel roler rods with stainless ones. That made her roll

[Chimo]

Hey Stu

You are not traveling between home and the coast with the keel of your Vag sitting on stainless rollers are you? Rubber would be bad enough but SS would be murder on an FRP hull!

Cheers
Chimo

[FisHard]

Good one, thanks Chimo! I only noticed my hull was clear of the keel rollers a couple of months ago and put their adjustment on the "to do" list Scratch that job.
I will be sure to have another good look at it on Sunday as she rolls off into the azure waters of Airlie Beach

[stue2]

Hey Stu

You are not traveling between home and the coast with the keel of your Vag sitting on stainless rollers are you? Rubber would be bad enough but SS would be murder on an FRP hull!

Cheers
Chimo

No mate, sporting lovely blue and red ones. The stainless rods support them

[Chimo]

Cool! Methinks I misread No 2! Can you make me a set too? Bring them up with the wheat?

C
C

[stue2]

Cool! Methinks I misread No 2! Can you make me a set too? Bring them up with the wheat?

C
C

Cause some kaos at the airport that lot would. Breaking quarentine and carrying weapons

[JJV555]

My plan is to totally remove the keel rollers and place a piece of the plastic bumper material on the trailer just incase l come in to fast, going to look at a Vaga of a friend of a friend later this week that he has removed the center rollers on and also has tabs fitted so l will kill two birds with one stone, plus try and pick up on any other mods that l might adopt to my baby.

Thanks again Chimo for starting the post.

Regards
John

[aardvarkscotty]

is it the same for the other seafarers on the redco trailers? eg Vikings, Venturas, anything else starting with V!

The rear most roller on my Viking doesnt get touched (maybe it does on retrieve but can't say I can see it as its underwater!) but the front two do after being loaded.

[WalrusLike]

.....The rear most roller on my Viking doesnt get touched (maybe it does on retrieve but can't say I can see it as its underwater!)......

If you really wanted to know you could maybe put a bit of whiteout or suchlike on the top of the side edge of the roller. If it is used it will rotate and you will see that after the retrieve. Of course if it is loose it may rotate anyway without touching but that seems unlikely.

[Chimo]

AVScotty

PM sent

C
C

[Grand_Marlin]

G'day Chimo,

Interesting point of view.
Most trailer manufacturers use a 60/40 weight distribution between keel and side rollers.

Cheers

Pete

[Chimo]

Hi Pete

Yes it is an interesting ponit of view, and as these trailers were specified by Seafarer and their use facilitated a five year hull warranty and apparently others only 1 yr it has some basis in fact. I doubt, but do not know for sure if there were issues and or damage to these hulls due to the trailers they were carried on. Lets face the hulls are (?were?) are built pretty well so I doubt that much happened to any of them in the five yr period whether it was on a Tinka or not.

But wait theres more. Some years ago I was told by the owner / manufacturer of an aluminium boat that I owned and the same product that we had also purchased for Fisheries and Wildlife patrol work that the trailers were to be set up so that weight was evenly distributed ie same on the keel line as the other points of support eleswhere too. The way he said to check was to test that all rollers (on roller trailers) were equally difficult to turn by hand (or with a tool similar to an oil filter remover)

Who said boating was boring?

Cheers
Chimo

[johncar]

Yeah I think Lindsay just got sick of seeing his boats being put on very support scant trailers by the dealers. So very hard to give a good hull warranty when the trailer choice was out of his control. I had a Seafarer specific Tinka Trailer under my 6.0 Victory, a little while ago now, thought it was full multi roller but I was happy with the trailer overall. The whole BMT package was built to completion at Seafarer and beyond doubt the best new boat buying experience I have ever had. Virtually nothing for me to whinge about, amazing!! I was very sad to see that Lindsay had sold the business.

[Grand_Marlin]

Yes you are right, they did have a 5 year hull warranty when on the factory fitted trailer.
Lindsay Fry told me he was sick of the dealers setting them up wrong, damaging the hull and then initiating warranty claims.
Lindsay / Seafarer built a boat that was all but bullet proof, so bad trailer setup has no reflection on the build quality of the hull.

I like the 50/50 idea.
I believe the strongest part of the boat is the keel and the boat should be supported on it.
I also prefer both keel rollers & multi rollers (or teflon slides) on the trailer.
A full multi roller trailer is fine if it has plenty of rollers and it is adjusted properly, which is time consuming / hard to do.
All trailers should be checked for adjustment regularly.
You get a feel for what pressures are needed and where.
I use a bottle jack, operated by hand without the extension handle in it.

Cheers

Pete