help properly setting up roller trailer

[truckie]

The '88 222 osprey I recently bought came on a karavan roller trailer ,,, I don't think it was set properly ,seems to have damaged the chine from roller running on it ...  I repaired damage and have boat on stands. I want to adjust and set up the rollers the way they should be..  where should they be?? Help please ...

[seabob4]

Just ensure the rollers straddle the stringers.  Rollers shouldn't be all the way out at the chines.  We're pretty much bunk trailer guys here...

[wingtime]

Rollers are expensive to repair, it will probably be cheaper to convert it to bunks. Besides its better for the boat! :-)

[flounderpounder225]

X2 get rid of the rollers...

[truckie]

I was afraid of that.   K. Point me in the right direction,,,,  

[seabob4]

I was afraid of that.   K. Point me in the right direction,,,,  

Not so quick, despite what we all say.  It seems the NE has a good amount of "shallow" ramps, where getting a bunk trailer deep enough to launch will put your vehicle in the water as well...not good.  We here in FL, don't know why, are blessed with steep ramps (not mountain pass steep!) where our vehicles never even come close to the water before the boat can float off.

Just saying if the ramps you use are of the shallow variety, it may pay to stay with a roller trailer.  There are a bunch of them up there, y'know.  If so, you need to have the rollers aligned, as I said earlier, so that they straddle the stringers.  In between stringers and chines are what are called "unsupported panels"...no stringers, no b/heads.  If the panels rest on rollers, the rollers will deform the hull bottom.  That and the cost of maintaining the roller assys are the big drawbacks to roller trailers...

[truckie]

I hope this helps......

[truckie]

[seabob4]

Now this is better...



As I said, should you decide to keep the rollers, they need to straddle the stringers.  Most bunk trailers, you won't see the bunks outboard at the chines, only when the boat needs to sit lower when on the trailer.  But with bunks, that's no problem, as the chine is one of the thickest areas of laminate on the boat, after the keel.  

So determine in the boat how far outboard the stringers are from the keel, then adjust the roller assys inward to match that dimension...

[truckie]

damn,,,    is it ok if the rollers roll over that chine area?  if I straddle that I don't think it will be on the stringers.  it looks like it would either be to far out or way to far in.....   ...



above is a pic of the way it was before I repaired... I don't want this to happen

[seabob4]

Truckie...that's a strake.  The chine is where the hullside meets the hull bottom...

[truckie]

yes strake,,,  

[seabob4]

No need to be embarrased, my friend.  Many a boater, even VERY experienced ones, don't know the difference...now you do.

That explains a lot, as I was wondering what the hell the rollers were doing all the way out at the chine.  A simple inward or outward adjustment of the roller assys should get you straddling the strakes and be just fine.  Although not as laminate stout as the chine or the keel, strakes still have more glass in them than the plain old hull bottom.  Switch over to polyurethane rollers and you'll be fine...

[truckie]

thanks seabob4