Follow-Up Queston for the GW Owners Who Tow

[hotajax]

Question: Bunks or Rollers?

I'm towing a 208 Adventure, 20 feet.

Load Rite makes a good galvanized roller trailer which some of the forum members have highly recommended.

Load Master makes an aluminum bunk trailer with great disc brakes. The aluminum obviously is much lighter and is a towing consideration.

Bring it on, I'm all ears. Thanks in advance.

 

[chrisA.]

Well, I've had both and while roller trailers are heavier and require a bit more maintenance,I would love to have mine back! With a bunk trailer,you better have enough water at the ramp to launch,yes they are lighter,have less moving parts(rollers)but I would much rather have a roller trailer with an electric winch. Others?????come on!!!

 

[jehines3]

Aluminum and roller is my first choice. Along with torsion axles and SS Disc if you can get all that without exhausting all your fuel money for the season you're doin all right. jh

 

[gw204]

Well, I've had both and while roller trailers are heavier and require a bit more maintenance,I would love to have mine back! With a bunk trailer,you better have enough water at the ramp to launch,yes they are lighter,have less moving parts(rollers)but I would much rather have a roller trailer with an electric winch. Others?????come on!!!

Ditto....

 

[chrisA.]

Brian,Whatever happened with your vacation down here last summer?We never heard from you!

 

[Heavy Duty]

Well....since this is my first boat I really have no input on this. So this is an intersting topic to me as well.

My trailer does have bunks. I've talk to a bunch of boat owners down my way and they say the bunks support the hull better :?: . I do know that I like the bunks because if I am lunching by myself, once I get the boat's backend floating I can get out of the truck and push it off the bunks and tie it off at the dock.

HD

 

[chrisA.]

Again HD,the other side to that is if your roller trailer is operating as it should,you can also push your boat off the rollers and the boat generally will be sitting closer to the water with a roller trailer.My first GW almost rolled right off the trailer before it should have after we replaced all the pins,washers and shafts on the rollers! Almost like it was roller bearing!

 

[Heavy Duty]

Again HD,the other side to that is if your roller trailer is operating as it should,you can also push your boat off the rollers and the boat generally will be sitting closer to the water with a roller trailer.My first GW almost rolled right off the trailer before it should have after we replaced all the pins,washers and shafts on the rollers! Almost like it was roller bearing!

I'll have to check that out. The boat I bought came from down your way...Southport, NC. The guy I bought from purchased the trailer a couple of years ago. Since it appears that bunk trailers are cheaper than rollers that is most likely the reason he went wih bunks.

Thanks.

HD

 

[TunaT]

bunk or rollers

Hotajax, for you putting over in the crisfield area you really don't have much of a choice, only one or two deep water slips I know of in the area, all others are fairly shallow.....Only way to use a bunk type trailer in that shallow is water is to come and go with the tide..if you miss it, you might have to wait several hours to get the boat on the trailer or have someone move the trailer to a deep water spot and of course another person to drive the boat there. I've had both types of trailers, used rollers til I got over 25 ft, then its been bunk ever sense. Boats over 25ft usually require a few feet of water to run in thus I stick with the deep water ramps in the area, easy to drive on and off. There are times I miss the old tilt trailer I had on my first boat a 15ft whaler, I boat would load and unload at almost any dock I went too. But, we all grow up and usually the boats get larger also. Stick with the roller style for that boat you will find it more useful especially along the chesapeake and atlantic side bays of the eastern shore.....PS, if you ever go to chincoteague, I know of only 1 ramp you will be able to use if u have a bunk trailer vs numerous for rollers if u can handle shallow water..then there is the lower virginia coast...enough said

 

[GWcpa]

Are you guys talking about ramps where you can't get half of the fender wet and the rear bunks submerged by a foot?

I've got a very shallow (but steep at the top) ramp and have never not been able to load or launch any of my boats with bunk trailers.

My 232 would slid off if I hit the brakes as long as the stern was floating at all. With silicone on the bunks I would never back down the ramp without the winch attached, because it would slide off.

I had a neighbor stand at the ramp and tell me that "the tide is too low, you'll never get that boat off." 45 seconds later as I was pulling my 232 around the bulkhead to tie it off and pull the truck out, he walked off without a word. Seemed mad about it.

As long as I can get the rear bunks submerged and half the fenders under, I can power on.

I did have a tough time once at a very flat ramp with my 208. With a winter low, no matter how far I backed up it did not get deaper. Had to shove it off and when the tide dropped more could not submerge the bunks. In a case like this, you would have to crank a boat all the way onto a roller trailer, but it could be done.

It is the old roller vs bunk debate, but I'll never have another roller trailer, and it isn't because of the cost. Just much less maintenance easier solo loading.

 

[TunaT]

bunk or rollers

GWcpa, I agree with you but beside from the couple of main docks around the town , you might find 2' or less of water at low tide in the creeks. That doesn't give much water to get the bunks wet on. If he then moves anywhere along the eastern shore of Md or Va, this is the norm for most of the docks. Know if you pick your spots and come and go with the tides you can do it, but you are limited your locations to fish. Same goes for the inshore bays along the atlantic side, some docks seem to little more then drop offs from the bank (they really aren't) but in those cases you really have issues with any trailers, its that roller trailers will load alot easier then bunk due to drag. In the end its hotajax's decision.....its his money, either way will work just depends on his fishing habits and desires.

 

[gilpri]

Rollers do need some occasional upkeep, but nothing worse than tying to push a boat off of bunks if the water is too low to float off.
Aluminum all the way if you can get do it

 

[capt chris]

Most of you boys are coastal and close to sea level. But here in KY at our lakes the ramps are steep and the water is deep. I wouldn't use anything but bunks and a galvanized trailer. I don't like the bolted aluminum trailers due to the compound angles and drop offs we have. Too much torque and cattywampus for anything not welded together. Too many bolted things to work loose. In fresh water the galvanized trailers hold up as well as any aluminum and are stronger. Sure they are heavier but just get enough tow vehicle. Some manufacturers will void the warranty if you put the boat on rollers. Grady White will not but it does say something about the pressure points. I think it just comes down to where you boat and what your circumstance is. Go down to your local ramp and look around. You'll find out what works best in your area. I never see a roller trailer on this side of the mountains! Good Luck!

 

[gilpri]

Capt Chris

You make a valid point when you have enough water all the time, but what the heck is a cattywampus??

We may need a picture on this one

 

[capt chris]

Cattywampus is when things get generally out of their normal alignment usually through elevation or twisting. It's a real technical term used by us non engineering types!

 

[jimmy's marine service]

like i said before...i've got 4 service trailers,all load rite rollers...i launch and retrieve all the time by myself...NEVER have had a problem...you couldn't give me a bunk trailer...don't believe this crpa about a bunk trailer providing better support,or the crap about a roller trailer requiring more upkeep...save it...those wood bunks are gonna rot...and and the hardware is gonna rust...on a roller trailer the hardware is gonna rust and that's a fact...i don't even get a chance to rinse m trailers most of the time,thses guys get new hubs and bearing everyother year..and the occasional spray down with crc...they work great...

 

[chrisA.]

Well hotajax,Did you figure anything out? Both trailers have their place I guess,I still prefer a roller,I like the way it cradles a boat with all of the rollers.For now I will keep my bunk trailer,if I had to trailer my boat more than once a year I would for sure be buying a roller trailer.Good luck with whatever you buy.