New trailer Rollers vs Bunks

[David Burton]

Hi,
I need a new trailer for my 26M.
Has anyone actually had issues, especially hull damage, using a trailer with multiple (ie 56) wobble rollers. I have read all the posts mentioning theoretical issues with hull pressure due to rollers but has this actually happened to anyone? I do know of a 26m owner in Australia that has his M on rollers for at least 5 years without issues so pretty keen on the roller option.
thanks
Dave

[NiceAft]

We know that our boats are a lot tougher than what they appear to be,

“a 26m owner in Australia that has his M on rollers for at least 5 years without issues”

Does that person do much trailering , or is it twice a season for a short distance?

For that matter, how long a distance is your trailering; minutes or hours each way? Twice a season or several times? Smooth road, high speed highway, or stop and go urban road not so smooth?

[David Burton]

Hi Nice Aft,
Thanks for response.
I’ll mainly be going 10 minutes down the road, but NZ roads aren’t the best in the world! Potholes aplenty and the odd “sleeping policeman”. Half a dozen times a year there is a two hour trip as well.
Can’t speak to what the Australian chap does with his boat, but am sure the Aussie would argue his roads are better than kiwi ones!
99.9% of time boat will be just sat on the trailer so thought that would be the most important factor in any damage risk. But do understand that dynamic loading will addd forces.
Cheers

[NiceAft]

I hope you get a response from an owner who has a trailer with rollers.

What is it you believe makes rollers more attractive to you. I have had my 2005 for 19.6 years. The bunks have been recarpeted, but other than that, I have never had a problem.

I have wondered, if for our boats, V V shaped bunks are superior to == shaped bunks?

[Starscream]

Hi,
I need a new trailer for my 26M.
Has anyone actually had issues, especially hull damage, using a trailer with multiple (ie 56) wobble rollers. I have read all the posts mentioning theoretical issues with hull pressure due to rollers but has this actually happened to anyone? I do know of a 26m owner in Australia that has his M on rollers for at least 5 years without issues so pretty keen on the roller option.
thanks
Dave

Hi Dave,

To answer your question, I haven't heard of anyone doing this, neither have I heard about any problems with hull deformation.

That being said, and without meaning disrespect to the roller idea, my initial reaction is...why reinvent the wheel? Sounds like a lot of rollers for a boat that weighs maybe 4k lbs. Trailer bunks have been used by tens of thousands of MacGregors, with about a perfect track record. Bunks are cheaper. Easier to adjust. Can be carpeted and easily replaced. Can be lubed, if you're into that kind of thing. They add strength to the trailer. They don't create pressure points.

When I ordered my replacement trailer, I stayed with bunks in the original position, to match up with factory reinforced hull areas. Now, these hull reinforcement locations may be mythical, but I've heard tell of them many times in the past. I don't have proof that they exist, but their existence is so logical that I didn't want to take a chance.

I actually added two long bunks in the fore-aft direction, near the outboard aft edges of the trailer, to help with centering the boat during loading. I also added two vertical stantions that have a full carpeted wooden bunk between them, also to help centering while the trailer is submerged. Finally, I added rope lines between the forward stantions and the bow vee, so once the nose gets between the aft stsntions it's guided by the trailer all the way to the vee. I feel like these adds are more useful than being the first to experiment with a 56-roller system.

The Macforum mantra applies: your boat your rules. But my advice is to consider staying with bunks, I really don't see any advantage of experimenting with rollers.

[kurz]

the only roller I have mounted is behind the front V.

This really helped often. So the slips easily up and down the trailer.

For trailering I take away this roller. But not becouse of the but that the axle of the roller wont bend.

[David Burton]

Thanks Kurz and Starscream for your comprehensive replies and suggestions/ thoughts.

As always in life more than one way to get a good result I guess. Other people have recommended a single roller at the back of the trailer that helps the boat on to the bunks but that the boat then doesn't sit on as its lower than the rear bunk.

Just for the benefit of this group thread... I received this response from the helpful Australian 26M owner about his roller trailer:

"modern trailers have 56 rollers, you keep your bunks and struggle, I'm very happy with my rollers and so is my boat, 5 years and no sign of any stress or deformation of hull. Better? No. I can push my boat on and off the trailer on my own, can you? My boat always remains hard against the winch post, does yours? My old trailer had bunks, wood rotted, carpet peeled loose, staples rusted, boat stuck to carpet, wood encouraged rust against steel. Wooden bunks are not better at all"

Another Australian forum user made this comment which was new to me:

"I did roller on mine and warped the trailer, boat was fine though,,,,it pushed the frame of the trailer out near the bow"

Personally haven't made a final decision yet. In New Zealand because rollers are standard for most boats, a 56 roller trailer is much cheaper than a wooden bunk one! The advantages that the first owner above lists are clearly a bonus too.

[NiceAft]

At times, reality blasts theory out of the water Good on you for investigating so thorough.

[Sea Shadow]

I think you have to look at where the cross trailer bunks are and look at the bulkheads/stringers inside the boat. I think you will find that the bunks correspond to the strong points of the hull. I once bought a roller trailer for a small plywood sailboat (a Hartley 16) and managed to punch the rollers through the hull. Couldn't get the boat on or off. I suspect putting a load on the weaker points of the hull of a M26 (remember the hull flexes with hand pressure) might not come out so good in the long run. The boat is designed to be floated on and not rolled on. Just my tuppence worth.