Trailer fitment

[davebrown]

I am now one or two step away from calling my Coquina done and finished. Rather than trailering the boat 3 miles to a local lake, I will be doing a few real road trips in August. I have an oversprung trailer that is probably too heavy for the boat that I have been using for these little back and forth jaunts, while I have been tuning sail and related functions.

I looked up a proprietory trailer on the net (which is over $2000--not going to spend that) and I observe a plethora of bunks.

The trailer I am using has one long angled bunk per side, which does have contact with the hull. However, it appears that almost all the weight is on the keel (rubsole) and skeg. It has rollers which are adjustable and making contact in four places along the rocker.


Is it preferred to have little or no contact with keel and majority of wieght on bunks and planking? That doesn't seem best to me. OTH, it seems like it could torque or fracture something if all weight is on the keel. Comment?

[Gold Rock]

I'm sure the best situation is a balance. I'd think the keel would take most of the weight but have bunks or rollers in contact farther up the bilge to stabalize things. But also you want the trailer doing it's share of the work. If it has leaf springs you can almost always simply remove leaves until you find a compromise between safe load carrying and suppleness. If the leaves are truly stout (evidenced by relative width and thickness) and even a single leaf is buckboard hard, I think you'll find that unless you have something truly unusual, you'll be able to buy a new set of springs for suprisingly little money. The way to identify the load capacity of a given leaf spring is to give a spring supplier these four things: the distance, center to center, between the spring eyes (or the front eye and the appx. contact point of the aft end if it's a slipper type), the number of leaves, the width of a given leaf, and the thickness of a given leaf. The vendor will be able to tell you approximately what that spring is rated at and whether they have a replacement of greater or lesser capacity avail.

[davebrown]

That's interesting, Gold Rock. I don't know what was on the trailer before I put my hands on it--probably a god-forsaken eyesore like a Whaler. I see a trailer with auxilary springs here in Sacramento about once a year, and it will usually be a rusting hulk for $500. But I understand you point that modification might not be too much difficulty.

[Hunky Dory]

I just freshened up a trailor for my wife's boat. New galvanized axle, hubs,springs and U bolts. Just under 300.00 including shipping.

[Woxbox]

Yes, most of the weight should be on the keel. The bunks should make contact for as much length as possible, but not lift the keel off the rollers. And for certain, if the springs are too stiff you'll look in the rearview mirror to see the trailer bouncing clear off the road. Springs are cheap. I'd just fit a light pair suited to the combined weight of boat and trailer. Here's my favorite source for such stuff. Also, strap the boat down tight so it doesn't move or shift on the bunks and rollers at all.

[James McMullen]

Dave, put ALL of your weight on the keel, with a side bunk only to keep it from tipping side to side. Do not under any circumstance use those point-loading roller dealies, use bunks that spread the load.

[Canoeyawl]

Dave, put ALL of your weight on the keel, with a side bunk only to keep it from tipping side to side. Do not under any circumstance use those point-loading roller dealies, use bunks that spread the load.

He's right,
and take some leaves out of your springs. One single leaf is probably enough.

[Wooden Boat Fittings]

I second (or third) that. Keep all the weight on the keel, and use bunkboards just to stop the hull rocking sideways. Also, make sure to properly line up the keel rollers with a string-line beforehand so that each is taking its fair share of the load. AL's rollers were fully adjustable in this regard, and I was always very happy with the way she rode. Some tilting transverse bunkboards at the after end helped with lining up the hull when loading her onto the trailer, but were lowered and took no part of the load once she was properly on.

Mike