How Do You Adjust A trailer Setup

[LarryA]

I'm having so problems with mainly loading my boat on the trailer. Unloading isn't too bad but could be better.
After unloading, yesterday, I looked at the bunks and they are not all that bad. There is a little wear on the carpet/padding but not worn through. The rollers are old and have some cracks and need replacing. The problem I have is that the boat just doesn't want to move. When I'm loading it is like the winch is dragging a car and the Bow is always too high. The winch tries to pull the bow down to the stop and ends up bending the bracket the Y Stop is mounted on. I've tried backing in to different depths with the trailer but that doesn't seem to make and real difference. I'm thinking that the rollers don't have enough support or the bunks are taking too much of the weight. There is currently one roller at the rear, one about 2/3 forward, and two bunks around 4 to 5 feet long. I'm wondering if the rollers are just collapsing under the weight and then the bunks are just creating too much friction. At any rate, I have no idea how to determine where the bunks should be set so they support but not try to hold all the weight.
Hope this makes sense. I was going to post a few pictures but my camera batteries are dead.

 

[Quackrstackr]

The bunks on the trailer in my sig hold 100% of the weight and I have no problems loading.

It sounds like the geometry of your bunks and rollers to your winch are not correct. (it sounds like you are pulling the boat down into one or the other instead of a straight pull, creating more friction and bending your bracket).

What does your boat do whenever you unhook the winch strap with the boat and trailer out of the water? That will give you an indicator of what needs to be adjusted.

 

[ACarbone624]

Could you post some pics of your setup?

 

[SlimeTime]

The bunks on the trailer in my sig hold 100% of the weight and I have no problems loading.

It sounds like the geometry of your bunks and rollers to your winch are not correct. (it sounds like you are pulling the boat down into one or the other instead of a straight pull, creating more friction and bending your bracket).

What does your boat do whenever you unhook the winch strap with the boat and trailer out of the water? That will give you an indicator of what needs to be adjusted.

X2

ST

 

[ben2go]

Sounds like the winch needs to be raised a little.If the rollers and bunk carpets are old,replacing them will help eliminate some friction.Depending on materials cost,it maybe cheaper to pick up a used trailer.

 

[LarryA]

Here are two weiws showing how the boat actually sits too high above the frame in the front compared to the rear. It always looks like it jacked up too high.

This picture is a more close-up. You can't see that great but the rear roller is only about one inch above the trailer frame and the front is more than half the diameter of the roller. Also, the bunks angle inward (side to side) with the narrow end being the front. The angle appears correct to match the hull shape. The rollers are worn pretty bad.

This picture shows the amount of rear overhang the boat has. Is this too much? It overhangs about 24" with the bunks about 6" past the frame.

Lastly, this shows the bow stop and which. The winch looks like it mounted too low and pulling more downward than forward. What happens is that the bow stop contacts the boat too high while loading and as the winch tries to pull the boat front it literally bends the bow stop bracket downward. Would a roller be better bow stop?

I'm open for suggestions, ideas, and possible modifications. I also don't know how to properly go about adjusting the bunks for when I replace the padding and rollers. All I know is that this boats sucks to load on the trailer compared to the 15' fiberglass I had years ago and that weighed much more than this boat.

 

[ben2go]

Can you reverse the winch and bow V bracket?Put the winch on top and the V bracket on bottom.That would help.Your rollers would share the weight of the boat with the bunks, and help guide it up the center of the trailer.The bunks should reach to the transom to keep the hull from developing a hook.If your winch post can be slid up the trailer tounge,that and bunks could help support the hull better.I am unsure of the proper way to adjust bunks on a V hull.I usually float the boat and raise them a little at a time, until I feel that they are taking a little more weight than the rollers.


If you don't mind me asking,what area are you located?I'm in Spartanburg,SC.If you're close by I can lend a hand.

 

[bassboy1]

I think your roller/bunk setup is okay except for the length. I will get back to that later.

What is the pull strength of that winch? It doesn't seem to have that much downward pull, but it also doesn't seem to be that big/strong.

Normally, I wouldn't swap the winch and bow stop, as it is a safety feature, snagging the bow eye if the winch fails while braking hard - keeps the boat out of your truck bed. However, since you use the turnbuckle, you should be fine with swapping them.

Back to those bunk lengths. It is best to have them extend past the hull. The transom is the point that has the most downward force applied to it and is the strongest point in the hull. Having the bunks stop that far forward will eventually cause a hook in the hull. I would look into getting a longer trailer, as even if you make the bunks longer, they won't have the support needed to really hold up the transom well.

 

[LarryA]

I was just out looking at things with the trailer. Here's a picture of the trailer tongue area. I'm wondering if I can move the winch tower front and the tounge wheel back. Pretty much swap the locations with the tower a bit farther front than the wheel bracket is now. I should still have enough room that nothing interfiers with my truck. This would have the boat sitting with the bunk to the transom. I'd probably need to move the front roller also and maybe add a third one in the middle.
I can also flip the winch over and then reverse the drun/handle/latch. That would have the winch drum a bit higher and the pull more straight back. I think I need to strengthen the bracket for the stop also and maybe go to a wheel stop instead of the Y.
I'm wondering if there is just too much rear weight beyound the trailer and if that migt be causing some of my problems. Replacig the trailer is not an option for me anywhere in the near future.
Maybe I'm figuring it this out here but I'm still interested in input from others.

Thanks for you time,
Larry

 

[Waterwings]

Looking at the pic I can see where you're getting a downward pull on the bow, due to the winch being mounted low below the bow eye. So.......I went out to the garage to look at what's on my rig and took a pic, plus made a drawing because the pic turned-out too dark to see detail :x . . Anyway, I think it's highly possible to modify yours to relieve the down-pull when winching on the boat. Use the current upright you now have and add to it, moving the winch to be in a direct-pull with the bow eye, and having the boat snug up to a bow roller. Hope that makes sense. here's the pics:

 

[SlimeTime]

Move your front roller forward about 18", or run longer bunks & just remove it altogether..........it'll drop the bow. Weld a brace or two from the snubber extension down to the winch post, or beef it up and move it to the underside of the winch.

ST.

 

[LarryA]

Thanks for the help guys. That's what I like about this board. I see more people willing to help than most other places I've been to. I also like that it doesn't seem to matter here if you have an old run down rig or a brand new one.
Using some ideas you supplied and some thought and fabrication, I think I came up with a cure to the problem. I moved the tower forward about 15", moved the winch up, changed the Y Bow stop to A Roller, made a bracket for the roller, made braces to go from the bow roller to the tower so it cannot bend downward, moved the spare carrier and tongue jack back behind the tower, moved the front roller forward.
Now the winch strap is pretty much parallel with the boat, the roller should allow the boat to pull down without binding like the Y stop did, and my bunks now extend just a bit past the transom. Total cost to make these changes was about $25 and an afternoon's work. I'm not 100% sure I'll be able to open my truck's tailgate with the boat hitched up. It's going to be real close but I can live with that. I guess I'll find out next trip how it works.
:roll: ** Boy, I'm glad there are spell checkers *** =D>

Finished pics:

Thanks again,
Larry

 

[dedawg1149]

that looks good but dont forget your tailgate

 

[Waterwings]

Looks good! 8)

 

[ben2go]

That was my thoughts on how to do it, except you put a roller on for a bow catch.Looks good.Let us know how she off loads into the water.

 

[SlimeTime]

Looks good! But I think I'd slide the boat back about a foot....it'll resolve your tailgate problems as well.

ST

 

[Quackrstackr]

Looks good! But I think I'd slide the boat back about a foot....it'll resolve your tailgate problems as well.

ST

X2

Fab up some longer bunks and slide everything back at least 12". It looks like you are probably really tongue heavy now with the transom being basically right at your axle.

 

[LarryA]

Thanks again. Had the boat out today for a little while and the unloading and loading went WAY better with the changes I made. If the truck and trailer are inline, I can open the tailgate but if they are cocked then it would hit. I could move the winch tower back but that would put my somewhat in the shape I was in before. This little issue may be corrected when I get the receiver drop bar I actually need. I need more of a drop and maybe I can find one with a longer reach too. That would make everything work just fine.