# rollers or bunks?



## snips (Mar 1, 2012)

I just bought a 16' Starcraft sf v-bottom on a roller trailer and want to know if the rollers are a bad choice for this boat.I know some 'glass boat builders suggest bunks,and I'm wondering if anyone has experience with the rollers damaging the hull/rivets.As of right now,the bottom looks good,but I figured I'd ask.Thanks!


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## PSG-1 (Mar 2, 2012)

I've always felt that bunks are a more adequate means of supporting the weight of the hull. Bunks spread the weight out over a larger surface area, where rollers have it concentrated on a few smaller areas. With a riveted bottom, it's even more of an issue.


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## lckstckn2smknbrls (Mar 2, 2012)

PSG-1 said:


> I've always felt that bunks are a more adequate means of supporting the weight of the hull. Bunks spread the weight out over a larger surface area, where rollers have it concentrated on a few smaller areas. With a riveted bottom, it's even more of an issue.


+1


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## benjineer (Mar 15, 2012)

Rollers...yuck. Even on glass with one exception. My dad has a neat old trailer that has a lever that raises up some rollers. When you drive up the ramp and the full weight of the boat is on the rollers, they drop down and leave the boat sitting on the bunks.


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## shallowminedid (Mar 28, 2012)

a friend of mine has a 18 foot flat bottom jon. on a roller trailer.. he uses his boat pretty much daily and the rollars have actually bent his .125 alum. the rollers have a track pushed up in the in the bottom of the boat from driving on to the trailer.. i have a 10 year older boat with bunks and i have no marks on .100 alum. im looking into getting the uhmw skid plates for on top of the bunks now.. heard they lower the friction to get u on n off easier


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## Clinton78 (Mar 29, 2012)

My dad put those (plastic?) skid plates on his bunks a couple years ago. I think he got them at Cabelas. He says it really makes a difference. 

I have no experience with rollers, but I've heard people talk about having trouble loading by themselves because of the boat rolling backward when they go to hook up the winch.


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## jeffh129 (Mar 30, 2012)

My neighbor had a roller trailer, under his aluminum semi v boat. I told him the rollers weren't good. He didn't believe me. Several years later, the rollers had worn a hole in the bottom of the boat. He switched to bunks !


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## richg99 (Mar 30, 2012)

Plenty of votes for bunks, which I concur with. 

If you want to home make some "slicks" you can cut up PVC garden lattice from Home Depot. Counter sink some SS screws and ..Viola!.. you have slicks. 

Some guys only put them half way up from the back, to allow for easy loading, but eliminate the chance for "too slippery" conditions allowing the boat to slide back down on the ramp.

Still have some on my 16 ft Caro Skiff that Winters in Wisc. Rich


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## Wallijig (Apr 3, 2012)

I planed on adding Teflon skids on my bunks, but was told should not use them with riveted bottom boat.Rivets would catch. is this ture?


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## richg99 (Apr 4, 2012)

I never had a riveted bottom boat so I can't truly answer your question. However, if it turns out that slicks ( of any sort ) and your boat are incompatible...you might try spraying your bunks with silicone spray....

There are a number of sprays made for this purpose.

Or, when the carpeted bunks are good and hot after a fishing trip... try rubbing "canning wax" blocks on them. You used to be able to buy "canning wax" at Wal-Mart, but these days, you probably have to go to a farm supply store for them. 

I'd guess any old candles that you have around would work. Perhaps your church has a bunch of short candle stubs that they can't use any longer????

regards, rich


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## Ringo Steele (Apr 13, 2012)

My Ouachita 16DSV has been on a roller-bunk trailer all its life without adverse affects. It is, however, a fairly light boat (no decking,etc.) The roller bunks have eight 4" wide rollers each and are 4 feet long. With that said, I have been considering going to regular bunks with slick strips when I add a larger motor.

As far as canning wax, that is just paraffin wax, and most grocery stores carry it, particularly in canning season.


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## PSG-1 (Apr 16, 2012)

Wallijig said:


> I planed on adding Teflon skids on my bunks, but was told should not use them with riveted bottom boat.Rivets would catch. is this ture?




It's highly possible, unless you put a nice radius at each end of the slick, so there's no edge for the rivets to hit and possibly catch.


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## PSG-1 (Apr 16, 2012)

Ringo Steele said:


> As far as canning wax, that is just paraffin wax, and most grocery stores carry it, particularly in canning season.




One brand name of that is "Gulf Wax"


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## JamesM56alum (Apr 16, 2012)

The original owners of my boat used none carpeted wood for bunks, also the last owner of it used plastic strips onto the edges of the bunks to help guide it up on the bare wood bunks. After replacing about 25 rivets along the bottom of the boat that had warn completely off. 

I will stick to carpet, they do have some coating you can put on the bunk carpeting to help make it a little slicker but wont cause it to slip too much to where it slides back into the water.

I always back down into the water below the fenders for a second to soak the bunks then pull back up to where the top of the fenders are just barely out of the water then push off.

But that's just me


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## bumpyroad (Apr 17, 2012)

richg99 said:


> I never had a riveted bottom boat so I can't truly answer your question. However, if it turns out that slicks ( of any sort ) and your boat are incompatible...you might try spraying your bunks with silicone spray....
> 
> There are a number of sprays made for this purpose.
> snip



I had mine soaked with silicone spray and when I was launching the boat down a ramp with a pretty good slant to it, my friend unsnapped the bow rope and the boat started sliding down towards concrete. some hurried backing got the boat to hit the water however. :shock: 
bumpy


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## rusty.hook (Jun 23, 2012)

I know this will get some all up in the air about safety, but I have been doing this since 1966 or so. 
I drive up to the winch stop and leave the motor in gear, reach over the bow and hook the winch strap, walk back and shut the motor off.


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## FishyItch (Jul 3, 2012)

I just bought a 16' Lund Deep V and it's currently sitting on rollers, no bunks. This thread has got me a little concerned. Should I make a priority of installing bunks on my trailer? I wouldn't even know where to start.


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## Hanr3 (Jul 8, 2012)

Bunks or Rollers?
Depends on how you load and unload your boat.

Bunks are designed to float your boat on and off the trailer. This requires boat ramps that are deep enough to float your boat, without sinking your tow vehicle.

Rollers are designed for power loading your boat, and work best when floating your boat wont work. Your ramps could be deep enough for smaller boats, yet not deep enough for bigger, heavier boats. 

Which you use, really depends on where you fish the most.

That is the ONLY difference between the two. 

I have a light boat and floating works most of the time. However when I am loaded for a weekend camping trip, rollers is what I need. I am beating the crap out of my bunks power loading.


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## donmac (Jul 9, 2012)

If you think you need to push the boat off your trailer into very shallow water and winch the boat back on to the trailer, then a tilting roller trailer would be best - but other than that I'd stick to bunks.

Personally, I'm not a fan of roller trailers. I have had a couple. My used R1655TN came with a misfitted roller trailer and I replaced it with a drive-on bunk trailer asap. I also ordered a roller under a Lund Deep V (mistake) many years ago that was a pain to load - especially since I was used to bass boats with custom made drive-on trailers.

Some salt guys don't want to get their hubs wet (I kid you not) and like to use roller trailers to crank their boats all the way on, but I think that is the exception to the rule these days,

Bunk trailers used to be a bit sticky and made loading heavy boats tough sometimes, so many large boats used rollers. But with the new bunk slides, they are nearly as 'friction-free' as a roller trailer. 

I had some slides put on my bunk trailer for my large boat (~5000 lbs wet, w/o trailer) and I was amazed how slippery it was. Push off, drive on, no problem. (PS: I call the big boat my wife's boat. She deserved picking one out after putting up with 25 years of fishing boats 

BTW... People should know of they have a drive-on trailer or not. Drives me nuts to see someone with a drive-on trailer take 20 mins to float/pull/push a boat onto a drive-on trailer. I saw someone do this at a local lake over the weekend. Pulled in way too deep, wound up pulling out with his boat sitting on top of a severely bent guide-on. I tried to offer some advice but the poor guy was too flustered...

Anyway, for tin boats, I think bunks are the only way to go - unless you REALLY need to push off into a puddle.


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