Trailer Set up

[Alex55]

Hi All,

I would really appreciate some help as this trailer set up has me baffled...

I have not adjusted it since it was bought but it no longer sits right.

Questions:

- Front roller > it does not really sit on this but i have not moved it?

- Winch set up > Should the cable go through the guide or should it go over?

Help much appreciated as i think i am damaging it with the current set up!

Thanks.

[beamishken]

I wouldnt be happy with those rollers sitting on the tube material. The obvious remedy would be fit the bow eye further down the hull if possible or alternatively alter the bow roller so the bow roller sits below the tube which might mean running the strap above the rollers

[GuyC]

Welcome to the forum.

As above really

Drop the post that the winch sits on as low as possible and / or rotate the top arm down if possible to put the roller below the bow eye.

You could lower the aft set of rollers down so it trimmed the boat up a bit at the bow which might be enough to give you the clearance. You'll have to raise the forward keel roller at the same time.

Finally if that doesn't work you could turn the whole winch post around so it projects the roller down rather than up. You will have to be careful that the winch doesn't hit the boat.

[Alex55]

Thanks for your replies.

What do you think about the front roller? Doesn't seem to be doing a huge amount now...

Its all a bit weird as the boat previously sat on the trailer just fine - the only thing i am wondering is if the front roller could of slipper and whether that should be raised up somehow to lift the front of the boat?

Thanks,

Alex

[HDAV]

Front roller set pivoted? Will the lower roller rotate round to the post and move the top roller to the hull?

https://ibb.co/GnsKmkY

[Limecc]

Originally Posted by Alex55

Thanks for your replies.

What do you think about the front roller? Doesn't seem to be doing a huge amount now...

Its all a bit weird as the boat previously sat on the trailer just fine - the only thing i am wondering is if the front roller could of slipper and whether that should be raised up somehow to lift the front of the boat?

Thanks,

Alex

I think you can flip the bottom keel roller so the bracket points backwards not forward and you'll get the adjustment. Looks the wrong way around compared to my Bramber. I had the opposite problem and it was taking too much weight.

The front wobble roller carriages look like they should be set forward a foot or so, I wouldn't move them rearward.

I don't see any need for bow rollers, normally the hull comes gently to rest against a one piece solid bow snubber as on my Snipe. Does the horizontal winch beam pivot on it's fixing bolt that goes through the winch post? I don't think the hull should ride up on rollers at that steep angle. New galvanized winch posts of better design are only about £50 which could be an option.

My Bramber trailer has a wider affair which is better to hold the bow against lateral movement. Here's the picture before adjustment, it was mistakenly fitted upside down and not touching! Now it is fitted the right way it allowed me to lower the winch post and the strap webbing no longer fouls the snubber during retrieval.

[Daibheid]

Looks to me like someone drove the boweye into the hull previously and rather than repairing that damage the bow eye was repositioned to a sound part of the bow higher up. As Beamishken says, you don’t want the tube fabric dragging over and then sitting on rollers. It’ll get eaten.
You should drop the winch post to put those rollers back in contact with GRP. However I’d be worried that the apparent damage further down would mean it’s too weak to support the boat against the rollers under emergency braking. I think that area needs attention unless I’m reading the pics wrong but it looks like you have a very big horizontal crack in the bow?
Note also that if you then run the winch strap over the top roller you no longer have the centering effect from the winch hook held between the two rollers. You’ll need to provide additional security such as tie the bow eye down to the top roller or similar. Otherwise cornering force could drop the bow off to the side and potentially on the road.
Remember the typical ratchet straps at the rear exert a lot of forward force. Without the winch post to push against or if it’s been forced into a weakened bow, your boat can move forward and the up at the back
If that towing eye has been relocated, I’d want to be really sure that part of the hull was up to the job. Unless like a Ribcraft I had for years, it came from the factory with two bow eyes.
Those pictures make me very uncomfortable.

[Limecc]

Originally Posted by Limecc

The front wobble roller carriages look like they should be set forward a foot or so, I wouldn't move them rearward.

Is there adjustment to bring the front carriages forward and also raise them on the swingbeam? Looks front heavy to me which could result in pothole damage especially if the axle suspension rubbers are knackered.

Originally Posted by Alex55

I have not adjusted it since it was bought but it no longer sits right.

Originally Posted by Daibheid

it looks like you have a very big horizontal crack in the bow?

Good call

[paddlers]

Have a look at the SBS trailers website . Lots of options on there for replacing that winch post. It certainly needs to be lower in my opinion . Other trailer manufacturers also exist, I just think SBS stuff has always is consistently good with a decent website and backup .

[diver 1]

The single forward roller bracket under the hull is quite flimsy and looks like it has been pushed / pivoted downwards under the weight of recovering the boat.

If that was adjusted and strenthened to support the weight better you'd probably find the boat sits higher at the bow. That single roller shouldnt be taking too much weight though so as others said above you may need to adjust aft roller assemblies to adjust the whole trim of the boat on the trailer or shorten the winch post.

Hopefully that isn't a large crack in the bow of your hull!?

[Limecc]

Close-up's of mine after adjustment.

[pilotwillie]

Originally Posted by Limecc

Good call

Don’t think that’s a crack.
Is it not the top of some keelguard with a bit of marine growth on ?

[lakelandterrier]

I had a similar problem with the original set up on a Rapide single axle braked trailer.

I moved the bow roller back a couple of inches to raise the bow, and dropped the winch post lower.

Iif you adjust the height of the winch post check clearance of the winch handle - mine hit the fixed horizontal handle on the winch post after adjustment - had to cut down the winch handle.

[Daibheid]

Originally Posted by Limecc

Close-up's of mine after adjustment.

Unless you have the weight carried mainly between the cradle rollers you might find that roller gets split very fast and a chunk out of your keel soon after. Caution advised on a long trip/ bumpy roads.

Originally Posted by pilotwillie

Don’t think that’s a crack.
Is it not the top of some keelguard with a bit of marine growth on ?

Hope so and keelguard could be why the snubber was adjusted high as I think keelguard doesn’t sit well under load.

We may never know if the OP is one of those who leech a load of valuable advice and then disappear without an outcome post.

[Limecc]

Originally Posted by Daibheid

Unless you have the weight carried mainly between the cradle rollers you might find that roller gets split very fast and a chunk out of your keel soon after. Caution advised on a long trip/ bumpy roads.

Spot on yes.
When I got the trailer there was far too much weight on it, somebody had put a new roller on and it was already permanently deformed. I've adjusted it and will change the roller profile for one that will centralise the hull. Also I changed the axle for new with uprated 1000kg capacity.

It would be my guess that a high proportion of trailers over 5 years old have knackered or failing suspension and potholes will pound the boat especially because there's a heavy engine on the transom.

The quality of AlKo rubber suspension cords has really gone downhill nowadays. Caravan suspension used to last 15 to 20 years but Fraser Brown engineering (the only UK business that can refurb them) say they are now repairing AlKo axles that are less than five years old.