Is there any advantage to a bunk trailer vs a roller trailer? Got a new boat that came with a bunk trailer and it really seems like a pain in the @ss. You have to put the trailer further in the water, hard to get it lined up, and really hard to crank the boat up the trailer. Maybe I am missing something but I have no idea why a person would get a bunk trailer on purpose.

Anyone out there will bunk trailer have any helpful hints besides buy a roller trailer.

Can you put those plactic things on the bunk to help a boat slide better if the boat is 24 feet long? All the adds say they are for fiberglass boats up to 1500 lbs which is way less then the boat weights.

My Wooldridge came with the bunk trailer. I don't have problems launching or loading it. I try to keep the upper third of the bunks out of the water when loading.

I've thought about the plastic slides, but haven't found that I need them. West Marine sells a product called "Liquid Rollers" that might be useful for you.

I think you get better support for the hull and you don't have to worry about broken rollers causing hull damage. If you have rollers, more is better for weight displacement.

I think bunks are best for those who drive onto their trailers, usually sledders. For V-hull prop boats I think the rollers are best.

dunk the bunks before loading the boat. Helps. you can also power onto a bunk trailer all the way to the post and get out on the dock to hook up the winch for the last little bit (never let uptight adults see you do this).

My bunk trailers ride lower and I have had less hassle with them over time, except when it comes to slinging.

2 cents

geez, I think I've had just about every kind of trailer there is over the years, and it really is more a factor of what you want to accomplish. For ease of launching/loading rollers are easiest if you are going to be winching. Bunks spread the load over greater surface area, so are great for long hauls where pounding down the road will eventually cause wear on the hull, but can be a pain to launch unless the boat is nearly floated on and off, which can be a pain in itself if the ramp is at a shallow grade, the water is rough, or salt exposure is an issue.

I have a trailer that is a combination of the two...rollers down the center and bunks on the sides. It's actually for a dual hull Livingston, but the concept is, IMO, the best of both worlds.

When you get it right, you'll know it. Spending too much time at the ramp launching or loading will make you the topic of many unkind conversations. Good Luck.

Way more difficult to dump your boat on the ramp with bunks.

What brand of trailer do you have? Is your boat fiberglass or aluminum? Bunk trailers are harder to load and unload than roller trailers. They do provide better support to some degree. However, a well built roller trailer with the proper amount of rollers will provide plenty of support for most boats.

King trailer puts a hard plastic material on their bunks. This helps with the loading and unloading. However, if you have a deep vee fiberglass boat they will rub and chafe your hull.

The liquid roller stuff in my opinion is a waste of money. It's simply a spray that you spray on your carpet that's supposed to make it slicker. Doesn't work that well.

I've owned many trailers of the all roller and all bunk variety. My current trailer is a roller/bunk combination. Roller's in the front and bunk's in the back. It's by far the best trailer I've had. I have a 30' boat and can load and unload by myself with relative ease.

I've had both. I much prefer bunks. Better trailering (rides lower and more stable), better support for the hull, no difference launching (because it rides lower). When loading, I find that it's easier to load without getting my feet wet because I can power part way on the trailer and step off the bow onto the trailer to winch it up the last few feet. If you're having trouble getting the boat to slide on the bunks try some silicone spray.

Bunks cost over 30 bucks to launch at Edmonds

Bunk trailer are great I have a 26' wooldridge Pilothouse I load it with the top bunks dry and the lower one with just 6" of water. You need to learn how to drive it on that what you have power for. I only use the crank to pick up the last 2" of the strap. Off loadind you just tap the brakes and It's gone.

Bunks.

Rollers can have your boat off-centered and off balanced. Rollers will corrode over time and stop rolling especially in salt. Rollers can cause mishap if some knucklehead tries to 'help' by undoing the winch hook too early.

I have a deep-vee fiberglass. My trailer has bunks with dual rollers in the middle for the tip of the Vee. I've had to replace the rollers twice for corrosion or just simple failure. The bunks are still good to go. No moving parts, see?

Rollers you cant run your boat onto the trailer and expect it to be centered.

I would only buy the bunks, but good bunks. I had a King Trailer I bought for my last boat. The bunk slicks on those trailers are one piece and are very slick. Don't pull the front strap off until the boat is in the water. I am not sure if you can buy those exact slicks as they go over a 2x. They are like having rollers.

My buddy's trailer has to have all of the rollers replaced and it is pretty expensive. He is not very happy about the price. There are a ton of rollers on a roller trailer and they are not cheap.

Bunks are good to go.Dunk the bunks before loading.Then drive it up on to load.No cranking.Don't forget to trim your motor a bit while loading.Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

Bunks=No dock needed.Unless your solo.

I use bunks only and my 23 boulton slides on like butter just by hand pulling the boat up with rope. There are a lot of vairiables like where the levels are at with the tide how steep the ramp is etc. Everybody has a different situation but bunks are the only way to go

Gabe, do you think it is just a matter of having a big, very heavy boat now? Or do you think something is actually wrong with the setup. What is the overall weight of that package?

I like bunk trailers mainly for the ease of climbing in and outta the boat when it's on the trailer.

The boat is fairly heavy 6000 to 7000 pounds maybe more. I don't think there is anything wrong with the setup. Just trying to figure if there is ways to improve it.

It is very hard to get the boat centered on the bunk trailer. Maybe it is the wrong bunk layout for the hull design. Another option is that I am just not that used to it yet since I have only had to put it on the trailer a few times.

Are the bunks sitting directly under the stringers of the boat? Typically there is a chine in the hull at the stringer line, you should set the bunks so they ride along side or directly under the chines. I've got a heavy boat with bunk trailer--works great but, I spent an entire day at the boat ramp adjusting the trailer to fit the boat.

Bucket I think your referring to strakes, not chines. The chine line is where the side plate meets the bottom plate. In a single chine boat (even production aluminum boats that cap it with a piece of angle) thats only one line per side. On a boat with a flat chine plate p/s, theres an inner and outer chine line that defines the chine plate. The rest of those angles in the bottom plate are called running strakes. They are very similar to chines, but it would be wrong to call them that. Your right about the stringers being under the bunks, but be careful to figure out where they lie as production fiberglass small boats, like trophys, often avoid the strakes altogether by boxing over the top of them. The stringers are purposely between strakes which is easier to lam and inherently stronger.

You can borrow some boat stands next time from a repair shop and they will speed up your trailer adjustmentdepending on how agile you are Oh yeah, my boat in my my avatar. It was very quick to set the bunks on this boat by pressing the bunks up with my legs to the hull where I wanted them and then tightening the bolts at the same time.

Sorry for the lengthy speal. I am into boat building.

Dave