Trailer Advice Please!

[dblloyd]

Hello, We just purchased a new EZ Loader TEZR with 32 rollers for our 2007 Angler 22. The dealer has had trouble (I am being polite here) adjusting it for the boat. The boat won't self-center and balance out when loading if not exactly level port to starboard. I am talking about 2" out of level. We already incurred hull damage due to this apparent improper set up. Any advice to forward to the dealer to correct this problem as he is going to try to adjust again and he is not familiar with C Dory. Are 32 rollers enough for a 22? Thank you for any and all suggestions. Dave

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Not trying to be snarky here, but have the dealer take the trailer back and get one with bunks would be the best advice I could provide. I've not had a good experience with the roller trailers I have owned, and I've seen too many boats on the pavement because they came off a roller trailer. That can happen to any trailer and boat, but the rollers "grease the skids".

[A Fishin C]

a c-dory or other flat bottom boat (arima similar) will not self centre on a roller trailer (or bunk) period. in my experience. My opinion is you need 6 foot long bunk load guides which ez loader and most other mfgs sell. see my pics.
My 2 cents worth: 32 rollers is plenty imo. problem could also be with a 8 foot wide trailer and the distance between the wheel wells. King makes an 8'6" which is beautiful.

[journey on]

Just to give you another line or reasoning, I have a roller EZ Loader trailer for Journey On and I feel it's the only way to go for the type of launching we do. It handles all type of launch ramps,; I can wind it up by myself and everything is centered. I've had both bunk trailers and this is my second roller trailer. Those who knock roller trailers might not have ever used one.

As to your adjustment, I'm not sure what the problem is. Both of my trailers came from the dealers set up correctly, one for a C-Dory and one for a sailboat. So they can fit a variety of hulls. Actually the boat dealer didn't set them up, the trailer dealer did.

Since you're in Maryland(?), here's the distributor for Maryland:
EZ Loader Mid-Atlantic, Deale, Maryland: 410-867-3926
ezma@ezloader.com.
Servicing dealers in MD, DE, NJ, VA, West VA, PA, and Long Island, NY.
I got a lot of help from the Washington Distributor, so try the one in Maryland. Remember, they want to sell trailers, so the should help.

Also, here's the customer service number for EZ Loader Adjustable: 800-398-5623 It's the factory, so they should have answers.

There are 3 dealers in Maryland. I'd contact one of these: Tri State Marineor Guy Brothers Marine or Amp Marine. If one of those is your problem, try another, I feel those trailers are worth it.

Again, I think roller trailers are the way to go. I know a lot of C-Brats don't agree. However I can think of a number of launch ramps that I could not have used without rollers: San Francisco, Spanish Ontario, Dubuque, etc. The boat always was self centering, and came nicely out of the water.

Boris

[thataway]

A photo album will allow you to post pictures of how the trailer is set up. It is possible that you have a trailer which is made for a "V" bottom boat, not for a flatter bottom boat. Many times these trailers have cross members which are dropped in the center, and thus don't have enough adjustment to get the rollers in the correct configuration.

I have pruchased several boats which did not have a trailer. I brought the trailer to the boat, and set it as close as I could. I winched the boat onto the trailer, and then used hydraulic jacks with cribbing under the body to work the bunks or rollers into position. You want equal pressure on all areas of the bottom of the boat.

[Cview]

In my experience, I've found that is important to not put the trailer too deep in the water when retrieving the boat. Use the winch to pull the boat onto the the trailer. If the trailer is too deep in the water, you have little chance of centering the boat as it will float around. Side guides help when there is a cross wind. To my mind, a roller trailer is not a drive-on type of trailer.

[nimrod]

I have a bunk trailer. I don't worry about getting the boat centered when loading. If it's off-center, (almost always is) I carry a 6 foot long 2x4, that I use to lever the stern to center. Easy-peasy. I couldn't do that with a roller trailer.

jd

[thataway]

[Sunbeam]

[kennharriet]

I can not speak to the roller vs. bunk style but I do have an inexpensive, reliable fix for centering the boat on my bunk type trailer.

On the crossmember just aft of the axle I bolted 2"x6" Trex (synthetic decking) material on each side to capture the hull as the trailer raises to the boat coming out of the water. The Trex material was cut at the same angle as the side of the hull when resting on the bunk boards. The vertically placed Trex board is about 11" high overall, bolted to the crossmember with 5/16" stainless blots. The edge of the Trex board that matches the hull has a strip of indoor/outdoor carpet glued to it with 3M 4200 to prevent chaffing the hull.

This system centers the boat consistently, is durable and inexpensive.

[Sunbeam]

Are there any photos of your Trex guides? I'd like to see them.

[Pedromo]

I have a 22 cruiser on rollers. I have never had much trouble centering the boat on the trailer, but I have guides on that keep the boat from floating away.
By the way, the cross members on my EZ Loader are v-shaped, but the roller assembly is on a gimbal-line set up, to self adjust to match dead rise and flat surfaces as the boat rolls onto the trailer.
I am also a fan of roller trailer for this size boat. I have launched in lousy ramps and some remote Mexican beaches, where I could not have been able to launch and retrieve otherwise. I think the trailer has traveled more than 15,000 miles since 1989 without any major breakdowns...

[Wandering Sagebrush]

[Sea Wolf]

I've used a 32-roller EZ-Loader tandem trailer on my CD-22 since 1998 with the same basic positive results as Boris.

Love it!

Some thoughts:

1. Add a good set of long, tall, and fairly tight Guide-Ons on the trailer sides to center the boat when retrieving.

2. Don't put the trailer in too deep when retrieving. Crank the boat onto the roller bed with some weight on the rollers (as opposed to a total float-on approach. This helps center the boat.

3. Not anxious to launch on the highway? Tie the boat down very well fore and aft. Use the winch and a vertical safety chain up front, and sturdy transom straps at the rear. Think!

4. You can get in and out on both shallow and steep ramps where a bunk trailer might have problems. Ramps that are uneven athwartships require some ingenuity and adjustment with any trailer.

5. I've lost a roller twice because of a failed keeper, but never scratched the hull. Pay attention to them. Inspect them and the rest of the trailer occasionally when the boat's in the water.

6. With 32 rollers, there's about 100 pounds on each one, not a bad load, I'd say.

7. Painting the bottom paint is easy with a roller trailer. Paint what you can, then move the boat on the trailer about a foot, and paint the part you missed. Easy!

Joe.

[kennharriet]

Photo of starboard centering guide looking forward. The only cost was the stainless bolts as I had scrap pieces of the Trex. Trex or the other brands is available at Home Depot or your local lumber yard.

[/img]