Boat Show Trailers, Road Runner

G

Gene&Mary

New member
Went shopping for trailers today at the Boat Show for our 22. Besides talking with the the usual, we talked with the folks at Road Runner Trailers. They are manufactured in Richmond BC and sold by a company in Marysville.

Has anyone heard of Road Runner Trailers? Their pricing is ~$1500 less than other comparably speced trailers. When asked about the difference he said that it was the exchange rate in Canada.

Any opinions on bunk coverings, carpet vs a slick plastic material?

They do have an option for a combination of bunks in the rear and rollers in the front. Any opinions on that?
 
I can see the exchange rate making that much difference, especially new with it as great as it is.

I would go for bunks, and cover with carpet. I don't see any advantage of having rollers on the front, but then I have a penchant for bunks anyway. I guess I look at that as helping to hold the boat in place, and the slick plastic or rollers are less that way.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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I have a tandem RR trailer, I have rebuilt the bearings and brakes twice in 20,000 miles. I feel for bopping around from home to the ramp they're fine. For long haulers I'd go with some other types maybe Float On. Springs, bunks etc are fine, but bearings and brakes are suspect even with constant maintenance and checking. I finally upgraded to disc from stock drum and so far it's a much better system. RR will definitely look like a good buy with our low dollar but I'd match the trailer to the job. I specifically requested a long haul, full time cruiser trailer when I ordered my boat from the dealer and the trailer specified has needed much work. It is fine now, but I should have just found a more robust mfg in the first place. George
 
Slicks vs carpet: I had slicks on the front 1/3 of the Float On Tom Cat trailer, because it was a bit hard to launch with the friction of the sharp entry of the cat hulls. They worked well, but you needed to leave the cable on the tow eye, until ready to launch! Boats will slip off--don't go with full slicks.

Front rollers, not a bad idea, since as the stern floats, the bow tends to dig into the front supports. I have a roller forward, and may add more.
 
I bought a new Road Runner trailer from Mike last year for my 22'. It is a tandem trailer with disc brakes and led lights. I went with carpeted bunks and I am glad I did.

My biggest challenge in the beginning was setting up the trailer for the boat. When I first loaded it on the trailer the bow ring was above the roller-- and very hard to load to get it tight. I tried multiple ways until I finally got the setup with a bit of my own design change on the roller. Now it loads and unloads like a dream. Mike said he built lots of trailers for C Dorys (and he does) but my setup was not even close. The front post was too short to have the roller above the bow ring as made

I am not a long distance hauler and in that context everything else seems fine except I thought the wiring could have been a little neater. I still want to encase the wires in a plastic cover. I would buy another one for the right price but understanding it doesn't come perfect.

I will post my design change tomorrow. Here is how it sat on my trailer at first


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I recommend a King Trailer for a 22 C-Dory. Fits like a glove.

Roadrunner trailers do not appear built very well and do not use the latest technology. No sure-lube hubs, no torsion suspension available. Don't like the y connection, it does not come back far enough in my opinion. I also noticed the low front post, too low for a C-Dory. For $1500 less though, I would probably try to make it work.
 
Thanks for your replies.

C-Val- It looks like you bought either the 4500 Short or 4500 Long. I'm looking forward to seeing your design change.

The salesman pointed us toward the tandem axle 4000 (4000 # weight capacity) when I said it was for my C22. Our intended use is for storing our boat with minimal short or long distance towing. We also asked about a single axle trailer and he pointed out the single axle 4200. He said the single axle 4200 had larger tires and a 5000 # axle.

After we got home I read the spec sheet closer and noticed that both the single axle 4200 and the tandem axle 4000 were for boats 19' - 21' and the trailer length was 22'-7". Are those trailers too short?
 
yes it is too short. RR makes them for the BC C-Dory dealer , but a bit longer. You could enquire about a longer 4000 tandem.
 
Here is the design change I did. I slid the winch arm up near the top of the post and then added the oak wedge and then put the strap under the roller instead of over it. That was the magic number for my boat. If a person knows this from the start, just make sure Mike does the equivalent of this at his factory before the trailer even leaves. He will do whatever you want - I just didn't know. Now that I know how well this works, I may get it welded
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Wish you the best!
 
ghone, C-Val- what model of RR trailer did you buy? A Fishin C, thanks for the information on the longer tandem 4000.

C-Val- it looks like your design change moves the boat's attachment eye from above the roller to below the roller. Does this make the boat sit flatter on the trailer, not allow the bow to bounce or ???

Thanks
 
That's a nice fix for tying off the boat. However it certainly is vulnerable to quick stops where the boat tends to come forward. The inertia of the boat will use that roller arm as a lever and go right on over.

At least one Brat has had a bad result because the roller arm and support wouldn't hold the boat. Can't you get a longer vertical arm from whoever made the trailer? That way you don't have to jury rig a fix.

Boris
 
Gene & Mary,
If you are going to a single axle model, the "EZ Loader" came out on top after assessing several available on market. They are fully galvanized including wheels and bow support post, are "bolted" (not welded) together, use torsion suspension which is much smoother on road (and) provides about a five inch lower profile (easier launch), have "oil filled" hub lubrication, corrosion protected surge disc brakes, and 100% LED lighting. They offer a multitude of bunk choices with factory assistance.
 
The Road Runner trailer I bought is the 4800 series for carrying weight up to 5950 lbs. I am so glad I went with the heavier tandem since my last trailer was single axle. There are so many advantages!

You are exactly right in saying the bow ring is now tucked under the winch roller. If you want to talk about a scary design, having the bow ring and strap sitting on top of the roller gives absolutely no protection from the boat sliding forward under sudden stop. Now that I understand how its supposed to sit, using my prototype, I can get a longer vertical post welded on as a permanent fix. I had to experiment at first to try to understand what was wrong with my setup. It was so hard loading and unloading pulling the boat ring over the winch roller. Now its wonderful.

Under my current layout, my bunks are just a bit shy of reaching the transom - perfect for me so I don't hit my transducer!
 
I have a road runner trailer with bunks and guides on the side.
Trailer seems well built. Just made a 350 mile trip with a CD-22 on it. I just got the boat so haven't had a lot of experience launching and retrieving but so far its been easy to use.
 
I purchased a Road Runner trailer for my 22' CD.
It was made for launching/retrieving set net skiffs in the surf.
It has bunks and side bunks. The axle is a single but 6000# rated.
Works excellent on the beach and does well on the road. The trailer is well built and was 2/3 the price of the "other" brands.
I would buy another if needed.
 
As I recall my model is 4500 tandem, it's not stressed with our 22 anywhere we've gone, couple of interesting Colorado River bank launches above Yuma showed the low bunk position was helpful
 
C Val
I slid the winch arm up near the top of the post and then added the oak wedge and then put the strap under the roller instead of over it. That was the magic number for my boat.
Click to expand...

I just got a Road Runner trailer 4500# and I am having the same problem that you had with the bow roller hitting the eye.

I agree tilting the arm up slightly would solve the problem.

Another possible solution is to replace the bow roller with a double roller system so one roller would go above the eye and one would go below.

Here is an example of what I am thinking https://www.trailerpartsdepot.com/p-789 ... bells.aspx

The roller is very well priced $24 US but it is almost $70 US to ship it to Canada or it is $150 CAD to buy it here. I am hesitant to spend the money to get one unless I know it will work well.

Has anyone tried one of these double rollers? Do you think it would work to solve the problem and keep the boat tight on the trailer?
 
Sandra glad you found a new trailer! Is yours the bunk or roller version? Is the bow roller arm already positioned up as far as possible on the post? When I first got my 2016 Roadrunner (roller) the bow roller / winch extension arm was placed as high as possible on the post, and the bow eye came right under the bow roller. The dealer did some additional adjustments and now the bow roller arm is positioned about half way up the post and yet the bow eye is still just under it. Maybe the roller trailers sit lower for some reason, although I always thought the opposite was true. Here's a link to a pic of the current configuration...
http://www.c-brats.com/modules.php?...ame=gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php
 
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