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
Trailer Advice Please!
- Thread starter dblloyd
- Start date
Wandering Sagebrush
Free Range Human
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
Anonymous
Guest
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.
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
New member
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
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
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.
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.
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.
Cview":21uwn5vf said:
My experience--especially with the C Dory 25 when it is critical to center the boat because of only inches of clearance from the fenders, is to use a boat hook to center the boat (on the side bunks as the stern is still floating) and keep it centered as the vehicle driver brings the boat out of the water. As some of us age, cranking the boat up with a winch is not a good option. (This is with a bunk trailer. I wonder much of the trailer is in the water, is it a roller trailer, and how far do you have to winch the boat?
thataway":17il1qu2 said:
Slight tangent, but since the OP is outfitting a new trailer...
Not to say that your point is not well taken about aging and being smart about it (because it is), but I just wanted to mention how much I like the new winch I put on my 22's trailer last last winter. The original was kind of crusty, the cable looked bad, and it had a maximum mechanical advantage of 64:1. I never used it to actually retrieve the boat, but I was pretty sure I would want more "oomph" (from the winch, not me!), as I'm no Brutus. So for the new one I looked at a Fulton winch chart and chose the one with the highest possible mechanical advantage, which turned out to be 108:1. Yeah, now we're talking. (It has two speeds; the other one gives less mechanical advantage.)
I've only retrieved twice so far, but the last time was at Powell where the lake level was low, and the presence of wakes made me reluctant to back the trailer in too far (because I didn't want them going over my van's rear axle). So a bit of winching. I was still able to winch it up easily - very pleased. I hope it also works well at "worse" ramps.
Here is a chart that shows the various winches, with notes about a few of them. I ordered the T2605 with a strap (vs. cable). It's a little hard to read but that's part number FT2605Z0301. It fit right on in place of the original.
The T3700 is also on the chart; it had a number of good recommendations from the gang here.
kennharriet
Member
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.
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.
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...
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
Free Range Human
kennharriet":2tr2qd7c said:
One more request for photos. This sounds like a great idea.
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. :teeth :thup
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. :teeth :thup
kennharriet
Member
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.
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Wandering Sagebrush
Free Range Human
kennharriet":1c0ndqcl said: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]
Very nice! Thank you!
Thanks! And...your trailer fender looks familiar. Is it a Magic Tilt tandem, by chance? That's what I have. Looks like maybe you fit an old tire over the top of the fender as padding (mine has plywood, carpeted half moons fastened to the inside of the fenders).
I'm going to look and see if your guides would be a good idea on my trailer. I was thinking I might move the outer bunks outboard by around 3" each, so that the "chine hooks" would catch on them and keep the boat centered (they currently do thar, but the boat can move around 6" first). Moving the bunks would necessitate getting a couple of new, longer uprights though (the ones that support the bunks), so I'm going to consider your method as well. Have you had any issues with either hull scratching or rubbing - or trailer rusting due to the guides or their attachment to the trailer? What kind of road miles have you put on since fitting them?
Thanks for the photo and additional information.
I'm going to look and see if your guides would be a good idea on my trailer. I was thinking I might move the outer bunks outboard by around 3" each, so that the "chine hooks" would catch on them and keep the boat centered (they currently do thar, but the boat can move around 6" first). Moving the bunks would necessitate getting a couple of new, longer uprights though (the ones that support the bunks), so I'm going to consider your method as well. Have you had any issues with either hull scratching or rubbing - or trailer rusting due to the guides or their attachment to the trailer? What kind of road miles have you put on since fitting them?
Thanks for the photo and additional information.
kennharriet
Member
Sunbeam- sent you a pm to prevent high jacking the thread. : )
I have a '07 EZLoader TEZR with 32 rollers and side bunks. So far I've not had much experience with it ( with retirement upon me I hope to rectify that this next year!!!!) but so far my few times with it have been just fine--the trailer does have long side bunk boards which seem to keep the "22" centered just fine; even with near float on landings ( just 3 or 4 feet of winching). In any event it seems this model trailer can be set up just fine for a C-Dory 22 Cruiser.
Michael
Michael