Roller Trailers Vs. Bunk

[fishguyd]

Ok , just looking for thoughts on Roller vs Bunk trailers to help out people that are new to the boat owner game. I have my preference which-- I will not say, but lets give people some advice/reasons on why each is good or not. Also give input on weight capacity, brakes, tires--all the good stuff most new boat owners do not considerr when buying. Have Fun.

[rodmaker]

Roller trailers have advantages over bunk trailers.

I have a 2400 all roller Shoreland'r for my 185 AlumaCraft Compeditor. It is very easy for me to load/unlaod myself.

With the roller trailer, you don't have to bury the back end of the boat to unload it. I back mine until the water level reaches the bottom of the hub (so the bearings don't get submerged). I have bearing buddies, but there is no need for me to back it into the water any further thatn that.I get out, give it a push and it rolls off with no effort. It's that easy for me to do.

[Sandmannd]

I agree, roller trailer all the way. Works great when you are by ourself. I like to be able to drive on as well.

[Yellow Dog]

I agree with what you said about the roller trailer easy on / off, but I have switched to a bunk after 10 with a roller.

I find that by myself the boat just rests perfect on the bunk and I don't worry about any slipping when trailering.

I think it really is a personal preference and both have small advantages. Best thing is have good lights, bearings, and rubber. Also, to be under-trailered is not a happy place.

[rodmaker]

About the only times (which hasn't been very often) I've had as far as centering on the trailer would be notr backing fairly straight down on the ramp, or ramp is slanted.

To anyone out there going to purchase a roller trailer, go with Shoreland'r. My trailer is 14 years OLD (stored inside in Winter) and NO RUST OR PAINT CHIPPING

[bassNspear]

I would go with a bunk trailer. I had a roller trailer, and went to a bunk a few years back, and will never go back to the roller. Alot safier, and so much better loading.

[hhguide]

I agree with BassNSpear We have a bunk on our Ranger and its the best thing for the boat! and the safety is great! you also have a better chance of getting the boat on strait!

[Finns]

Might want to do a 'search' here on the site as this along with lowrance/garmin has been discussed alot .

[Musky_Madness]

I would also have to say go with the bunks, it is very easy to get on and off, the boat isn't tippy if it's a smaller boat when it's on a bunk compared to rollers and constantly having to tighten it up. Plus bunks are much better for your boat. Think about the difference in support between the two on your precious boat and hull. You can either spread the weight out on 10-20 rollers or on 2-4 bunks that run the length of the hull. On aluminum, rollers can imprint the hull because there is so much weight in the same spot most of the time. Centering is much easier on a bunk trailer when by yourself. It is very hard not to get your boat right on center 9/10 times once you get the hang of it. You also don't have to powerload (I know, I brought it up) to get your boat on the trailer, simply float it on. I don't think you would ever regret a bunk trailer after personally owning both. I know I haven't!

[BobT]

You bring up a good point rodmaker. I have had two EZ-Loader trailers. I have been very happy with the ease of loading and unloading but I have been very unhappy with the finish. The paint literally peals off and it doesn't take long.

Bob

I have used rollers most of my life. I prefer roller trailers, especially on shallow launches. To use bunks requires that you are able to submerge them. If you don't, good luck loading or unloading.

Bunks have the advantage over trailers when it comes to weight distribution, that I will agree with.

As far as centering goes, the most common mistake with roller is submerging them too far. You rarely want to submerge a roller trailer because then the rollers won't properly guide your boat on. That's the whole point of using them. The boat will literally follow the rollers if you know how to properly start it on. As noted already, rollers can have negative affect on the boat hull, especially if it's a poorly made trailer that doesn't have enough roller to distribute the weight.

Bob

[bassNspear]

All in all, there both good trailers, everyone has there personal preference!!

[RiverBassGuy]

It depends on where you fish. If you fish mainly lakes with shallow accesses, then I would recommend a roller. Shorelandr makes a fantastic trailer. Last year when Mille Lacs' water levels were very low I was happy to have a roller. Bunks seem to go down the road better. There's more stability and evenly distributed support. If you fish everywhere, I would get a roller just to be safe. I might be in the minority, but I think a bunk trailer is much easier to drive the boat onto. Just pound the throttle and straighten er out!

[rodmaker]

For glass boats I don't disagree ,use a bunk.

For most Aluminum boats roller is the way to go!!!

[rodmaker]

If you purchase a good roller trailer, there is more than enough support for aluminum boats

[Chode2235]

I love the drive on style of bunks. Of course we have always had heavy glass bass boats.

[fish4itall]

I've always used a roller trailer and have had some issues getting it centered. I have the bumpers and it still tends to slide off to one side. This could be more due to the fact that the landings I'm using are very poor generally, but it still gets annoyoing. Since its a light enough boat its pretty simple to put a shoulder into and get centered, but its a little bit of work when it shouldn't be that hard. It all comes down to what you like.

[Nick Kuhn]

I've never had a problem with shallow launches on a bunk. You can always winch when loading. Sometimes that can be a problem with getting it on straight (using the winch), but I've found that if you rock the boat side to side before you get the boat entirely out of the water it tends to center itself anyway. As far as towing around the straps can loosen some as you first bounce around pulling up the ramp, but if you tighten after that they stay tight until your ready to launch again.

[Ray Esboldt]

I have a bunk trailer now under an aluminum boat, and I think I will go back to a roller trailer next time around. If you get the right roller trailer for a boat and configure it properly, you can drive a boat on that trailer almost as well as if it were a bunk trailer. Plus, if you fish by yourself, roller are infinitely more easy to deal with at the launch.

However, if you have a glass boat that spends significant time on the trailer, go with a bunk.

[rodmaker]

Finally , another post that agrees 100% with what I said earlier!!! For a minute , I thought I was too "old school" and I missed something here.