Roller vs Bunk- easiest for 1 person

[IaDave]

Looking at a new 16-17' boat and it comes with a bunk trailer with guides and can upgrade to a roller. What is the easiest for 1 person to unload and load- I am in my 50's if taht makes a difference.

[Hot Runr Guy]

I've had both, and have converted the rear carriage of my current all-roller trailer to (4) bunks, primarily so that when I load the boat on the trailer, it stays put, and does not roll back off. Having the front set of rollers tends to help in shallower ramps. If you need any more info, let me know.
HRG

[ffishman]

I'm a shade over 60 and load and reload all by myself all the time. I have a bunk trailer. No problem.

[obsessed]

Had a 16' Lund Rebel Special with a Spartan roller trailer - a real pain to center, drive on, and hold in place without help. Hard to center and wanted to roll back, especially with steep boat ramps.

Now have Bass Tracker PT 170 with their Trailmaster bunk trailer. No comparison. Bunks seem to provide better support, a breeze to center and load, and no roll back.

With a bigger boat, rollers might be preferred, but with a 16' to 17' rig, I would recommend bunks. Save your money - don't upgrade.

Am also in my 50's and needed something I could handle myself. The wife only goes when it is sunny and 80+.

[SimilarIsland]

I can think of one situation where a roller trailer would be the only way to get into a particularly remote lake. That said, I have a bunk and like it. I'm 47, but extremely lazy!

[Morton]

I run a 17'6" Yarcraft and have a prestige 6 bunk trailer with side bunks and a shallow launch package.
Most of the ramps where I fish are long and steep.
I fish alone 95% of the time.
This outfit is easy for me to load and unload without problems.
It is really hard to not get it on the trailer correctly.
The only time I had trouble centering it was my fault by getting the trailer in the water to deep with a bad side wind... enough that I shouldn't have been out there anyway.
I will turn 58 this November.

Morton

[Johnnielund]

I have a Prestiege 6 bunk trailer for my Lund 1700 Explorer. My dealer told me not to order the side bunks, as the boat centers itself between those 6 bunks. He was right-on with that advice. I love this trailer.

[Dave C]

I have had a roller trailer on my lund for 10 years and hated it. Not bad when you have another person with you, but not good when I am by myself. Many times I have left the motor in gear to prevent it from rolling backwards while I jumped out of the boat to hook it up. I always had visions of the boat rolling off in gear and leaving without me in it. Holding a bow rope while jumping out gives some security, maybe, but if the boat backs off in gear you are in a tugging match. New boat on the way, and it will be on a bunk trailer. IMHO, there is no other safe option when fishing by yourself.

[stinkycat]

I have never owned a bunk trailer... I have always had roller and have not ever had any problems. I power load, leave the motor in gear, walk to the front of the boat, hook/snug up the strap and then go back and shut down the motor. I am not sure how a bunk will work in marginal/shallow landings. I am 48 and have been using rollers all my life. Old dog... new tricks... you get the idea.

[Waxy]

Another vote for bunks, after having nothing but rollers until now, my latest trailer is a bunk with side load guides. The side guides aren't necessary, but in rough conditions, they can be a life saver.

Loading is a complete breeze by myself with a 1900 Pro V SE. Back the trailer in, get in the boat, drive it on, it centers itself, lean over the bow and hook the front loop on from the winch, tighten, jump out, get in the truck, drive out of the water, hook up the rear straps, drive home. 10 mins...

I haven't been to a real shallow launch yet, but that's the only situation I can think of where a roller would be an advantage. I hate winching my boat on though, so I'll drive a few extra miles to avoid that if I can.

Waxy

[Brekk]

I've had 3 roller trailers under my lunds. And I wouldn't put anything else under them. If you ever get to a shallow lake. Good luck on launching your boat and then loading it back up. You can power load onto your roller trailer easy. I do all the time with my 2010 lund, works great. Most guys hook there boats with the chain in the front when done loading before they pull out. I've seen a lot that do not. Your just asking for the boat to come off the trailer if you don't. Just my 10 cents worth. Theres good and bad between the both. What ever you choose, like anything else you will figure out how to load it with ease.

[goldman]

I had a roller trailer once upon a time and hated it. Every where one of those rollers came in contact with the hull, it left a dent. (was a sylvan boat) I have a Shorelandr bunk trailer, and love it. the boat centers itself, is well supported, and I can undo the bow strap and back down a ramp and it does not roll off the trailer. I'm in my 40's but kinda fat, and have no problems whatsover with the bunk trailer.

When you're going to load your boat, all you need to do is back the trailer all the way in to get the bunks wet, then pull back out until you can just drive your boat onto the trailer and have it kinda "half float and half stick on the bunks".

goldman

[Drummer Boy]

I have both I am older to and I like a roller can drive on or winch on.Some of the places I fish have shallow launch's and the guy's that use bunk's alway's have problem's.Onother thing to consider is that with a roller trailer you don't have to back in as deep when launching.Not as much water pressure is put on the wheel bearing's seal's.That can make a differance if you can't wait for them to cool before launching.

[Tim Ellis]

Being a past roller trailer owner but now owning my first bunk trailer all I can say is bunk, bunk, bunk all the way for ease of operation.

[Planocat]

"upgrade to a roller" ???? Wow, that's a new one to me.

IMHO, buy a good BUNK trailer with EZEE STEPS and you'll never look back.

I had one roller trailer under my Lund Tyee. It was a sorelander and I replaced that piece of junk with a bunk (Prestige). Best move I ever made.

There's a reason that the best boat builders who manufacture their own trailers - Ranger, Skeeter, Champion, Triton, Legend, BassCat,etc all make bunk trailers. Can you name one that manufactures a roller trailer?

Planocat

[walleyeduran]

AH! PLANOCAT, all the boat/trailer manufactures you mentioned are glass boats. I don't think I have ever seen a glass boat on a roller trailer.

Bunk or roller, they both have their advantages and disadvantages.

[Planocat]

Walleyeduran:

Someone must be stealing decals, as over the years I seem to recall some of the brands I mentioned selling tin boats on bunk trailers. And I don't recall my Tyee as being glass. But, your point is well taken. Having had both, I just couldn't see ever owning another roller trailer. But, to each his own. Now just exactly what are the advantages of a roller? Maybe I missed something while I owned one.

[Modog]

"To each his own" how true.
There are times when the additional friction or resistance that bunks exert on the boat are an asset and times when they are a hindrance. You have to weigh that out for yourself.
I am over 50 and I launch/load a 620 by myself at least 60 times a year. I also have access to very nice, deep landings. For me, bunks are the ticket.

[walleyeduran]

Here in NW WI there are some very good fishing lakes that you might get a boat into with a bunk trailer but you will not get it out, without 4 large, very strong, guys. I know we have been in a 2 1/2 -3 yr. drought, but I wanted to go to a bunk trailer for extra support on my trips to Canads, but I couldn't do it because of all the sandy shallow landings that I fish. Anybody that has the advantage of fishing lakes that have a cement boat launch would be foolish to have a roller trailer, but for the fisherman that has to launch on landings that are very shallow, the only other option is to use a roller trailer.

Thanks, Duran

[Drummer Boy]

Walleyeduram it can't be said any better.

[Johnboy]

I also have had both and each one has pros and cons in my opinion. The roller trailer is the best one if you encounter shallow ramps . I could load my 16 foot boat with a 75 Hp motor by myself with only the back rollers in the water. In strong currents the side guides are a must have. On a steep ramp which usually has fairly deep water I simply held the boat on the roller trailer with the motor until I attached the winch line.
I now have an 18 foot boat with a 150Hp OptiMax and a bunk trailer. I hated the bunk trailer when I first got it last spring. In strong currents it was a bugger to load squarely on the bunks. It has carpeted side guides. I tried loading it with the trailer in the water at different depths. It was still a pain and time consuming.
I modified the trailer and it now loads as easily as the roller trailer in all loading conditions. Here is what I did.
First the trailer needed new bunk boards so I installed new 2x6 cedar. I then installed a row of (E-Z Slides Trailer Bunk Pads)1&1/2 inch x 10 inches) on each side from one end to the other. I needed two rows because I had to have a row of hull rivets in between them. The next and most important key to a self centering boat was the installation of two keel rollers. One at the extreme rear and one in the center. The keel rollers have to be adjusted in such a way that they have a small amount of the boat weight on them.
I learned this from reading the owners manual that came with my Alumacraft Tournament Sport. The proper installation of the keel rollers is the most important step in having an effortless loading trailer.
I can now pull up to load the boat at about any angle, in any current and it goes straight on . I was absolutely amazed at how fast and easy it is to now load the boat.

[aluma1]

If you want to power load I would get bunks. I have seen too many people causing allot of problems trying to power load roller trailers. I think my roller trailer is great when I am launching and loading myself. I back the trailer in and pull the boat on with a rope on the front. I then winch it on the rest of the way. I would not jump back in the boat to power load. Then you would have to attach the winch and shut the motor off and get back out. The other thing to consider is your tow truck. I used to tow with a Ford Explorer. A short suv you would be stepping out into water trying to unload a bunk on shallow landings. You do not have to back in as far with roller trailers.

G3 185dc Yamaha 150

[alanexpup]

HI. You guys are all kids, Im 72 and can launch and retrieve my 19 foot lund Tyee faster by myself than some folks can do with a crew. Yep bunks are the only way to go, the boat slides on and stays put and pretty well centers itself. Only problem out here on the lake mead is that the ramps are so shallow you have to park the trailer right next to the courtesy dock to get back in the truck or else you are wading in the water. good luck.

[MarkG]

I Fish by myself most of the time. I have owned plenty of both. Overall I prefer the bunk.

But not all bunk trailers are created equal !! ,and I have had a couple of bad ones.

Best is one customized to your specific hull,with 4 or more bunks,designed so that the 2 inner bunks are down close to the keel. This will be what guides the hull perfectly onto the trailer every time. Many make a mistake by thinking side guides are what centers the boat,but mostly they are meant to just keep the assEnd of the boat from floating off in a strong wind or current. The bunk configuration is what centers the boat.

Another factor is how high the boat sits on the trailer. Needs to be high enough that you can still have the motor down far enough to power load if needed without burying the lower unit (not endorsing power loading here), yet not so high that you cannot get it off the trailer in an extreme shallow situation.

My opinion is that rollers can be fine for 14ft and some of the smaller lighter 16 ft boats, but In my 29 years of boating experience, a quality WELL DESIGNED bunk trailer will outperform and be easier than most any roller trailer. Yes there are some extreme shallow situations that a roller MAY have an advantage,but day to day a GOOD bunk will outperform.

[1shooter]

I'm in a simliar scenario. I currently have a karavan classic trailer that has 24 rollers. For the past 3 years it has started loading the boat crooked in the rear unless I have someone push the back of the boat to keep it straight. I talked to a couple of dealers about it but all they could offer up was to make sure the rollers were set up with even distances and not offset in anyway.

This spring when I pulled it out of storage I ntoiced that about 7 rollers had cracks in them and can only imagine that they might have something to do with it not loading straight. I would guess that they roll freely until there is weight on the cracked ones then they would lock up somewhat.

My question is simliar to IaDave's. I checked pricing on replacement rollers and the cost to convert to a bunk trailer and it is about a wash.

My boat is a Crestliner 1850 Sportfish with a 3000lb capacity trailer.

Suggestions?

[MarkG]

If looking for specific brand suggestions, definitely consider Trailmaster custom 4 bunk trailers. I have had several on various boats.Get great service from them and Very easy to load/unload. There are plenty dealers around that sell them.

[1shooter]

If looking for specific brand suggestions, definitely consider Trailmaster custom 4 bunk trailers. I have had several on various boats.Get great service from them and Very easy to load/unload. There are plenty dealers around that sell them.

I am not looking at buying a new trailer just converting it to a bunk. Karavan has a kit for this.

[MarkG]

1shooter...I guess then it would be dependent on what the bunk configuration of the Karavan Kit would give you. If at least 4 bunks,,2 near the keel,you may end up with a nice setup. But how high or low the boat will sit on the trailer will also effect your ease of load/unload.

If the trailer worked ok for you before the rollers became cracked,You may want to just replace the cracked rollers. At least your results would be predictable. (Also look for loose or cracked roller pivot arm mounting brackets).

[peter8]

I haven't seen a roller/bunk trailer mentioned. I had a 17'Alumacraft DC for many years and the rollers on the back of the trailer swiveled down to catch and center the boat as you drove on. Then the boat would slide onto bunks on the front of the trailer. Worked slicker than ####.

[rebs]

Looking at a new 16-17' boat and it comes with a bunk trailer with guides and can upgrade to a roller. What is the easiest for 1 person to unload and load- I am in my 50's if taht makes a difference.

I have a 19 ft and a roller trailer with a boat buddy II, I load and unload very easy. Boat rolls right off and I drive it on til the bow eye contacts the boat buddy II and the pin slides through the eye, no roll back and no problems.

[rebs]

I fish alone quite a bit and have a roller trailer, I drive it on and leave it in gear while I lean over the bow and attach the bow strap. no problem. Then I step from the boat to the dock and get in the truck. You have you back the trailer in close to the dock so you can get out of the boat on to the dock.
This was befor I got the boat buddy 2

[teamlund]

hands down bunk trailers are easier for a single person or multiple people. I have had both and I will never go back to a roller.

[eye4aneye]

hands down bunk trailers are easier for a single person or multiple people. I have had both and I will never go back to a roller.


Yep. I've owned a bunch of them, used even more, nothing loads like a high quality bunk trailer. Until you've owned a Ranger or Warrior or the like, you don't know what you're missing.

[ksx3]

Love my bunk and never going back to a non-custom. Have a prestige bunk now and its the bomb. Old trailer had glide slicks which made it slide on and off easier.