Rollers on aluminum boats vs bunks

[Fish4ever]

I was just reading were a member said you shouldn't get a roller trailer with aluminum boat with rivits. Do to rolling over the rivits over and over through out the years will cause rivits to leak, So what about those plasic slip plates. You guys think that would be the same.
I had them on my 1775 for 12 years and no problems other than I did notice paint wearing. But were nice for that extra 6 or 12 inches you might need sometimes to get your boat up all the way to the stop when loading.
My new boat should be here any day now and I was thinking about seting it up the same way.

[MNLund]

Originally Posted by Fish4ever

I was just reading were a member said you shouldn't get a roller trailer with aluminum boat with rivits. Do to rolling over the rivits over and over through out the years will cause rivits to leak, So what about those plasic slip plates. You guys think that would be the same.
I had them on my 1775 for 12 years and no problems other than I did notice paint wearing. But were nice for that extra 6 or 12 inches you might need sometimes to get your boat up all the way to the stop when loading.
My new boat should be here any day now and I was thinking about seting it up the same way.

With all respect to the other member, i dont buy the leak comment. Plenty of very old rivited alum boats sitting on roller trailers out there with no leaks at all.

[LLewellin]

Originally Posted by MNLund

With all respect to the other member, i dont buy the leak comment. Plenty of very old rivited alum boats sitting on roller trailers out there with no leaks at all.

I agree, 1000's of older to old.... aluminum boats on roller trailers with no issues. My family has had 8-10 aluminum boats on rollers and never an issue.

[1860Angler]

Never heard of there ever being a problem with riveted boats and roller trailers. If that's try, the same could be said about the rivets rubbing on the bunks of a bunk trailer. I don't buy it, rollers or bunks either one will work for an aluminum riveted boat.

[Fish4ever]

I agree wiith all of you. I never had an issue,and some of those rivets slid across those plastic slide plates all the time.

[MNLund]

Fish - what are plastic slide plates?

[Fish4ever]

The ones I had on my old boat was Bass Pro E-Z Slide Trailer Pads. They mount on top of your carpeted bunks, so as to let you slide your boat easier on your bunks. I could get that extra little bit I needed to get boat up aganst the wench stop. Also on shallow lakes I could push the boat off by hand and in to the water. When there new they work awsome. You have to keep boat chained or latched until you in the water some. Just like a roller trailer. After awhile they loose there slipreyness. But still work. I never tried spraying them with silicone. That might bring them back to life. But all in all they worked ok.
I think i'm going to try spraying my bunks with silicone once as someone mentioned on here. If that works good I don't know if I will spend the extra money for the slide pads.

[T Mac]

The mfgs of those slide pads recommend that you NOT use them for riveted boats.
I have in the past. No doubt... they make launching and power loading, a breeze
However, now that I am retired and get to launch and load my boats a lot more, I don't use them..
They do shine up the rivet heads in time. Just like they shine up the welding irregularity spots on my jet/jon boat.
I haven't used them on my Lund for a few years, now.

As to the original question... No, I have never seen a modern roller trailer have any adverse effect on a riveted boat...?

[MNLund]

Originally Posted by Fish4ever

The ones I had on my old boat was Bass Pro E-Z Slide Trailer Pads. They mount on top of your carpeted bunks, so as to let you slide your boat easier on your bunks. I could get that extra little bit I needed to get boat up aganst the wench stop. Also on shallow lakes I could push the boat off by hand and in to the water. When there new they work awsome. You have to keep boat chained or latched until you in the water some. Just like a roller trailer. After awhile they loose there slipreyness. But still work. I never tried spraying them with silicone. That might bring them back to life. But all in all they worked ok.
I think i'm going to try spraying my bunks with silicone once as someone mentioned on here. If that works good I don't know if I will spend the extra money for the slide pads.

I got you. I thought from your original post you were refering to plastic plates on a roller trailer, that is what confused me. You were talking about on a bunk trailer. I'm with you now.

[ohiojmj]

My fear of boat prematurely slipping off bunks on launch and for having to stop, get out to unhook with slippery bunks exceeds my perceived benefit of easier winching the last 1 foot after power loading. Different boats, launches, winches, trailers, etc. will generate other conclusions.