Best location for 26S bow lifting roller on trailer?

[Cruiser1]

I am wanting to put a roller on my trailer for lifting the bow slightly when loading. I am having the usual difficulty of pulling the boat up tight on the front winch post rubber V block. If someone could tell me how far back I should located the roller from a perpendicular line dropped off the front of the bow it would be much appreciated?

My current plan is to put a bar across the trailer and place an adjustable roller on the rear side of the bar and an adjustable V support on the front side of the bar. The idea is that the roller assists in lifting the bow but the V support takes the weight in a more distrubuted fashion when the boat if finally pulled up tight. How does that theory sound?

 

[Sumner]

I have some info here...

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor/trailer-mods-7.htm
l
....and a measurement that might help. It helps for sure loading, but still once up on land the boat will slide back slightly from the V. I also turned the winch upside down from what it was and that helps with the angle.

We have driven over 2000 miles .....

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/FL-fall-2010/FL-Fall-10-1.html

......with it just behind the V with no problems. I do have a safety chain on the bow incase the strap broke and strap....

...the rear of the boat also. Now with the third bunk it would be very hard for the boat to move rearward.

Good luck,

Sum

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Our MacGregor S Pages

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[Cruiser1]

Quote Sumner: "I have some info here...

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sum...ler-mods-7.htm
l
....and a measurement that might help"

You guys are legends - what a fantastic trip !! I have also been following your 'soon to be' new aquisition - more dreams unfolding.

I can't seem to open the above link Sumner - I guess that link has the measurments in it?

My boat currently sits 6-8" back from the V bumper. Although I keep it mast up at the Marina storage I would still like to have the bow a bit more forward - and certainly so when I trailer it on the road.

 

[Sumner]

See if this helps...

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor/trailer-mods-index.html

....go down the page a ways,

Sum

 

[Cruiser1]

Thanks very much for that 65" measurement Sumner. In between posts I have just found a comment I had noted earlier, from eyeballing the situation some time back, that I had estimated the roller should be about 47-51" back from the front of the rub rail - obviously not enough. I can now see why you mounted the cross member underneath the trailer side - in order to get the roller lower down and under the flatter section of the keel.

I have been thinking I might perhaps weld angle iron brackets onto the end of the tubing and thus let the weight rest on the top edge of the trailer sides to take all the weight - then just one light bolt either side to hold it in place and not comprimise the strength of the trailer sides.

 

[Sumner]

Thanks very much for that 65" measurement Sumner. In between posts I have just found a comment I had noted earlier, from eyeballing the situation some time back, that I had estimated the roller should be about 47-51" back from the front of the rub rail - obviously not enough. I can now see why you mounted the cross member underneath the trailer side - in order to get the roller lower down and under the flatter section of the keel.

I have been thinking I might perhaps weld angle iron brackets onto the end of the tubing and thus let the weight rest on the top edge of the trailer sides to take all the weight - then just one light bolt either side to hold it in place and not comprimise the strength of the trailer sides.

You could put much bigger holes than that in the rails and not compromise strength. They do it all the time in race cars and airplanes. The bolt holes won't matter at all. In fact that far forward on the boat the load will be very little.

Once the boat is out of the water and on the bunks I want the boat just touching or not touching the bow roller. The bunks are designed to take the weight of the boat.

The roller mainly helps coming out of the water to guide the bow up. The water is still supporting most of the trailer. Then when you pull out it settles on the bunks and rotates on them and that is when it comes back from the V.

Good luck,

Sum

 

[Cruiser1]

You could put much bigger holes than that in the rails and not compromise strength. They do it all the time in race cars and airplanes. The bolt holes won't matter at all. In fact that far forward on the boat the load will be very little.
Sum

Thanks for that pointer Sumner - I'll try not to get too hung up about puting a few bolt holes in places on the trailer.

The roller mainly helps coming out of the water to guide the bow up.Sum

Yes I was actually thinking of using one of those rollers with the counter-rotating groves to help guide the bow on straight.

 

[Timo42]

I made mine with a piece of 3" channel laid on top of the frame rails. right now it's held on with u-bolts so I can adjust it to fit. made the channel longer than necessary on one side so I can mount a spare tire.

 

[Cruiser1]

I made mine with a piece of 3" channel laid on top of the frame rails. right now it's held on with u-bolts so I can adjust it to fit. made the channel longer than necessary on one side so I can mount a spare tire.

Hi Timo: I assume that, because your rail is on top of the trailer frame, you must have the roller a lot further forward than Sumner does (ie. 65" back from perpendicular line down from front of rub rail) ??