Keel Rollers v. Keel Bunks

Repair or modification of Boston Whaler boats, their engines, trailers, and gear
Jcomeau0
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Keel Rollers v. Keel Bunks

Postby Jcomeau0 » Sun Oct 23, 2022 9:18 am

Q1: between using keel rollers or full length keel bunks, which would be better?

It seems to me, and I’m no expert, that three or four keel rollers aren’t fully supporting the keel as well as keel bunks would.

ASIDE
I just purchased a 1988 Revenge 22 W-T with Whaler Drive. I have a bunk trailer with no keel support of any type, neither bunks nor rollers.

I believe Boston Whaler suggests keel support on the trailer.

I see many people have trailers with keel rollers on the cross members and non-load bearing bunks off centered from the keel.

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Phil T
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Re: Revenge 22 Trailer Set Up

Postby Phil T » Sun Oct 23, 2022 12:10 pm

If you have doubled up bunks you are fine. This is a float-on style. There is a good primer article in the reference section.
https://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/trailering/trailer.html

Bunks with keel rollers is the other type. Helps launch boat in a little less water.

Show us photos of your trailer.
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Jcomeau0
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Re: Revenge 22 Trailer Set Up

Postby Jcomeau0 » Sun Oct 23, 2022 7:45 pm

Phil T wrote:If you have doubled up bunks you are fine. This is a float-on style. There is a good primer article in the reference section.
https://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/trailering/trailer.html

Bunks with keel rollers is the other type. Helps launch boat in a little less water.

Show us photos of your trailer.


Thanks Phil, I dont have any photos of my actual trailer.

Below is the link to the same model and bunk set up that I have. I want to modify it to properly support the keel.

Q2: what would be my best option?

Thanks.

https://www.diamondmarine.net/New-Inven ... ut-5418714

jimh
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Re: Keel Rollers v. Keel Bunks

Postby jimh » Mon Oct 24, 2022 9:56 am

The trailer shown in the link given above has a few problems.

I don’t like the 15-inch tires. They raise the height of the whole trailer. The higher the boat off the highway the more towing problems, such as wind resistance, minimum vertical clearance, reduced stability when towing, more immersion to float off.

The big bunks may also be too high, raising the boat farther off the trailer than necessary. Also, the bunks will need to be beveled to match the shape of the hull.

The shape of the crossmembers looks odd, and installing keel roller brackets will be awkward.

The bunks extend a foot or more beyond the trailer frame. With a Whaler Drive boat that will put the trailer lamps well under the end of the hull and the outboard engines.

The load rating of 5,200-lbs seems right, but that trailer just looks very big and tall.

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Phil T
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Re: Keel Rollers v. Keel Bunks

Postby Phil T » Mon Oct 24, 2022 10:40 am

J -

Note that Jim has a Revenge 22 for many years and has extensive short and long distance towing experience.

Agree with comments on bunks, lights and height.

With I beam trailer and those extending bunks the cantilevered weight relies on the bunks. Gives me the hebee geebees.

I would look at galvanized trailers for the frame problems.

I would caution you to shop dealers HARD as prices vary, even for same make,model of trailer between dealers. Think new car shopping. Personally I think that price is high.
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Jcomeau0
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Re: Keel Rollers v. Keel Bunks

Postby Jcomeau0 » Mon Oct 24, 2022 11:05 am

Thanks for the replies.

I’m not buying a brand new trailer that costs more than the boat. I had this trailer from a previous boat. I’m interested in the best set up to properly support my Revenge. I was looking for advice on the keel support. I’ll gladly remove or shorten or adjust the existing bunks. It wasn’t set up for this boat.

I don’t understand why I got the vertical clearance reply.

Q3: is the boat going to be so high as to hit an overpass?

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Phil T
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Re: Keel Rollers v. Keel Bunks

Postby Phil T » Mon Oct 24, 2022 11:30 am

All that being said, I would cut the bunks for the hull.

Position the bunks as low as practical.

I would also look into installing double 12" keel rollers on each crossmember. That would help make launch/retrieval easier.

For trailering, I would also install some temporary tail lights and mount them on the WD transom wall.
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jimh
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Re: Keel Rollers v. Keel Bunks

Postby jimh » Mon Oct 24, 2022 5:03 pm

Jcomeau0 wrote:Q3: is the boat going to be so high as to hit an overpass?
Minimizing the overall height of the boat on the trailer is useful. It helps the boat fit under garage doors, under porticos at a motel in a strange town when you pull in at 2 a.m. after 500-miles of highway towing, and it helps get under low branches that overhang the narrow road to remote launch ramps.

But the most important and most often occurring situation is when you want to climb up into the boat when it is on he trailer. If you put the chine line of the hull one-inch above the top of the fender, getting onto the boat when it’s on the trailer will be much easier.

Jcomeau0
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Re: Keel Rollers v. Keel Bunks

Postby Jcomeau0 » Wed Nov 02, 2022 9:27 am

I’m still assembling my trailer. I’ve installed double keel rollers on three cross members. I’m not doing the front cross member until I pick up the boat so as to be sure it has the height to support the forward keel. I may end up using flat bunks in that forward area. I’ve also shortened the height and length of the rear bunks. They will be used to balance the hull only. At this point it seems that only the WD and engines will hang over the rear of the trailer.

Q4: is a Whaler Drive usually transported [without actual support under it from the trailer]?

Q5: what is the width measurement from outside chine to chine? I want to be sure with clearance to the fenders. Thank you.

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Re: Keel Rollers v. Keel Bunks

Postby jimh » Thu Nov 03, 2022 9:11 am

Jcomeau0 wrote:Q4: is a Whaler Drive usually transported [without actual support under it from the trailer]?
Yes. The bottom of the Whaler Drive is significantly higher than the keel or the hull, and it generally hangs unsupported. It might be possible to have some sort of custom made add-on frame that could attach to the trailer frame and extend farther back to support the Whaler Drive after the boat has been loaded on the trailer and then removed before launching the boat, but I have never seen that done.

I do recall that one Whaler Drive owner indicated he had bunks on his trailer that supported the Whaler Drive. I suspect that this meant the boat would need to deeply submerged when launched so the Whaler Drive could float off the trailer at the stern. Also loading of the boat on the trailer would probably be rather interesting, as the boat would have to be pulled onto the trailer with the stern of the boat still afloat, then eventually dropped down onto the bunks as the boat came up the ramp. It also would mean the trailer frame would need to extend well beyond the end of the hull. You would need to size the trailer for a 25-foot or larger boat in order to be able to have a second tier of bunks for the Whaler Drive at the very back end of the trailer.

My own boat with Whaler Drive has no support under the Whaler Drive on the trailer, and it has been that way since 1990 when the boat was made. The boat has spent the great majority of its 32-year sitting on that trailer, and I don't see any sign of a problem with the Whaler Drive attachment to the hull. To clarify, my boat only has a single engine. If the boat had heavy twin engines, I would probably be more concerned about long term storage without support.

Jcomeau0
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Re: Keel Rollers v. Keel Bunks

Postby Jcomeau0 » Sat Nov 19, 2022 5:53 pm

Thanks for all the advice. I ended up installing two [paired] 12-inch STOLZ roller [sets] on the rear three cross members. There wasn’t a problem from the dip in the crossmembers.

I’ll send pics for future reference next time I have the boat off the trailer.

I have the bunks installed flush with the rear of the trailer for balance only. There’s no down weight on them at all.

I am debating on what to do at the bow roller. I may go with a single 8-inch STOLZ roller set up that I already have. Some sort of extended bracket will be needed to raise the roller to the proper height.

I might just go with centering bunks close to the keel.

I’ll keep you all posted. Thanks again.