Best Drive on boat trailer

[henno]

Hi

I am in the market for a new trailer for my plate alloy boat. It is about 5.8m long. I have previously used a power winch to retrieve my boat but I find this a bit fussy and not too easy to do by myself. My present trailer is not easy to drive on to and I have even had experienced people have a go and they had problems too. So I was wondering what people thought was the best or easiest trailer that they thought was the best for driving onto? Also anybody suggest a good and simple boat catch for securing the boat for single handed retrieves?

[Tracker]

what type of trailer have you got now?pics would be good,and where do you put it in and out?

[TimiBoy]

My Mayfair was ordinary, before I took out the keel rollers (685 Cruisecraft). But have a look at a skid trailer - a couple of guys here use them and swear by them. Maker unknown...

Cheers,

Tim

[henno]

Thanks guys - I didn't know if I could mention brand names here or not. The trailer is made by a company that has the same name as the one that makes Jumbo Jets. It does have skids but the boat does seem to sit on it like a pimple on a pumpkin. I was wondering about an Easytow or a Dunbier?

[STUIE63]

I have a dunbier roller and it is a good trailer and very easy to drive on but if I had a platey then I would look at a trailer like Alchemy got from origin for his boat http://www.originboats.com.au/trailers.html
Stuie

[Fed]

I have previously used a power winch to retrieve my boat but I find this a bit fussy and not too easy to do by myself.
You're doing something very wrong, where were you having problems with the winch?

[henno]

Hi Fed In windy conditions or wave surges it was difficult to attach the cable and keep boat reasonably square on to the trailer by myself

[Captain Seaweed]

FMS makes great trailers even though I run a aluminium Dunbier. It comes down to set up too as long as rollers are set up well and there i a good set to catch and line you up, the rest will come down to practice.

Cheers
Marty

[Fed]

henno if the wind & waves are giving you problems then driving on isn't going to be any easier.

Are you sinking the trailer too deep?
Try keeping the rear trailer roller just out of the water when retrieving, the boat will pull itself straight from any angle even if the boat is at right angles to the trailer.
You only need to get the bow of the boat at the rear roller and you're done.
I stand in 12" of water at the back of the trailer when I load up, piece of cake.

[Reel'em in]

I use a EasyTow trailer under a 6.7 plate boat and driving on is quite easy. I drive the boat half way up, let it settle, then drive all the way up to the winch post. Only ever had to winch on once, in a very swift side on current down at Yamba.

[FishHunter]

Tinka classic

[truth stretcher]

I'll give another vote for an easytow, Ive never had a drive on trailer before and mine seems very easy even for a novice like me. But if you buy one dont get it with MEHER brakes my trailer has had both side caliper springs break already and its probably done less than 100km.

[Out-Station]

Henno, there would be heaps of good reputable possibilities out there. I recon one thing that makes driving on easier is a design that has no keel rollers. Reason being that on some trailers (not all) when there are keel rollers the nose of the boat gets up on the first one and it acts like a pivot, and encourages the stern to go eather way to the side untill you get further up and the side rollers (or skids) come into play. No keel rollers you just keep powering on up there and the whole show straightens itself. I have a 32 roller (no keel rollers) belco under a 5.5 platey, works great.

As metioned, key thing is being shallow enough for the back of the trailer to contact the nose of the boat and hence do its "self aligning" job rather than floating over the top of it when the trailer is to deep.

This is my thoughts anyway.

Scott

[johncar]

I am happy with my current Dunbier Alloy trailer for either drive on/off or winch on/roll off, Also had a Tinka Classic and Belco full multiroller which were good for drive on drive off. The Dunbier has weight advantages and lower maintenance (hopefully) though.

My current trailer is fairly forgiving and a combination of Multi roller and keel but the keel rollers don't start at the rear of the trailer which is important.

Some pics tell a better story:

http://i610.photobucket.com/albums/tt187/johncar/Tournament%202100%20Walkaround/BILD1707.jpg



http://i610.photobucket.com/albums/tt187/johncar/Tournament%202100%20Walkaround/BILD1705.jpg

http://i610.photobucket.com/albums/tt187/johncar/Tournament%202100%20Walkaround/BILD1704.jpg

[henno]

Thanks for the pics johncar - What model is this one?

[gofishin]

If experienced people have tried and had problems too, then I will assume that trailer depth is not a problem.

Trailer design is not rocket science, but not all trailers (or models) are created equal! If the trailer is in good condition then it will be far cheaper to modify/buy parts for to make it a good/easy to use trailer!

Pictures of your trailer (without the boat) would be worth a thousand words!
Cheers

[johncar]

Thanks for the pics johncar - What model is this one?

Hi Henno,
It's a Dunbier Alloy Glider series: Model AGR6.5M-13TB

Their web page:
http://www.dunbier.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=65

I didn't realise that they only make them for 6.5 to 7.5m, sorry but if your platey is a big 5.8 it would possibly be ok on the 6.5m model. My boat is 6.25m and barely fits on. so long as the winch post could go back far enough it could work.

[Cootac]

Here is one, Very simple the way it should be after days fishing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NemdhK41ZPo&feature=related

[buck66]

As a few have said Easytow make a great drive on trailer. Never had a problem with the meher brakes other than replacing the pads after 12 month's, which is par for the course. Pretty sure mine is a WM19 for memory and I can't say enough about it, even my old man who has been around boats since the early 60's reckon its pretty damn good!

Regards Buck...

[henno]

Thanks buck66

[krazyfisher]

I have had a few trailers and they all work ok if set up well some just need afew more rollers or slides and a bit more time setting up. I your trailer is not working well you would be better to get it set up by someone, providing it is in good nic and worth spending money on