I was just reading the "rollers to bunks" thread (again) and noticing how the roller guys (that's me) defend their chioce because of the ease of launching and retrieveing and the bunk guys defend their choice because they feel that the boat gets better support and is less likely to leave the trailer at an inopportune time and location. So here's my thought (mostly in jest, but it could really work):

How about a boat trailer with both rollers and bunks? The rollers would normally be slightly below the level of the bunks but with an electric powered hydraulic system to raise them (it would only take an inch or two) for launching and retrieving the boat.

$$?

My trailer had rollers, but with a bunk trailer why couldn't you just back down a little further to make loading easier? If you backed down to the right depth you should just be able to idle the boat up to the bow stop, hook up your cable, then drive out.

Seems pretty simple to me and that way you'd have the ease of rollers with the support of bunks.

I'd suggest a lot of rollers thus giving better support and a system that enables them to be locked so the boat doesn't roll off at inopportune moments.

And I'd officially name them Rollerbunks!

I wasn't suggesting that we re-hash the bunks vs. roller issue, just thinking outside the box.

Its a pricing issue. Who wants to spend another 35% - 40% for a trailer?

GFC: There are some ramps that are not steep enough for this to be an option. I was once in a situation where I had the SUV burried as far as possible, water almost entering the cabin, but the trailer still needed to be deeper.

Not Fun....

Many bunk trailers already do have rollers:



**If they're installed correctly**
(I've seen many that are too low to ever touch the boat ), you get the best of both worlds. The roller supports the boats weight up front while the back is still partially floating off the bunks, making winching easier.

Neat idea, best of both worlds. But as some have mentioned $$$$ come into play

I really do not think that is the purpose of the roller noted in the picture. In my mind that roller is there to keep the forward part of the keel from striking the trailer crossmember until the V at the bow gets to a shallower angle to be properly supported by the bunks -- I think that is slightly different then the bunk vs roller discussion.

Well -- I took a closer look at that picture again -- and that one might be used where the boat has weight on it when fully loaded -- just shows that there are a lot of ways to configure things and get the same result of a boat loaded on a trailer --

well... if we're thinking outside the box, and throwing the excess $$ out.

What if the bunk boards themselfs, and the bow stand were on the rollers.

Say they can all be moved back about 2~3 feet. This would be like backing the trl in deeper but without putting your TV deeper in the water.

Then when hooked up, the winch pulls in the whole sch-bang!

Bunks don't neccesarily provide better support since they flex alot. Many heavier boats that use bunk trailers have the bunks standing on edge to make the bunk stiffer and therefore provide better support.

The ones on that trailer wouldn't touch my hull. At all.

I'm thinking like a complete set of wobble rollers to get the boat on and off easily, then they retract so the boat sits on bunks. Or the bunks raise up, take your pick.

(Keep in mind that I'm happy with my all roller trailer, I'm just toying with an idea to please everyone).

I think it depends somewhat on type of place you launch. We launch on a flat sandy beach so to go deep enough for bunks is difficult, also the bunk guys get sand on their bunks from the turbulance when lanching/recovering which leads to scratching on the hull where the bunks then rub as the boat goes on/off. I agree with the support comments though, so when I specified my new trailer, I went for maximum rollers - 104 on a 24ft boat!!!!

Also it was interesting having rollers with a stepped hull (Regal) so had them put on a pair of wheelbarrow type larger rollers at the front of each set of rollers to "lift" the step.