How far to submerse trailer

[trekker]

I've got an 18 foot Pro-V on a Karavan roller trailer. I've been told to not back it up so far that the wheel bearings are under water. Others so baloney, submerse them and make it easier to put the boat on and off. Opinions?

[BoxMN]

I'm in the baloney camp It is more important to find the right for your roller trailer so the boat comes on straight every time. For our 18' boat on Shorlandr trailer, that comes to backing in till the water is just over the rear light-step. Then it comes on perfect every time. Go deeper and it might float on a bit crooked, go shallower and it is harder to crank up.

But we never worry about submerging the hubs. Just keep the bearing buddies greased, or repack every fall, or both, and you won't have a problem. My two cents anyway They say you get what you pay for, hehe.

[18 inch Crappie]

You want your rear rollers just under the water, I see guys back a roller trailer in to the back of there truck . Once the boat is on the rollers it should slide right up,

[Cabela10]

I barely get the fender steps wet and I powerload a Lund 1750 on a shorelander trailer everytime.

[Jeremy airjer W]

I had the same question when I first had my boat. I was submerging most of the trailer at the time and for the most part on a less inclined shallow launch it would work fine. However on the steeper launches it would not work so good. I started paying more attention to the others loading similar boats onto similar trailers. They would back the first couple of rollers so they where submerged and then crank it up.

Turns out it is much easier there way! Now the rear rollers gets submerged and the boat gets cranked up!

[Musky_Madness]

Please don't powerload. Powerloading is so hard on the boat accesses. All you do is pull all the sand out from under those nice concrete bunks (when they're new and not abused) and make those things sink and crack and turn the access into a big gaping hole. You have rollers on your trailer; you don't need to powerload. It's not a wonder the DNR has stopped fixing the boat accesses.

[Kyle Sandberg]

I back the trailor up until the back of the boat is boayant. I have a bunk/roller trailor and loading it with the bunks out of the water is very difficult.

[pfluemis]

Quote:

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I've got an 18 foot Pro-V on a Karavan roller trailer. I've been told to not back it up so far that the wheel bearings are under water. Others so baloney, submerse them and make it easier to put the boat on and off. Opinions?

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How far to back the trailer into the water is totally dependent on the ramp. Shallow ramps require the trailer to go in farther becouse the back of the boat will not float as well. What you want to avoid is lifting the boat or pulling the bow down as it is being loaded onto the trailer. The boat should roll or slide up the trailer. Putting stress on the bow eye will transfer the stress into the hull. Not good. If you properly load your boat, you should not be able to tell the difference between a bunk trailer, and a roller trailer.

Actually, the old style bunk trailers with the keel rollers were the best trailers ever made. They were easy loading and offered far superior support compared to any non-custom trailer on the market today.