Boat trailer rollers vs bunker

Ralph vaughn

Member
Nov 14, 2018
259
Atlanta Ga
Boat Info
2007 Sea Ray 290 radar & GPS, triple axle trailer. 2006 Sea Ray 280 radar & GPS & triple axle tlr
Engines
5.0 MPI closed cooling Sea Core engines & Bravo III outdrives
4.3 MPI with alpha outdrives
im getting a sea ray 2007 280 and will be purchasing a trailer. Which is better roller or bunker
 
Are you going to trailer it everywhere or will it be kept in a slip?

What are the ramps like where you intend to use it? (Short and steep?)
 
For a boat that big most are bunk trailers.

MM
I agree... for a 260 I had rollers up front and bunks in the back. That way you could winch it up with the stern floating then pull the trailer out and have the bunks support all the weight...it worked really well.....just so you didnt have to power up the trailer bunks...which alot of ramps frown on... here is a pic of what I am talking about

bunk.jpg
 
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Are you going to trailer it everywhere or will it be kept in a slip?

What are the ramps like where you intend to use it? (Short and steep?)
Mostly trailer every where . Hopefully we’ll paved boat ramps a combination of shallow and deep
 
I agree... for a 260 I had rollers up front and bunks in the back. That way you could winch it up with the stern floating then pull the trailer out and have the bunks support all the weight...it worked really well.....just so you didnt have to power up the trailer bunks...which alot of ramps frown on... here is a pic of what I am talking about

View attachment 63025


My solution for winching up all the way is to back down about 3 feet two times and winch it up.

You can see my trailer in the link above.

MM
 
My solution for winching up all the way is to back down about 3 feet two times and winch it up.MM
I understand... But some ramps are so gradual you have to go too deep with the truck...that's when rollers came in handy. There are so many combinations of boats trailers and ramps ...I don't think there is one answer.
 
If you come across really steep ramps it doesn't matter what trailer you have . A boat of that length makes a steep ram even worse.Bigger trailer boats like a 280 get better support from a bunker trailer and staying put until your ready to unload.Plus besides replacing the carpet when worn out on a bunk trailer there isn't much to them besides runner gear. The roller on the other hand does require maintenance and salt makes it even more work.
 
im getting a sea ray 2007 280 and will be purchasing a trailer. Which is better roller or bunker
I had a bunk trailer with full keel center support made by Load Master for my 2001 280. It was a triple Axel with 15 inch electric brakes on all 6 wheels. That trailer was extremely well built and tracked, towed and handled like a dream
 
IMG_2098.JPG
We used a bunk trailer for our Boston Whaler. The thinking locally was bunks provide more even support of the boat than rollers. Therefore bunks were considered better. Rollers subjected hulls to possible damage if boats were stored on them. Can't say that this was true, but people believed it to be true.
 
View attachment 63100 We used a bunk trailer for our Boston Whaler. The thinking locally was bunks provide more even support of the boat than rollers. Therefore bunks were considered better. Rollers subjected hulls to possible damage if boats were stored on them. Can't say that this was true, but people believed it to be true.

My Monaco has been on a roller trailer for 30+ years and shows no effects on the hull.

MM
 
I've been a boater for 50+ years. My first 3 rigs had full roller trailers. Then I bought a fishing boat and it came with a "free" trailer, and bunks were the only option. I launched it once, and then rebuilt the trailer with full rollers.

I like to back up only far enough to get the trailer wheels wet. Then, push the boat off with one finger. Retrieving has to be equally easy. If I need to get the car's wheels wet (or worse my feet), then the trailer (IMHO) needs to be fixed.

Roller trailers often get a bad rap. Eg., poor support, damage to hull, etc. My personal finding is that cheep roller trailers with insufficient number of rollers are the source of that belief. My specification is that no roller should carry more than 120 pounds of weight. If the trailer is balanced properly you should be able to turn each roller by hand.

My current boat / trailer combo was custom built so each roller will carry only 85 pounds. Too early to tell the long term outcome. But, the boat we just sold sat on an all roller trailer for 35 years (of course it met my specifications) and the hull was still as good as new.

My Boston Whaler has a factory OEM trailer that I updated with self leveling keel rollers, and glide slicks on the bunks. BW won't warranty an all roller trailer due to the specific hull construction. However, they DO approve of keel rollers. That setup works perfectly well for us, but of course its a small relatively light weight boat. A keel roller / bunk with slicks combo would be my only alternative, but only on a small boat.
If all I could get was a bunker, I'd buy property, and build a boathouse with a lift. No bunkers for me.

Just my opinion...
 
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I like to back up only far enough to get the trailer wheels wet. Then, push the boat off with one finger. Retrieving has to be equally easy. If I need to get the car's wheels wet (or worse my feet), then the trailer (IMHO) needs to be fixed.

Then you will never be able to trailer, launch, and retrieve a 270 DA. LOL

MM
 
General question, while I know they make them I have never seen a tri-axel roller trailer with a 270 or bigger boat. Have you? Would you want one?

MM
 

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