Trailer bunk adjustment

[OldToys]

Recently purchased this setup. The boat is a 1995 BR SS. In 2006 the owner sold his lakefront property and bought a trailer. It has been on the trailer like this since, but I don't think it is "correct". I will use it a lot more than he ever did and am thinking I should probably get the bunks off the strakes and get the keel up off the trailer cross-member, right?

Thank you guys for any input!

 

[JimG]

Yep, definitely not right. Would be nice to get the keel up, but it does not look like you have any height adjustment in those bunk mounts.

 

[Thornton69]

Agree. Not right.
Not familiar with your boat, but for a 22', a max carry capacity of 4600 lbs sounds a bit light. The trailer looks to be in nice condition. If it is boarder line too light, I would look to sell it and step up to a bigger one before I started modifying anything. Do you have scales near you that you could check it? Don't forget to include fuel, water and your gear.

 

[blaster]

Dry weight on the 220br is 4370lbs. That only leaves about 200# for gear and fuel/water. It’s right on the line. Too bad the previous owner didn’t pony up for 3500# axels.

 

[Creekwood]

The bunks look messed up. The farthest away from the camera the left and right mounts to the frame are not in the same bolt position. The one on the left is more inboard. Can't tell about the other side. You don't want the keel on the cross member, especially if that is the stern end of the boat. The bow has more deadrise angle and the keel would potentially rub all the way along as you load the boat and the bunks won't bear the weight right. Plus the way it is aligned, the boat will not go on the bunks straight and the pressure on the strakes will make it hard to winch the boat up to the stop. Proper set up is needed for sure.

 

[OldToys]

Well crap. Here I was thinking I just needed to fix the setup and you guys tell me it's the completely wrong trailer!

Next time I am out with it I'll try to get to a truckstop and put it on the scales. The brochure that came in the enormous pile of papers the previous owner passed along says Dry Weight of 3700. I'm not sure what all that includes as there's different seating configurations and engine options, so it's possible the 4370 Blaster quoted is true as well. Maybe the 3700 is w/o engine?

Creekwood - I did notice that the bunks are not in the same position on the stern. I'm hopeful that I can correct that and move the bow ends closer to the center and get a little clearance between the keel and the crossmember. The stern end of the keel is not touching, it's fully supported on the bunks. It loads and unloads very easily at the one ramp I've used, but that ramp is pretty steep. The stern is floating before the front fender is fully submerged.

If anyone has the correct trailer for a 220 and wouldn't mind taking some pics of a proper setup that would be highly appreciated. I'll take some tools with me to the ramp this weekend and make what adjustments I can. I've never tried to lift a boat on jacks and I'm not sure I want to do it on something this size without experienced supervision.

 

[Creekwood]

You can block your boat up without jacks, just using the trailer.
Drop the tongue jack down as low as it can go, which raises the stern of the boat. Then block the hull on both sides right at the back. Then raise the tongue as high as it goes and block the keel near the bow. Then drop the tongue jack and you boat will be suspended above the trailer. It might give you enough room to adjust things properly.

 

[blaster]

Well crap. Here I was thinking I just needed to fix the setup and you guys tell me it's the completely wrong trailer!

Next time I am out with it I'll try to get to a truckstop and put it on the scales. The brochure that came in the enormous pile of papers the previous owner passed along says Dry Weight of 3700. I'm not sure what all that includes as there's different seating configurations and engine options, so it's possible the 4370 Blaster quoted is true as well. Maybe the 3700 is w/o engine?

Creekwood - I did notice that the bunks are not in the same position on the stern. I'm hopeful that I can correct that and move the bow ends closer to the center and get a little clearance between the keel and the crossmember. The stern end of the keel is not touching, it's fully supported on the bunks. It loads and unloads very easily at the one ramp I've used, but that ramp is pretty steep. The stern is floating before the front fender is fully submerged.

If anyone has the correct trailer for a 220 and wouldn't mind taking some pics of a proper setup that would be highly appreciated. I'll take some tools with me to the ramp this weekend and make what adjustments I can. I've never tried to lift a boat on jacks and I'm not sure I want to do it on something this size without experienced supervision.

The dry weight depends on options the boat has. The number I listed was everything including a 454 big block motor. It is very possible your boat is lighter and the trailer you have will be okay when set up properly.

The scale weight is the only way to be sure.

 

[dvx216]

Have you considered moving the bunks you already have to the inside of the rib and make another set for the outside. etrailer will have everything you need to install another set of bunks. That or get risers and mount and move the bunks you have now out were they should be.

 

[Lazy Daze]

The trailer you have there is a ShoreLand'r trailer and it was originally produced for a Sea Ray boat - just not your model/year Sea Ray. Because it was produced for a specific model, it's not as adjustable as some of the "erector set" trailers out there - but in the end, it's also a much better built trailer. That said, start by moving the front crossmember mount to that inboard crossmember hole. Use the inboard hole in the mount. There "might" be enough flexibility to just do that - otherwise, you'll need to unscrew the boards and reposition, then re-screw. That may just raise the bow keel enough - if you can get a few inches of clearances, you're good. The next step would be to add an 18" length of 2x6 between the board and the mount.

 

[JHornsby3]

You can block your boat up without jacks, just using the trailer.
Drop the tongue jack down as low as it can go, which raises the stern of the boat. Then block the hull on both sides right at the back. Then raise the tongue as high as it goes and block the keel near the bow. Then drop the tongue jack and you boat will be suspended above the trailer. It might give you enough room to adjust things properly.

My 300DA is sitting above the center bunks by about 2". The trailer has two stern bunks that sit right at the trim tabs, about 3' long. And two that are 12' long about midway from keel centerline and side of boat. The two mid bunks are loose and weren't supporting the boat in any way. So it was just sitting on the bow at the rollers at the winch and the two at the transom.

So do you think just blocking the keel at the transom and lowering just enough to lower the transom bunks would put too much strain on things? I would feel better having the weight across all the bunks and the keel sitting on the bunks and not "floating".

 

[89P270]

Your boat doesnt weigh enough that its a big problem. I would move the bunks off the strakes as noted above. To get the bow off the cross member, just consider putting a spacer between that front bunk mount and the bunk itself. figure something like a 1-2 inch spacer would do the trick. Photo appears to show rear part of bunks are located good (meaing off the strake already) and therefore are located properly. A second set bunks outboard of the current set certainly would be another upgrade too. Raise the boat off the rear lowering the tongue as noted above and block. Once that's done, use a 3 ton jack with rubber protector to lift the boat and block. Complete the adjustments, and lower back down in reverse order. Keep the setup you have. Its a good one. 4000lb on 4600lb trailer is good. Just run 1/2 full fuel when towing. Total weight is 5K with trailer so make sure you have at least D rated. I would replace though with E rated if it were me.

 

[OldToys]

Well, it's been a good while since I started this thread and I still don't have all the bunk issues figured out. I have made some progress: the boat is sitting level port/starboard, the bunks are even, and I'm not sitting on the strakes anymore. Now I am trying to get the bow keel off of the crossmember and keel pad. I unload/load 2-3 times a week in the summer and the pad has almost worn through.

I would like to find some bunk bolsters like the back two, which are taller than the front one. I think that would give me enough lift without having to resort to a 2x6 spacker under the front of the bunk.

I've scoured the internet and the Shoreland'r website but I can't seem to find anything. Does anyone know where I could find a pair?

 

[Lazy Daze]

Find a local Shoreland'r dealer and give them the VIN of your trailer and what you're looking for.

 

[Thornton69]

Are those marks on the keel from crossmember contact while loading?
You have more patience than me to still be struggling with this trailer.

 

[Lazy Daze]

Another option is to get generic bunk support brackets.

 

[JHornsby3]

So here is a thought. Instead of the bracket that is mounted to the trailer frame, how about the bracket that is attached to the bunk then to the support bracket? that might be an easier one to find. Or have made.

 

[Scott215]

Can you just double up on the existing bunks with 2x6 pressure treated and re carpet before or after

 

[Scott215]

That Wii give you an inch and a half in hieght

 

[OldToys]

Are those marks on the keel from crossmember contact while loading?
You have more patience than me to still be struggling with this trailer.

Nope. That's from a repair that I did previously. I didn't have quite enough gelcoat to completely fill the hole. It's a lot better than it was when I started though! See this thread for the before and after:

http://www.clubsearay.com/index.php?threads/color-code-for-1995-br.101521/#post-1181443

As for the patience, I've been using the boat and not worrying about the trailer that much. It's been setup wrong for many years, so I haven't been in a hurry.

Can you just double up on the existing bunks with 2x6 pressure treated and re carpet before or after

That's the approach of last resort. I'd prefer to find a set of the right brackets. If I can't then I'll add a spacer.

So here is a thought. Instead of the bracket that is mounted to the trailer frame, how about the bracket that is attached to the bunk then to the support bracket? that might be an easier one to find. Or have made.

I've found a couple of those that might work. I was hoping to find the lower bracket though. I know they exist, cause the trailer already has 4 of them on it, they are just on the stern sides of the bunk. I don't know why they didn't use the taller ones for all 6 supports.

Find a local Shoreland'r dealer and give them the VIN of your trailer and what you're looking for.

Yeah, my local guy was no help. He said the trailer is too old for them to have details on it. I'll have to find a bigger dealer and hope they are better.