Converting rollers to bunks

[Nelly]

Anybody done this?

I have a 17' Key West that is a very modest v-hull, and relatively light. Boat was on a roller trailer when I got it. It rolls on and off nicely, and I don't have any complaints about how it launches/loads.

But the roller hardware is old and rusty, and the black rollers mark the hull when loading. I'm thinking that if I don't replace the rollers, I'm going to pay the price at the ramp one of these days.

The boat really seems well suited for a bunk trailer, and I'm not sure why it's on rollers in the first place. Bunks seem like better option given the lower maintenance, better weight distribution, etc.

Any insights/pointers would be greatly appreciated.

[JennyB]

Yup, pretty easy to do and I have found life with bunks is much, much easier than with rollers. Key is watching the angel at which you load the boat.

Here's what I did... I went with 4 bunks that were connected to the trailer in the same general vicinity of where the rollers were located.

If the boat is on the trailer currently, you may just want to splash it in the water rather than jack it assuming you don't have to trailer far.

Know that you will likely have to adjust the placement of bunks after loading the boat back onto trailer to make sure it is sitting correctly e.g. make sure rear bunks end reasonably near the transom for proper support. Also, because of the differing height of bunks versus rullers, you may want to add a keel roller to help guide boat over cross bars - but may not be an issue.

Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions.

[Kuskus68]

A easy way to is to measure out from your boats centerline where your rollers are and mark hull.This will give you a good starting point.
This is what I did when I bought a new trailer,.