Keel Guard..SUV

Dave,

I had a similar problem with my trailers. On a low incline ramp I would get on with no problems. On steeper inclines I would hit the trailer with the hull.

I solved this by putting the boat on the trailer and making sure I had a couple inches between the hull and the crossmembers. Then I bolted on rollers that were pushed up snug to the hull. The first time I used it I came in sideways and the boat fell between the roller and a board and the hull caught the metal bracket. I lowered the rollers so the bracket was not above the crossmember and then lowered the wood and problem solved.

 

Extra Thick











You are beating a dead horse! We all have these problems!

 

You have more room than I have on mine. Go buy a roller and bracket and set it in place. Mine is so low that the shaft in the roller is below the crossmember. The roller is maybe 1 1/2" max above the crossmember. If you do need more space, add a board on top of the ones that are on there. That would give you an extra 1 1/2" for the roller.

 

Buy a large cutting board, cut it into strips, sand the edges round, and screw it down on top of the beam as a scuff pad.

 

Allow me to apologize to all interested parties, before starting this rant....  ;D

C'mon guys, this ain't rocket science.
It's a boat and a trailer.
All trailers have cross frames.
Been that way as far back as I can remember.

and yes, I can remember further back than a lot of ya'll have been alive. 

Maybe it's because I grew up in the era of galvanized break-frame trailers
and launching the trailer was a no-no, or maybe it's because
I've always bought used hulls and trailers and had to solve the problems
that come from dealing with that situation on a regular basis, it's an easy fix!
If the boat is hitting a cross frame with the forefoot or keel, it needs a roller.
Doesn't matter if it's the first frame, the second frame, the third frame or the tongue.
Fiberglass hull contacting metal trailer components makes for hull damage.
If centering the hull on the trailer is difficult, add a walkboard to the trailer
so you can get back there and line the bow up on the roller. Use that winch
instead of trying to crash the hull onto the trailer and hope you've got it centered.
Yeah, I know, it's a float-on/drive on trailer and that's how it's supposed to be done,
but guys, if it ain't working for ya', then get out of the boat, line it up with the rollers
and then winch that hull up and avoid damaging that fiberglass and gelcoat.
A float-on is for use at an improved ramp with a properly designed incline.
If the ramp is too steep or too flat, then ya'll are gonna have to adapt.
Stop trying to ram a hull onto a trailer, at ramps that weren't designed by a qualified engineer.
Add rollers and a walkboard and a power winch, if the manual winch is too much work.
This is not a difficult problem to deal with. If you launch at a ramp where you can't
sink the trailer, so you don't hit the cross frames, add rollers/winch/walkboard!
It's not the trailer, it's the ramp you're using.

There...I feel better now....rant over.... [smiley=happy.gif]

 

I just get out of the boat hook up the strap and crank it up on the trailer. No matter the ramp if you do it by hand it will go over the cross members with out damaging the boat. Ive got one of the first suv's made and no damage. I just dont drive it on the trailer. The roller will for sure help, but I would still hand crank it. Also put the wax on the bunks like Brett has mentioned in the past and it make life real easy when loading. Just be care full unloading make sure the safety chain is on till the boat is in the water.

 

http://www.microskiff.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1329683684/0#0

scrap keel guard angle is to severe and will come off

 

Two things to add to your list....

Stainless steel roller shafts and waterproof grease to lube them with.
That way you never end up with a bound roller that won't rotate due to corrosion.
Stainless and grease in salt or brackish areas prevents a lot of problems.

 

I know this has turned into a trailer thread..as it should obviously the trailer is the problem however...for an almost indestructable keel guard check out

www.sarasotalinex.com

Linex and this shop have developed and perfected marine application of the linex for keel guards and non skid deck coatings. Similar to the truck bed liner material this stuff is TOUGH, TOUGH, TOUGH. They can computer match the color of their product to your hull color and even inlay designs.

Im soon ordering a new boat being built on the west coast and will be taking it to Linex of Sarasota as soon as I take delivery to have a color matched keel guard sprayed on.

Good luck with your trailer issues.

 

get some marine tex and tint if you need to and fix the "ding" it is easy to do and nobody will see it

 

So lemme get this straight, they did not put the right roller kit on it to start with or is this change something that was determined to work better after your particular trailer went out? If it was supposed to be on it to begin with why are they are charging you? Plus they are dragging their feet? Unless I'm missing something I'd be taking my money elsewhere.

Swamp