Trailer and boat ramp

[Bushwacker]

Originally Posted by cdavisdb

Best advice I can offer is: Don't skimp on the trailer. Spending significant money on something like a trailer seems crazy, but a poor one or one not well adapted to the ramp you are using can be an ongoing PIA that can really hurt your boating experience and cost you a lot of days on the water.

. . . If the ramp gets deeper very slowly (designed for bunks and looks like yours) can you get a roller trailer in deep enough to launch without getting the brakes/springs wet? If not, go bunk. . .

That's good advice from Connor. A bunk trailer is probably easier to set up, but if going with a roller type, I think the EZ Loader, with it's patented balanced roller system and pivoting cross members, is well worth the extra $ over a cheap imitation. Mine was about $1800, but dollars were much larger 1985! NO maintenance required on either the rollers (aluminum shafts w/nylon bushings) OR springs or bearings!

Regarding shallow ramps, the NPB Village Ramp pictured below which is close to me and the one I use most, has two different slopes. If tide is very high, trailer will be on shallow part of ramp but I've never had a problem launching there with the roller trailer at high tide, although the boat won't just roll off trailer when I release winch brake like it usually does . . . have to pull out winch cable by hand and push boat back a couple feet until CG gets to aft cross member with the big racks of 16 rollers. At that point, the rear cross member then rotates, and I have to use winch brake to keep it from coming off trailer too fast!

I had a bunk trailer with my first boat, and at extremely high tide at that ramp, I could not get it deep enough to float the boat off, even with wheels of the car in water!