I have been told by trailer manufacturers that the weight of the keel should
be supported by the pan (roller in this case) and the bunks or pads should
carry the weight of the balance of the boat.
I am in the process of repairing the bunks and keel guides on my 1980
Trail-Rite and am adding the center bunk support at the crossmember, chamfering
the
ends of the bunks (fore and aft) and may add foam to the bunks. The supports
on my particular trailer are no where near the contour of the boat and this
is being corrected to address the 'deflection' problem.
PS. I have sold, in a previous life, literally hundreds of Trail-Rite
trailers and would buy another one over virtually ALL manufacturers! (even the
'designer' types I have seen are no where near the quality of a Trail-Rite)
NFIW.
IMHO - The keel guides should be substantial material and as close to the
bottom of the hull as reasonably possible when the boat is loaded. I have used
3" channel for the forward upright and a tab welded to the rear bunk support
topped off by a 2x4 or 6 (clear) for the guide itself. Rear tab located as
high as possible on the upright and the forward support carrying the board
itself within an inch or two of the bottom of the hull. After trying and
installing many variations and combinations on the theme (goal posts-keel
guides-side
rails) it is my view to use a well fitted set of keel guides only as they
minimize collateral damage when loading in a survival situation. JMO and worth
the price of admission.
I will send photos to Bill M when the project is comp.
Good Day Have Fun! What the [EMAIL PROTECTED] (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]) is a
Goller?!
Gary O.
M-17 #316a
M-7/11
Please do what you can for our friends in the Gulf Area. Thank You. TBFTGOGGI
"When someone throws dirt at you, remember, all they are doing is losing
ground." - Ben Franklin
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