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Hi all, I just posted a reply in a thread about my boat model, but realised it might not get seen by trailer egg spurts there 
So I decided a new thread may be a better idea.
I am having an absolute NIGHTMARE currently. I have my Reiver Sportsman, and BOY what a boat she is too. Love it to bits. Spent months rewiring and doing her up a bit, looking beautiful now above water line, but the trailer was a pile of rust so I managed to find a nice used trailer in mint condition (SBS braked roller coaster 1500 GVW), Great, or so i thought hence travelling 350 miles each way coast to coast to collect it!
I swapped trailers and i just can't get the boat to go on straight. I have noticed the rollers are hitting the strakes which obviously needs sorting. But here is my problem... the ONLY way to avoid the strakes and make the wheels run on the hull flats is to move the rollers OUT towards the chines, away from the centreline. The roller arms are quite short ones (can't afford to replace with long ones as it will cost hundreds) and due to the spacing between the wheels, the ONLY place they can go where they won't contact the strakes is either almost meeting on the keel line, or further out near the chines where the hull goes flatter/horizontal
The problem is I am worried about whether the hull is strong enough further out on the more horizontal part near the chines to have the rollers running there? I really don't want a hole in my boat, and I am 99% sure it will be fine, but 99% isn't enough, I need to be 100%, before i dare do it. Until then my boat is basically unusable on jacks on the trailer while the kids are dying for me to take em out fish in
I have spent hours drinking coffee, rolling fags, and tapping the underside of the hull with my finger. The knock sounds a lot higher pitch (harder/denser) on the keel, then sounds slightly more hollow (weaker) as I move away from the flat keel area. I am sure it doesn't mean its TOO weak, but once I hear it I just don't dare move the rollers out to the hollower sounding area. I am a touch paranoid as you might have guessed. I just can't afford to damage this boat as it will sit for years before I can afford to repair it, I spent every last dime I have (and some I don't) to buy this boat, the trailer was an unexpected but essential stretch beyond that, so I am scratching for pennies for new nylocs for the trailer currently!
To explain in more detail....
Pic 1 - This was taken from the bow end. The forward rollers you can see closest in the picture HAVE been moved out to avoid the strakes. As you can see, this is the only location then can be, anywhere further in towards the centre and they hit strakes no matter what I do. Further away you can see the stern rollers. These obviously affect the boat coming onto the trailer, so these are the bigger problem and I need to move those out also in line with the forward rollers.
Pic 2 - This shows view from stern. You can see the rollers, where they are in that photo is where they are now, and they are nicely on flat area as the strakes don't extend that far astern, but obviously they run on the strakes when loading the boat. Maybe I should just put up with it being non central on the trailer and stick with this being the best supporting position as these are currently on the harder/stronger sounding area. But I would really like to get it central if possible. Once the trailer is on, it can go 3-6 inches to one side, off centre. Don't look at how its sitting now as after WEEKs of messing around with it I have used jacks to shove it gradually straight and true! But one launch and it will come back on out of line again. Anyway, this picture shows where they are now, and also shows where they will go to, wheels either side of that strake on the far left between the step and the transducer.
Pic 3 - Slightly off topic and not a huge concern, but a concern all the same. Those keel rollers are the only ones on the whole trailer. This was taken when it was inched back a bit so I will adjust them to take some weight, but is that ok to have only those two to support the centre of the hull at the bow?
Just to finish what has become a life story (sorry!)....
Pic 4 - Interestingly this is a picture of the trailer the boat came on, showing wider roller arms and where they were (not that I want to be guided by the old trailer as it wasn't the right one for the boat by any means although it did retrieve the boat straight. Just posting that for info, not sure it helps at all
And finally Pic 5 - This is my current new trailer without the boat on as it stands now.
If anyone can help with general advice on roller positioning LATERALLY, that would be great. I have scoured Google for weeks now, every single topic or page I find covers fore and aft positioning, nowhere can I find out if its ok to have the rollers out towards the chines, away from the centreline. I have looked at lots of pictures of Warriors on trailers (similar hull I THINK, but not gonna be the 'same' obviously) and quite a few people have rollers half way between the keel and the chines, but not seen many pics of boats with them out as far as I am suggesting.
MOST importantly of all - If anyone could ask the wonderful man who made this wonderful craft, WHERE THE STRINGERS ARE, THAT would be fantastic
Thanks, and sorry for the long post
So I decided a new thread may be a better idea.
I am having an absolute NIGHTMARE currently. I have my Reiver Sportsman, and BOY what a boat she is too. Love it to bits. Spent months rewiring and doing her up a bit, looking beautiful now above water line, but the trailer was a pile of rust so I managed to find a nice used trailer in mint condition (SBS braked roller coaster 1500 GVW), Great, or so i thought hence travelling 350 miles each way coast to coast to collect it!
I swapped trailers and i just can't get the boat to go on straight. I have noticed the rollers are hitting the strakes which obviously needs sorting. But here is my problem... the ONLY way to avoid the strakes and make the wheels run on the hull flats is to move the rollers OUT towards the chines, away from the centreline. The roller arms are quite short ones (can't afford to replace with long ones as it will cost hundreds) and due to the spacing between the wheels, the ONLY place they can go where they won't contact the strakes is either almost meeting on the keel line, or further out near the chines where the hull goes flatter/horizontal
The problem is I am worried about whether the hull is strong enough further out on the more horizontal part near the chines to have the rollers running there? I really don't want a hole in my boat, and I am 99% sure it will be fine, but 99% isn't enough, I need to be 100%, before i dare do it. Until then my boat is basically unusable on jacks on the trailer while the kids are dying for me to take em out fish in
I have spent hours drinking coffee, rolling fags, and tapping the underside of the hull with my finger. The knock sounds a lot higher pitch (harder/denser) on the keel, then sounds slightly more hollow (weaker) as I move away from the flat keel area. I am sure it doesn't mean its TOO weak, but once I hear it I just don't dare move the rollers out to the hollower sounding area. I am a touch paranoid as you might have guessed. I just can't afford to damage this boat as it will sit for years before I can afford to repair it, I spent every last dime I have (and some I don't) to buy this boat, the trailer was an unexpected but essential stretch beyond that, so I am scratching for pennies for new nylocs for the trailer currently!
To explain in more detail....
Pic 1 - This was taken from the bow end. The forward rollers you can see closest in the picture HAVE been moved out to avoid the strakes. As you can see, this is the only location then can be, anywhere further in towards the centre and they hit strakes no matter what I do. Further away you can see the stern rollers. These obviously affect the boat coming onto the trailer, so these are the bigger problem and I need to move those out also in line with the forward rollers.
Pic 2 - This shows view from stern. You can see the rollers, where they are in that photo is where they are now, and they are nicely on flat area as the strakes don't extend that far astern, but obviously they run on the strakes when loading the boat. Maybe I should just put up with it being non central on the trailer and stick with this being the best supporting position as these are currently on the harder/stronger sounding area. But I would really like to get it central if possible. Once the trailer is on, it can go 3-6 inches to one side, off centre. Don't look at how its sitting now as after WEEKs of messing around with it I have used jacks to shove it gradually straight and true! But one launch and it will come back on out of line again. Anyway, this picture shows where they are now, and also shows where they will go to, wheels either side of that strake on the far left between the step and the transducer.
Pic 3 - Slightly off topic and not a huge concern, but a concern all the same. Those keel rollers are the only ones on the whole trailer. This was taken when it was inched back a bit so I will adjust them to take some weight, but is that ok to have only those two to support the centre of the hull at the bow?
Just to finish what has become a life story (sorry!)....
Pic 4 - Interestingly this is a picture of the trailer the boat came on, showing wider roller arms and where they were (not that I want to be guided by the old trailer as it wasn't the right one for the boat by any means although it did retrieve the boat straight. Just posting that for info, not sure it helps at all
And finally Pic 5 - This is my current new trailer without the boat on as it stands now.
If anyone can help with general advice on roller positioning LATERALLY, that would be great. I have scoured Google for weeks now, every single topic or page I find covers fore and aft positioning, nowhere can I find out if its ok to have the rollers out towards the chines, away from the centreline. I have looked at lots of pictures of Warriors on trailers (similar hull I THINK, but not gonna be the 'same' obviously) and quite a few people have rollers half way between the keel and the chines, but not seen many pics of boats with them out as far as I am suggesting.
MOST importantly of all - If anyone could ask the wonderful man who made this wonderful craft, WHERE THE STRINGERS ARE, THAT would be fantastic
Thanks, and sorry for the long post
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