I see on here that nearly everybody on this site uses a bunk trailer. Is it frowned upon to use rollers on a flat bottom hull? Here in south jersey three of the ramps I will be using regularly dont have ANY water 4 hours into low tide. Id imagine winching a boat up onto a roller trailer would be light years easier, but Ive been wrong many times before. Granted, this is a 1236 rig, so ill be running fairly light, but easier is easier any way you put it.

Not sure how the rollers would affect the bottom of the boat but the bunks under a boat with Gator glide work really well in launching and loading in low water conditions

or gator glide your rig

Just put a bigger winch. Them rollers are going to washboard your boat.

Get Gator glide and you won't need rollers.

Gator glide and PVC bunks. You can spray your bunks with silicone spray as well. Go one step big on the winch and you'll be able to winch that 12' boat up a cliff...

I got a two speed winch that was rated for much more weight than the winch that came with my trailer for that reason

Its seems like rollers would damage boat although that hasn't been the case with my thin skinned, heavy Lund fishing boat...

As stated, the rollers may affect the boat while trailering it, depends on how much weight you have in it.

We dry launch heavy 18' boats regularly with the PVC bunks, some day it will rain again around here- we need "rain with a name" to fill things back up.

Wider bunks support the bottom better IMO.

Yep. Gatorglide bottom of boat, PVC bunks, silicon as needed. Make sure boat is attached to winch backing up to ramp.

Wow, great info guys. When going with bunks, as long as I leave the bunks extending beyond the back of the frame, its safe to have them mounted against the bottom of the trailer frame? i was looking into something like deadbird has so that my boat would be lower AND so I can put longer bunks down the trailer (jet ski only has two cross member channels 4 feet apart for bunk brace brackets, but i can probably rig up a trailer frame bracket)

I know several guys who bolt the boards directly to the frame of the trailer with carriage bolts, then Carpet or PVC on top. Gets the boat several inches lower on the trailer. I also went so far as to swapping to lower profile radial tires on my last trailer to get everything even lower. By the time I got everything like I wanted, I could launch and load that thing in a muddy ditch if I wanted to

GatorGlide will make loading and offloading a breeze. I like it on the bunks also, absolutely zero wear.

Frog, holy chit on that vid. Im actually already planning on gator glide for the boat. If you are in fact the owner Dave, Ive already called you about putting in an order and emailed you about the quart packages. My boat builder is on vacation so Im just waiting out for the package pricing in the mean time. Waters locked up around here anyways

Yep I'm the owner, forgive me if I can't place you, I talk to allot of guys. I'll be here when you're ready. Call me anytime and its a must when you're putting it on. Or have whoever's putting it on call me. Tech support a free call here at GatorGlide!

A note to all: the bunk covers that deadbird8 posted will wear on GG when running down the road. They little runner that stick strait up and with the GG they act like an orbital sander. You really need to tie the stern to one side of the trailer then cinch it the other way. I took it off my new trailer and put GG on the bunks. Love it, can launch anywhere with two fingers.

Dave, did you put gg strait on the wood? Also how's it holding up on the spuds.....

Dave,
While the idea of doing the bunks sounds good in theory, I hunt alone a lot and could imagine some of these off canter or rutted up ramps having my trailer twisted all kind of funny and my boat sliding everywhere on (or off) the trailer loading and unloading. I plan on rigging some boat guides but id be working with a wet noodle. suggestions for favorite bunk material other than GG that dont beat up the GG painted hull? I planned to put some GG on my duck sleds too, if it sticks to plastic that is. Gotta big fiberglass sled it is much needed on.

Any more comments on mounting the bunks against the frame instead of lifted on brackets?

Where can you get the PVC material for the bunks I'm going to GG my boat this summer and I think the PVC will be better lading the boat but I have thought about putting GG on my bunks because I unload in very skinny water sometimes. How much of a pain is it loading up and a ramp with the GG on the bunks too? I am never solo also.

My bunks are mounted down on the frame - using the standard felt type material - so that
I never have to get the trailer wet - just back down till a wheel touches water or the back
end of the trailer is over water..... If you saturate the felt with silcone spray the boat
slides with ease - you need side bunks or tie the rear down for travel.... The silicone
covered felt bunks offer far less friction than the plastic covered bunks - only advantage
to plastic covered is that they do not hold salt water against the hull.... But if you never
put your bunks into the water - that won't happen anyway....

My GD 1844 with 35 GDSD can be pushed off with one hand - and driven back up to the
stops with minimal throttle even full loaded after a hunt.... Dry launch and dry retrieve
everywhere - even a ditch - just use a pair of 5 foot 2x4s that always stay in my boat
to ramp it back up on the trailer from dry ground retrieves - but don't go more than
2" to 4" beyond the rear frame if you want to dry retrieve....

Only thing I would do different if I started over might be to follow DB8's lead on wider
center bunks - I like that idea - especially if you needed to walk on them occasionally
to go fetch the winch cable....

Doesn't your keg trailer pretty low to the ground then if your boat sits lower? That's the only reason I haven't dropped mine down. Trimming down for the gator tail bracket points the skeg towards the ground.

So id imagine there is two preferred ways to go about with the mounting... one being dead birds idea with the bracket mounted to the bunk and then tightened to the trailer sideways, and the other being Setx's idea of carriage bolts straight through the bunk to the frame, tightened vertically (id imagine) If I was to just gator glide the bunks, I guess Id just have to countersink and sand around the edge of each hole. Im assuming I have this right? if I am mistaken please let me know. Thanks for all your help guys

Use an impact on the nuts and the carriage bolt heads will suck up into the boards. You could drill and countersink etc... But I usually let me 1/2" impact countersink them for me sometimes you have to give the bolts a whack with a hammer to get them to bite but they always do. I use nylon locking nuts on the bottom and flat washers.

Gator glide the bottom of your boat and be done with it that's a 19x48 boat with a big heavy gtr on it that he purposely drove onto the bank, him and another guy pushed it back in the water with out any effort. That black coming from the bottom going up his sides is gator glide. Some BAAD!! Chit

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Can you get the PVC at Home Depot or somewhere similar? Not having any luck with finding it on the Internet. And i hate my carpeted bunks!

Thanks