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Boat Trailer Supplies, Parts And Accessories; The Best Boat Trailer Hardware
Boat trailer supplies, parts and accessories are widely available, for boat trailer repair and upgrading.
Let's take a look at all the parts of a boat trailer. Parts to support the boat on the trailer - Bow Stop Rollers - To be honest I could never figure out why you need a roller at the front when all the boat does is bump into it to stop. Most bow
 stop rollers are 3 or 4 inches wide. With a collapsible inflatable a more substantial stop block is nice. - Bow Stop Blocks - I changed the bow roller on my trailer to a V shaped stop block. Mine is made by Tie-Down Engineering. It works great by providing a larger V shaped area to support the bow of the boat on the trailer.
- Wobble Rollers - Boat trailer wobble rollers make loading and unloading a boat easier, because unlike bunks the rollers roll! These little wheels can require replacement after extended use. New wobble rollers are available in rubber, polyurethane, and PVC. The PVC and Polyurethane have the advantage of not leaving black marks on your boat hull. If ordering replacement rollers be sure to match roller width and diameter, as well as shaft diameter and bearing length through the middle. If you are going to the trouble of replacing rollers, make sure you get new washers and hog rings as well.
- Keel Rollers - Boat trailer keel rollers act to guide the boat onto the trailer and keep it centered, as the keel will undoubtedly hit the trailer first. Keel rollers come in a number of shapes, V shape, spool shaped and straight. Many trailer manufacturers use shaped rollers to help guide the keel of the boat. If you are running into challenges keeping your keel aligned when loading your boat, a shaped roller may help.
- Bunk Rollers - Many people report damage to heavy boat hulls when hauled on trailers with wobble rollers. This is usually because there are not enough rollers to support the weight. Boaters like rollers because they make loading and unloading easier. There are set-ups where a number of wide rollers are assembled like a bunk board with rollers.
 They still concentrate the weight of the boat onto small points on the hull just like wobble roller assemblies, so I am unclear about when they would be an advantage. - Bunks - bunks are the long carpet covered boards that cradle the boat on the boat trailer. Bunks are often found on trailers intended for light weight boats because heavy boats are simply too hard to slide. Some manufacturers are using bunks near the back of the trailer and rollers forward, as the stern of a boat carries the weight of the motor, and bunks support that weight over a larger surface area on the hull. I trailer a collapsible inflatable so I put longer wider bunks on my trailer for more support.
Boat trailer supplies to support the trailer- Springs - The springs attach the axle to the frame on most boat trailers, as well as providing some dampening of bumps while driving. Springs are
 simple and effective. Some trailers use the newer torsion axle set-up where the twisting action of the axle provides the damping effect for the trailer. - Axle - The axle on a boat trailer is rated for a maximum weight. If you require a carrying capacity more than the rating for a single axle trailer, then tandem axles are the way to go. Tandem axles also smooth out the ride of the trailer on bumpy roads.
- Wheels - I have talked about wheels and tires
here
- Jack - A jack on the tongue of the trailer is essential with large boats, but it is also a nice feature to add with smaller trailers, as it makes moving your boat trailer around the yard easier, and hitching to the tow vehicle easier. Stores that sell boat trailer supplies have them for less than $50 usually. It's worth it!
Boat trailer supplies to make the boat and trailer safe |
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