Trailer - bow roller

I have a 2018 Skeeter ZX225 and the Skeeter trailer.

It appears my bow roller although not that old is really beat up. It's a poly roller. In fact, I noticed yesterday the poly is notched out and mostly gone on one area of the roller down to the plastic sleeve the bolt runs thru.

What I don't understand is if this is considered normal wear or are the bunks not set correctly and the nose is riding to heavy?!?

When loading the boat I ease up almost to the bow ring allowing the latch to not sit right on the poly roller, but just behind it. (see pic)

BTW - I don't fish regularly or trailer long distance often, so this is a bit concerning to me.

How does the boat fit the trailer in the rear? You should be barely over the inside of the bunks, never behind.

That's a great question Pat....I just snapped a pic for details.

It clearly appears the left bunk is not properly placed and I recall the previous owner (1st owner) of the boat stated one of the bunks was not fitted properly and the bow would not line up straight on the roller. I was told the dealer adjusted the bunk and from my experience (2 years) the boat has trailered straight on the bow roller.

However, it appears the selling dealer did not assess the boat positioning on the bunks hence the left side overshooting the bunk some 2"...very poor oversight by the dealer in Waco.

So now I'm curious if Skeeter will step in a rectify this situation once a for all as I would have to believe a 2018 trailer has some warranty or has documentation of problems from day one. Me being the 2nd owner....who knows.

I'm also a bit concerned about the necessary force on the keel from the boat not being properly "seated" on the trailer. Is the fiberglass compromised although nothing visibly apparent today?!?!

Yeah, it will absolutely cause issues. Over time it will cause a hook in the hull.

So in follow up to reaching out directly to Skeeter regarding the bunk positioning and the boat overhanging the bunk some 2"...the manager that oversee's these inquires stated my bunk placement looks correct.

use a straight edge like a ruler against the frame and measure to each bunk, do they measure out the same?

can you move the winch/roller mount forward an inch or two?

when you load and are done, is the bow tight to the roller or is it just off of it?

I noticed the same thing on my 2018 Skeeter.

I'm not sure about the issue with the trailer bunks, but the problem with the roller is that the
bolt is too short and when the nut was put on at the factory they had to tighten it down so much
to get the nut on the bolt, the roller will not turn freely.

Try to turn the black rollers on each end by hand, or next time you launch the boat, try to turn the roller.
It will be very hard or impossible to turn by hand.

Replace the bolt with a longer one. I got mine at Tractor Supply. The one on there is 1/2 inch by 6 inches.
I used a 1/2 inch by 8 inches. Most stores carry them in 2 inch increments. A 7 inch would be perfect if you
can find one. The bolt sticks out a little but it is not really noticeable.

Tighten the nut until it is snug, but not so tight the roller wont turn by hand, like you would with a wheel bearing.

The boat goes on the trailer much easier now. Before I had to really hit the throttle the get it up on the roller,
because the thing wasn't turning.

Best thing I did was upgrade to a Ramp N Clamp.

I have a 2018 ZX250. I had all kinds of issues with the trailer. Even after Skeeter "fixed" the trailer I still had a hard time getting it loaded correctly. It was chewing up the roller and difficult to keep it in the center.
This all changed after I got a Stoltz roller. Get the one with the side bells. It is a solid, tough roller that will center your boat. Now it loads right every time. BTW Skeeter uses the Stoltz roller now as standard equipment.