I bought a 1980 skeeter last summer,and already replaced the roller 3x.I was using the black roller,but it kept breaking,after a few outings.I just replaced the last one,with one of them orange rollers,seems to be thicker.Here's the problem.When I winch up the boat,it will not go over the roller,the bow must be lifted up,and sat down on the roller.I can't do this alone.Wher you attach the clip from the winch onto the boat,just won't go over the roller.It went over the roller using the black ones.Also on the trailer,the strap won't go under the winch,I think the strap is suppose to go under.If I try and go under,it won't bring the boat up tight.The new roller is the same size has the black one,I took the old one to the dealer and we measured it.I hope i'm making sense.

Either the bunks, the roller or the winch are out of wrack.  Everything should line up.  Is the trailer the original?

I think it's the orignal

You might want to see if there's a trailer specialist locally.  We have a good one up here that really helped me get fixed up when some idiot hit mine. You should be able to just drive on with the bunks 1/2 to 2/3 submerged. And, yes the bow strap runs UNDER the bow bump stop.

Your problem is that you're going over the roller.  That's not how it's supposed to work.  The roller is a "bump stop", meaning you winch the eye up to it tight, not over it.  This is why you're breaking rollers.

I thought the V shape on the boat,sat on the roller.Thanks,Glenn,and everyone else.

Are you talking about the roller at the winch, or the one between the bunks?  I'll try to get a pic of mine tonight.

Your problem is that you're going over the roller.  That's not how it's supposed to work.  The roller is a "bump stop", meaning you winch the eye up to it tight, not over it.  This is why you're breaking rollers.

X2

Glenn is correct.  The winch strap goes under the roller for one main reason.  It holds the bow down.  If it goes over the roller, the bow can rise off the roller, then drop back down with a thud.  That's why you have been breaking rollers.

I tried putting the strap underneath and bringing the bow up to the roller,but the bow bounces.It won't tighten.

Your guide tower may be bent? Just a guess.

Some front rollers are adjustable. 

 

Post a picture of the winch with the boat on the trailer.  That would be helpful.

 

Tom,looking at yor pic,it looks like your bow is on the roller,not up against it.

Note the bow eye is snug up against it, not in front of it.

 

Tom,looking at yor pic,it looks like your bow is on the roller,not up against it.

That's not my boat, just an image I found on the net to show the strap passes beneath the roller.

 

The bow does sit on the roller.  The hook for the bow eye sits tightly below the roller.  That prevents the bow from lifting.

 

Glenn's image shows it better, but that "S" hook looks sketchy. 

Right now the bow is sitting on the roller,next time I go fishing,i'll get a pic of it.

I'm getting some pics up of both my boats shortly.

I attached a pic I took at the ramp the other day of a sweet ranger. This is an example of what NOT to do, but is how it looks mid-process (unless you power load). You hook up the winch strap like this (while in the water) and winch up until they eye hits the roller.

 

Basically, this guy is a few turns of the winch from being properly loaded, if that helps any.

Here is a pic of my boat. I think you mentioned the front of your boat "popping up." Pictured here is an example of what it should look like as well as a secondary safety strap to keep the bow down if the winch strap fails.

Brian,thanks for the pics.

Here is a pic of my boat. I think you mentioned the front of your boat "popping up." Pictured here is an example of what it should look like as well as a secondary safety strap to keep the bow down if the winch strap fails.

I snug mine even closer than that.

I attached a pic I took at the ramp the other day of a sweet ranger. This is an example of what NOT to do, but is how it looks mid-process (unless you power load). You hook up the winch strap like this (while in the water) and winch up until they eye hits the roller.

 

Basically, this guy is a few turns of the winch from being properly loaded, if that helps any.

I agree.  My bow eye is snug against the roller and the hook connected to the bow eye is beneath the roller, which holds the bow down when travelling over bumps.

The front of the bow should be on top of the roller as in the pics and the winch strap should run just under the roller.  I think reading Glenn's first post was confusing - he was not talking about the nose of the boat, but about the hull fitting that you attach the winch strap to.  If the rest of the boat rests properly on all the trailer bunks the boat should slide up over the front roller as you guide it onto the trailer - if you have sunk the trailer into the water far enough.  For my Triton bass boat, that means with the rear fenders just a couple of inches above water.  Yours may differ.  I'd check that aspect before paying to have your trailer altered.  changing from a black rubber to a different roller should not have made that much difference. 

The front of the bow should be on top of the roller as in the pics and the winch strap should run just under the roller.  I think reading Glenn's first post was confusing - he was not talking about the nose of the boat, but about the hull fitting that you attach the winch strap to.  If the rest of the boat rests properly on all the trailer bunks the boat should slide up over the front roller as you guide it onto the trailer - if you have sunk the trailer into the water far enough.  For my Triton bass boat, that means with the rear fenders just a couple of inches above water.  Yours may differ.  I'd check that aspect before paying to have your trailer altered.  changing from a black rubber to a different roller should not have made that much difference. 

 

That seems typical of most bass boats.  I'm surmising they are designed that way to provide a visual for lining the boat up when loading it onto the trailer.