Aluminum Hull Boat Destroyed Keel Roller on Boat Trailer

Updated 05/11/2015 | Published 05/09/2015

Question:

I recently changed my roller and my aluminum keel destroyed it immediately. What type of roller material should I get now? I do beach launchings in Baja and they take a beating. Thanks

asked by: Marty S

Expert Reply:

Most rollers for boat trailers are made from rubber or thermal-plasticized rubber (# YR450Y is the latter). These materials are used because they are soft enough to not damage the hull of the boat but tough enough to withstand normal use in both salt water and marine applications.

If the keel on the boat dug into the roller and destroyed it that way then it could be that you need additional rollers to support more of the weight. Or it could be that the roller being used wasn't quite the right size.

I would go with a thermal-plasticized rubber because it is stronger than regular rubber. We have various keel roller available depending on your needs. I have included a link to them for you. The black ones are all going to be rubber. The other colors are thermal-plasticized rubber or TPR.

expert reply by: Michael H