Handfulz ,
Did you see my previous post ? While I was outside in the rain taking a picture you made another post AFTER mine and BEFORE minie was entered.

Hey MO, I was typing while you posted. Now I come back and see you've got a pic...many thanks And I think I'm gonna end up with a strap setup like yours too, if I can get mine forward a little more.
And yeah, I'm gonna go with what you've got unless it's unruly to load. But if it's worked for you, it should work for me...
I was just looking at some other pics, and it looks like my trailer is just not long enough the way it's currently set up. IIRC, they said they used a 30' long I-beam, add two feet for main bunk aft of trailer, and two feet forward for the tongue.
Short of re-doing the entire winch stand setup, I might have to put a bunch more holes in this thing to move the axles back.

Been there , done that but made a conversion to torsion axles

Hard core my friend, hard core

One of these days I'd like to buy a big-ticket item "off the shelf", and be able to leave it alone, have it perfect as-is.
But I'm afraid I just don't have it in me, I always have to do SOMETHING to make it right just for me

Know EXACTLY of what you speak

Micheal, saw your trailer question and remembered you wanted pictures of my color scheme, put a couple in, I also have similar trailer, works great but mine is very high bunked, I plan someday to lower and move forward a bit also. I have a little longer support to roller, I plan to move my winch as far forward as possible cut down roller supports and go to a pivoting bar with a carpet v above and below tie ring. the winch cable then goes between v"s I have seen several trailers set up this way and only way I can see to get mine forward after lowering it 5" at bunks. There is always something to play with We have ours put to bed for the winter so its until next year enjoy Randy

Hey handfull, you need to put the bow eye UNDER cool: the roller and winch it up tight. The reason is that this makes the boat the backbone of the trailer. This happens only with aluminum trailers as they flex without rigid support. The reason for under the roller is that if you lanch on a steep ramp the boat will hang on the bow eye..To answer your question on tongue weight and bunk placement I need a couple more photos. Between the axles (if you have springs) are equalizers, they muat be flat when boat is level on the road. If they are tilted to the front or back this tells us which axle is the load bearing one.

Thanks selpel, good point. My digi-cam is working so let me know which angles you'd like
My only problem is with the current configuration, if I move the winch higher, it limits how much more forward I can get the boat for additional tongue weight.
I still think I'm best with cutting off the current bow stop and fabbing up something that I can bolt on above the winch. I think that'd be perfect. The way it sits now it feels like there's only a couple hundred lbs tongue weight, with a near-empty fuel tank. I need at least 12" more forward to feel ok with a full tank o' gas.
The trailer builder is actually supposed to have somebody in town tomorrow so I'll get their take on it. At least they've committed to helping me get it perfect.
Thanks,
Michael

the trailer is not long enough. period.

as far as the bunks, what you want is flat top & move 'em in an inch-and-a-half so the inside corner of the bunk is right up against where the bottom starts to " V" and are under more of the flat forward. This will make it load itself right everytime. I see you have board bunks forward instead of just a v-rest another advantage to you...these trailers will load themselves right everytime if you do what I said with the big bunks

but, you have the WRONG TRAILER.

how much do you plan to tow this thing? If you plan on doing road time, not just storage, swap it back. You need the 2' longer one. Your present length trailer will never act right on the road with that boat on it. Can't be done. You don't have enough trailer length to work with!

and yes, I've bought, set up and owned one, and helped more than one other get theirs right. They load easier than the eagles I've owned when set up right!

If the main bunks are too close together, its going to be like trying to balance a television on two broomsticks that are sitting on a table close together. (Best analogy that came to mind.) Since you have the guideposts, that should help matters, but I just would not want to see your center of gravity be so high and so central. Its better for your trailer to spread the weight out as far as you can. If you had a 5000lb. sheet of lead laying across the bunks, its going to sit there more securely than a 5000lb. concrete tube sitting up on two bunks in the center of the trailer. Make sense?

Also, ideally, you would want the boat to rest firmly on the main bunks, and front support bunks WITHOUT the winch stand in place. Then go back and install the winch stand with a little bit of uplifting pressure just to keep the bow down on the stops on the winch stand.

If you are keeping that trailer, DEFINATELY use at least 5 tie-downs when trailering.

2 at the transom eyes to the trailer.
2 at the bow eye, facing backwards toward the fenders, to keep the boat from moving forward.
1 straight up and down of the bow eye, to keep the boat firmly affixed to the front of the trailer.