Rocky's Roller hack

[dbooksta]

I had a Rocky's Eazy Roller 3A solar cover reel for a few years and found its screw-in anchors to be tedious, and its height above my deck to be lower than ideal.

I found a convenient and inexpensive solution to both problems: $60 got four 5" total-locking polyolefin swivel casters with 2 3/4" stems (K3APB5X-ML here). These increase both the height and stability, roll more smoothly, and when locked provide enough friction that it's not even necessary to anchor the reel into anything.

I've used these for a year now and highly recommend the hack!

 

[Mr Bruce]

This is awesome. Thank you so much for the idea, I've been resting it on large landscaping bricks and this would be definite improvement.

 

[Uncle Salty]

Yeah the anchor locks are a pain, what size cover do you have? I have a 20X40 16ml and it's a beast, you think the locking wheels will hold it in place?

Salty

 

[dbooksta]

Yeah the anchor locks are a pain, what size cover do you have? I have a 20X40 16ml and it's a beast, you think the locking wheels will hold it in place?

I have a kidney-shaped pool, so I start with a 24x40 16mil cover and cut some of it away. (I have to fold one of the lobes at the far end, which is part of why I needed extra height on the reel.) Even though it drags over some concrete, when unrolling the cover the locked wheels hold the reel securely. When rolling up the cover if I'm really torquing it I have to hold the back wheel down with a hand or foot to keep it from rocking up in the air, but it still doesn't slide anywhere. (For rolling up I lock the pool-side wheel towards the outside to counteract the torque, not tucked inside as shown in the photo to minimize trip hazard.)

 

[Uncle Salty]

I'll give it a try, thanks.

Salty