trailer bunk boards

[pyro]

I'm replacing the original bunk boards on my 1989 Eagle trailer. It is a special make for the Vegas XT hull, with a pair of 2X6 10' boards in the center, and a second pair of 5' 2X4's for the sponsons.

I want them to last.

The wood I bought is wolmanized (sp?) lumber. The rot in the old boards is in the center of the top side, for obnvious reasons. The boat hull traps water in the carpet, against the wood. Can I prime the top and sides of the bunks with CPES resin and West System 105/206 epoxy before I cover with carpet?

I am also replacing the carpeted plywood step boards. I have already soaked them with CPES resin, and I plan to do them with West epoxy as well.

Is the epoxy priming a good idea for the bunks?

I'll be using Monel/SS staples for the carpet.

By the way, CPES = Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer, from rotdoctor.com

[Gordie Miller]

Pyro, the wolmanizing is the trick. The epoxy seal is ok, I wouldn't recommend against it, but the wolmanizing is what's really going to make the boards more rot resistant. You indicated that the old bunks lasted about 12 years. That's pretty damn good by any standard. Gordie Miller

[woodco]

The pressure treated lumber is ok.. but some batches of lumber
are not treated long enough and are green when treated.So
this means they will not soak the preseratives all the way thru.

Thus the wood will rot from the center out and you'll never know
it.

The best water resistant natural hardwood is Locust ... Won't
even need sealing last for over a 100 yrs.

[pyro]

Maybe I'll just epoxy the step boards and leave the bunks alone...

[woodco]

Try that...Chances are that you won't own it long enough to
have to worry about the rotting.

[Superdave]

I had an old man tell me once that if you seal all sides of a PTreated board it cannot breath. He showed me some fence posts that he painted on 3 sides and they looked almost new. He said they had been there for almost 20 years! The end grain is the toughest. Use several coats on theses.
Dave

[captcarb]

Where do I get Locust. I have a red cypress launch that is 98 years old and is still ok. I don't think red cypress is still available though.

Jim

[woodco]

Yep that was long gone years ago....over harvested into
extinction...Locust can be found anywhere from the Virginia
area right up thru NY State.

Matter of fact we ship fence posts to Maine and other states up
here.Also sell sawn locust for docks.

Characteristics of Black Locust compared to White Oak: Index LOCUST WHITE OAK
Modulus of rupture 19,400 psi 15,200
Crushing strength 10,180 psi 7,440
Static bending FSPL 12,800 psi 15,200
Impact strength 57 inches 37 inches
Modulus of elasticity 2050 psi 1780 psi
Hardness 1570 lbs 1520 lbs
Shearing strength 2480 psi 2000 psi
Spec. gravity 0.69 0.68
Density air dry 48 lbs PCF 46 lbs PCF
Radial shrink. (G to 6%) 3.7% 4.2%
Tangential shrink. 5.8% 7.2%
Vol. shrink. 8.2% 12.6%
Rot resistance Very high High