Trailer Bunk Carpet; how many OZ?

[Chaz]

Ain't this how ya sposta park ...

[Forkin' Crazy]

Not sure, I used to go to the local carpet store.

I would take a router and run around all the boards, top and bottom. The sharp corners are hell on bunk carpet. Contact cement, SS staples.... yadda yadda...

[JBS]

I covered the carpet on my bunks with the grooved slick grey plastic. In Florida it is easy to get sand in the carpet and with a really light boat that gets over a thousand miles a year on the trailer it wears out the gel coat. I keep mine tied down tight front and rear but there is still sanding of the gel coat.

That works good too. It's very slick when wet and the boat loads/unloads very easy. I got about 5 years out of mine.

[Captin Hazlewood]

Not sure, I used to go to the local carpet store.

I would take a router and run around all the boards, top and bottom. The sharp corners are hell on bunk carpet. Contact cement, SS staples.... yadda yadda...

^^^This^^^

[tux974]

I stopped using carpet and went with the poly bunk covers only.
No moisture on the glass or bunk and bunks will last longer. Also easy to keep an eye on the wood.

[Forkin' Crazy]

I stopped using carpet and went with the poly bunk covers only.
No moisture on the glass or bunk and bunks will last longer. Also easy to keep an eye on the wood.

How slick is it? A premature bow unhook.... Many of us that are by ourselves will put a rope on the bow coiled up on and tied to the winch stand, roll it down in the water, jerk the brake, then pull the boat to the side and pull out.

Speaking of the wood, I would buy treated wood, I liked 2x6. I would lay them out in the sun on the concrete and let them dry out. Hard to get good boards that will stay straight....

After a week in the sun, you will know what boards to use. Just buy twice as many as you need.. LOL!

[JBS]

How slick is it? Almost like eel $hit. The boat better be in the water before you unhook it,if the ramp is steep. The boat loads very easy too. My bunks lasted about 5 years and then started cracking because of sun exposure.That was years ago, maybe they have been improved?

[tux974]

How slick is it? A premature bow unhook.... Many of us that are by ourselves will put a rope on the bow coiled up on and tied to the winch stand, roll it down in the water, jerk the brake, then pull the boat to the side and pull out.

Speaking of the wood, I would buy treated wood, I liked 2x6. I would lay them out in the sun on the concrete and let them dry out. Hard to get good boards that will stay straight....

After a week in the sun, you will know what boards to use. Just buy twice as many as you need.. LOL!

Paul, they are slick but not bad if you know how to back the boat up. If you want to be safe use the same method as a rollers trailer. Get the boat close then get out and unhook. I have been doing this for many years and never had a close call or issue, thank god.
Of course never back up fast and hit the brakes....LOL

As for installing the wood once you bolt them in place they usually stay, minimal if any problems. You can always buy 4X6,8,10 kilm dried cypress.... I think laying in the sun without a hold will produce much more movement/warping.
Assuming you are using 2 2X's screwed together from both side per side.
again above JMPO

[rossi]

I've had the poly bunk covers on my Venture trailer (same one Greg has for his Xstream) since 2008 and they are still in great condition. They were on the trailer when I bought it new and Venture still uses them. As far as slickness, I've never had any issue and feel they offer the perfect grip. No issues going or pulling out of the water. Like them so much I put them on my fishing boat trailer also.

[Forkin' Crazy]

Paul, they are slick but not bad if you know how to back the boat up. If you want to be safe use the same method as a rollers trailer. Get the boat close then get out and unhook. I have been doing this for many years and never had a close call or issue, thank god.
Of course never back up fast and hit the brakes....LOL

As for installing the wood once you bolt them in place they usually stay, minimal if any problems. You can always buy 4X6,8,10 kilm dried cypress.... I think laying in the sun without a hold will produce much more movement/warping.
Assuming you are using 2 2X's screwed together from both side per side.
again above JMPO

Thanks for the info, Tony. When you don't know, it is stupid not to ask questions. Oh, I did that on an old beater bass boat when I was alone. No way would I do that to the Howard or one of my Allisons.

I don't hit the brakes until the boat is in the water. I had it down until one day the rope broke...... I had to get another boater to take me out to it.

Kiln dried cypress? Sorry, I am a poor boy and with sun dried treated pine. What doesn't go for trailer bunks will be planking for the ATV trailer!

[tux974]

Thanks for the info, Tony. When you don't know, it is stupid not to ask questions. Oh, I did that on an old beater bass boat when I was alone. No way would I do that to the Howard or one of my Allisons.

I don't hit the brakes until the boat is in the water. I had it down until one day the rope broke...... I had to get another boater to take me out to it.

Kiln dried cypress? Sorry, I am a poor boy and with sun dried treated pine. What doesn't go for trailer bunks will be planking for the ATV trailer!

Bud, no question is ever stupid! that is what we are here for to help each on concerns.
Rope broke.... Hey please check ropes/test pull truck every year.... No antique ropes in use....
What I actually do (not to pull my wife or friends into the water) is get the boat close to dock cleats, drop 2 lines bow and transom them do the brake thing....

Poor boy.....wise guy... Nice to recycle any or all materials when possible....

[Captin Hazlewood]

Here are pics for you speed...
Edit: I can't seem to upload pictures???

[Tango]

I have a pile of poly bunk covers I have removed from trailers over the years as the person selling such or sharing got others to buy into it... then after a few seasons of scratches and scuffing to the gelcoat as it offers ZERO cushion whatsoever to the hull from road impact, they learn. It's not the initial loading unloading... it's the boat wriggling on the gelcoat to plastic that makes it bad. If you are getting sand on your bunks, dunk it in the water and wash it off before loading the boat. Once the bunks dry out... the sand will fall away by vibration and wind, still leaving a lot more cushion than nothing at all.

My transport trailers see tens-of-thousands of miles use and many different hulls each year. What makes the bunks LAST LONGER is NOT using rubber-backed marine carpet. Use the LOWE's or Home Depot outdoor stuff that does have SOME rubber knap to hold the fibers but is not a fully sealed carpet. The key here is allowing the bunks to be pressure washed, dunked and cleaned regularly. In addition to such, it is IMPERATIVE that the wood is allowed to dry between dunking. Having your wood bunks sealed by rubber causes it to ROT!!! Let me say that again...

Wrapping your WOOD with RUBBER, causes it to ROT!!!!

SO... with that being said, also start your fasteners with a 5/16" stainless LAG bolt from the bottom. As I mentioned in the trailer thread, this is your ROT-INDICATOR SYSTEM. When you begin to see the 5/16" Lags loosening up, give them a slight twist to tighten. If they do not grab, install 3/8" Lags. Go another season... after this adjustment, if the 3/8" lags begin to drop, it's a clear indicator that your WOOD IS ROTTING. In normal use, not transport like mine where I'm putting 100,000 miles a year on ONE trailer alone, you should see several years of regular usage without any repairs needed. Hope this helps!!

[Chaz]

I went with the hydroponically grown hybrid, pine, oak, teak, cherrywood, petrified forest, with the "yellerwood" tag on it. Chaz = thinkin, it comes from Georgia.

No one had 4"x 6"x 16' timbers. One place said they could order them .. for twice what they are worth.

Lowes had 2" x 4" x 16' as well as 4" x 4" x 16' footers. Water proof glue and #10 x 3" 316 stainless screws joined them together forever.

Two coats of Killz primer sealer / two coats of Runolium black.

Welded six new stanchion pads in place / Two 1/2" x 3" 316 stainless lags, gooped with 3M / 4200 torqued to .. lb / footsis .. pppffttt Aint goin nowhere in my lifetime ..



The little guys are for the aluminum box ..





This one's for Forkin ... It took two months to get Ryoby parts from Chop-Suey ..
$10 buck plus the parts to make the Qt and spray bomb holders ..

[tux974]

I went with the hydroponically grown hybrid, pine, oak, teak, cherrywood, petrified forest, with the "yellerwood" tag on it. Chaz = thinkin, it comes from Georgia.

No one had 4"x 6"x 16' timbers. One place said they could order them .. for twice what they are worth.

Lowes had 2" x 4" x 16' as well as 4" x 4" x 16' footers. Water proof glue and #10 x 3" 316 stainless screws joined them together forever.

Two coats of Killz primer sealer / two coats of Runolium black.

Welded six new stanchion pads in place / Two 1/2" x 3" 316 stainless lags, gooped with 3M / 4200 torqued to .. lb / footsis .. pppffttt Aint goin nowhere in my lifetime ..



The little guys are for the aluminum box ..





This one's for Forkin ... It took two months to get Ryoby parts from Chop-Suey ..
$10 buck plus the parts to make the Qt and spray bomb holders ..

Love the paint shaker!!!
The trailer will fall apart/crack before your lumber rots.....