New bunks and bunk wrap

richg99 said:

If you still have a problem with the 3x4 fitting (without carpet) you can always just insert a piece of lath to make up the space difference.

I did that on one boat.

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Or if you can find a true 2 x 4 that measures 4" wide it would give you a wider bunk and keep a tight fit.

"Or if you can find a true 2 x 4 that measures 4" wide"

Ahhhhh....I started fixing things and building things Circa 1960 or so.

Even then, a 2x4 measured 1 5/8ths by 3 5/8ths ( If I remember that correctly).

A number of years later, "they" changed the measurements to 1 1/2 by 3 1/2 inches.

A true 2x4 probably hasn't been available since the 1940's. I doubt that you can find one at any typical lumber yard today.
rich

This thread has a lot of really great info -- thanks everyone for sharing.

PS: You can always rip it down to 4" from a 2x6 (still won't really be 2x4, but it is the "4" part that counts in this case).

LDUBS "You can always rip it down to 4" from a 2x6 (still won't really be 2x4, but it is the "4" part that counts in this case)."

You often contribute a good, simple solution.
Thanks, rich

bcbouy said:

one thing i've notice with the polymer glides,if you travel down gravel roads little pebbles like to get stuck between the drain channels,even tho i have rock tamers on the truck.mine look a little chewed up near the bow.oh well,still better than carpet by a long stretch.

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I did some bunk upgrades on my trailer recently and used the vinyl post sleeves which is a bit thicker than the downspouts and which is a smooth finish and does not have the channels. Also available I believe in both 4x4" and 6x6" configurations which may work for those using a 2 x6" bunk.

Seems to be working well so far and I like it better than the carpet.

Hi All,
Has anyone ever used the UHMW Polyethylene material for bunk slides? You can find it on McMaster-Carr for reasonable prices and it has a slippery surface by design.

https://www.mcmaster.com/8702k436

Hi All,
Has anyone ever used the UHMW Polyethylene material for bunk slides? You can find it on McMaster-Carr for reasonable prices and it has a slippery surface by design.

https://www.mcmaster.com/8702k436

chadzeilenga said:

Hi All,
Has anyone ever used the UHMW Polyethylene material for bunk slides? You can find it on McMaster-Carr for reasonable prices and it has a slippery surface by design.

https://www.mcmaster.com/8702k436

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That might work but you would need to countersink the holes for screwing them down to the bunks and that might not be enough material.

I did end up putting new bunks using the downspouts cut in half on the trailer for my Lowe 1652 and got rid of the rollers. The boat sits lower and is much easier to line up and load vs the rollers.

I've read, but have no personal experience, that rollers are bad for tinnys. Especially bad for riveted tins.

Regarding using Trex boards for bunks... I have installed a lot of composite decks over the years and fair warning, it's basically soft plastic and it needs to have support every 16" or it will sag in the heat. It's amazing how soft it gets in the heat. Now, I have never used it for bunks, but I would caution you against it.

My bunks are 8 ft long and made from regular 2x4's. I covered them with polyurethane covers that were pre-formed to fit a 3 1/2 inch wide 2x4 exactly. Got them at Mikes Trailer supply in Homosassa Florida. You should be able to get them by you too.

1960 yellowboat said:

My bunks are 8 ft long and made from regular 2x4's. I covered them with polyurethane covers that were pre-formed to fit a 3 1/2 inch wide 2x4 exactly. Got them at Mikes Trailer supply in Homosassa Florida. You should be able to get them by you too.

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Yeah, that's probably the same stuff I used in the first post. It's a nice kit but the material is a little soft and thin compared to the vinyl downspout.

I just made new bunks with 10 foot 2x6's and covered them with the Caliber Bunk Wrap. Nice piece of kit, looks great. Now to find a place to launch and do some wrenching in the parking lot...

jethro said:

Regarding using Trex boards for bunks... I have installed a lot of composite decks over the years and fair warning, it's basically soft plastic and it needs to have support every 16" or it will sag in the heat. It's amazing how soft it gets in the heat. Now, I have never used it for bunks, but I would caution you against it.

Click to expand...

I'm using composite decking for my old 16' Monark. I made a cross grid out of treated 2x4s roughly every 16" on a older fiberglass boat trailer that had rollers on it. I extended the frame rearward of the axle a couple foot and used a treated 2x12 across the back since most of the weight is back there. Ran the 2 deck boards up just beyond contact with the front of the boat. Used it now for 4 years with no issues. Boat loads easily with just the first few inches of the decking rails under water. This new material on this thread looks like it should work as well.

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Treated lumber...aluminum boat...not me.

richg99 said:

Treated lumber...aluminum boat...not me.

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My boat only touches the composite deck boards. Treaded lumber is the framing only.

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I have a question about bunk wraps and please pardon my ignorance as this is my first boat. :lol:

After you attach the bunk wrap to the wood, how do you attach the bunk to the trailer? Do you make a hole in the wrap and lag bolt it?

Currently, my trailer only has lag bolted wood bunks and I will be replacing them and would like to try out a bunk wrap.



Thank you!

Short lag bolts from the underside (preferred). Or, carriage bolts from the top with nuts on the underside. Make sure you recess the carriage bolt head. I don't like this approach because the recess is a perfect place for water to gather and bad things to start happening.

LDUBS said:

Short lag bolts from the underside (preferred). Or, carriage bolts from the top with nuts on the underside. Make sure you recess the carriage bolt head. I don't like this approach because the recess is a perfect place for water to gather and bad things to start happening.

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Ah! makes sense now lol. Thank you LDUBS. :LOL2:

The lag bolts from underneath would only be like 1.25" (using 2x4's) long? Seems a little short for them to hold up to the beating of loading/unloading and travel. I need to get under the trailer and get eyes on all what is down there.

1 1/2" sounds right. By the time you use a washer along with the thickness of the bracket, you should be OK on a standard 2x. Drill a pilot hole. I use them on the bunks for my 18' walk-thru. Never had an issue.

I'm not a design engineer, so here is where I get to either sound brilliant or make a fool of myself. It seems the forces would be more shearing (side-ways) than up and down. I can see how a short lag bolt might not hold, especially in wet wood, if there were constant force trying to pull it out. But that isn't happening -- unless someone had their tie-downs connected to the bunks instead of the trailer frame.