See full version: To use bunk slicks or not
Vessel: 1997 GW 248 Voyager, LOA 24'9".
Weight: when loaded with gear and 150 gal fuel is around 6500 lbs.
Bottom Paint: Yes, hard type (being re-done next week)
Trailer: Pacific, tandem (5,000 lb axles) w/ four 11' long 2x6 bunks more
Bought the boat/trailer used 4 years ago. Boat can be a real bitch to get sitting on the trailer right, particularly getting it all teh way forward so the bow is sitting nicely in the cradle. I'd love to be able to crank the boat forward when its out of the water and I know I can't do that with carpet. here
I'll be rebunking my trailer this summer while the boat is in a slip during the good weather, and cant decide if I should use the slicks or just carpet over the new bunks. I've heard and read so many different opinions on this in different places, figured I'd post my scenario specifically and see what opinions come up.
I'm seriously thinking about putting slicks on, but I've heard they can damage heavier fiberglass boats. I'll have a hard bottom paint on it. Also don't know what kind to buy. the kind with grooves to reduce abrasion or just flat strips.
Condor trailers specialize in custom boat trailers in. Cut 2 pieces to match the measured length from the polymer strips. here
I installed two fiberglass driveway markers ($4 at home centers) on the trailer with hose clamps.I then sanded both cuts, making the rear into a rounded bullnose.If is important to remember that these brackets determine the sitting.If you’re ordering our load guides for a trailer other than ours, double check the size of your frame. [links]
Kuafu carpeted boat trailer guide bunk board guide on board solid & easy operationLarger trailers sometimes have a 2” x 5” frame and mount with a 2 1/2” x 5 1/2” u bolt.Make trailer more visible when there isn’t a boat on it (for retrieval) help hold the stern in place during moderate winds/currents when retrieving (click for larger image) (click for larger image)Making new bunk boards is the easy part. [links]
How to lift your pontoon boat off the trailer bunks. Depending on what sort of
trailer you have, for small sized trailers it is recommended that the cotton reel boat roller. here
To fit a boat to the trailer, make rough measurements to allow the boat to sit straight and level on the trailer, then crawl under the trailer and position each bunk, making sure that the bunks or rollers are positioned next to, not under strakes or other protrusions from the bottom, that the transom is well supported and that bunks are located under the interior stringers as well as any other areas needing.Ultra high has started developing boat trailer parts for the australian boat trailer market over 30 years ago and is now the industry standard product for use on boat trailers for aluminium boats.Wash your boat trailer to get rid of any debris.We have complete kits, with guide poles, pvc, and mounting hardware, and we have guide post and pole kits that do not include the hardware, allowing for custom selection.
I wouldn't want to use any less sturdy material for any weight boat. For it to work well it needs to have a certain degree of stiffness that thinner material wouldn't have. At the same time you want fasteners to be well recessed; again requiring a certain material thickness.
I used UHMW strips on one of my boat trailers for about 15 years. They worked extremely well with the nearly 8000 pound boat. Material can usually be obtained by shopping around custom shops in the local area. They can be cut and machined by normal hand tools so installation can be a DIY project. more
Not sure what "cellular PVC" is. But, the UHMW material I've seen used on boat trailers doesn't seem to have a static cling problem.
For other boat owners here. Note: I am not affiliated with this company at all.
Post by ArcticDiver » Tue Nov 08, 2011 12:01 pm
Post by renoun » Tue Nov 08, 2011 1:04 pm here
My trailer was fitted with trailering guides, L-shaped PVC tubes attached to each side of the trailer's rear crossbar and extending up along the gunwales. However, the semi-rigid pipes served primarily as visual guides to keep track of the trailer's angle when backing down a steep ramp. The pipes also proved useful when approaching a submerged trailer while preparing to load the boat onto it.
Bunk guides remove the frustration of aligning your boat on trailer rollers or bunks. They are also simple enough to install yourself in just over an hour. more
Fighting wind, current, or mere "pilot" error at the end of a long day on the water, I often found it took several attempts to properly align my 20-foot center-console atop the partially submerged trailer's roller guides and carpeted bunks. Sometimes after pulling the rig up the ramp, I'd find the keel off center. Then we'd have to back the boat down the ramp again, far enough to refloat the hull and reposition it before hauling it out again for another look.
While handy in those circumstances, the bolt-on aftermarket guides were not sturdy enough to bounce a bow off while centering the boat on the trailer. They were also of little use for leverage when attempting to align a boat under power in the face of wind or current, let alone serve as side barriers to help keep the boat on the trailer while on the road.