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Gel Coat scratches from carpeted bunks!!!


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After spending a couple of weekends out with the VTX i noticed that I have a couple of pretty bad scratches from where the boat was sliding up on the trailer bunks. Mad.gif I think it may have been caused when I came in crooked and had to back away in the wind? I must have kicked up some sand and silt that settled on the bunks. I am sure I am not the first person to have scratched the hull this way. I was just wondering how often this has been an issue and does anyone have some better suggestions to help prevent something like this happening again? I know, get it straight the first time!!! :lol: Also I have gone through the archives and have noticed that a lot of people spray the bunks with pledge or liquid rollers. I am sure that would help some as well. Does the lube help you so you could actually use the winch to pull the boat up the last few inches?

Edited by trentj6930
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Do you dip your trailer ALL the way in before you put it in the correct position to load, to wet all the bunks?

Rather than just backing it in to the fender (or whatever you use to guide you), back it in so ALL the bunks are wet, then pull it out to the correct position.

Keeps you from going up dry bunks.

Besides that, i don't worry about it. I bought the boat to use it......a couple scratches on the bottom doesn't really bother me.

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Yes we dip all the bunks before we load. It seems like there is a lot of friction when loading though. I am comparing to my old boat that seemed to slide up really easy. Scratches aren't really a big deal, but the first ones you put in the new boat tend to make you cringe a little. :unsure:

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I've got a couple on the port side from the bunks, and yes, I always dip the bunks completely before loading. I think it is because the front set of bunks are not angled quite right for the hull as it engages the bunks while loading - it is fine when the boat is fully in position on the trailer - but there is a pressure point on the inside front corner of the bunk as the boat is driven on.

Thankfully, I only have to load once a year. Otherwise I'd have a bunch more scratches. I've been thinking I am going to re-do the bunks this summer to add a higher quality carpet. When I do, I am going to take a belt sander to that leading corner to soften it a bit.

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Yes we dip all the bunks before we load. It seems like there is a lot of friction when loading though. I am comparing to my old boat that seemed to slide up really easy. Scratches aren't really a big deal, but the first ones you put in the new boat tend to make you cringe a little. :unsure:

So you finally got her home, how do you like it? As far as the bunks i do the same as suggested completely submerge the bunks so there wet power onto the trailer 3/4 the way and hand crank the rest of the way. Mine cranks on pretty hard as well but you have to think the boat weighs 3600lbs dry less gear, feul etc so depending on the weight of your old boat that's probably where you notice the difference. I also thought about silicone spraying my bunks but have heard you need to be EXTREMELY careful when you do so, the biggest thing that's kept me away from the idea is i'm afraid the silicone spray will hurt the gell coat finish from being in contact for long periods of time.

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We absolutley love the new boat. We have doubled the hours on it. The original owner put 20 hours on it and we have now got over 40 hours. Not bad for only three days of water time. I also read that people spray pledege and that seems to help the bunks not be quite so slippery. I have tried to winch it on but the boat will not move. I have the front edge of the fender just at the surface of the water so it should be at the right depth. I believe the original owner only used the trailer once or twice and then the trailer sat in storage somewhere. I may put the boat in and take the trailer back somewhere to pressure wash the carpet to make sure the sand and grit is all cleaned off. First scratches are really hard to take. The unfortunate thing is we will load or unload at least once a day during the weekend.

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I would be leary of using any product to make the bunks more slippery. Easy to slide on is the same as easy to slide off.

I would rather scratch up the boat a little rather than risk the boat sliding off the trailer when i unhook the bow strap.

Also, most of these trailers are designed to drive on - really difficult to crank a boat as big as these on with a winch strap.

I always drive all the way on, and use teh winch to hold it in place (in addition to whatever front hold down you use) when pulling the boat out of the water.

Only time i use the winch to get the boat on is if something happens and the boat can't drive on under its own power.

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I would be leary of using any product to make the bunks more slippery. Easy to slide on is the same as easy to slide off.

I would rather scratch up the boat a little rather than risk the boat sliding off the trailer when i unhook the bow strap.

Also, most of these trailers are designed to drive on - really difficult to crank a boat as big as these on with a winch strap.

I always drive all the way on, and use teh winch to hold it in place (in addition to whatever front hold down you use) when pulling the boat out of the water.

Only time i use the winch to get the boat on is if something happens and the boat can't drive on under its own power.

There have been several threads about how several ways people pull there boats on the trailer.

Some high points:

Powering on is not permitted in some locations and it can be dangerous... never stand in front of the boat when it is driven on!!!

General consensus is to not unhook the bow strap before the boat is in the water.

If you must crank it on, put the trailer in a bit deeper.

The bunk spray works great, but be careful the first time driving on. It will surprise you how good it really works.

I'll see if I can find the thread.

Read further into into the discussion

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Edited by Sunsetter95
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I would be leary of using any product to make the bunks more slippery. Easy to slide on is the same as easy to slide off.

I would rather scratch up the boat a little rather than risk the boat sliding off the trailer when i unhook the bow strap.

Also, most of these trailers are designed to drive on - really difficult to crank a boat as big as these on with a winch strap.

I always drive all the way on, and use teh winch to hold it in place (in addition to whatever front hold down you use) when pulling the boat out of the water.

Only time i use the winch to get the boat on is if something happens and the boat can't drive on under its own power.

There have been several threads about how several ways people pull there boats on the trailer.

Some high points:

Powering on is not permitted in some locations and it can be dangerous... never stand in front of the boat when it is driven on!!!

General consensus is to not unhook the bow strap before the boat is in the water.

If you must crank it on, put the trailer in a bit deeper.

The bunk spray works great, but be careful the first time driving on. It will surprise you how good it really works.

I'll see if I can find the thread.

Read further into into the discussion

Link to discussion

Link to comment
I would be leary of using any product to make the bunks more slippery. Easy to slide on is the same as easy to slide off.

I would rather scratch up the boat a little rather than risk the boat sliding off the trailer when i unhook the bow strap.

Also, most of these trailers are designed to drive on - really difficult to crank a boat as big as these on with a winch strap.

I always drive all the way on, and use teh winch to hold it in place (in addition to whatever front hold down you use) when pulling the boat out of the water.

Only time i use the winch to get the boat on is if something happens and the boat can't drive on under its own power.

There have been several threads about how several ways people pull there boats on the trailer.

Some high points:

Powering on is not permitted in some locations and it can be dangerous... never stand in front of the boat when it is driven on!!!

General consensus is to not unhook the bow strap before the boat is in the water.

If you must crank it on, put the trailer in a bit deeper.

The bunk spray works great, but be careful the first time driving on. It will surprise you how good it really works.

I'll see if I can find the thread.

Read further into into the discussion

Link to discussion

Has anyone heard of or used a product called Bunk Kaps? They sound great but....

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Well I put the boat in the water on Sunday and went to treat the carpet on the bunks and found that the caprt is ripped on the 2 main bunks at the very back where the hull would first come into contact. The carpet is worn right through on 3 different spots. I was quite suprised considering it was only a year old and only had a total of 20 hours on it. I guess the real fix will be installing new carpet as soon as possible. I did spray the bunks with pleadge and it did help a lot. I was actually able to crank the boat on the trailer the last foot or so. Thanks for all the feedback.

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  • 3 months later...

So, to bring up an old thread. I replaced the carpet right after the last post. The carpet that they sent me was not the best quality, but it does look like the same carpet that was on the extreme trailer from the factory. The problem is the new carpet is worn through again. We do have to load out every time we go to the lake. I now have to replace all the carpet again. My last boat had the original carpet on the bunks from 1997 when we sold it this spring.! What is the experiences of the other Malibu Crew members in regards to the quality of carpet that you currently have or have replaced? Any recommendations? Has anyone replaced the 2x4 bunks with 2x6 bunks and covered them with the bunk cap cover or other product from Cabellas or any of the other marine distributers?

And YES before you ask we completely dunk the bunks before loading and unloading!!!! And if anything I have been backing the trailer in deeper than most members recommend and the winch it on if it isn't to windy. Thanks for the feedback.

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I've had some problems with the carpet wearing through on a few spots on my Extreme trailer. I have just been too lazy to get around to replacing the pieces. I don't trailer a whole lot, but I guess I should have gotten around to the repairs while the boat is not on the trailer. :Doh:

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I've got a couple on the port side from the bunks, and yes, I always dip the bunks completely before loading. I think it is because the front set of bunks are not angled quite right for the hull as it engages the bunks while loading - it is fine when the boat is fully in position on the trailer - but there is a pressure point on the inside front corner of the bunk as the boat is driven on.

Thankfully, I only have to load once a year. Otherwise I'd have a bunch more scratches. I've been thinking I am going to re-do the bunks this summer to add a higher quality carpet. When I do, I am going to take a belt sander to that leading corner to soften it a bit.

I did get around to redoing my forward bunks that were causing the scratches, and I got some pics.

Here is the before shot - you can see on the left hand forward bunk, on the inside forward edge, that the carpet is 'burned' from the pressure of the hull against the edge of the board underneath.

post-60-1221600287_thumb.jpg

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Took a belt sander to the board, rounding off the inside edge to a radius of about 1", tapered back over a span of about 8". Then covered with a fairly dense cut-pile carpet remnant from the house. Together with the rounded edge, the carpet will provide additional cushion for the regular bunk carpet that will cover it.

post-60-1221600589_thumb.jpg

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I did this to the trailer from my '78 Ski Supreme that I trailered to the lake probably 4 times a week for about 6 seasons. Had no problems with wear on the bunks, nor did I get any mildew smell from the extra layer of carpet. I do not expect to have another problem with scratches. Just wish I would have done this when I first got the boat.

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I did this to the trailer from my '78 Ski Supreme that I trailered to the lake probably 4 times a week for about 6 seasons. Had no problems with wear on the bunks, nor did I get any mildew smell from the extra layer of carpet. I do not expect to have another problem with scratches. Just wish I would have done this when I first got the boat.

I couldn't agree with you more. I baby my boat, even spending around $1000 for a custom rock protector that run just about all the way to the wheel wells. It makes me feel sick every time I peek underneath. I may have to do exactly what you did. I was also planning to round off those inside edges like you did as well. A couple of other Malibu owners I ride with are having the same issues. The only answer we get from Extreme is tha we are loading it wrong!!! I know they are not interested in listening to the issues, or at least it seems that way. Thanks for the advice!! Has anyone else out there done something else to stop this from happening?

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What do you think of these little edge pieces? Easy Bunk Edge

I think the pieces pictured in the post will have the boat resting on less surface area than when contacting the full surface of the bunks. YMMV

Jerry, I know this will not be an issue for you, but I wonder if rounding the edges of the bunk creates less holding power for lateral g force. That is, the strakes will not be tightly against an edge as the trailer navigates corners on the highway.

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Took a belt sander to the board, rounding off the inside edge to a radius of about 1", tapered back over a span of about 8".
Jerry, I know this will not be an issue for you, but I wonder if rounding the edges of the bunk creates less holding power for lateral g force. That is, the strakes will not be tightly against an edge as the trailer navigates corners on the highway.

I don't expect that the 8" those bunks were rounded off is going to have any effect on how well the trailer holds the boat in response to lateral g forces. Exactly how fast do you take corners with your boat in tow anyway, Jack? Crazy.gif

I limited my mod to that forward part of the bunk because that is the only place I was seeing the problem. But IMHO, if someone wanted to round them off the entire lenth of the inside bunks, I don't think it would matter (of course, I also don't think it would provide added benefit from a scratch perspective). At least on my RLXi, the outer/rearward bunks are the only ones sitting against the strakes, and those bunks were not modified.

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