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Trailer/Bunk Glides


Tao of Wake

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When pulling my lift out of the water this Fall, I found that the carpeting at the end of one of the bunks was torn. After I pull the boat off the lift, I usually raise the bunks a little so that when I am bringing the boat back onto the lift, the bunks catch the boat and slow it down. I probably caught one of the thru hulls on the carpeting and ripped it. I was thinking about how I could repair this and came across some interesting items:

Bunk Enders - These look like exactly what I need, but they are only for fiberglass boats under 1500 pounds!

Bunk Mate - Based on their claims, uses the best material.

Marine Slides

Surfix Trailer Bunk Slides/Glides - I would go with either the 4" or 5" wide. If I go with a custom made 4" x 144" (length of the bunks), it would come to $150 + shipping.

There are probably MANY other products like this out there. I was just wondering if anyone had experience with any of these and what your opinion is.

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I've seen a lot of those advertised, but I just don't feel right about having hard plastic against the shiny finish of the hull. Seems like it would really scratch it.

I just did the bunks on my lift and trailer this summer, and went with the supplied carpeting for the lift and some left over dark grey stuff from our office renovation for the trailer (which gets used twice a year).

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Why not just recarpet? Maybe add a double layer at the end (or for the whole thing). The double layer may provide some cushion, but more importantly will allow the carpeting job to last a longer time!

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Why not just recarpet? Maybe add a double layer at the end (or for the whole thing). The double layer may provide some cushion, but more importantly will allow the carpeting job to last a longer time!

I could do that. I was just exploring options that would make recarpeting obsolete!

Seems like SixBall uses something like the things you've mentioned on his lift.

I did see the thread where he indicated he uses the Tie Down Engineering product. There was a review on Cabelas that indicated it scratched the reviewer's boat, though.

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One will be harder than the other. The softer item eventually loses. Better to have to replace carpet every few years and then to have to have your gelcoat patched because of scratches, gouges, and "wear" marks. Yes.gif

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One will be harder than the other. The softer item eventually loses. Better to have to replace carpet every few years and then to have to have your gelcoat patched because of scratches, gouges, and "wear" marks. Yes.gif

It's reasonable to think there is some solution that does not mark up the hull, and will last a lot longer than carpet. The solutions mentioned are all supposedly very slick and will not cause damage. The reason I like this one is that you can get one continuous piece rather than have multiple smaller pieces. I would think that there would be a much higher likelihood of damage when there are gaps or seams.

EDIT: I have nothing against carpet. It's just that my lift is only 2 years old, and I already have to repair the carpeting. I would much rather have a permanent solution so that I can spend time on the water rather than fixing things.

Edited by kernaltao
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...It's just that my lift is only 2 years old, and I already have to repair the carpeting. I would much rather have a permanent solution so that I can spend time on the water rather than fixing things.

A buddy of mine was replacing his lift bunk carpeting every couple of years until he figured out that it was during the winter when no boat was sitting on the bunks that the carpet rotted from exposure. :Doh: Now he covers the bunks with a tarp during the winter and it's been either four or five years since he has had to recover them. Thumbup.gif

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Always thought these looked interesting.

Anyone ever try them?

Bunkaps

A buddy of mine has had them on his trailer for serveral years nw and they work great. They stay clean and cradle the hull without scratching or scuffing. I was going to put them on my teailer but don't have the money now. They are kind of expensive.

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Always thought these looked interesting.

Anyone ever try them?

Bunkaps

A buddy of mine has had them on his trailer for serveral years nw and they work great. They stay clean and cradle the hull without scratching or scuffing. I was going to put them on my teailer but don't have the money now. They are kind of expensive.

The first time I saw the "bunkaps" was on the shnitzskis web site. I don't see them there any more. The reason I was even looking at them is that my shorestation came with something called "Ultrabunks" (see picture)

post-1563-1255523412.jpg

The good side of these is that they won't rot. The bad side is when I finally put my boat on the trailer at the end of the season, the bottom of the hull is scratched to he!l where it rests on these ultrabunks. I just don't know how I would attach something like the Bunkaps to the aluminum part of the Ultrabunk. I suppose I could just screw it into the aluminum as if it were wood...

Edited by CedarLakeSkier
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The first time I saw the "bunkaps" was on the shnitzskis web site. I don't see them there any more. The reason I was even looking at them is that my shorestation came with something called "Ultrabunks" (see picture)

post-1563-1255523412.jpg

The good side of these is that they won't rot. The bad side is when I finally put my boat on the trailer at the end of the season, the bottom of the hull is scratched to he!l where it rests on these ultrabunks. I just don't know how I would attach something like the Bunkaps to the aluminum part of the Ultrabunk. I suppose I could just screw it into the aluminum as if it were wood...

Yea, just pre-drill the holes and then use stainless steel self-tapping screws. Should work just fine. How wide are the bunks? According to the Bunkaps website, they have versions that are 3.5" and 5.5" wide.

I have been researching these Bunkaps recently, and they seem great. The reviews I have read are all positive. The only downside is the price. I have 12' 2x6 bunks on my lift, so I would need to get two sets of the 5.5" x 6' Bunkaps: $320 + shipping! OUCH.

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I haven't done it myself, but I see a lot of folks here on the lake have a 2x6 piece of Trex decking screwed to the top of their 2x6 bunk on their boat lift cradles. Looking at my neighbors I don't see any scratches or damage. Admittedly though there is a decent amount of difference between the use that boat lift bunks see and trailer bunks see. The upside though is that it is really cheap, and I can't see any fancy piece of plastic being any less abrasive. Just a quick note though, those folks that ONLY have the Trex are experiencing quite a bit of warping it so soft. Use both wood and Trex.

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Be careful on the trailer bunks. The plastic can be very slick. Use good tie downs and be careful at the ramp-don't unhook the bow until your in the water and hook before coming out because the boat will slide off the trailer.

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My Shorestation Lift came with the plastic/Vinyl bunks... 2 Years on and off lots and not a problem.. I dont drag Hull on them though,,We can easily hop onto the Dock and hold the boat and Lift straight up.. Next year will be an electric remote lift going on it..

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I haven't done it myself, but I see a lot of folks here on the lake have a 2x6 piece of Trex decking screwed to the top of their 2x6 bunk on their boat lift cradles. Looking at my neighbors I don't see any scratches or damage. Admittedly though there is a decent amount of difference between the use that boat lift bunks see and trailer bunks see. The upside though is that it is really cheap, and I can't see any fancy piece of plastic being any less abrasive. Just a quick note though, those folks that ONLY have the Trex are experiencing quite a bit of warping it so soft. Use both wood and Trex.

I have thought about that, too. I have a Summit lift that has aluminum bunks under the wood. The aluminum is what actually supports the boat. I could just replace the wood bunks with the Trex. Anyone else have any experience with using the Trex on a trailer or lift? Any damage to the hull? I found the following threads pertaining to this:

http://www.themalibucrew.com/forums/index....116&hl=trex

http://www.themalibucrew.com/forums/index....887&hl=trex

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I haven't done it myself, but I see a lot of folks here on the lake have a 2x6 piece of Trex decking screwed to the top of their 2x6 bunk on their boat lift cradles. Looking at my neighbors I don't see any scratches or damage. Admittedly though there is a decent amount of difference between the use that boat lift bunks see and trailer bunks see. The upside though is that it is really cheap, and I can't see any fancy piece of plastic being any less abrasive. Just a quick note though, those folks that ONLY have the Trex are experiencing quite a bit of warping it so soft. Use both wood and Trex.

I have thought about that, too. I have a Summit lift that has aluminum bunks under the wood. The aluminum is what actually supports the boat. I could just replace the wood bunks with the Trex. Anyone else have any experience with using the Trex on a trailer or lift? Any damage to the hull? I found the following threads pertaining to this:

http://www.themalibucrew.com/forums/index....116&hl=trex

http://www.themalibucrew.com/forums/index....887&hl=trex

I was just chatting with my friend a few streets over. He said his Trex/Treated-Lumber bunk setup has been there for about 5 years now with no problems and he has much less wear on the hull than he did with the carpet. He also made the same comment that with the lake low this summer and the front of the cradle hitting bottom first creating a ramp for the boat that the trex is pretty slick letting the boat slide on and off VERY easy.

That kind of bums me out because in just 2 years I've replaced the bunk carpet twice already. I think I'll go that route on the custom galvanized cradle I'm getting built this winter for the lift.

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I was just chatting with my friend a few streets over. He said his Trex/Treated-Lumber bunk setup has been there for about 5 years now with no problems and he has much less wear on the hull than he did with the carpet. He also made the same comment that with the lake low this summer and the front of the cradle hitting bottom first creating a ramp for the boat that the trex is pretty slick letting the boat slide on and off VERY easy.

That kind of bums me out because in just 2 years I've replaced the bunk carpet twice already. I think I'll go that route on the custom galvanized cradle I'm getting built this winter for the lift.

That's great info. I am really leaning toward just replacing the wood/carpet with Trex. Looks like it would cost about $60 for two 5/4" x 5.5" x 12' boards at Lowes. What color did your neighbor get? White?

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I was just chatting with my friend a few streets over. He said his Trex/Treated-Lumber bunk setup has been there for about 5 years now with no problems and he has much less wear on the hull than he did with the carpet. He also made the same comment that with the lake low this summer and the front of the cradle hitting bottom first creating a ramp for the boat that the trex is pretty slick letting the boat slide on and off VERY easy.

That kind of bums me out because in just 2 years I've replaced the bunk carpet twice already. I think I'll go that route on the custom galvanized cradle I'm getting built this winter for the lift.

That's great info. I am really leaning toward just replacing the wood/carpet with Trex. Looks like it would cost about $60 for two 5/4" x 5.5" x 12' boards at Lowes. What color did your neighbor get? White?

Looks like he has that basic grey color.

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I was just chatting with my friend a few streets over. He said his Trex/Treated-Lumber bunk setup has been there for about 5 years now with no problems and he has much less wear on the hull than he did with the carpet. He also made the same comment that with the lake low this summer and the front of the cradle hitting bottom first creating a ramp for the boat that the trex is pretty slick letting the boat slide on and off VERY easy.

That kind of bums me out because in just 2 years I've replaced the bunk carpet twice already. I think I'll go that route on the custom galvanized cradle I'm getting built this winter for the lift.

That's great info. I am really leaning toward just replacing the wood/carpet with Trex. Looks like it would cost about $60 for two 5/4" x 5.5" x 12' boards at Lowes. What color did your neighbor get? White?

Could you pull the carpet off and screw the TREX right to the existing bunks? if you counter sunk the screws you wouldnt need to worry about them scratching the hull. I know my bunks are thicker then 5/4 decking.

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Could you pull the carpet off and screw the TREX right to the existing bunks? if you counter sunk the screws you wouldnt need to worry about them scratching the hull. I know my bunks are thicker then 5/4 decking.

What I was hoping to do was just replace the boards as is. That way, if I don't like the Trex, I can just put the old boards with carpet back on. The current bunks are connected to the aluminum square tube by brackets all along the length from underneath. I would just remove the screws and then use 1" composite screws to attach the Trex using the same brackets. The bracket is about 1/8" thick, so the screws won't go all the way through the Trex but still hold it nicely.

I went to Lowes yesterday to just check out the Trex. The grey is on sale right now for about $22 (5/4" x 5.5" x 12'). I was hoping to get white so there was no possibility of leaching color onto the hull, though. On the Trex website, they don't list white as an option. I will have to check with Lowes or HD to see if it is still available.

I thought that the surface was quite smooth. I think it will work perfectly. I'm getting pretty good at pulling the Bu into the hoist; maybe I won't raise the bunks and use them to slow down the boat. I may just glide in, tap it in reverse and then raise the bunks. Then there is almost no chance of scratching the hull. I know, some of you will comment "then why don't you just keep the carpet since you won't rip it up if you load the boat that way?". I really want a permanent solution that will not require any further work on the bunks. The carpet and wood will still rot at some point. With the Trex, I should never have to worry about it again!

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