Opinions on what is causing wear

[spikew919]

I have now put boat in and out of water 5 times. This is what my trailer bunks look like now that I actually looked at them while spraying them down with liquid roller. Appears wear is coming while traikering due to boat must not be evenly contacting bunks?? No adjustment to angle. And you can even see wear spot where Bolts that I assume are countersunk into boards? And I have never had to power load. Floating over bunks loading and unloading. 

Edited May 25, 2017 by spikew919

[spikew919]

[Fffrank]

All that wear from (5) launches?!

I'm not 100% sure what the orientation of the trailer in these photos is but it looks like the furthermost rear part of the inside bunks are what is wearing, correct?  If that's the case, I would speculate that you are not going in deep enough.  This part of the bunk should be making contact with the hull in tandem with the outside bunks.  If you are not deep enough, the entire weight of your boat will be on these two small points as the nose is pulled down and forward towards the winch.  

I've never seen anything like that.  I launch ~40 times/season and have only had to replace carpet once in the last 15 years.  Something isn't right here.

[Nacibound]

I assume the boards are straight? Might be hard to tell but is it resting evenly and are the bolts tight?

My first guess would be trailer not deep enough based on how the photo looks.

[Fffrank]

Also -- I always power load and I don't believe any part of my hull touches these parts of the bunks until I start to pull the trailer out and the trailer comes up to contact the boat.

[Rednucleus]

I would say the boat is not sitting equally on the bunks and the wear is associated with motion on the road. How far are you driving each trip? These were new bunks 5 trips ago?? 

[sparker19]

If you bought the boat used this wear could have been there before you bought it. Unless you've had the bunks redone since you got it.

Look and see how she's sitting on the trailer - see how the hull lines up with the bunks; maybe see if the bunks are secure, not missing any nuts or washers on the underside of the bunks. And are you transporting her with transom tie downs? Any rocky/rough roads?

Looks like wood boards.... If it was Trex or composite I'd say maybe its flex from the weight and the fact that Trex/composite isn't stable like hardwood so it bends and flexes like a glorified piece of 1/2" PVC.

 

Otherwise I'd agree with all of the above posts; Not sitting on the bunks evenly or not loading with the trailer deep enough.

[klingsdesigns]

Mine looks the exact same way.  I have had to power load and unload. Not sure if that is what it is from. I have noticed at times my boat is not 100% in the center though.  Think that might have something to do wit it.

[oldjeep]

Not deep enough or tracking fin contact when loading.  The one on left definitely looks like fin damage.

Edited May 25, 2017 by oldjeep

[spikew919]

Boat is always free floating over unless factory or dealer done it on the 2 or 3 times. And boat is brand new and so is trailer. What is worrying is in these pics look at where bolt heads are covered? @oldjeep @sparker19 @Fffrank I never have to power load. Literally floating over bunks @Rednucleus I travel about 25 miles to ramp. @Naciboundeverthing is tight but looks like it is resting more on inside edges of inner bunks. And outer also. Like not the right angle? 

[spikew919]

that's the spot over bolt head, and the second pic is outer bunk. No way tracking fin gets there 

Edited May 25, 2017 by spikew919

[spikew919]

Carpet looking all fresh and new except those areas you see in pic. And as far as tracking fin damage, if you look in pic at outer bunk is about to wear through at edge also. No way tracking fin got there. @oldjeep or I would it would.

Edited May 26, 2017 by spikew919

[oldjeep]

Well, I can tell you for sure that this was tracking fin damage.  Back when my wife was learning how to put the new boat on the trailer and I was learning how deep to put it.

Your bolt heads definitely look like a problem - when did they start putting them in from the top?  Mine are lags from the bottom (2012 boatmate)

 

[ahopkins22LSV]

I highly doubt that is tracking fin damage on your trailer spike, of even oldjeeps. You have to be on a severe angle that would be pretty hard to accomplish with the trailer guide posts. 

What it looks like to me is wear from in loading and loading from the lifting strands in the hull. If those slide on the bunks it doesn't take much more then one or two time to wear the carpet out or even spit the wood. I'm going through the same thing right now with my trailer since I replaced the bunks last year. I think one is just barely off cause it to push the boat one direction. Will find out soon as I attempt to fix it in the next month or so.

[spikew919]

@oldjeep if it is tracking fin damage then, my dealer and I have a problem, no one else has loaded and unloaded except myself, and I have been perfectly straight everytime with this boat. Our ramp at the river is a single trailer only and not in main body of river. So very calm. 

@ahopkinsTXi I think you could be right. I wish I could look at bottom of boat while off the trailer and see exactly how it's built right where bunks line up. If it is those ridges that are lining up on bunks that would explain a lot. I will say tho, this one lines up perfect everytime.  With my vlx you would have to watch closely while pulling up the ramp with it floating or it would try to sit a little off center. 

[spikew919]

And this is the very front bunks that are not suppose to be weight bearing but same kind of damage happening here where boat is making contact trailering. And yes boat is always against bow eye and straps tight. 

Edited May 26, 2017 by spikew919

[UWSkier]

are there any hull chines that might be scraping over those spots and wearing them down prematurely?

[spikew919]

6 minutes ago, UWSkier said:

are there any hull chines that might be scraping over those spots and wearing them down prematurely?

To be honest, haven't checked yet, at smith lake in cullman,al till Sunday. Boat won't be back on trailer till Sunday to make the 4 hr drive back home. 

Boat has made 3 round trips to my dealer at 6hrs round trip. That is why I'll thinking its while trailering. And on the v bunks in front. You can put your hand between boat and bunk except right at v. But my understanding is those bunks just line boat up right. And not load bearing. 

 

 

Edited May 26, 2017 by spikew919

[spikew919]

Swam around under boat. And in areas where I have wear on outside bunks, feels like a corn cob after you pull the corn off. Or honey combed in those areas.  I knew I had some areas around windshield that have almost a gritty feel to gel coat but nothing like I feel underneath. I would have expected thy gel coat to be smooth, really smooth and finished. 

[spikew919]

And after I actually crawled around under trailer. Bunk boards are already splitting from bolt holes down the middle toward next bolt hole. Believe more braces under bunks for this heavy a boat and maybe wider that actually encompasses, maybe half around the 2x4? 

[ahopkins22LSV]

Those splits looks pretty normal to me in any piece of lumber. 

[spikew919]

12 hours ago, ahopkinsTXi said:

Those splits looks pretty normal to me in any piece of lumber. 

I can agree some wood splits especially like cedar, but treated pine that a hole has been drilled in? And the non load bearing bunks up front no splits, and one of four load bearing bunks, no splits, but other three, one runs from bolt to bolt. I just wonder if they need more than 3 braces under the innerbunk and more than 4 under the outers. 

Really don't matter I guess. Just hope bunk don't split. 

[oldjeep]

13 minutes ago, spikew919 said:

I can agree some wood splits especially like cedar, but treated pine that a hole has been drilled in? And the non load bearing bunks up front no splits, and one of four load bearing bunks, no splits, but other three, one runs from bolt to bolt. I just wonder if they need more than 3 braces under the innerbunk and more than 4 under the outers. 

Really don't matter I guess. Just hope bunk don't split. 

Doesn't look treated, and I agree it looks normal.

I'd concentrate on your rough hull.  Sounds like gel coat blistering, but definitely something you need your dealer to check out.  Hull should be smooth like a baby bottom unless you have hull growth from mooring or gelcoat blistering/defects

[spikew919]

17 minutes ago, oldjeep said:

Doesn't look treated, and I agree it looks normal.

I'd concentrate on your rough hull.  Sounds like gel coat blistering, but definitely something you need your dealer to check out.  Hull should be smooth like a baby bottom unless you have hull growth from mooring or gelcoat blistering/defects

It should be treated shouldn't it? I mean with msrp of just south of a quarter million, I would hope they at least sprung for treated.  I always have boat on Trailer. And the rough areas are right under bunks. 

Which reminds me, the damage to end of bunk that you commented could be tracking fin. I believe it's the housing the speedo paddle wheel is in. When boat is between bunks and lined up. It can move about 1.5" and in that area the speedo housing and hull through can actually sit on that bunk. Is that normal? Cause my vlx was mounted further away from bunk.

[oldjeep]

16 minutes ago, spikew919 said:

It should be treated shouldn't it? I mean with msrp of just south of a quarter million, I would hope they at least sprung for treated.  I always have boat on Trailer. And the rough areas are right under bunks. 

Which reminds me, the damage to end of bunk that you commented could be tracking fin. I believe it's the housing the speedo paddle wheel is in. When boat is between bunks and lined up. It can move about 1.5" and in that area the speedo housing and hull through can actually sit on that bunk. Is that normal? Cause my vlx was mounted further away from bunk.

trailer bunks are typically not treated wood, for a variety of reasons.  Usually they are southern yellow pine.

On my trailer there is only one right position, the bunks are tight to the chines.  Does seem bad that your paddle wheel can sit on the bunks.  Maybe compare some trailer fit pictures with some of the other m235 owners on the board.