Help please with rigging bunk boards on trailer!!

[basspunisher24/7]

Its time to replace the bunk boards on my champion trailer...I have a few questions for anyone who might be able to help. Should I use 12, 14, 16, 18, or 20 oz bunk carpet and if so what brand? Also should I use stainless steel staples, washers, and lag bolts, or is that over the top. Are lag bolts the best option? The wood on the bunks right now are 2x4's, what type of wood should I use. Is pressure treated wood ok to use? Any feedback would be very helpful!
thanks, Chris[/u][/b]

[Dom]

I just replaced my bunk boards I used2 9' 2 x 6 boards I used 20 oz marine carpet I glued the carpet to the bunks then stapled the seam on the bottom side with SS staples as for the bolts I used 1 1/2" ss lag bolts also looks great and works perfect

Make sure your lags dont come thru the board, try to leave some clearence becuase the wood will compress over time and one little point from a lag sticking thru can gouge your hull pretty bad

Hope this Helps

[TEAMDEADMONEY]

I have to do mine as well.

I know that bass pro has the carpet and Im sure alot of other stores have it.
BassPro has the 4and 5 ft length boards but they dont have the 9 ft boards.. thats a bummer because it make make it alot easier to just buy them premade.
That was good advice about giving yourself room with the lagbolt because the board will get skinnier over time. Thanks for the tip..

Pete

[Greg_Cornish]

I just replaced my bunk boards I used2 9' 2 x 6 boards I used 20 oz marine carpet I glued the carpet to the bunks then stapled the seam on the bottom side with SS staples as for the bolts I used 1 1/2" ss lag bolts also looks great and works perfect

Make sure your lags dont come thru the board, try to leave some clearence becuase the wood will compress over time and one little point from a lag sticking thru can gouge your hull pretty bad

Hope this Helps

Agreed, but I would use carriage bolts, countersunk on top then use a nylock nut underneath. I nearly punctured a pontoon using lag bolt when a bunk got rotten. Caught it just in time.

[micropterus]

.... I would go with the medium thickness carpet. Cabela's, BPS, Bass Boat Carpets all carry pre-cut 'bunk board carpet'. Get at least 12 inches wide for the two by four wood. Comes in six foot or twelve foot lengths. Home Depot or Lowes carries these length boards. Definitely use the treated green wood. I use the twelve foot boards for my 18 foot boat and I cut one foot off the outside boards (4 in all - tandem axle trailer). Expect to make these cuts yourself .... Home Depot type stores won't cut them due to toxicity issue. Other supplies :

1. Galvanized 1/2 inch staples
2. Galvanized 1 1/2 inch lag bolts
3. Latex Carpet Glue (can)
4. Galvanized Flat Washers for the lag bolts

Tools:
1. Staple gun
2. Drill motor
3. Paint brush for glue
4. Hammer
5. Saw
6. Scissors
7. Socket and socket wrench (lag bolts)

Suggestions:

1. Use a drill bit half diameter of lag bolts. Drill MAXIMUM 1/2 in to 3/4 inch hole and use hammer to set lag bolt initially then use socket wrench to allow bolts to 'self tap' into the boards.

2. Follow up behind staple gun with hammer.

3. Have a buddy help you line up (hold) the boards before you drill holes.

4. Use plenty of the glue. Let the glued carpet/boards dry one day.


Hope this helps ..... better than paying someone to do this!!

Dan Curtis

[619]

Any trailer shop will make them to your specs. We use FE Trailers in El Cajon. Not very costly either.

[mark poulson]

Dom's got it.
Use the best 3M spray on glue, on both the carpet and the boards.
Precut and dry fit the carpet, lay the carpet down on the driveway, and lay the board down on it. Then fold the edges over and staple the carpet edges down. The glue will hold it, the staples are just to position it until the glue sets.
Use 2X6 pressure tr4eated lumber. Pick it for straight and small knots. Make sure the spacing between the inside faces of the bunks is the same, even if it means not centering the bunks on the metal legs. You need your hull chines to clear the bunks when you put the boat on the trailer.
And shoot some sub floor glue in the lag holes before you run them in, so they don't vibrate out when the wood dries and shrinks.

I just replaced my bunk boards I used2 9' 2 x 6 boards I used 20 oz marine carpet I glued the carpet to the bunks then stapled the seam on the bottom side with SS staples as for the bolts I used 1 1/2" ss lag bolts also looks great and works perfect

Make sure your lags dont come thru the board, try to leave some clearence becuase the wood will compress over time and one little point from a lag sticking thru can gouge your hull pretty bad

Hope this Helps

[bustout]

i priced the cost for materials and it was close to purchasing from a trailer shop/mfg. so i figured why go thru the labor and bought them.

[TonyL]

Orlandi trailers in San Jose,Ca. doesn't stock , but can get any size bunks , several colors , just need to supply measurements.This is the route I'll be takin when I get off my lazy arse.Check with trailer outfits in your area , I'm sure it'll be the same.

[SHAFT]

Agreed, but I would use carriage bolts, countersunk on top then use a nylock nut underneath. I nearly punctured a pontoon using lag bolt when a bunk got rotten. Caught it just in time.

I agree Greg , why go through all the work and not through bolt them . The bunks first rot area will be at the wood the lag is biting into also go with Pressure Treated lumber . I used stainless staples and no glue on the carpet I did not want to scrape it all off on the next carpet change just pull the staples and re-staple the new.

[mark poulson]

Pressure treated lumber is cheap. It's $.81 plus tax a foot right now, so you're probably talking $20 for (2) 10' pieces of 2X6. Glue insures the carpet doesn't pull loose when you launch and retrieve.

[Dom]

Ditto what Mark said also the rubber backing on the marine carpet along with the glue acts as a barrier between the wood and water not gonna make it water proof but will make it last longer.

[ScottyJ]

Use te fake wood 2x4 they have at home depot. Its a little more expensive but will never rot or compress and should last the life of the trailer.

Scott

[19X]

I would not use Stainless lag bolts. They will cause the trailer clips to corrode at an accelerated rate due to dissimilar metals. I would highly recommend Galvanized.

[Alex M.]

Hey BassPunisher.....
Don't waste your time, sell that Champion and get yourself a Skeeter.
Problem solved

Just messin' with ya Chris....

[basspunisher24/7]

Thanks guys for all the great information so quick! Im sure the job will be much easier now that I have some "seasond" advice. Im leaning towards the galvanized lag bolts and ss staples. Can't wait till that baby is fixed up and ready to go fishin!! Ps. hey ALEX- NAAAAAAAAAAH!!

[Jerry]

....



3. Have a buddy help you line up (hold) the boards before you drill holes.



Dan Curtis

If you don't have a friend to help, just use the old bunks as patterns and you should be able to do it by yourself.

Jerry

[mark poulson]

I would not use Stainless lag bolts. They will cause the trailer clips to corrode at an accelerated rate due to dissimilar metals. I would highly recommend Galvanized.

Actually, I think you'll find the opposite is true.
Stainless steel is the metal of choice when it comes to dissimliar metals.
Stainless steel hardware does not react with other metals, while galvanized steel can. That's the reason stainless steel is used in so many harsh environments, like salt water, and why it can be used as a transition metal between galvanized and copper, to prevent electrolisis.

[19X]

Mark, i can show u my angle iron clips that are on my trailer, i didn't realize the bolts were stainless for 2 years. I now have 50% metal loss. I deal with corrosion everyday so i'm just tryin to pass on some legit info to help out my fellow addicts. If you have SS bolts and carbon steel clips, i suggest you do a thorough inspection before you lose them. my .02

[mark poulson]

19X,
I don't doubt that your clips deteriorated. I just wonder if it might be that the paint wore off them, letting them rust, and the rubbing of the lag head helped to wear them away.
My experience with stainless steel is in boat hardware, and in residential construction. Maybe there is some alloy that's used in the bunk clips that reacts with it, but that would be a new one for me.
It reacts with so few things that it is what is used in surgical screws and pins, too.
I used sst. lags when I replaced my last set of bunks, and the clips on the trailer were fine, at least they were for the year that I owned the boat after I changed the bunks.