replacing bunks

[spharis]

My aluminum trailer used cypress bunks. We have plenty of it here.

[Waterski-Rebel]

I am debating between using lag bolts from the bottom up, or drilling through the wood and using normal bolts. If I go with the lag bolt scenario I can prepare the bunks ahead of time, take them to the lake, take the boat off of the trailer and install them there. (Very easy). If I go with the normal bolts (like currently installed). I will want to use the old wood as a template to make sure the holes for the bolts go in the right place. Much more difficult.

As long as I check the bolts every month or so, does anyone see a problem going with lag bolts?

Also, my local home depot and lowes have treated pine. Should I special order something like cypress?

[dogbert]

Go with lag bolts.

[Waterski-Rebel]

Dogbert - what size lag bolts did you go with? 1.5" x 3/8"?

[dogbert]

I reused the ones I had. I'd get 1.25x 3/8 if you can.

[Joeprunc]

Back to the top...cause I want to remember to do this early this season.

A few people asked about the Overtons Bunker Carpet, but I didn't see any responses. Any one happy with that carpet?

Also looking at my bunkers they are curved to the shape of the hull. I'm just thinking out loud. but if bolt down the bunkers then load the boat won't the bunker want to move to form to the hull. If its bolted then something will have to give...either the wood or the bolt. My guess would be the hole for the bolt would elongate. Anyone have any issues with this or am I completely over thinking this??

[Jason B]

My lag bolts require CONSTANT tightening. I am replacing them at the beginning of the year and I will NEVER use the lag bolts again!!!!!

[fleetpaint]

anyone use those trailer slides on there bunks?

[Fast1911]

maybe repeating something else in this thread, didn't feel like reading the entire thing, I replaced my bunks out at the lake, just brought the small generator out and the power tools and it was smooth sailing...........err or skiing I mean

[Joeprunc]

My lag bolts require CONSTANT tightening. I am replacing them at the beginning of the year and I will NEVER use the lag bolts again!!!!!

Did you drill too large of a pilot hole for the lag bolts? Or is the wood splitting causing the bolts to walk themselves out? Did you try to coat the bolts with silicone?

I would much rather be able to just unbolt the old ones and have the new ones already fabbed to bolt on. It seems like the only way to do this is with lag bolts.

[Waterski-Rebel]

Last year I bought everything to replace all 4 bunks, but ended up only replacing the one that was broken. While the boat was in the water, I removed the old one, and put the new one on via lag bolts from the bottom. It seemed as the best solution, without major brain damage to pre-build counter sunk bolts from above.

[Jason B]

[QUOTE=Joeprunc;292308]Did you drill too large of a pilot hole for the lag bolts? Or is the wood splitting causing the bolts to walk themselves out? Did you try to coat the bolts with silicone?
QUOTE]

I definitely did not drill too big of a hole. I can not see that the wood is/isn't splitting but not to the best of my knowledge. I can re-screw them back in just fine....for a couple trips.... I coated the boats with silicone over the heads hoping it would grab on to the wood and not back out but I did not use silicone on the shaft of the bolt.

I am going to be countersinking these tee-nuts into the top and then bolting up through the bottom this summer. I think this will be a grand solution to an annoying problem.

[Joeprunc]

Bringing back and old thread...finally built my bunks this weekend, what a PITA getting all the materials needed.

My bunkers are 2" x 6" x 13'-4" lg. I talked to a lot of old timers and a few people suggested pressure treated wood, and quite a few others suggested redwood. They said the redwood is a softer more dense wood that keeps water out better. Homedepot had a poor selection of 2"x6"x16' the pressure treated was really brittle, and every piece they had was slip, so I went with the redwood. They had the wood, but no stainless hardware, and only 12' lg. carpet. Then to West Marine for the 18' x 18" bunker carpet, actually seems to be pretty good quality carpet. Then to ACE for the stainless hardware, and contact cement....I got 5/16" bolts, but actually needed 1/4" (so two trips to ACE).

I ended up measuring the locations of the old bolts, then drilled, and countersunk one bolt per bunker support. I bolted through the top with a fender washer, then on the bottom I countersunk another fender washer and nut. Then tightened them down. I used contact cement all the way around the wood, to hopefully treat it from water rot. Installed the carpet, with some more contact cement and a heap ton of stainless staples. I have some of the biggest blisters from the staple gun (I would recommend a staple gun with individual finger cut outs at least for for first two fingers.

I finished it all and tied the new bunkers up to the trailer just as the sun was setting. So next time we head out hopefully all the bolts that I have line up with the bunker support holes. Each support has three holes, I will be installing 1 pre installed bolt with a nyloc nut & washer, and two lag bolts (w/lock washer) on each support bunker.

Well end of rant, I will try to get some before and after shots next weekend.

[Joeprunc]

Ok I got the bunkers on and here's an update post of how it went....

....first off a battery powered impact gun and battery powered drill saved me approximately 2 hours of work , definitely bring them along. Also bring something to lay on, as parking lots are usually dirty, and with a wet trailer makes for a really dirty shirt. I used an old beach towel.

So the bolt I pre drilled and installed before carpeting...well, I measured one wrong , the bunker support was offset so the hole was off by 1/2". Luckly I had a whole set of drills, and just drilled a new hole in the bunker support. Being able to bolt everything down before installing the lag bolts was really really nice. I would not recommend going the route I went with the bolt, (2) washers, and nut...go with the tee-nuts that Jason shows, and use Locktite! I had two bolts loosen on my while I was bolting down the nyloc nut. I was able to use a screw driver to tighten it back down, but now I have little holes above each of those bolts. Luckly I countersunk them deep enough that there shouldn't be any pressure on that section of the carpet.

Overall it turned out very nice. I can tell my boat is happier sitting on the new carpet . Sorry for no pictures I was in a rush to get back to the boat.