replacement trailer bunks material

[bigeasy1]

I'm still tinkering around with the trailer(Roller Trailer) that my Tsunami sits on.Loading the boat is a nightmare.So anyway I'm going to add a couple bunks that will line up on the inner step on the outside panel of the hull.
My thinking is the the bunks will act as a guide and will keep the hull from listing(severe tilt) to port like it does now.
We've tried everything to no avail,sometimes we get lucky and it sits perfectly level,but most time we have to make 4 to 5 tries to get it to load correctly with no tilt,and sit right.

Any thoughts on Material? I've seen everything from standard fir ,cypress,pressure treated,etc. I hear good and bad on all of them
I was thinking of using some Trex 5/4 decking for the bunks,and maybe adding some strips of polyethylene or lexan to make the surface a bit more slippery,or is carpet a better choice.

Any thoughts are welcomed.

[uncleboo]

Don't use juniper. I did and now my trailer floats! (Actually, it works pretty good. No matter the angle of the ramp, my trailer is always at the same level in the water.)

[TomParis]

Uncleboo bet that makes loading the boat fun

[bumpdraft]

I believe my bunks are made of cypress (23 years old now). They taper down from front to rear. They were re-carpeted a couple of times and I kind of experimented on the carpeting the last time and the gray that I used is working better. Excuse the nasty bottom paint,I was hoping that it would eventually wear off by now.
I was wondering if you were winching the boat up on the trailer or trying to float it on the rollers. Personally, I hate rollers.

[Bushwacker]

Originally Posted by bigeasy1

I'm still tinkering around with the trailer(Roller Trailer) that my Tsunami sits on.Loading the boat is a nightmare.So anyway I'm going to add a couple bunks that will line up on the inner step on the outside panel of the hull.
My thinking is the the bunks will act as a guide and will keep the hull from listing(severe tilt) to port like it does now.
We've tried everything to no avail,sometimes we get lucky and it sits perfectly level,but most time we have to make 4 to 5 tries to get it to load correctly with no tilt,and sit right.

Any thoughts are welcomed.

Seems like we corresponded on this about a year ago, but you still don't have that thing sorted out?! I've used a roller trailer for over 30 years and I wouldn't have anything else! Trailer is 31 years old and still has original springs and axle, because I never have to dunk it in salt water! I often go out by myself, and with a powerwinch, it's a piece of cake to load regardless of cross winds, cross currents, etc. NoBones has similar experience with his roller trailer.

Can you post some pictures of your roller set up? Take a look at first picture of my trailer below . . . as soon and the center of hull touches and pushes down on the inner rollers, the outer rollers pivot up and contact the hull, so there is no way it can heal over at that point. The center rollers on aft cross member keep the boat centered for the first few feet but once those outer aft rollers go over the edge of the step between the outer and center panels, the rollers run right along the step and guide the boat perfectly every time, just like it's on rails.

I suspect you may be dunking the trailer too deep instead of winching boat on, so the rollers don't have a chance to "latch on" to the steps and guide boat on trailer. (Notice how dry my trailer is in the loading sequence below . . . only the tires get wet!) Or maybe your trailer doesn't have the EZ-Loader setup with counterbalanced rollers. If you can post a picture of the roller set up, maybe we can figure out the problem. One problem I had when I first got the trailer was that the EZ Loader system has so many degrees of freedom, that if boat isn't balanced and lists to one side in the water, it would tend to come on trailer the same way. But once I got the rollers adjusted correctly so the run right along the edge of the vertical outer step, that problem went away.

Next time I go out, I'll try to take someone along with a smart phone that can take a video of the loading sequence, and maybe that'll make it more obvious how the rollers guide the boat straight up on the trailer. Denny

[Islandtrader]

I just used some PT 2x12 and doubled them up...left them un-painted for a few years and then painted them. Notice the PCV Pipes? They act as guides to center the boat on the bunks...even Ray Charles could center the boat.

[abl1111]

I don't have time to take pix of my set up, there should be pix I put on here awhile ago for my 23' Tsunami. I have bunks with keel rollers but the thing I added that makes the boat load like a dream are (2) pcs of 6-8' decking board, held up with galvanized brackets on either side of the hulls "V". It's not meant to hold any weight, just to direct the hull into the right loading position. It does this every time.

[kmoose]

Originally Posted by abl1111

I don't have time to take pix of my set up, there should be pix I put on here awhile ago for my 23' Tsunami. I have bunks with keel rollers but the thing I added that makes the boat load like a dream are (2) pcs of 6-8' decking board, held up with galvanized brackets on either side of the hulls "V". It's not meant to hold any weight, just to direct the hull into the right loading position. It does this every time.

I just got my new trailer in and had the same centering boards added as well. I had the pvc centering V on my last trailer and worked great as well.

[TomParis]

EZ Loader should use your trailer in advertisements demonstrating how well their trailer holds up to the test of time!

[TomParis]

Kmoose like this?

Trailer by TomParisOBC, on Flickr