Bunks for my trailer

Trimix · 14 July 2014, 14:14

Anyone know where I can buy some wooden planks (2 inches thick) to use as bunks on a trailer.

All the websites Ive seen dont seem to do planks long / thick enough.

Even the trailer websites dont seem to show them. Might have to speak to a sawmill, but thought I'd check with you guys before I did that.

Pikey Dave · 14 July 2014, 15:12

Try kedel.co.uk they make recycled plastic timber

.....sh1t happens.......

Trimix · 14 July 2014, 15:40

Mmm, thats good. I will give them a call. Looks like it will resist rot and not need a carpet and provide lower friction. Bonus

Just need to see what the strength is.

Cheers for that, brilliant find.

Peter_C · 14 July 2014, 17:28

Lots of people use plastic decking like Trex. What length do they need to be that you can't buy them at the hardware store in wood?

Trimix · 14 July 2014, 20:48

They need to be about 5 to 5.5m long. 30cm wide. 5cm thick. The three hardware superstores I went to had nothing close.

Mollers · 14 July 2014, 21:59

Why bunks and not rollers? Noah launched the Ark off of a bunked trailer.

jyasaki · 15 July 2014, 01:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trimix

They need to be about 5 to 5.5m long. 30cm wide. 5cm thick. The three hardware superstores I went to had nothing close.

Any crossmembers where you could add additional supports and brackets and split the length?

I had enough problem finding appropriate lumber about 12 feet long.

jky

Trimix · 15 July 2014, 09:09

Well the existing ones are long, so its possible to get them that long. Even if I have to go to as sawmill.

But adding a cross member may be a good solution.

Its already set up for bunks, so just renewing the slightly worn bunks & crappy carpet will be cheaper than converting it all over to rollers.

I like the idea of the plastic wood that Pikey Dave pointed me to, that needs investigating. No need for carpet, slippery design, waterproof - sounds almost too good to be true.

I also like the fact the bunks spread the load across the hulls. Unlike a normal V shaped RIB it just sits on two very narrow points (about an inch and a half). It would be very difficult to come up with a roller version that would work for my boat and the foils underneath.

hoops2 · 15 July 2014, 13:00

Hi Trimix

I ended up using a product called buffalo board which is a resin impregnated ply for my Hysucat 6.5m. I joined 2 sections to get the length I required.

The board has a rough and a shiny side, obviously the shiny side was placed upwards. I initially had trouble with the boat sticking to the boards after a long tow (as i did with carpet) but cured this with a regular smear of cheap waterproof grease.

The plastic bunks sound good though but I never found them when i was hunting for options.

Cheers

neil

Trimix · 15 July 2014, 13:08

Cheers Neil, thats good information. I may end up doing just that and joining two boards. Plastic or the resin impregnated version you mentioned.

Im also intersted in raising the winch height further so the winch is level with the bow towing eye. Was yours ? Did you find any issues with it ?

Doug_G · 15 July 2014, 13:40

Please post a picture or two of the outcome.

Trimix · 15 July 2014, 13:56

Sure will do. May be a while by the time Ive sourced all the bits, then taken the boat down to the Marina and stopped playing with the boat for long enough to sort the trailer

Might have to do it when its blowing a gale.

jyasaki · 15 July 2014, 15:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by hoops2

The plastic bunks sound good though but I never found them when i was hunting for options.

Check your local home improvement store. It's used for building decks (house decks, not boat decks.)

jky

hoops2 · 31 July 2014, 10:21

Appologies for the delay Ive been diving :-)

Attached are some pictures of my trailer for the Hysucat stealth 6.5. Its an indespension big dipper. The side guide brackets were made by a local metal fabrication shop for £60 and I then had them galvanised. The side guides are hardwood planks.

The winch post came with the trailer however I modified the bow support as you can see. The post adjusted high enough to pull horizontally.

The boards are buffalo board which is pretty good but has started to wear in places and does stick after a long journey however I have fixed this with a smear of cheap waterproof grease after 5 launches.

The only issue is getting the hulls onto the rollers on the rear cross member, I would like to replace these for longer tubular rollers wthout the wheels at either end but havent found the time yet.

Applogies for the trailer having the boat on but I didnt have the camera on the beach.

Cheers

Neil

Ianhfc · 05 August 2014, 03:35

Hi
Hope you don't mind me joining your post, but does anyone know if anyone has used Kedel's product to use as bunks?
I have a 3.4 mtr Zodiac, I've just purchased a trailer (sick of launch wheels) and i'm wanting to fit bunks to it.
Their product seems ideal so was wondering if anyone else has tried it.
Thanks
Ian

Peter_C · 05 August 2014, 04:36

Nothing wrong with using a recycled plastic product for bunks, although for a SIB I personally would want carpet to protect the fabric. I would guess you can find a staple gun powerful enough to put the carpet onto the Kedel product, and glue might help.