# Bunk Boards & Rollers



## Gramps50 (May 12, 2012)

The way my trailer was set up when I bought it, has rollers down the center and also bottom & side bunk boards. Unless the ramp in pretty steep the boat is hard to launch. It seems that it has gotten harder as time goes on. The carpet on the bunk boards is the indoor/outdoor carpet for a BBS. The rollers are old and hard as a rock & I don't think they roll well with weight on them. Here's what I have now as a picture is worth a thousand words.




This is the back center roller, the straps are for the cover



Looking back to front



Side View back



Front bunk board and also front roller



Front to rear view



I have some new rollers with the V in them like the one on the rear but just hadn't gotten around to installing them. Thinking that the carpeting was part of the problem I bought some 6' bunk boards with marine carpet on them. The ones I have on there now are 5'. From reading the forum I'm thinking that I don't need both the rollers and the bunk boards & that bunk boards are preferred.

The current boards sit about an 1" in in what appears to be some homemade brackets. If I eliminated the rollers and set the bunk boards in the bottom of the brackets, in my mind this would lower the boat on the trailer a little and maybe make it easier to launch.

So is my theory correct or am I missing something?


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## fish devil (May 12, 2012)

:twisted: Get rid of the rollers. Mount the bunks FLAT on the trailer. Get some bunk caps and let the fun begin. No more struggles at the ramp.


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## S&amp;MFISH (May 13, 2012)

I installed "Ultimate Bunkboards" on my trailer last year and all I have to do now is get it close to the water and I can push the boat off the trailer. With the origninal carpeted bunks I had to float the boat off the trailer. Which in turn required backing further into the water,sometimes all the way to the rear tires of the tow vehicle. There is a drawback though, when loading it will slide back off the trailer if there isn't sufficient power applied to keep it on the trailer until you hook up the winch strap. Having a "Hot Foot",I had to fashion a broomstick to wedge between the seat and gas pedal to accomplish this task.


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## richg99 (May 13, 2012)

Before you do all of that stuff....consider trying this...buy one 4 x 8 PVC lattice sheet at Home Depot/Lowes etc. The slats are less than a 1/4 inch thick and approximately 1 1/4 inches wide.. Cut them up into the longest lengths you can get. 

Countersink them and fasten on top of your present carpeted bunks with stainless or brass screws. Your boat will slide off far easier than now. 

If you are concerned that the slides will be TOO slippery...only fasten them to the front half of your bunks. That way, you will have some "grab" from the carpeted areas...but plenty of "slide' when you get the stern into the water.

regards, Rich


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## atuck593 (May 13, 2012)

I am assuming this would also work with an old plastic kitchen cutting board. A little thicker and a little more space to counter sink your screws.


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## richg99 (May 13, 2012)

My only concern with anything thicker than the lattice ...would be if one were to use the half and half approach. The step between carpet and cutting board would be greater. 

A lot of cutting and sanding might make a "ramp" on the end of the cutting board to mitigate the differences in height.

Same kind of slippery material, though, for sure. regards, Rich


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## earl60446 (May 13, 2012)

I would not get rid of the rollers if I were you. They should make it easier to get the boat off and on. Next time the boat is off (or elevate it with a jack maybe), verify all the rollers move easily and even if they do, lubricate them with some kind of spray lube. They may also need some adjustment to make sure they are actually helping to support the weight of the boat correctly.
Tim


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## Gramps50 (May 17, 2012)

earl60446 said:


> I would not get rid of the rollers if I were you. They should make it easier to get the boat off and on. Next time the boat is off (or elevate it with a jack maybe), verify all the rollers move easily and even if they do, lubricate them with some kind of spray lube. They may also need some adjustment to make sure they are actually helping to support the weight of the boat correctly.
> Tim



The rollers and the bunk boards both appear to be supporting the boat. It's sitting on the bunks and you can not turn the rollers. With the boat off the rollers will turn but not like I think they should. I have some that the axle hole is lined with a white tube, the one I have put ont the boat in the rear turns much better than the others, they tend to be fixed to the axle and it turns in the mounting bracket. They have been lubed, doesn't seem to make a difference.

I have thought of putting the PVC slides on the bunks, am hoping that the new bunks with the marine carpeting will be better than what I have now. Now I just have to find time to get them on the trailer.


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## Gramps50 (May 29, 2012)

Replaced the bunks today with the ones that I had bought off craigslist that had the marine carpet on them, the are also longer thank the originals. I also removed all the rollers but 2. I left the rear on as it was a V roller and sort of helped guide the boat on straight. I also left the one that is just to the rear of the tilt. I thought it would offer some support when using the tilt. I also adjusted the rollers where they just touch the boat and you can still spin them even with the boat sitting on the trailer. 

The bunks were high in the mounts and I didn't see a reason for this other than I guess it matched up with the rollers. I installed the new ones all the way down so the are basically sitting on the frame on end. Would have had to make new brackets to lay them flat. There was a bunk up front too I thought it was 2 far forward so I moved it back when it was under the flat part of the boat. about 3 inches.

Didn't get a chance take any pictures, I take a few in the morning before I head out to try them out.


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## rusty.hook (Jun 3, 2012)

Remove the rollers except the one closet to the the back of trailer, Install two bunks at an angle for total support down the middle, that's is what I did, now it makes a cradle for the boat to rest on. 
See pic below.


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## JMichael (Jun 4, 2012)

Gramps50 said:


> Replaced the bunks today with the ones that I had bought off craigslist that had the marine carpet on them, the are also longer thank the originals. I also removed all the rollers but 2. I left the rear on as it was a V roller and sort of helped guide the boat on straight. I also left the one that is just to the rear of the tilt. I thought it would offer some support when using the tilt. I also adjusted the rollers where they just touch the boat and you can still spin them even with the boat sitting on the trailer.
> 
> The bunks were high in the mounts and I didn't see a reason for this other than I guess it matched up with the rollers. I installed the new ones all the way down so the are basically sitting on the frame on end. *Would have had to make new brackets to lay them flat.* There was a bunk up front too I thought it was 2 far forward so I moved it back when it was under the flat part of the boat. about 3 inches.
> 
> Didn't get a chance take any pictures, I take a few in the morning before I head out to try them out.


My trailer had almost the exact same style setup as yours. With a little cutting and welding, my bunks are now mounted flat and my boat is 2" closer to the ground while sitting on the trailer. No additional material was needed to convert the mounting style for the bunks.


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## Gramps50 (Jun 5, 2012)

JMichael said:


> My trailer had almost the exact same style setup as yours. With a little cutting and welding, my bunks are now mounted flat and my boat is 2" closer to the ground while sitting on the trailer. No additional material was needed to convert the mounting style for the bunks.



I gained close to an inch by mounting them all the way down in the existing mounts. The boat was much easier to load and unload since I changed them. While I had the boat off I sprayed them with silicone we'll see what that does. 

Support would probably be better if I laid them down, just took the easy way out for now.


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## richg99 (Jun 5, 2012)

For those reading this thread who have similar problems, sometimes an additional solution to "too high" is to move the axle ABOVE the springs. I had a local auto shop do it for me many years ago. Gained a couple of inches that way. Rich


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## Gramps50 (Jun 7, 2012)

Finally got a chance to take a few shots of the new bunks


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## richg99 (Jun 7, 2012)

"Purty"...Nice work rich


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## S&amp;MFISH (Jun 9, 2012)

Looking at those pics, I noticed the suspension. Unique I must say. That's the first time I've seen a coil-spring steup on a trailer. How does it ride and track behind your tow-vehicle.


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## Gramps50 (Jun 9, 2012)

Yes it is quite different, never seen it before either. It seems a little mushy but then again I have nothing to compare it to, the 1st boat trailer I have owned. As far a tracking it does just fine, follows the truck pretty straight. It back like any other trailer I have ever backed so all is well.

The only issue that I can see with it is there are 2 arms that extend forward to the frame that hold the axle in place. They are some kind of tubing with a hole drilled through them. I thought I have a wheel loose but it turned out to be the track arms. Thought about hiem joints but that might be over kill, but something a little harder than the pipe is in order.

I don't think it was originally a boat trailer, much of it looks homemade.


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