If Your Bunks Float Off Your Trailer

[burtandnancy]

I see this all the time with some of you newer boaters, or boaters with less experienced launchers/retrievers. If your wife or friend launches you, and then given the chore to park the trailer, race the two miles back to the dock while you circle around, tell them to slow down coming out of the water with the empty trailer. I've see a lot of people really charge out, push water half way up the ramp, but watched the bunks tear loose or float away. If you don't notice it, when you get ready to put the boat back on the trailer, you are really screwed.
This is response to a thread above called Changing subjects or something like that, it was too long anyway...

[eliminatedsprinter]

You just remided me. I lost a bolt off of one of my bunks and I've been meaning to replace it the next time it's off the trailer. Thanks.

[RiverToysJas]

I've seen it. My buddy (and fellow Hot Boat Member) was coming in, and I said, "hey, is that your bunk?" Pointing to a blunk floating about 10' away. He got the "oh shit" look and confirmed it was! LOL :D
I've seen it one other time too.
RTJas :D

[burtandnancy]

shockwave, have seen it many times in 40+ years of boating, and it even includes my boat, when my own son launched me. As he was pulling up the ramp, I saw the bunk floating and retrieved it. We keep a a spare, carpeted bulk in the garage just in case. Also, we replace bunks and carpets every few years. Now if you want to start controversy, give me your opinion of shoulder bolts over lag screws, galvanized or stainless. Some of us old timer may surprise you on this one...

[Dave C]

thats what duct tape is for......:D ;)
it happens alot with rotten bunks too....... damn older boats:mad:

[CA Stu]

I knocked one of mine off, does that count?
I'm guessing galvanized lag bolts?
Thanks
CA Stu

[HCS]

Ya, it happen to me last weekend. My wife went up and got the
truck while I floated around in the boat waiting for her.
When she backed into the water one of the bunks went floating
away.
The funny thing was is that I had just been checking them out
that weekend before we left. I mention to the wife that I was
going to have to get some carpet and recover them.
I didn't think about the wood being rotted. They appeared to be fine.
So anyway, the road on the way to the lake I was going to was
real rough and the screws had vibrated out. So I tryed to take
half the screws out of one side and put them in the other. Nope
didn't work. That's when I realized the wood was rotted.
I had to have some guys help me hold the bunk in place to put
the boat on the trailer. Then strap the boat down tight to make sure they stayed there.
My boat only has 279 hours on it and is always garaged.
The bunks appeared to be fine. But now I know to check the wood
now and then.:o
The good thing is that the fix will be easy. Now instead of
re-carpeting the old bunks I have to make all new one's.
So I'll take the new bunks with a cordless drill to the boat launch, drill and screw them on.
The funny part of this whole deal was my wife thought someone
had taken the screws out of the bunks just to mess with us.
She's running around the boat launch screeming "Who took the
screws out of our bunks." LMAO:D
It took me a few minutes to settle her down and explain what
had happen.
:D :D

[summerlove]

I'll admit it - it happened to me once. Wife in the car, me in the boat. interior bunk just floated away when I launched. We flip-flopped - she in the boat and me in the car. I took the tool box out and went ot work. Hot, but in a few minutes it was back on to be replaced with all new lumber and carpet the next day.
was pretty funny to see it float away though....

[Dave C]

The boat that did it to me was very light so I was able to sling and jack it up to replace the bunks in the driveway at home.
I dunno if we can do that with the new tankerships that some of us have.
But if your boat is "lighter" it may be in the cards for you.

[Flying Tiger]

Stainless steel hardware fastening your bunks is essential.

[77charger]

Originally posted by RiverToysJas
I've seen it. My buddy (and fellow Hot Boat Member) was coming in, and I said, "hey, is that your bunk?" Pointing to a blunk floating about 10' away. He got the "oh shit" look and confirmed it was! LOL :D
I've seen it one other time too.
RTJas :D :D wasnt me was it?

[RiverToysJas]

Originally posted by 77charger
:D wasnt me was it?
LOL! maybe it was..... ;) :D
RTJas :D

[burtandnancy]

The way you can tell is if there is a big, ugly piece of angle metal coming up thru the bottom of you boat. You know, where the bunk should be. You'll know...

[Dr. Eagle]

Originally posted by burtandnancy
watched the bunks float away.
:confused: Is this one of those "you might be a redneck if" jokes?

[Tyson Ross]

I am a good sport so I will admit that 10 yrs ago or so when I was in my late teens or so I was put in the water quickly so I could "race" an outboard w/my Sanger flatty. Long story short, I went to take the boat out and there is my trailer, less one of the 2 bunks. My friend walked down river and saw 2 kids playing with it like it was a water toy. Needless to say, duct tape was a temp fix....:rolleyes:

[Dr. Eagle]

Originally posted by Tyson Ross
, duct tape was a temp fix....:rolleyes:
Please consult my prior post....:D

[superdave013]

Originally posted by burtandnancy
Now if you want to start controversy, give me your opinion of shoulder bolts over lag screws, galvanized or stainless. Some of us old timer may surprise you on this one...
I would rather cut to the chase and learn from someone with as much boating time as I've been breathing.
CA'MON burt, how do you do it???????
But I will play. I used s.s. bolts counter bored into the bunk with s.s. nuts and washers. Nuts are saftey wired. How did I do?

[Dr. Eagle]

Originally posted by superdave013
I would rather cut to the chase and learn from someone with as much boating time as I've been breathing.
CA'MON burt, how do you do it???????
But I will play. I used s.s. bolts counter bored into the bunk with s.s. nuts and washers. Nuts are saftey wired. How did I do?
You need a life...;)

[Dr. Eagle]

J/K I need to "rebunk" my trailer, just like everything else on a 10 year old boat/trailer it needs some TLC...
So I think I'll follow your lead, treated lumber too...

[RiverToysJas]

Originally posted by superdave013
But I will play. I used s.s. bolts counter bored into the bunk with s.s. nuts and washers. Nuts are saftey wired. How did I do?
Yeah, that's what I do too! Except I also mill the bunk itself out of billet aluminum, so it'll never rot. Then I wrap them in that Nasa memory foam stuff, and carpet them synthetic shag, color matched to the boat. ;)
RTJas :D

[Dr. Eagle]

Originally posted by RiverToysJas
Yeah, that's what I do too! Except I also mill the bunk itself out of billet aluminum, so it'll never rot. Then I wrap them in that Nasa memory foam stuff, and carpet them synthetic shag, color matched to the boat. ;)
RTJas :D
Don't forget the NASA designed flotation collar if they float free from the trailer...

[burtandnancy]

superdave013, the safety wire and lock washers may be a little overkill, but I like it. Guess I'll go back and do mine over to bring it up to your specs.
The biggest problem many boaters face when repairing their own bunks, is breaking loose the non/SS carriage bolts after the nut has rusted off or twisted off. If you have to dig these out, you're sure to have to replace the bunk (with straight, treated wood). I've had good luck over the years using SS lag screws w/SS flat and lock washers with semi-annual snugging up. This applies only where 2 X 4 or 2 X 6 boards are used. My current trailer must have at least a dozen 4 X 6 bunks, and when/if I do replace all the fastners with full through SS bolts, its going to cost a fortune and take while to get it done. I love drilling all the new holes...

[Tyson Ross]

Eagle.....
Temp fix as an keep the bunk straight to get the boat on the trailer. Then I went to the house to get what I needed and repaired properly. ( 5 minute lapse time) I call it improvising....:cool:

[checkster]

Originally posted by burtandnancy
... Now if you want to start controversy, give me your opinion of shoulder bolts over lag screws, galvanized or stainless. Some of us old timer may surprise you on this one...
Please expound on this issue as this topic has come up quite frequently when we are retrieving the trailer at the end of a nonproductive day of killing brain cells at the lake.

[superdave013]

Originally posted by RiverToysJas
Yeah, that's what I do too! Except I also mill the bunk itself out of billet aluminum, so it'll never rot. Then I wrap them in that Nasa memory foam stuff, and carpet them synthetic shag, color matched to the boat. ;)
RTJas :D
Damn you! I'll get RD to make me a set of billet bunks right away! :)
Burt, no lock washers, just the flat ones. My friends dad used to build and crew for Indy teams. He gave me a jig to drill nuts for saftey wire right about the time I was doing the bunks. Needless to say I had to try it out on something.
Oh, and I lost both bunks at the same time once! :eek:

[Rexone]

Both at the same time will be a record hard to beat. I've lost one a couple different times, and made full and timely recoverys in both cases. I recommend titanium through bolts fitted with billet cup adapters pressed into the wood with safety wired 12 pt titanium nuts on the bottom side torqued to 25 ft pds. Bolt stretch should be about .001.
And if you resin the wood real good before you carpet it, they will last much longer if not forever. At least the bolts won't fail.
The billet got me thinkin about rectangular ss tubing with carpet glued on though :D Shag on stainless... I can see it now.

[lucky]

LEAVE THE BUNKS "FLOAT " THAT WAY YOU CAN LINE UP YOUR BOAT WHEN YOU DRIVE IT ON THE TRAILER AND INTO THE TRUCK - DON'T YOU GUYS KN0W ANYTHING ....
TEMP FIX IS A RUBBER BUNDGEE TO HOLD IT ON THE TRAILER TILL YOU CAN GET HOME ... OR IF YOUR A CANTURD - IT COULD BE PERMENENT .... LMAO :D

[burtandnancy]

I can see it now, twelve 4 X 6 billet aluminum bunks, titanium fastners, 12 point nuts, and perfectly twisted safety wire. I'd top it off with cashmere carpeting.
The price of boating is going up...

[superdave013]

burt, are you going to be running the race tomorrow? If not will you be on the water or shore? I'd like to meet you one of these days.

[burtandnancy]

superdave, yes, I'll be on the beach wearing a GT Performance hat. Ask any oldtimer, they may know me. We put GT's boat in this AM, saw a lot of people in the parking lot and launch ramp. I may have a great surprise (gift for you) too. I'll probably be hanging out in front of Prime Marine, Bucks-Up or that general area. See you there...

[Screaming Pete]

Originally posted by burtandnancy
I can see it now, twelve 4 X 6 billet aluminum bunks, titanium fastners, 12 point nuts, and perfectly twisted safety wire. I'd top it off with cashmere carpeting.
The price of boating is going up...
Must be for a DCB:D but you need to mix in a couple Zip ties