Trailer Help - Bunk Board Replacement

and your ear plugs!!

No, I didn't do all the work myself. I found a local welder (AAD Custom Boats and Welding) that actually specializes in making aluminum flat bottom fishing boats, as well as their own trailers. They cut out and replaced the main rails which were badly rusted, had it sandblasted and painted and put on the diamond plate per my request. The rest of the trailer is original. I re-did the wiring, bunk boards, and carpeting myself.

Looks great! I was hoping to do the diamond plate for my steps on my ram-lin this summer...just wasn't in the budget at the moment, so I opted for treated wood sans carpet.

At least I know how good mine could have looked!!! Nice work

I used the "brut force" method of jacking up the boat and trailer (using the jack from my truck) on alternate sides and using cinder blocks, 2"x6"'s, and foam board insulation to block up the boat. It takes numerous repeated cycles of doing this as the trailer can only be moved forward approx. 12" at a time due to all of the cross members on the trailer. It is a process I hope NOT to have to repeat any time soon, but it can be done if you have a lot of patience and use caution. One of the pictures I posted above shows my boat up on blocks in my garage.

hi guys.
I have been busy with a bit of trailer repair too, but I don;t have a winch or lift to get the boat off.
Can you please remind me how to get the boat off the trailer in a car port using an alternate method (and i have tried several searches of the forums)
thank you.
ps- using the wire brush on grinder with POR 15 method.

finished trailer up and re-loaded boat over the weekend. glad that is done, now I got to get it in the water!

was going to go tonight but thunderstorms in the area changed my mind

Alan - will keep Clinton in mind. not sure of plans yet.

Can't wait to see the finished product Tim, I'm sure it will look awesome. Hopefully we'll see you and your gang in Clinton mid June?

Alan - that may as well be a picture of my trailer 'cause that is what it looked like. It was very badly rusted, especialy up front where the trailer wiring exited the box channel on the bottom side.

I didn't do the work myself, as I don't have the equipment or the experience, but I had a local welder replace the main rails. Trailer was then sandblasted and repainted. I also had them put diamond plate on. I am now putting the bunks back on.

So, I cut new boards tonight. I did NOT put relief cuts in this time. I am using 1/4"-14 x 2" stainless self tapping hex head screws w/ stainless washers and counter boring the bunk boards and bolting down from the top like the original. (I am drilling healthy size pilot holes in the steel box channel rail)

I actually started at the back and am working towards the front. I am working by myself using ratchet tie down straps to coax the boards along the curve. I have the new boards (2nd set) on and bent just about all the way. I decided to let them sit overnight to stretch and relax a bit before taking them the rest of the way.

Hopefully tomorrow I can finish bending them and get them bolted down completely. Then onto carpeting them and loading the boat back on. Oh yeah, I have some wiring to do for the lights, but hopefully that is not a big deal.

I will post some pic's when done.

Thanks for the input everyone!

Another thing that does help.
If you prefer paying for straight 2 bys.
Put the "crown" towards the outside.
And two furniture clamps or pipe style clamps to pull both together at the front at the same time.

AT

This is NOT Tim's trailer but a good example of what happens to them and where they go bad.

[QUOTE=DrCC] That's weird!   At the lumber yards around here, there is usually, at least 5 or 6 "Pre-Fit's" on top of the 14ft pile.[QUOTE]

Only 5-6?

MartyMabe wrote: Pete ,ours are a closed channel(box type). We have to use lag bolts. Finally, we taught Mr.PeteB something

Marty!
A lag bolt up from the bottom through the box channel and into the wood? That doesn't give you very much of the threaded section of lag into the wood!! How about a long bolt down from the top through the box channel with the nut on the bottom?

Pete ,ours are a closed channel(box type).
We have to use lag bolts.
Finally, we taught Mr.PeteB something

Tim, I know it's frustrating working alone, but get a couple friends over to help,and start at the front.Make sure you got it all lined up,then start bolting from the front back.Leave 1st bolt a tad loose so it can pivot.Much easier trying to bend with 14' of board than last 5 or 6'.
Just take your time and you'll get her done

No relief cuts. They will bend.
There are several threads here with pictures if you don't believe me and want to do a search!! One thing that may help is to get some #2 treated. It's not kiln dried like #1 is so it's still wet.