Boat bunks

[Buccaneer]

The Gator trailer is going back together. I’ve ordered bunk carpet
for the four bunks, but think I should replace the old cracked 2×4"
bunks as well. I was thinking about using treated 2×4’s, but was
wondering if glue would "take" to treated lumber to hold the carpet
on? Or should I tack the carpet on?
Your suggestions appreciated.

Prepare to be boarded!

[frankr]

I’d say tacks or staples would be the norm.

[ede]

I used brass wood screws with brass finish washers to hold down indoor-outdoor carpet on clear fir with a urethane finish. Don’t have future rust issues. Looks good and durable. It is more work, but worth it.

[Buccaneer]

Thanks guys, the old original? carpet was glued on,
but I have no problems with tacks or screws as long
as there’s room to fold the carpet over the edges of the 2x’
and still have the bunks fit in the mount brackets.
Perhaps plain pine 2x’s would be better than treated.
I could paint them with the left over red paint I sprayed
the wheels with. That would say 1960’s for sure!

Prepare to be boarded!

[phil-b]

For whatever it’s worth (maybe nothing!) I got one of these
http://www.surfixinc.com/surfix_trailer_bunkslides.html

Cut it into two pieces, rounded over the cut ends with a router
(boy did THAT make a mess, the "saw dust" is light, and clings)
and put one on each of the two bunks of my trailer. I think
it’s easier to crank the boat up than it used to be…….

I seem to recall they had a good deal every now and then on eBay….

I think it’s HDPE (High Density Poly Ethylene — is that milk bottle plastic?),
It’s available as boards, and used on boats in other ways, but I couldn’t find a
cheaper source…..

[gdcarpenter]

Being one to overkill I used white oak for my cradles and battens, epoxied and varnished. Then again it’s carrying the boat I spent 2 years building. I used stainless steel staples to tack the bunk carpet down on the underside of the battens.

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[Mumbles]

Pressure treated material and stainless staples. Should hold up for years.

[jerry-ahrens]

I have a couple trailers that I used treated lumber on 20 + years ago. Still holding up fine, although I didn’t use any carpet on them

[frankr]

gdcarpenter….holy cow what a trailer. Not overkill, that is a work of art.

[archangel]

I would steer clear of pressure treated lumber. I think the issue has come up before on the boards here, but the newer PT formula–the one that got rid of the arsenic–is highly corrosive. Unless the trailer is galvanized (and even then it will pit and oxidize the zinc to a white, powdery coating wherever it touches it) it will corrode the trailer and fasteners. After working on the trailer restoration it would be heartbreaking to see all the work undone by corrosion from the pressure treated lumber. For what the lumber is worth and the relatively little work it takes to replace bunks, it isn’t worth trying to stave off bunk rotting only to cause worse damage to the parts of the trailer that are much harder and more costly to repair.

[Author]

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