trailer bunks

I've gotta replace my bunk boards soon as I noticed the end of one is sagging. What's the best way to go about that so it will last? I've done it on other trailers I've had in the past and with them just used treated 2x4's and carpet. I'm now reading the chemicals in treated lumber are bad for the boat and trailer. My trailer is aluminum with aluminum brackets and the factory bunks are (2) 12'6 long ones and (2) 9' ones. I know there's plastic options but I'd rather not spend $7-800 on bunks unless that's absolutely necessary.
Here's the boat trailer I'm working on. Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

@Rojo just recently installed some bunks on one of his boat trailers--look in his personal blog for his Skeeter F-80 Strada or his Champion Trailer for ideas. The idea is that the chemicals in today's PT lumber is bad for aluminum but is ok for fiberglass.

I noticed that my carpet job from when I installed new bunks from about 10 years ago is wearing, and I need see how the PT wood is doing for a sanity check. Most likely, I'm going to go with ground contact PT for new bunks and may fork over the money for Gatorbak covers on mine because I do sometimes use my boat a few times in a week and don't like the wet bunks continually dripping in my garage. If I used the boat no more than once per week, I might stick with carpet, since the wear has accelerated in the last year because I went from fishing only a couple of times per week during the crappie spawn plus a couple of other trips in the other 3 seasons to using the boat several times per week during the spawn plus 2-4 times per month the other seasons.

Cypress is always the best option today on aluminum boat hulls. That said my supplier sells a complete bunk board cover for 2x4 & 2x6 bunks. They interlock, little chance chemicals would damage a painted aluminum hull. Tie-Down Engineering makes them.

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Originally Posted by Rojo;[emoji640

[emoji6[emoji640][emoji637]][emoji[emoji6[emoji640][emoji638]][emoji640][emoji6[emoji640][emoji638]]][emoji638][emoji[emoji6[emoji640][emoji638]][emoji640][emoji6[emoji640][emoji638]]][emoji[emoji6[emoji640][emoji638]][emoji640][emoji640]][emoji639]]Cypress is always the best option today on aluminum boat hulls. That said my supplier sells a complete bunk board cover for [emoji638]x[emoji640] & [emoji638]x[emoji6[emoji640][emoji638]] bunks. They interlock, little chance chemicals would damage a painted aluminum hull. Tie-Down Engineering makes them.

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Thanks for the advice. I’ve ordered some cypress [emoji638]x[emoji640]’s at the local building supply and will build my own. I’ve also ordered stainless elevator bolts and have stainless staples for the new carpet. Am I forgetting anything?


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plain ol pressure treated wood then use bunk slicks instead of carpet. much easier to load and unload.

I like bunk slicks except on steep ramps…

While I have thought about slick bunks, I would probably have to change my Ramp 'N Clamp out from the short handle manual release version that I have now to the one with the long handle that I can either manually pull to release or tie a rope to release when I redo my bunks.

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Originally Posted by jjue1979

While I have thought about slick bunks, I would probably have to change my Ramp 'N Clamp out from the short handle manual release version that I have now to the one with the long handle that I can either manually pull to release or tie a rope to release when I redo my bunks.

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I have a ramp n clamp too and love it. With the existing carpeted bunks it loads easily. I want to replicate that, just with long lasting bunks.


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If you are interested in what Gatorbak feels like before ordering, you can order a free sample from their website. This is what gray looks like against the dirty and aged gray carpet on my trailer.Attachment 504102

After I took the picture, I found 20’ of the roll that I ordered for the last replacement, which is enough to redo the two short bunks. Mine might be a carpet/Gatorbak combo when I get done.

I’m another fan of cypress just cuz it does better being wet pretty often. I have some Mylar strips on my trailer like the airboat guys use. Mixed emotions on them. I like the one push and it’s gone but I used carpet of previous boats and I like tying off to the nose of the boat with a 25’ rope and disconnecting and floating it off. I wouldn’t use PT a with an aluminum boat, painted or not. Just my overachieving ways. No fun job but nice when they’re done right.

I finally got around to the bunks this weekend. They were much worse than I thought. The originals were very rotted. They were held on by lag screws and all the threads were rusted away. I put the new ones on with stainless 3/8 elevator bolts and used a Forster bit to make them flush. Per the groups recommendation I used cypress lumber.

Thanks for the suggestion!


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