Trailer Bunk Carpet

[FSSPCat]

Hey all. What is the least expensive place to get bunk carpet? I just replaced mine a couple of years ago and need to do it again.

 

On a related note, what is the best way to cook squirrel? One lil fella is going to be meeting the business end of the .22.

[keithh2oskier]

I dont know if it's the cheapest but I got carpet at home depot. Just the thin outdoor carpet. It was readily available.

[jhughes]

Menards has bulk outdoor black carpet that I've used on multiple bunk-related projects.

[dave2ball]

@FSSPCat try boatcarpet.com. Not a good idea to use indoor outdoor carpet. It is very abrasive on the hull. And the answer to your second question is smoking after marinated in a soy ginger works great. Just look out for the bebe from the .22. I, sure you know it will crack a tooth. That’s the way we do it here in the south. .

[Mastercrafter]

Another for boat carpet.com — they sell narrow rolls of bunk carpet.

 

Perhaps if you didn’t ask for “least expensive place” you’d have gotten a few more years out of it ?

[FSSPCat]

@Mastercrafter ha ha. I put good stuff on. Apparently the aforementioned squirrel thought it was so good that he’d rip it off the trailer and make a nest out of it.

[ScottScott]

Blackened squirrel..YUM!!! now I'm hungry.

[Rednucleus]

Squirrel is one of the few menu items are club has not tried. Will have to be on the menu next Curlew trip. don't suppose it's available commercially. My wife won't let me harvest ours at the bird feeders :(

[igkya]

Sorry to high-jack... but for those that have a boat on a lift, any reason to use carpet over the wood bunks? Unless the water gets low before we turn the pump on again, we don't drive/powerload the boat on/off the bunks.

[Wayne]

The last set of bunks I refreshed I sanded all of the 90 degree corners to ease the edge a bit more and put two layers of carpet on when I recovered them. This seems to reduce the wear and tear on the carpet and my gel coat quite a bit.

 

Regarding squirrel, my redneck in-laws recommend pan-frying with garlic, green onions, mushrooms and a little olive oil.

 

@igkya I would still carpet lift bunks that touch gel. I’ve seen some wear from bare wood but that was on larger boats and probably not using an ideal bunk location/angle. I’m not sure if it’s the wood against the gel that caused scuffing or if it was from sand trapped between the hull and bunk.

[dave2ball]

@Wayne double carpeting the bunks is not really a good idea. The carpet holds more water and in time will cause blisters on the gel coat.

[Mastercrafter]

I have yet to see blistered gelcoat and I feel like all these Florida ski schools that leave their $150,000 Ski Nautiques in the water wouldn't do it if it ruined them.

[dave2ball]

@Mastercrafter majority of ski school boats are on a lift after the day is over. Putting 2 layers of carpet on trailer bunks just holds water in the carpet and it rarely dries out also may cause the trailer to rust faster.

[Wayne]

@dave2ball granted I’m one data point but I have not had an issue with blistering on the gel.

[MDB1056]

would somewhat concur with @dave2ball - it could contribute to blisters forming but not a given

[HMan66]

eBay.

[MDB1056]

Blisters can definitely occur from boats left in the water for extended periods. Fiberglass is porous. Carpet is just a softer surface against the hull vs raw wood . Indoor outdoor black carpet from Lowes or HD is fine.. installed mine last roughly15 yrs ago. Still great.

[scuppers]

Wasn’t there a rubber bunk cover available at one time? What happened with that?

[pugs]

scuppers perhaps www.gatorbak.com. I have had it for approx 10 years. I would buy it again, but I think it will outlive me.

[Kevin89MC]

The trailer I picked up a few years ago had the gatorback material on it. So far so good. It is a bit more $ than carpet, but seems to last a long time.

[scuppers]

@pugs - thanks that is the stuff. Seems way better than carpet

[JayG80]

Gatorbak is great for cradle bunks. A bit more money but one and done. Eliminates annual carpet pressure washer cleaning. The hull appreciates no more chap a$$ from sitting on wet carpet.

[ToddL]

So this winter, I am going to tackle new bunks for my 2006 SN 196. The Ramlin trailer is one where the bunks sit along top of the frame. As such, I assume that there is no way to carpet the bunks before installing, unless I want to pierce the carpet to set the lag bolts. I don't want to do that. The holes in the carpet would just create a weak point for it to later tear.

So, I assume the process is to install the bunk wood, then carpet them after they are in place.

The trailer currently has no carpet. It has a PVC dock trim double D style mounted to the bunks. It seems to work. So, I have searched and Gatorback seems to make a legit solution for bunks.

FWIW, I found the following advice, which would apply regardless of the bunk covering:

"Remove the carpet, remove the countersunk bolts, some if not most will snap, get some new treated 2X4's and new screw bolts. Don't try to screw into the existing trailer holes, drill new ones, add the countersink and then screw the new bolts in. My experience in redoing multiple Ramlin trailers is that they do not put enough screws into the bunks. I double the number when I put them on. Loading the trailer, especially when you power on, puts tremendous lateral force on the bunks as the boat moves forward up the trailer. This is when the bolts break and putting in extras will make the bunks much more secure."

[jhughes]

@ToddL you put the carpet "half"on the bunks with the Ramlins before you install the bunks. That gives you a nice finished look along the outside edge of the bunk because the staples will actually be underneath the bunk on the outside edge. Then you install the bunk and flap the carpet over the top and staple on the inside edge. That's the factory-correct install.

I found perfect quarter inch self tapping stainless hex bolts on McMaster-Carrs website.

I ground the old bolts off flush- impossible to remove otherwise- then treated the frame with POR-15 and then gloss black paint.

I would not add more bolts like the poster you quoted suggested. These frames don't need more holes in them so I'd strongly disagree with that idea.

I've done this on two RamLins so far. If it isn't done every 7-10 years the trailers will rust through and then you will need a new trailer or major welding work.

Note on the 200 trailer the front bunks are 1/2" taller than the rear bunks and the very rear of the bunks ramps up about 5/8". It's a huge job to replace properly.

I used treated 2x3" from Menards which worked perfectly.

[buoyboy1]

@ToddL Provided the wood is fine here is what I did on my RamLin trailer (2005 SN 196) since the original bolts were so rusted I knew I would never get them out. (BTW, I would gladly pay $50 more for a trailer if they used stainless steel bolts for their bunks). I left the existing carpet on the bunks since it only had a few small tears. I then installed the new carpet over and let it hang down on the sides about 1/4" below the bottom of the bunk and attached the sides using stainless steel staples 2 or 3 inches apart. Its been over 10 years and zero issues. The double carpet layer has allowed the new carpet to hold up better due to the extra padding. My ramp is rather flat however which helps.

[ToddL]

Thank you, @jhughes and @buoyboy1 for taking the time to share your experience!!!

[VONMAN]

I gave up on carpet 19 years ago, treated wood with plastic slider strips. No wet carpet or sand and dirt on and in the carpet. Easy on and off the trailer.

[Vernon Reeve]

We unhook the winch strap before backing down the ramp. So I didn't do the plastic slider strips because I was concerned there wouldn't be enough friction to keep the boat on the trailer if I had to stop halfway down the ramp.

[VONMAN]

@Vernon Reeve I never unhook the winch strap until the boat and trailer are in half way in the water. Seen to many U-Tube videos of boats sliding off trailers backing down a ramp. I will say that the public boat ramp can be very entertaining at times.