Surprise bunk board replacement

[Murf'n'surf]

If you store your boat outside, treated wood would benefit you as rain would keep the bunks moist throughout the year.

 

[tdonoughue]

Ah, but I don't. Yet another factor at play.

 

[LyonsAR210]

Do you use adhesive as well as staples? Or is staples enough? I have the carpet and boards ready, now just wondering about using adhesive? Thanks.

 

[itsdgm]

Do you use adhesive as well as staples? Or is staples enough? I have the carpet and boards ready, now just wondering about using adhesive? Thanks.

I'm pretty certain that most guys go without any adhesive.

 

[Ernie]

I thinks its important to get a good marine bunk board carpet if you want it to last. Good marine carpet with dry out quicker and not hold moisture as long as other carpets.

 

[Crlos16]

After reading this post, I went outside and did a quick inspection on the trailer, I also need to replace my bunks!!

Thanks for the heads up!! So now before taking the boat back to storage tomorrow I need to pick up some 2x6x8 and marine carpet.

 

[itsdgm]

Just a heads up guys but I was under my trailer a few days ago (after a 200 mike tow home from the lake) and I found that all of my "zip ties" that are holding my brake line to the rear axle were missing. I know that they were there when I left home a week earlier. So they must've been so brittle that they just broke off. I've replaced them over the years, but never had all of them missing at the same time. This left the brake line just hanging there waiting to get snagged on anything that could get to it and just rip it off. Thankfully it was still intact.

So, while you're under there, take a good look at the brake lines too.

 

[scokill]

Do you use adhesive as well as staples? Or is staples enough? I have the carpet and boards ready, now just wondering about using adhesive? Thanks.

Our family has been boating for 3 generations and we have always used contact adhesive by rolling on carpet and rolling on bunks, letting dry, placing carpet on board, and using staples underneath. There is more than one way to skin a cat, but that's how we do it and has been passed down.

 

[PEARCE]

When I replaced the bunks on our trailer last year I used a spray adhesive on the marine carpet prior to putting it on the pressure treated lumber. I then used stainless staples with an air stapler to finish attaching the carpet. My originals lasted nine seasons and they looked the same as the OP.

 

[tdonoughue]

I did not use adhesive on mine, but I cannot at all say that using adhesive would be wrong. In fact, probably makes putting the staples in a little easier... And would keep the fabric from scooching around if there is any part that is not taught.

 

[0627Devildog]

3 years, thats sad

Was thinking the same thing. . .

 

[LyonsAR210]

Bunks

• LyonsAR210
• Jun 23, 2016

I went ahead and used a spray on adhesive and happy I did afterwards... @tdonoughue you're right, it made it easier for keeping the carpet where I wanted.

 

[Zeus2013]

I wonder, you use untreated wood, would several applications of an oil based polyurethane wood sealant increase the life of the bunks. Or maybe a Thompson water seal?

 

[ncnmra]

I went to tighten the bolts holding my bunks and most of them just "turned". I now need to do this also. Shopping for anything in Canada is a headache, but I did find some Fulton Carpeting on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.ca/Fulton-Replac...1&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=trailer+bunk+carpet

Any thoughts on this stuff? My 2008 - 212X has 2 x 8' and 2 x 5', so I'm thinking three rolls of the 12" stuff should do it (to wrap nicely around the 2x6).

What kind of adhesive did you guys use? Would a carpenter's glue work? How about "Liquid Nails":
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Liquid-Nails-10-oz-Extreme-Heavy-Duty-Adhesive-LN-907/205089262

 

[LyonsAR210]

@ncnmra I don't know if Lowes or Home Depot is local or convenient, but I got everything at Lowes. I picked up the outdoor carpet ( http://www.lowes.com/pd/Ebony-Plush-Indoor-Outdoor-Carpet/3707978 ), and it was really reasonable cost wise. I had them cut it at 9' (comes 6' wide), so I had some left over. I used the 3M spray adhesive ( https://www.amazon.com/3M-90-24-Spr...754&sr=8-1&keywords=waterproof+spray+adhesive ) and stainless steel staples. You don't want to use a liquid type glue, it will squeeze out through the carpet. You can see the finished product a couple posts above...I'm happy with the results.

 

[ncnmra]

@LyonsAR210; thanks for the information! Unfortunately the Lowes and Home Depot in Canada are thoroughly useless, and don't carry the same product, certainly not that particular carpet. I may have to drive across the border to Port Huron, MI (about 1h away) one of these days to pick up some of these things, as it is showing stock online there.

 

[ncnmra]

What do you guys think of this?:
http://www.caliberproductsinc.com/marine-trailer-accessories/BunkWraps.php

 

[Jasonsbiz74]

Been there too

 

[ncnmra]

I just wanted to thank the OP for bringing this to my attention. After reading this post, I went to check my bunks. They "looked" ok, but as I checked the bolts, I noticed that they were seriously rusted and loose. I tried to tighten them, but they just spun so I decided to go ahead and replace all of the boards.

I had an adventure finding the 3M 90 spray adhesive and the black outdoor carpet up here in Canada, but a quick hop across the border to Michigan restored my faith in Capitalism. Lowes had the carpet in stock, as well as the 3M glue (although oddly, the 3/8" lag bolts were more expensive than back home in Canada!.

I was shocked how rotted one of the boards was. I could snap it in my hands.

A few photos of my arts and crafts project: