I recently bought a Trailmaster Channel trailer SC204 from a dealer's NOS (http://www.trailmastertrailers.com/view_custom_boat_trailer_models.php)... The boat I have is sitting on the same model trailer from 1997 which has enough mechanical issues that I don't want to bother with it, but unfortunately I guess Trailmaster has a few different bunk set ups depending on what boat its being shipped with, so I found out last weekend that the bunks don't quite match my hull ridges (lifting strakes?) the way I'd like...
The real problem is that the width of the boat just exactly fits between the wheels, which have a carpeted inner facing to cushion the hull, BUT my boats bottom ends up just exactly even with the top of the carpeted liner, meaning that instead of lining up perfectly BETWEEN the wheels, it is sitting just barely one edge on the plywood liner and the other has about 2 cm of gap. I tried all kinds of tensioning and balancing tricks to get it to center perfectly but it just won't do it. After 10 in-out's from the ramp, I gave up and took a closer look at the 1997 trailer. It was then I noticed that the prior owner RAISED the bunks by adding a layer of 2x4's to them, raising the boat by 1 1/2 inches, so that there is clearance over the wheel carpet under both edges.
What I'm thinking to do instead is LOWER the bunks on the new trailer by say 1 1/2 inches, so that the boat will glide in between the wheel carpets. While I'm at it I will just move the brackets to make the bunks fit the ridge lines of my hull. That will also lower the boat meaning that it will be easier to launch on the shallow ramps around here (I can tell you honestly that the old trailer with "higher" bunks does not "float off" until your rear wheels are in the water!
)
It should be easy if I replace the welded brackets with height adjustable "bolt on" type, but I'm not sure if the C channel will torque due to it only having one vertical thickness to bolt through.
Otherwise I'll measurement at the points I plan to move the brackets to with the boat on the trailer. Then I'll subtract 1 1/2 inches from each measurement. Cut down the existing brackets... then cut them off, move and re-weld.
Anyone else been through this before?I'd really like to know if anyone out there is using a bolt-on bunk bracket with a C channel type trailer.
The real problem is that the width of the boat just exactly fits between the wheels, which have a carpeted inner facing to cushion the hull, BUT my boats bottom ends up just exactly even with the top of the carpeted liner, meaning that instead of lining up perfectly BETWEEN the wheels, it is sitting just barely one edge on the plywood liner and the other has about 2 cm of gap. I tried all kinds of tensioning and balancing tricks to get it to center perfectly but it just won't do it. After 10 in-out's from the ramp, I gave up and took a closer look at the 1997 trailer. It was then I noticed that the prior owner RAISED the bunks by adding a layer of 2x4's to them, raising the boat by 1 1/2 inches, so that there is clearance over the wheel carpet under both edges.
What I'm thinking to do instead is LOWER the bunks on the new trailer by say 1 1/2 inches, so that the boat will glide in between the wheel carpets. While I'm at it I will just move the brackets to make the bunks fit the ridge lines of my hull. That will also lower the boat meaning that it will be easier to launch on the shallow ramps around here (I can tell you honestly that the old trailer with "higher" bunks does not "float off" until your rear wheels are in the water!
)It should be easy if I replace the welded brackets with height adjustable "bolt on" type, but I'm not sure if the C channel will torque due to it only having one vertical thickness to bolt through.
Otherwise I'll measurement at the points I plan to move the brackets to with the boat on the trailer. Then I'll subtract 1 1/2 inches from each measurement. Cut down the existing brackets... then cut them off, move and re-weld.
Anyone else been through this before?
I'd really like to know if anyone out there is using a bolt-on bunk bracket with a C channel type trailer.