replacing boards and carpet

[dhughes49]

i bought a old boat and trailer the trailer needs boards and carpet. Do you use treated 2 x 4 or what ? and the carpet, is there a speical carpet u should use?

 

[foodfisher]

Re: replacing boards and carpet

Recommend PT wood covered with in/ out door carpet from your local big box home store. Use stainless steel staples.

 

[dhughes49]

Re: replacing boards and carpet

thanks foodfisher But I dont know what pt wood is? Where Do I get It?

 

[Georgesalmon]

Re: replacing boards and carpet

pt is pressure treated. You don't have to have that, just reg 2 X 4's will last a long time. You can buy carpet made for trailer bunks which will last longer but also not necessary.

 

[coastalrichard]

Re: replacing boards and carpet

While I won't argue against using a regular yellow pine board, I will point out that the treatment process for PT wood involves pressurization which forces the chemicals into the pores of the wood making it absorb less water. Also, if your bunk posts are galvanized and you use PT wood treated with ACQ, you'll need to add a membrane between the wood and the post to prevent a galvanic reaction to the ACQ.

 

[BOWMAKER1]

Re: replacing boards and carpet

I have to replace some bunks on my pontoon trailer which are 20 ft long, so the carpet was a problem. If I bought from Lowes or some place like that I needed it 20 ft long but it only came in 8 or 10 or 12 ft widths. I just ordered bunk carper that is 12 inches wide and 100 ft long from here on IBoat and even with shipping it was only $90.00 and was here the next day. I have enough to do all 4 bunk boards and some left over and no cutting except for the length because the 12 inches width will wrap right around a 2x4 and leave enough to just make one line of fasteners on the overlap.

 

[emoney]

Re: replacing boards and carpet

Great point, Bowmaker1. If your bunks are on the 10' or less side, then everything you need
is at either Home Depot or Lowe's. Get into the longer bunks and follow Bowmaker's advice
and you'll save money.

 

[smoedog]

Re: replacing boards and carpet

I just did this for my glastron g1700. I got 2 2x6x8 boards for 7bux each, and some grey outdoor carpet that was 12 feet long and got a 2 foot wide piece so 24 sq feet @ .52 cents a SQFT

So boards plus carpet plus some bolts and nuts to mount it all cost me about 34 bucks.

Now that i have new carpet and I adjusted the bunks, its a breeze to load my boat.

 

[Chavez1978]

Re: replacing boards and carpet

Can I ask a fairly dumb or maybe obvious question...looking for ideas when I do this soon. I store my boat on the trailer in dry storage....did you guys just do this while you tied the boat up in the water tied up to a dock?

 

[smoedog]

Re: replacing boards and carpet

I did it in my garage, with the boat on the trailer.

I lowered the tounge of the trailer all the way to the ground, which raised the stern, I made a cradle from some lumber and used it with a floor jack to raise the transom up even higher. I put some jackstands under it to support it. I then raised the trailer tongue back up as high as i could get it, and then made another lumber cradle for the bow. lower the tongue for the trailer and the boat should be supported on the lumber and jackstands, with enough room to unbolt your bunks and pull them out.

This all depends on your boat, bigger the boat the more supports. I have a 17ft bowrider and got away with 4 jackstands and some landscaping timber scraps. Just go slow and be careful and you'll be fine

 

[Chavez1978]

Re: replacing boards and carpet

I did it in my garage, with the boat on the trailer.

I lowered the tounge of the trailer all the way to the ground, which raised the stern, I made a cradle from some lumber and used it with a floor jack to raise the transom up even higher. I put some jackstands under it to support it. I then raised the trailer tongue back up as high as i could get it, and then made another lumber cradle for the bow. lower the tongue for the trailer and the boat should be supported on the lumber and jackstands, with enough room to unbolt your bunks and pull them out.

This all depends on your boat, bigger the boat the more supports. I have a 17ft bowrider and got away with 4 jackstands and some landscaping timber scraps. Just go slow and be careful and you'll be fine

Did you by chance take any photos of the setup? I'm curious what or how your timber was shaped on the bow side. Seems it would be sitting on a "point". That would make me wonder if I'm over stressing the hull.

Thanks, just looking for ideas. I have a 20 ft bowrider.

 

[Edge180]

Re: replacing boards and carpet

I was planning on replacing the carpet on mine this weekend as I'm headed to a lake but reading this process sounds fairly straight-forward and may decide to do it later since I could get the carpet all off and realize boards are rotten.

I've got one or two wear spots where the carpet has worn through.

 

[mrdancer]

Re: replacing boards and carpet

I would not use PT wood (unless it is over ten years old) and carpet if your boat is aluminum, especially in saltwater. The carpet will hold the saltwater and you'll get premature electrolysis/corrosion from the caustic elements used in the PT wood soaking through to the aluminum.

I would lose the carpet entirely. Go with the plastic strips (like Surfix) on top of the wood bunks. If you use some good oak or even cypress, it will last many years without being pressure-treated. Even plain old pine is better than PT if you don't mind replacing the bunks every couple years (peace of mind for your boat).