bunk board brackets - normal?

rayaa3

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I have a 1998 trailmaster trailer, which carries a 20ft 1998 smokercraft 2030 deckboat, which is seems to be custom matched to (same color as boat trim, boat brand name on trailer). I've had the boat/trailer for 5 years. I would guess I'm the 3rd owner. I recently decided that after 18 years it was time to replace bunk boards. The bunks on the trailer appear to be factory originals (under the carpet is something scribed in marker that leads me to believe they are original).

I think the boat sat at a dock when not in use for a period of it's life, given that it has bottom paint, and the condition of the zincs on the outdrive - neither of which are very common in Oklahoma. I attribute this to the long bunk life, 18 years is a long time for bunks. However, it's time. I'm replacing them with ultimate bunk boards - I want the slickness, and lack of maintenance.

My replacment bunks came in the mail and I was doing some last minute inspections - I'm planning on taking it out to the lake, and putting it in the water while I replace the boards.

I'm planning on keeping my existing brackets, which connect to the trailer support via a single bolt, and allow the bunk head to pivot for a 'custom fit' (this is absolute garbage btw, the pivot head just means that if they get loose it can kick around when loading in a cross wind and become a pain in my rear).

The part that I found surprising, and I wanted to ask about was that the pivot head only connects to the bunk via a single bolt. Almost every example of trailer bunk I can find online uses 2 bolts on head to connect to the bolt.

Should I have any concern about this? I reasoned to myself that I believe this is original equipment and it lasted this long. Additionally, the only purpose of the bolt is to old the bunk to the head. I just found it odd.

For my part I'm counter boring a bolt through the top of the new boards, and fastening it with bolt/locking nut/washers/lock washer and thread locker just to be sure it doesn't ever rattle loose.

Just looking for some reassurance that the single bolt through the board onto the head is actually common and acceptable practice.

thanks - Ray
 

Grub54891

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If there is space and a hole for a second bolt, put it in. And use nylock nuts, no need for locktite.
 

airshot

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A definite plus on the nylock nuts, thread locker under water has questionable results.
 

Watermann

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Are you referring to the pivot head that uses a single bolt connecting the head onto the bolster brackets or the bolts that go through the bunk board?

I use these bolster brackets from tiedown engineering with 2 carriage bolts, gorilla adhesive to secure them in the holes and through the bunk boards with locking cap nuts against the pivot head. The bolts that attach the head to the bolsters are tightened down with nuts and lock washers, I think they're grade 5.

241-81210_2.jpg
 

rayaa3

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Grub54891 and airshot - yep, already planning on using locking nuts(stopnuts/nylon nuts/nuts with nylon insert in last mm of tread - whatever you were taught to call them -I've heard 3-4 names for them over the years). The thread locker - I can certainly afford a wait and see approach to this. I had some side guide bunks that I replaced a few years ago, those were fastened differently - coarse lag screws, after a small pilot hole was drilled. They kept coming loose until I used something (and honestly can't even remember what now) to seal them in. It was prob some type of 2 part epoxy, or something aimed at making metal/wood/fiberglass stuff stick together - specifically for boating application (my guide ons get halfway sumberged). At any rate - the entire fight I had with them left me a bit of an over reactor when it comes to trying to make sure things never back out.

I had similar results with the screws that hold my rub rail 'molding' that would back out after a month of summer wear...again, think I used the same stuff to coat the screws, to solve the problem.

The battle with those 2 things left me with a mind to bond all things permanently with modern science and let god sort out the process of removal later.

That being said, this is pretty easy to troubleshoot later if I find I need a bonding agent. Most likely I'll notice a loose bunk board before it actually fails, and I can apply needed measures at that time.

Watermann

So there are 2 parts in the picture you posted: the support post - long rectangle, and the pivot head. As you mentioned connected by a single bolt.

My support post is permenantly welded into the trailer. Yes, my pivot head connects to the trailer support post via single bolt, as pictured above. I'm referring to the bolts that go through the pivot head. On my pivot head there is 1 hole (that picture shows three) my hole is dead center, where the square hole is (it looks like a square) in the picture. I'll double check, but I think I only have only 1 hole in the pivot head for going through the bracket.

The boat isn't stored far away, I may run out at lunch today and double check.

Current plan is to replace the bunks Thursday afternoon after work (but this is oklahoma, and making plans that involve weather more than 2 days away in early May is difficult at best) - so I appreciated everyone's prompt response and advice, very helpful.

-Ray
 

rayaa3

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The pivot head - only 1 bolt. I measured it, it's a 3/8" bolt, I would guess 2" in length given that the protruding bolt is about 1" (I didn't measure that part) and it's a 2x6 aka 1.5x5.5.
 

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rayaa3

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So I called trailmasters and they confirmed, that's how they do it. Single bolt, it's not after market, it's not a mistake. I'm replacing like for like. As previously discussed I'm only going to use lock washer and stop nuts on my first pass at this (no thread lock).
 

Watermann

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I would cinch down those pivot heads with the correct angle for the hull and not allow them to be flopping about. You may want to use some rust reformer and paint on those rusted bunk supports.
 

rayaa3

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They are cinched down. They were mostly cinched down when I bought the boat, only one would regularly turn wonky when loading the boat. However, looking at those scratches It seems that at one point they were very very loose and really did flop around. I never really noticed the rust or scratches until I decided to replace the bunks. I was just going to use some hunter green rustoleum spray paint. I have never heard of rust reformer before.
 

rayaa3

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I went to the lake to install my "ulimate bunk boards" today - google it if you want to know what they are.

I figured I would update everyone how that went, because after spending 4-5 hours in the sun, well - I need to laugh at myself.

The lake was dead - a few fisherman fishing off the ramp area, no other boaters. It was a typically windy Oklahoma day in the high 80s, which makes it pleasant to work outside but a pain to load boats onto trailers.

So in replacing my boards. My old 2x6 had the bracket head just about centered in the 2x6 from left to right. I've never been satisfied with the boat fit. Rather than the flat of the bunk it would commonly sit on each edge, as the boat would settle.

This is not my picture or boat: http://gallery.bateau2.com/albums/userpics/18221/Transom_Repair_005.JPG
imagine those bunks were each 3 inches to the right - you might get the idea.

At any rate - Today was the day i was going to address the issue. I plan on having the boat another 5 years, and wanted a solid trailer fit. In order to address it the support head would need to move a couple inches towards the outside of the bunk, on all bunks. I accounted for this in my measurements.

I have 2x 5ft bunks, 2x 10ft bunks.

Replaced my 2x5ft bunks and no real issues.

Replaced my 2x10ft bunks - and I didn't realize it, but I did something wrong. I drilled holes that would shift the position of the pivot head in the correct direction, but when I actually mounted the boards I mounted them backwards. So I ended up shifting them completely the wrong way. We'll get back to that.

So as I'm mounting my 10 ft bunks I realize I'm short hardware - (bolts), by a single bolt. I find this quizzical because I specifically over bought 1 set of bolt,washer, nut etc - figuring I would drop one and lose it. So really I should have 1 extra, not 1 short. I spend a few minutes looking around. Then I realize what I did. When thinking about the quantity of mounting bolts I forgot that the 10ft bunks are supported in 3 places - front, back, MIDDLE. OK, great, I'm short hardware. The old 2x6 have some really crappy looking carriage bolts on them, they might work well enough for today - and then I can replace it the next time I come to the lake.

Let me tell you - those carriage bolts did not want to leave the 2x6. I got one out after 20 minutes of fussing with it. Lets remember that, 15-20 minutes to work that bad boy out - because we'll come back to it later - oh and it's worth mentioning I didn't have a hammer with me (which would have made it easy work) because I only really brought the tools I would need...and then some...but not a hammer.

OK..get the carriage bolt on there, it's barely connected, I can't get the nut to turn because carriage bolts dont get 'bite' on the plastic bunk boards (which is why the guys that make them recommend the hex heads that I had used for my other 9 bolts)...sigh. Not perfect, but it's a single bolt, it will do for today.

OK, dip the trailer in the water and go get the boat and load it.

Pull it up the ramp - look at how the boat settled. What the hell? Its worse than before?!?! It's the opposite of what I was going to fix - on the 2 long boards!?!?!

Wait a minute - OK, I see my problem. I see I basically installed them backwards so instead of shifting them to center I shifted them outside.

I decide that if it's worth doing, it's worth doing right the first time. I can handle spending 5 minutes replacing that one bolt on a family lake trip this summer, but not this.

Launch the boat, tie it off, walk back to ramp, get trailer - get setup again and start pulling off the 2 x 10ft bunks.

Remember how I thought about using thread lock? You guys advised against, and I went with that. Let me tell you...those freaking nylon stop nuts mean FREAKING BUSINESS. I actually had 2 that I ended up having to break the 3/8 inch bolt to get off. BTW, breaking those bolts with a 10inch long socket wrench, is HARD.

Cursing, sweating - I flip the boards around, yep that's where they were suppose to go. Problem is plain as day now.

OK. Now before I had 1 crappy carriage bolt, I'm going to need 2 more. I dig through my old bunks looking for the most rotten pieces that would yield me carriage bolts as easily as possible. 25 minutes later I have the old carriage bolts holding the bunks halfway in place. It's not good, but it will do until I can get to ace hardware for some more bolts, washers, etc.

Retrieve the boat - check it - better. Not perfect, but better than the wood, and much better that the cluster F%^&* I did an hour or so earlier.

Oh and it's worth saying - I started working on this yesterday, got to the lake and my batteries were dead - 5 years, guess it was time - so yesterday was battery day. I'm back at the house now. Sort of tempted to run out to ace get the bolts and just finish this thing today.

A note on the boards. I elected these because everyone talks about how slick they are, and how you have to be careful because the boat will slide off at the ramp if you don't use your bow strap/winch (btw, who drives off the ramp without strapping down the object of all their blood sweat and tears??!?!).

The boards are a little more slick when wet. However, they are not MAGIC BOARDS. My boat weighs about 2500-3000lbs depending on how many ice chests we pack in there (my wife has found space on this boat that it was never designed to have) - it may be magically slick on light jon boats, and bass boats. However, on my 20ft seats 11 fiberglass tril-hull-ish late 90's deckboat - the difference was mild. I'm glad to have anything that makes launching and retrieving easier. When I launched at this ramp with with the wood bunks my guide ons were completely submerged to get the boat off - which meant my rear trunk tires were touching water. With the boards, I was 1 ft further away from the water.
 

Watermann

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Thanks for the run down and update. I think we've all been there before when it comes to those 'why me moments'. :lol:
 
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