Ultimate bunk boards

[Lowlysubaruguy]

Time for new bunks on my old boat.. Mind you my old boat is like new and I suffer from mental irregularities that prevent me from making cost effective decisions when it comes to certain things this boat is one of them.

Company called Ultimate trailer bunks keeps being the one I’m drawn to and I’d probably go with the supreme. I need two 8 foot bunks the boats aluminum while its been painted I still wont risk any materials that could have issues with aluminum..
The bunks on it now are made from Cyprus and if I could get them here in the NW I’d use them again there 23 years old now and in fact the woods still pretty solid for there age. PT sucks any way for a structural member Doug fir is available and I can find several really nice pieces but I doubt Ill get 6 years out of it clear cedar is enough money to make me think about the ultimate Supreme which will have a support beam under the composite material. The span between supports is enough to need more than just a composite board by itself.

I like the way my boat sticks to carpet and I’m concerned that composite materials might be so slick my boats sliding back. I do have to power on but we load in fast rivers at times two launches are sideways to current and wind and you have to DRIVE them home in a manner some may not have experience with. However the other thought is my boat might sit fine between the bunks and winch on in a manner I love it to.

Any recommendations from those who know.

 

[Bondo]

I like the way my boat sticks to carpet and I’m concerned that composite materials might be so slick my boats sliding back.

Ayuh,...... Try it,..... if too slick, put carpet strips on the new bunks,.....

 

[ahicks]

Been pondering this myself on my alum. deck boat project. One thing I know for sure is that if the boat is to be used at boat ramps with salt or even brackish water, carpeted bunks are not a real good plan. It's not too hard to imagine the carpet, wet with salt water, is not going to be real kind to any bare alum. it can find.

Current thinking is to go with plastic of some sort, but I read there's a good chance it will polish the paint right off the hull?

 

[Sprig]

I believe you are referring to polyethylene bunks. I’ve had them for 12 years and love them. I have an 18’ heavy gauge Alumaweld boat. The boat came with a Rogue trailer which comes from the factory with polyethylene bunks. They still look like new. They are way better than wood with carpet over them. They don’t wear out, deteriorate or rot. They don’t need carpet. The boat slides on easily but the bunks are not especially slippery. As far as launching and retrieving the boat I really don’t see a difference between them and carpeted bunks. I float it off and winch it on. Like with any boat and trailer you need to keep the boat properly secured to the trailer. They are impervious to salt water and do not retain the salt water as carpeted bunks do which is not good for aluminum.
I know they are expensive but they are a lifetime bunk. My personal experience with them has been great, I cannot find any negatives with mine. Hope this helps.

 

[ahicks]

Sprig, is your boat painted, or bare alum.? What does the part of the hull that rides on the bunks while trailering look like?

 

[Scott Danforth]

Go cypress

 

[Sprig]

Sprig, is your boat painted, or bare alum.? What does the part of the hull that rides on the bunks while trailering look like?

My boat is bare aluminum. There are no marks, scratches, discoloration, dents or anything else on the bottom of the hull from the bunks. The boat will slide on these bunks like when you winch the boat on to the trailer but they are far from being slick. The boat has never had a tendency to slide around on the bunks. If you didn’t secure the boat when driving up the launch ramp it might, only might slide off, but then that could happen on any trailer and bunks if the boat isn’t secured.

 

[Lowlysubaruguy]

I would like to go Cyprus but getting it shipped here is about as much as these bunks plus I wont be able to pick the ones I like. But I may try and find a source that is close enough to drive to. But its not common in the NW. I know my old bunks which Are Cyprus are the originals and are 23 years old now and are really in good shape considering.

 

[ahicks]

If you find a good source, I'd be grateful if you shared it!

 

[rayaa3]

I put ultimate bunk boards on my single axle trailer - for my fiberglass deck boat (1998 smokercraft/sylvan 2030 i/o). I had a 1998 5.7 stern drive on the boat - which made it pretty heavy...arguably should not have been on a a single axle trailer. At any rate - i read these warnings about leaving the winch on, and the boat sliding off the UBB. I had no such experience. in My experience it made launching and retrieving a TINY bit easier. Where the wife would have to reverse me back in from the tow vehicle after the engine started - on the carpet/wood bunks, I could simply go up to the bow, put a foot against the winch post and push off pretty hard - on the UBB (I mean it was a hard push off...I wasn't coming off on accident). Retrieving that boat was always a pain. I could not power on, up to the bow stop post on carpet bunks. I would get within about 4 feet and then winch up the rest. Now I could glide on within about 2 feet, and winch the rest. I loved my UBB. They do get an intreresting look about them, tehy look slightly warped after a time, but they still fit like a glove...and outlasted my desire to own the boat. That will be the last part of that trailer to fail. At any rate. My new(new to me) deck boat needs bunks, and the only reason I'm not doing the UBB is simple speed of materials. It's one thing to not boat in the fall and take a day at hte lake to replace bunks...in the spring, I want the boards tomorrow and put them ont the trailer by friday! So no UBB right now. So in 4 or 5 or 7 years when its time to replace, I'll do UBB then. Incidentally at that time I did not do supreme - installation was just as easy as their instructions indicated...provided I remembered to buy the correct number of bolts, locking nuts...I had to make a trip to ace hardware as I removed wood bunks and realized I was short a few.

 

[Lowlysubaruguy]

I have given up on locating cypress even the specialty wood lumber yards here cannot get it. Shipping for three pieces is unbearable. I’m going with the ultimate product. Looked at my old bunks yesterday the carpet is gone in a couple areas if I didn’t know those boards are 23 years old I’d just put new carpet on them. In fact I’ll probably make a picture frame out of them or something when there removed from the trailer.