Trailer bunks

[90skichallenger]

I have a 1990 2081 Ski Challenger with matching trailer. My question is two parts. When I bought the boat the dealer told me it was a drive on trailer and thats why it doesnt have a winch. Was that BS and should I have a winch on it. This leads to part two. I have bunks on my trailer and sometimes its a bit of a pain to drive it on . I have seen these silcone stripe deals that screw onto your bunks to make it slicker. Would these be worth getting, can I convert to bunk rollers, or should I have had a winch the whole time?<br />Thanks,

 

[JB]

Re: Trailer bunks

Don't know about the slick strips, but you need a winch.<br /><br />Many places power loading (drive on) is not allowed because of the backwash eroding the lake (or river) bottom.<br /><br />Good luck.

 

[90skichallenger]

Re: Trailer bunks

I have no place to put a winch that will give it an angle to tow. Can I just weld a piece of angle iron with a plate to make a mount. My boat weighs 2500 lbs and I dont know if that would stand the strain.

 

[craze1cars]

Re: Trailer bunks

What's the rest of your setup? Does it have side guides? What kind of clip holds the bow eye when the boat is loaded if there's no winch? <br /><br />My trailer has a winch, but frankly I never use it and have considered eliminating it if I could come up with a good way to get a tight hook on that bow eye. I set the trailer deep enough in the water to simply idle it onto the trailer until the bow taps the front roller by the winch, leave it idling in gear, then I walk up in the the bow and lean over the front to hook the winch and give it 2 clicks to snug it up (don't even need to get out of the boat.) Now put the boat in neutral and shut it down, tilt the motor up, (bear in mind the boat is still floating, just hooked at the front eye) and pull it outta the water. The side guides only allow about 1/4 to 1/2 inch of side to side movement of the back of the boat, so when the truck pulls the trailer/boat out of the water, it always settles down onto the bunks perfectly centered. When unloading, I back down until the boat is floating, unhook the winch, and back off. So basically my boat never slides on the bunks.<br /><br />If a ramp doesn't permit drive-on loading, I can do the same by simply floating the boat all the way onto the trailer with a rope. Have yet to find a ramp where I can't get my trailer sunk deep enough to use this method, though occasionally the back tires of my truck are getting a little wet, and this method elminates all cranking and "sticky bunk" problems.

 

[BigPoppaG]

Re: Trailer bunks

It would help if you had a pic you could post so we could see what your setup looks like. <br /><br />To me....pictures are worth a thousand words.<br /><br />Sounds like your dealer was pulling a fast one.

 

[craze1cars]

Re: Trailer bunks

A more direct answer to whether the nylon slides work on bunks...yes. Extremely well. General consensus among those I know who have installed them is to make darn sure you don't remove the eye hook too early or the boat will slide right off the trailer onto the ground!<br /><br />Another common helper for carpeted bunks is to spray them with an environmentally friendly dry silicone spray of some form to make them more slippery. Products are available from Overtons, Cabelas, and maybe here on Iboats, that are specifically designed for this purpose. Others on this site have suggested using WD-40 or something similar to make them slick, but I will disagree strongly with using any such product. Not because it won't work, but because it will pollute the water.<br /><br />Incidentally, here's a link to a product I considered to replace my winch with...do you have something similar to this?<br /> http://www.basspro.com/servlet/cata...ctID=28914&cat=&subcatID=0&objectType=article

 

[90skichallenger]

Re: Trailer bunks

I have a thingy (two eye bolts in a bracket that will tighten up when turned) on the front and actually launching is kinda a pain in the butt and I dont like having to wind the revs up to load it. It has guides in the back that center it on the trailer.

 

[bubbakat]

Re: Trailer bunks

If you want to slick those bunks up and not put strips on this is what I use to do.<br />Take a pint of acetone and a short big candle and grate the candle up in a jar or the sort and pour in the acetone. Let this melt the candle and then brush it on the bunks the next time you unload the boat.<br /> Take a old paint brush and paint the mixture on the carpet on the bunks by the time you return to load the wax will be dry and the acetone evaporated and the bunks will be slick for a long time and it won.t come off on the boat either.<br />Power loading made easier.

 

[craze1cars]

Re: Trailer bunks

Originally posted by 90skichallenger:<br /> I have a thingy (two eye bolts in a bracket that will tighten up when turned) on the front and actually launching is kinda a pain in the butt and I dont like having to wind the revs up to load it. It has guides in the back that center it on the trailer.

I'm willing to bet your no-winch setup is legit, though a bit rare...I doubt the dealer pulled a fast one. Have you tried simply backing the trailer deeper into the water to load the boat? In my experience most people launching boats seem to make a lot more work out of it than it really needs to be by simply not backing in deep enough. But every setup is different so you never know what their quirks are. However, since you have side guides, it'll still be easy to see the trailer and impossible to drift off even with the trailer fully submerged.

 

[90skichallenger]

Re: Trailer bunks

Thanks for the feedback yall. Lacking any point on the trailer to attach a winch I am thinking that it might be that way as well. I still wouldnt mind having a winch on it though. How would yall go about fashioning a stand for the winch?<br />Bubba, Thanks for the FYI I will try that this weekend.<br />Jeff

 

[craze1cars]

Re: Trailer bunks

This "thingy" you mention with 2 eyebolts....where is that mounted? If that thing hooks the bow eye of the boat, it must be mounted on a stand. Can't you just remove the thingy and replace it with a winch and bow stop or roller?<br /><br />Man, I'd still love to see a photo of this thing so I could see what you're talking about...I just can't picture it to be able to offer any tips on how to attach a winch.

 

[90skichallenger]

Re: Trailer bunks

No it goes from an eyebolt mounted on the trailer tongue to the eye on the bow.<br />Unfortubately I am not with the times and have no way to provide a photo.

 

[jtexas]

Re: Trailer bunks

How are you going to load if your engine breaks down?<br /><br />what about something like this winch stand?

 

[tommays]

Re: Trailer bunks

shaft drive ski boats have drive on trailers with bunks <br /><br />its not like you can trim the rudder,prop and shaft up if thes not enough water to float it on<br /><br />and you got to be real carefull on speed bumps is bites when you bounce a nibral prop off one<br /><br />tommays

 

[90skichallenger]

Re: Trailer bunks

Dont have that problem, my custom trailer has a series of steel bars underneath the prop and rudder. That is very solid.<br />Jtexas. I dont think that has the capacity I need so I am going to weld two pieces of angle iron and then weld a 1/4 inch plate on that for the winch.

 

[QC]

Re: Trailer bunks

Is this your type of set-up?<br /><br />

<br /><br />I just posted this on the drive-on thread, but sounds kinda like what you are talkin' about. They are called floater bars here. A lot of the 18 - 22 foot custom boats come with them. I liked it. Nothing to break . . .

 

[maesj1]

Re: Trailer bunks

how did you post a picture

 

[QC]

Re: Trailer bunks

On the picture thing, first you have to find somewhwere to host it. Try www.tinypic.com. <br /><br />Second you have to paste the link to your pic by using the Image button just below the full reply form. It will make sense once you find that button.