Trailer bunks

[Krazo]

Im sure this has been covered before but I wanted to ask again.  I'm replacing the bunks on my trailer as well as the guide boards on the side. What wood is recommended for this? I've read that pressure treated lumber is a bad choice as well as a composite due to lack of bracing. Should I just use a standard 2x4 & only wrap 3 sides of the board so it can breath a bit?  

 

Also, is outdoor carpet from Lowe's a decent option to cover these with? Any other suggestions for a covering?

 

Boat is is aluminum. '93 Lowe 170. 

 

Thanks 

[Ketchup]

Ive used treated for the past 25 years. Never have kept a boat long enough to see outcome, but those i replaced had treated already with no worries.  

I used Lowes carpet several years back. Its just for bunks so works great. 

I wrap all 4 sides, and ends, then stainless staples. Never an issue. 

[Ketchup]

Dont staple on the side going towards boat. 

[Dutch]

Check out the Edwards boys at Thrifty Carpet in Springfield.  They probably have some good, reasonable turf for your bunks.

[dnj21]

I just replaced mine with composite.  More expensive, hopefully it will be worth it in the long run......

https://www.ultimatebunkboards.com/

 

 

[moguy1973]

I just replaced mine with pressure treated and covered them with carpet from amazon. If I ever do them again im going composite. Heard it makes loading and unloading a lot easier.  Definitely want to go with the 2x4 composite boards as the standard decking boards are too thin. 

[Krazo]

Are you wrapping the composite in carpet?

[aarchdale@coresleep.com]

They say Treated lumber and aluminum is a big no no, Causes some kind of reaction in the aluminum.    Im not convinced as mine is fine after 3 years.   My dad has these plastic things that go around his wooden bunks and it is so slick that he hates them.  When you load the boat and nose it up, if you let off the throttle before you hook the bow up it will slide right back down. His is glass though, it would probably work better with aluminum 

[Ketchup]

51 minutes ago, aarchdale@coresleep.com said:

They say Treated lumber and aluminum is a big no no, Causes some kind of reaction in the aluminum.    Im not convinced as mine is fine after 3 years.   My dad has these plastic things that go around his wooden bunks and it is so slick that he hates them.  When you load the boat and nose it up, if you let off the throttle before you hook the bow up it will slide right back down. His is glass though, it would probably work better with aluminum 

Seen a guy at Ruark last week do that twice before he finally gave up and winched it up. 

[MOPanfisher]

We replaced the carpeted wooden bunks on our boat at work a few years ago with 2x4 plastic.  He short ones were put in a thin chromed channel looking thing.  The loner ones were just the 2 x 4 plastic.  They have warped and are not strong enough, needed to put a 2x4 wood in a T configuration to stiffen it.  The older non CCA treated lumber did react with aluminum, not sure about the newer stuff.  The boat does slide easier on the plastic stuff, you certainly don't want to remove the bow tie until the back of the boat is at the water or when you hit the brakes it may want to self launch.  Treat it like a roller bunk.  We did it as a preventative to lessen the liklihood of transporting zebra mussel veligers from one water body to another, and still have to go through a decontamination process or allow it to dry in the sun for a period of time.