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Author Topic:   Bowed bunks on trailer

Frank O posted 11-21-2009 07:00 PM ET (US)
I have a mid-1990s two-axle Loadmaster trailer that came with my 1995 Outrage 21 when I bought it three years ago. The year after I bought it I had new bunk carpets, LED lights and new brakes installed. I believe some or all of the bunk timber may have been replaced at the same time.
The boat is in a slip year-round, so for most of the year the trailer sits outdoors in a storage yard here in Southern California. It's only used once a year to pull the boat out of the water for annual maintenance. The boat is always placed on and taken off the trailer via a hoist (there is no ramp at my marina).
Today when I went to check the condition of the trailer, I noticed that its bunks are bowed:
http://www.inkbox.net/whaler/trailer/loadmaster.jpg
http://www.inkbox.net/whaler/trailer/bowed-trailer-bunks.jpg
As you can see in these photos, the bunk just to the left of center (as viewed here) is bowed the most, but all are to some degree. The carpet appears to be in good shape, though, and I don't see any evidence of rot in the wooden bunks.
What do you think? Will the bunks tend to straighten out when the boat is placed on them? Or should I really replace them before using the trailer this year? My main concern is that the weight is distributed evenly enough so that the hull doesn't delaminate, as I've heard could happen if it were on a trailer with rollers only instead of bunks.

RevengeFamily posted 11-21-2009 08:17 PM ET (US)
I would replace the starboard side inner bunk. The inner bunks do not look that substantial. They appear to be 2X4's. Pine is not a great choice. Cypress is best but a bit more expensive. The outer bunks appear to be in decent condition. Has the trailer ever been set up for your Outrage 21? If it doesn't spend that much time on it, the trailer may not have been fitted to the hull properly.
Norm
Frank O posted 11-21-2009 08:38 PM ET (US)
Thanks for the advice.
The Outrage's previous owner bought the boat when it was only a few months old, and then used the trailer to launch from ramps year-round for more than 10 years. So I have to suspect that the trailer was configured for the boat.
Going to a harder wood like cypress sounds like a good idea. Is it also common to seal the wood in some way before covering with carpet in order to stabilize the moisture content and minimize warpage?

LuckyLady posted 11-21-2009 08:38 PM ET (US)
I'm incline to say that the bowed planks may be the ones that were replaced. The sun did the rest over time.
Tom W Clark posted 11-21-2009 08:54 PM ET (US)
We have an old saying in carpentry:
Two points define a line...but three points keep it that way.
RevengeFamily posted 11-21-2009 09:59 PM ET (US)
Well said Tom....
Frank could bolt or screw a 2X4 on edge to the bottom of the starboard 2X4 bunk and possibly straighten it out.
Norm
Frank O posted 11-21-2009 11:02 PM ET (US)
I'll go take another look tomorrow and see how much it looks like it will flex.
What kind of channels would you normally buy cypress for a purpose like this through? There's a hardwood shop in town, but I'm thinking it probably doesn't carry it this thick.
Chuck Tribolet posted 11-22-2009 03:26 AM ET (US)
The key question is: do the bunks match the shape of the
hull. My Montauk trailer has bowed bunks, but that's to
match the shape of the hull.

Chuck
Frank O posted 11-22-2009 11:00 AM ET (US)
That's a reasonable point, Chuck, though the starboard inner bunk is definitely much more warped than would be accounted for by the shape of the hull. The warping also doesn't seem to be extremely recent. In looking for past pictures of the trailer, I found this one from the last haulout a year ago:
http://www.inkbox.net/whaler/trailer/haulout-2008-12-05.jpg
I think I subscribe to LuckyLady's theory that that particular bunk was likely one that was replaced when I had some work done on the trailer about three years ago.

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Author	Topic: Bowed bunks on trailer
Frank O	posted 11-21-2009 07:00 PM ET (US) I have a mid-1990s two-axle Loadmaster trailer that came with my 1995 Outrage 21 when I bought it three years ago. The year after I bought it I had new bunk carpets, LED lights and new brakes installed. I believe some or all of the bunk timber may have been replaced at the same time. The boat is in a slip year-round, so for most of the year the trailer sits outdoors in a storage yard here in Southern California. It's only used once a year to pull the boat out of the water for annual maintenance. The boat is always placed on and taken off the trailer via a hoist (there is no ramp at my marina). Today when I went to check the condition of the trailer, I noticed that its bunks are bowed: http://www.inkbox.net/whaler/trailer/loadmaster.jpg http://www.inkbox.net/whaler/trailer/bowed-trailer-bunks.jpg As you can see in these photos, the bunk just to the left of center (as viewed here) is bowed the most, but all are to some degree. The carpet appears to be in good shape, though, and I don't see any evidence of rot in the wooden bunks. What do you think? Will the bunks tend to straighten out when the boat is placed on them? Or should I really replace them before using the trailer this year? My main concern is that the weight is distributed evenly enough so that the hull doesn't delaminate, as I've heard could happen if it were on a trailer with rollers only instead of bunks.
RevengeFamily	posted 11-21-2009 08:17 PM ET (US) I would replace the starboard side inner bunk. The inner bunks do not look that substantial. They appear to be 2X4's. Pine is not a great choice. Cypress is best but a bit more expensive. The outer bunks appear to be in decent condition. Has the trailer ever been set up for your Outrage 21? If it doesn't spend that much time on it, the trailer may not have been fitted to the hull properly. Norm
Frank O	posted 11-21-2009 08:38 PM ET (US) Thanks for the advice. The Outrage's previous owner bought the boat when it was only a few months old, and then used the trailer to launch from ramps year-round for more than 10 years. So I have to suspect that the trailer was configured for the boat. Going to a harder wood like cypress sounds like a good idea. Is it also common to seal the wood in some way before covering with carpet in order to stabilize the moisture content and minimize warpage?
LuckyLady	posted 11-21-2009 08:38 PM ET (US) I'm incline to say that the bowed planks may be the ones that were replaced. The sun did the rest over time.
Tom W Clark	posted 11-21-2009 08:54 PM ET (US) We have an old saying in carpentry: Two points define a line...but three points keep it that way.
RevengeFamily	posted 11-21-2009 09:59 PM ET (US) Well said Tom.... Frank could bolt or screw a 2X4 on edge to the bottom of the starboard 2X4 bunk and possibly straighten it out. Norm
Frank O	posted 11-21-2009 11:02 PM ET (US) I'll go take another look tomorrow and see how much it looks like it will flex. What kind of channels would you normally buy cypress for a purpose like this through? There's a hardwood shop in town, but I'm thinking it probably doesn't carry it this thick.
Chuck Tribolet	posted 11-22-2009 03:26 AM ET (US) The key question is: do the bunks match the shape of the hull. My Montauk trailer has bowed bunks, but that's to match the shape of the hull. Chuck
Frank O	posted 11-22-2009 11:00 AM ET (US) That's a reasonable point, Chuck, though the starboard inner bunk is definitely much more warped than would be accounted for by the shape of the hull. The warping also doesn't seem to be extremely recent. In looking for past pictures of the trailer, I found this one from the last haulout a year ago: http://www.inkbox.net/whaler/trailer/haulout-2008-12-05.jpg I think I subscribe to LuckyLady's theory that that particular bunk was likely one that was replaced when I had some work done on the trailer about three years ago.