Trailer Bunk Carpeting - can you/should you replace or recover?

[TrepMan]

With all the latest discussions around trailers, I have a question...



If the bunk boards are solid, but the carpet wears, which is better A) pull the old carpet off and recarpet, or b) carpet over the older carpet and off you go??



Since it was easy and cheap to replace my bunks on my tracker, I was thinking if I could get a few years w/out doing the Nitro, by beaching the boat this fall, have the carpet cut and staples ready, overlay the old with the new carpet and off I go?



Thoughts?

 

[TOMMY RICH]

How do they look would be the bottom line?

I dunno...if I was gonna' do it...why not do it right and be worry free for a few years.

Just a cent's worth Trep.

 

[TrepMan]

You know me Tee, quick and easy if possible. They are not worn through yet, but I can see a couple of small spots that are looking like in 6-8 months I might need to work on. I know, blow the whole $25 and just do the 2 bunks, have them ready in the garage and on a nice slow noon at lunch, go swap them!! LOL

 

[Jim in VA]

Trep - I'm all for cheap whenever possible. Seems to me, though, that getting new boards (treated) and stapling new carpet would be the easiest and quickest way for new carpet. That way you'll also know the conditions of the board and not have to worry for a while. On the other hand, if you're only worried about a couple of corners or spots, and they are towards the rear of the trailer boards, why not consider some slick sticks? Put a couple of those at the ends and they'll keep the boat from rubbing on worn carpet. I've heard you should only put those on the back half of the bunks, though as making the whole thing too slick could cause some problems the boat slipping off the trailer prematurely!

 

[Marty Klein]

I bought new boards and carpeting and built them in the comfort of my family room. Then I took them with me to the lake and replaced them after I launched the boat and tied her up ["her" being the boat-:wacko:]. Whole replacement took less than 30 minutes for the four boards and that included drilling on site vice pre-drilled.



I do know one thing; those spots that look like they're going to go in 6-8 months could go the very next time you're out.



I would not carpet over old carpet just because you don't know what kind of microbes will be left underto breed discontent. Further, the more stuff underneath to get wet increase the drying time. Ill will could breed underneath the new carpet as a result of the longer drying time.

 

[TOMMY RICH]

Agree...that's why on all my boards now...I don't carpet the underside.

 

[TrepMan]

OK convinced, i'll get the material like I did a few years ago for my Tracker (thanks to John Foster and his great Grab Bag article!!) and have them ready.



Marty - Just curious, why drill on site instead of pre-drilled? I did my last boat pre-drilled, measured a 1/2 dozen times before drilling the starter holes for the lag bolts and they went on real easy in less then 5 mins. Granted that was only 2 boards, not 4.



Trep

 

[TOMMY RICH]

I just took my cordless and did them right there at the ramp lot

 

[Mike Zechman]

hEY TREP HERES A THOUGHT, mY DADS panfish 16, he replaced bunks with the boards from plastic decking, no carpet, that boat slides right off the trailer with ease, and loading is much easier too, I don't know if it will work on fiberglass though

 

[TrepMan]

Mike - I thought about the plastic decking and the ones that are made for boats (can't remember the name of them) definetly would not want them for fiberglass unless I carpeted them.

 

[Marty Klein]

Trep: I was simply too lazy to crawl under the boat to measure. As it turned out it was very easy to measure, drill the pilot holes, and put the whole shebang together with the boat gone. Took the old ones off, laid an old and new side by side then transferred the hole centerline from the old to new.