Puckboard on trailer bunks

fish brain

fish brain

Crew Member
I have new wooden bunks on my trailer and they need some sort of covering. I was going to use carpet, but a buddy has a piece of 3/8 thick puckboard that will work. Do you think it will be too slippery?
Should I use a combination of carpet and puck board? or just skip it all together and go with carpet?
Thanks for your thoughts.
 
What's puckboard?

There are plastic products specifically made for trailer bunks to be more slippery. Just make sure that you keep your winch hooked up until the boat is in the water!
 
Not sure how hard puck board is but I would think it would work just fine. Bunks on my trailer are UHMW and work just fine.
Have to make sure to countersink screws into the plastic and when backing down a steep launch that you keep bow hook tight until boat is partial in the water.

This is my trailer and the manufacturer uses the plastic. Have a look at link and maybe that will help.

http://gateway-materials.com/content.php?page_id=60
 
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This is the way to go, never replace a bunk again. Problem is I can't find a dealer in Canada nor a way to ship a couple 10' bunks. But with out a doubt the answer.

https://www.ultimatebunkboards.com/
 
Deck boards are too thin they would just bend and you would get no support in the middle of your boat. I thought about doubling them up, glue two together then run screws through from the back side that may be rigid enough. Some Home Depot sell composite boards in 2x4 or 2 x 6 I am going to check into I think next time I'm in one. Even so these products are quite flexible a person would want to run an aluminum channel of some sort on the bottom side to give it some rigidity.
 
Pineapple Express said:
What's puckboard?

There are plastic products specifically made for trailer bunks to be more slippery. Just make sure that you keep your winch hooked up until the boat is in the water!
Click to expand...
Puckboard is the white plastic that lines hockey rinks. it is very slippery
 
Just a note you probably know this but I'll just throw it in. If you use puck board get it thick enough that you can counter sink the screws well in to it as to avoid some nice big scratches to the bottom of your boat.
 
UHMW is a way better material and will last longer, flexes less, and lower coefficient of friction. Its also a little more$$$. It doesn't absorb water as much as puck board (HDPE) . Keep in mind you only buy the strips to replace the carpet. You still need the support so dont try to use just the plastic to support the boat. I seen it done not pretty!

What I would do is a buy as sheet of it, and cut it to size. All these guys charge like 3x the cost of the material to cut it. If you are mainland go to redwood plastics, and if on Vancouver island go to plexi -klass. Don't go to industrial plastics extremely overpriced and mark up material. One sheet is like 1.5 x most places. That why most shops wont buy there.

Keep in mind be extremely careful. By going to this material if you forget your rear tie downs things are going to go south very fast!
 
SpringVelocity said:
UHMW is a way better material and will last longer, flexes less, and lower coefficient of friction. Its also a little more$$$. It doesn't absorb water as much as puck board (HDPE) . Keep in mind you only buy the strips to replace the carpet. You still need the support so dont try to use just the plastic to support the boat. I seen it done not pretty!

What I would do is a buy as sheet of it, and cut it to size. All these guys charge like 3x the cost of the material to cut it. If you are mainland go to redwood plastics, and if on Vancouver island go to plexi -klass. Don't go to industrial plastics extremely overpriced and mark up material. One sheet is like 1.5 x most places. That why most shops wont buy there.

Keep in mind be extremely careful. By going to this material if you forget your rear tie downs things are going to go south very fast!
Click to expand...


Agreed, so much so that I had to remove it from my main bunks and only have it on my front centring boards, my main bunks I covered with old style material sheathed fire hose to keep the butt end from sliding around and its pretty much indestructible, unlike carpet.
 
SpringVelocity said:
UHMW is a way better material and will last longer, flexes less, and lower coefficient of friction. Its also a little more$$$. It doesn't absorb water as much as puck board (HDPE) . Keep in mind you only buy the strips to replace the carpet. You still need the support so dont try to use just the plastic to support the boat. I seen it done not pretty!

What I would do is a buy as sheet of it, and cut it to size. All these guys charge like 3x the cost of the material to cut it. If you are mainland go to redwood plastics, and if on Vancouver island go to plexi -klass. Don't go to industrial plastics extremely overpriced and mark up material. One sheet is like 1.5 x most places. That why most shops wont buy there.

Keep in mind be extremely careful. By going to this material if you forget your rear tie downs things are going to go south very fast!
Click to expand...
Is water absorption an isse for the 60 or seconds the trailer is actually in the water.
 
I'm thinking from my reading here to cover the bunks with carpet and use strips of puckboard every two and a half feet or so to provide an extra bit of slip, but not too much,
 
I'd be giving the puck board a try, then keep an eye on it. If it's not working out easy enough to remove.
 
I have a triple axle trailer with bunks and had some trouble getting the boat off the bunks. I was advised to spray the carpet with Teflon spray every three or four launches. The difference is unbelievable. Do not un-hook the safety chain until you are ready to launch, or your boat will be on the ramp. Loading is so much easier as well
 
Busterbrown said:
I have a triple axle trailer with bunks and had some trouble getting the boat off the bunks. I was advised to spray the carpet with Teflon spray every three or four launches. The difference is unbelievable. Do not un-hook the safety chain until you are ready to launch, or your boat will be on the ramp. Loading is so much easier as well
Click to expand...
I think you would do better putting UHMW on your bunks rather than putting Teflon crap in the water---cause that's where it goes. Just sayin!
 
A dry film synthetic spray offers VERY little to no environmental issues. Certainly no more than backing a boat trailer in the water with exposed grease, oil,....geez...and we wonder why many great contributors no longer subscribe to this site..
 
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