Wood for Trailer Bunks

[slapshot11]

I need to replace a couple of trailer bunks (too short). Should I use pressure treated lumber or regular wood framing lumber?
Thanks fir your help

[MOP]

Cedar is a popular choice, no need for treated wood as it usually gets decent dry out time.

Phil

[VetteLT193]

Most trailer manufacturers do use pressure treated, although I'm not sure if it's necessary or not.

Some people go buck wild and get pressure treated, then they seal it, then carpet. I couldn't tell you if one way lasts longer than another though

[Barry Eller]

My Performance trailer uses Cypress for the bunks.

[FOSTER]

Pressure treated wood is more than likely made from yellow pine, not real strong.

[mikev]

I replaced mine with pressure treated since there outside and get wet. Plus there wrapped in carpet which tends to hold moisture for a while. I figured it would last alot longer and not cost that much more to use pressure treated. Any wood that is outside and gets wet should be pressure treated in my opinion unless it is painted to protect the wood. Builders spend the extra money to build decks out of the stuff and you know most of them cut every corner they can to save a buck now a days.

[MOP]

I did a search and could not find one manufacturer that states they use pressure treated wood, if they did I am very sure they would tout the fact! It stands to reason as they would have to use pine, pine is unreliable as it splits way to easily. Another point who has ever seen rotten bunks? Having been in this industry for many years I have never seen a set.

Phil

[mikev]

I did a search and could not find one manufacturer that states they use pressure treated wood, if they did I am very sure they would tout the fact! It stands to reason as they would have to use pine, pine is unreliable as it splits way to easily. Another point who has ever seen rotten bunks? Having been in this industry for many years I have never seen a set.
Phil

Mine were soft and rotted out thats why I replaced them. but then again its a 1993 trailer and i replaced em last summer so almost 15 years old. Now i am wondering, they were covered in astro turf looking carpet with rubber backing maybe the backing retained the moisture and caused it to rot out.

[Last Tango]

Big difference as to what happens to wood left outside in the Southeast vs the Northeast (MOP). PT wood is primarily to fight moisture that breaks down the wood fibers and allows wood eating insects into it.
Perhaps the best idea is to get a naturally light weight wood that is naturally resistant to insects (Cedar) and then treat it with moisture resistant chemicals. Cedar decks and cedar-lines closets come to mind.

[MOP]

My 22 sits on 3X8 cedar, our (past tense) dealership sold trailers for many years. I have a decent handle on what works, I know you should never fully cover bunks always leave the bottoms open to drain. Rubber backed carpet causes problems, a good grade of indoor/outdoor liberally sprayed with "Bunk Ease" twice a season will extend the carpet life dramatically and make launch/retrieve much easier.

[slapshot11]

Sounds like cedar is the way to go. Thanks everyone for your help.

[Lenny]

Try some full dimension plastic wood and be done with it.
http://www.compositetimbers.com/pier_86.html

Cedar is farrrrr to soft to hang onto bolts and thru bolts and the like. I wouldn't use it and I do "wood" all day, everyday as far back as I can remember

Gumwood would be another good lifetime alternative. It is used on pilings and wharves as the batter board that takes the smack when a large ship/ferry docks and can sit in the water forever.

[fegettes]

I agree with Mikev. I just replaced my bunks last year with the 2" X 6" PT lumber. I believe all PT lumber was #1 grade lumber, but, that may changed over the years. I still hand select my lumber to make sure I do not get any damage, cracks, or knots. The 2" X 6" will have a little flex to cradle the boat. And I have replaced bunks years ago with PT lumber on previous trailers and never had any more problems. I also bought an aluminum trailer in Decemeber and the bunks on that trailer are large blocks of lumber, and I am not sure what the type of lumber it is, but they certainly will not flex.

Steve

[Cuda]

I replaced the carpet a couple years ago on my 1988 Fastload trailer. The bunks are made of cypress, and they were as solid as the day I bought it. The V block was made of pressure treated wood, and the only thing holding it together was the carpet. It was completely rotted. I don't know what the availability of cypress is in your area, but there is no doubt, that's the route to go.

Btw, todays pressure treated isn't even as good as it was in 1988. I think the EPA made them take out whatever kept them from rotting.

[VetteLT193]

I did a search and could not find one manufacturer that states they use pressure treated wood, if they did I am very sure they would tout the fact! It stands to reason as they would have to use pine, pine is unreliable as it splits way to easily. Another point who has ever seen rotten bunks? Having been in this industry for many years I have never seen a set.
Phil

I just did a search and found a bunch of trailer companies saying they use pressure treated, and they are touting it. :confused:

here's an example: http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:Bq5KkGWka1AJ:www.roadkingtrailers.c om/RKBF.htm+pressure+treated+bunks&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=24&gl=us&client=firefox-a

[FOSTER]

I just did a search and found a bunch of trailer companies saying they use pressure treated, and they are touting it. :confused:
here's an example: http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:Bq5KkGWka1AJ:www.roadkingtrailers.c om/RKBF.htm+pressure+treated+bunks&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=24&gl=us&client=firefox-a

Might want to reread your link, in quality features section I read cypress bunks.

[VetteLT193]

Might want to reread your link, in quality features section I read cypress bunks.

Even they can't figure it out. It says pressure treated on one page, cypress on another. :confused:

[yeller]

Pressure treated wood shouldn't be used for enviromental reasons. Every time it is dipped in the water, some of those chemicals are left behind.

[mikev]

check this out save the hassle of making your own they come in 5' and 6' lengths wish i would have found this last year. save the pain of cutting and stapling carpet down. there 2x4 wonder if you can get 2x6 like mine were.

overtons trailer bunks (http://www.overtons.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?pdesc=Shipshape_Carpeted_Bunk_Boards_6 _ft_pr&r=view&i=20297&aID=)

[handfulz28]

I don't know if this is a nit-picky detail, but there's probably a difference in wood type used depending on trailer style. I know on my trailer, the two big long bunks are cypress. I also have front centering "bunks" which are more like planks; these are probably just cheap PT.
Does a builder like Myco, Eagle, Loadmaster etc. which build primarily "cradle" style trailers use thin cuts of Cypress, or just regular cuts of treated/untreated wood?

[handfulz28]

overtons trailer bunks (http://www.overtons.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?pdesc=Shipshape_Carpeted_Bunk_Boards_6 _ft_pr&r=view&i=20297&aID=)

Still doesn't say what they're made of. $50 + S&H is a lot to pay for a $5 piece of wood and $15 in carpet.

[fegettes]

Pressure treated wood shouldn't be used for enviromental reasons. Every time it is dipped in the water, some of those chemicals are left behind.

Good point, however, here in the South, there are miles and miles and miles of bulk heading and docks made out of Pressure Treated lumber and creosoted posts. Pressure Treated lumber used in the water is a common practice here in the Environmentally dangerous South.

[Donzigo]

PT works OK, but get the 4.0 PT (Decks & Docks Inc, St. Pete, Fl) or whereever you are. The 2.5 PT (like the Lowes or Home Depot wood) is not very good. For instance 4.0 is used on docks and lasts for years & years, (my dock with salt water, is 16 years old and it's perfect), when the HD PT only lasts 1 year in salt, then it's gone ----- as in gone ---- melted into the sea.

My quickload trailer & both cradles on the boat lifts have bunks made of cypress and then I put white boat bumpers on the tops of them to hold the boats tight. The lifts are over 12 years old & the trailer is over 6 years old and they all look like they will last many more years.

[Cuda]

PT works OK, but get the 4.0 PT (Decks & Docks Inc, St. Pete, Fl) or whereever you are. The 2.5 PT (like the Lowes or Home Depot wood) is not very good. For instance 4.0 is used on docks and lasts for years & years, (my dock with salt water, is 16 years old and it's perfect), when the HD PT only lasts 1 year in salt, then it's gone ----- as in gone ---- melted into the sea.
My quickload trailer & both cradles on the boat lifts have bunks made of cypress and then I put white boat bumpers on the tops of them to hold the boats tight. The lifts are over 12 years old & the trailer is over 6 years old and they all look like they will last many more years.
Richard, if you ever need cypress, I bought them at Axley Brothers Saw Mill, when I was in business one summer with a crook, and we were building boat trailers. I still had several big, long pieces of cypress left when we moved. I gave them to a buddy of mine who builds docks in St Pete. You might know him. Brad's Custom Docks.

[Trueser]

So how can I get my hand on some Cypress in Chicago?

I need 16'- 18' of 2x6

[Cuda]

It comes in 4 inch or thicker only I believe. I had some that were sixteen feet long.

[Donzigo]

Truser ........... maybe have 2 pieces shipped form St. Pete or somewhere closer to you. The stuff is bullet-proof.

Cuda, Brad's Docks is who put all my poles in. They do lots of work around the South Pinellas area. Nice people. So, Cuda, when you & Debbie come to St. Pete, throw me a call and we'll go out in Big-D. She flys like a bird now.

[Formula Jr]

Is there any particular reason why one can't use the new plastic composite decking lumber that's available at any Lowes or Home Depot? Its going to be covered in carpet anyway. And then you just don't have to consider or find all these different species of wood. It seems the composit stuff would outlast the trailer....
:confused:

[Jamesbon]

"Everyone" around here uses cypress. Try calling a local trailer manufacturer and picking them up locally. Or, have a sawmill cut them for you locally and carpet yourself. (ask me how I know that :bonk: )

You can always call Jack @ Quickload Trailers, down here in FL, and have them shipped to you. Tell him Nate @ Bay Way sent ya. 727 527 5078.

[Donzigo]

.............or you could tell Jack at Quickload that RICHARD sent you to. (just teasing Nate ----------- so Nate, don't you answer your phone anymore -------------or is it that you and the "lady du jour" are so busy playing house tht you CAN'T answer?)

I'm smiling at that PT / environmental comment. If PT were to suddenly disappear from Florida, ALL of the people standing on docks and in the restaurants on the water would fall into the water.

[smoothie]

Is there any particular reason why one can't use the new plastic composite decking lumber that's available at any Lowes or Home Depot? Its going to be covered in carpet anyway. And then you just don't have to consider or find all these different species of wood. It seems the composit stuff would outlast the trailer....
:confused:

I would guess it depends on the application and location...may not be stiff enough and could sag after some blistering sun same goes with the cedar...way to soft and real easy to split and the cypress boys...well they are all in Florida where it grows...if I ask my local lumber yard for some cypress Im going to get the somebody farted look...

[Trueser]

Ok I need help trying to find the brackets to add center bunks under the 29 anyone have any contacts? The ones I got from Rocket won't fit under the center without raising the boat higher.

[handfulz28]

http://www.loadmastertrailer.com/web%20pages/parts_book1.htm
Haven't ordered from them myself yet, but they seem to have just about everything, and at a competitive price. I think most stuff is made by Tie Down, so if you can get a part number, find a Tie Down dealer, that's another option.

[smoothie]

Another one is:http://www.championtrailers.com/#INDEX

I built a trailer with their parts