Launching with Carpeted Bunks

fowlplay'n said:

I thought about keeping it how it is or just adding a roller to keep from bumping that cross member again but ive had more difficulty getting the boat centered on this trailer and I think the two extra bunks will help line me up on the trailer better so that alone is worth the expense. I already planned to make this change just hadn't been motivated until I realized it could cause damage in its current format.

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Not questioning your loading skills and it may very well be all in the trailer but with that said. Have you played around with how deep you back the trailer in? I have loaded a few boats on temporary trailers not designed for them and most of the time they center up fine and I drive them the rest of the way up. I have seen a lot of guys at the ramp that like to float the boat all the way up on the trailer and they have a time especially without guide poles keeping it centered.

Wildlifer said:

Not questioning your loading skills and it may very well be all in the trailer but with that said. Have you played around with how deep you back the trailer in? I have loaded a few boats on temporary trailers not designed for them and most of the time they center up fine and I drive them the rest of the way up. I have seen a lot of guys at the ramp that like to float the boat all the way up on the trailer and they have a time especially without guide poles keeping it centered.

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Yeah backing in too far and letting the boat float over the trailer is what caused me to damage the front. But like mentioned if I don't back down as far it's almost impossible to get the boat onto the trailer without baring down on the throttle. I also need to move the guide posts in about 3" on each side to make them snug to the boat. I think once I get a coating or non-skid strips on the bunks I'll have much less trouble loading the boat and with the extra bunks at the front I should be able to center up correctly every time.

Sounds good. The extra bunks take some of the pressure off and can help it get up there depending on the set up. I use a ramp that often limits how far I can back down. Sometimes it takes a lot of throttle to push it up there and its still not enough. When I'm solo I will have to set the throttle and lean over the bow to hook up the wench and crank it up the rest of the way. Sometimes I miss the roller for that reason and I could dry launch the boat into the creek on low tide. There is a 5ft drop at the end of the ramp which is perfect for dropping the boat into.

For those that had asked, here is a picture of how the trailer was set up when it damaged the front of my boat. There was a gap between the two parts of the V that caused my boat to contact the metal cross member when the trailer was backed in too far. Don't have pics of my new setup but I added two 6ft bunks at the front. I'm also going to put an 8" roller between the two bunks to make 100% certain I'll never run into the crossmember again.




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I had a kawasaki3 person jetski that had a 1500cc engine and 19 gallon fuel tank, and weighed about 800-900 lbs... obviously not as big as a boat, but still heavier then you would think. The trailer had the carpeted bunks on it. I would wax the hull with a good quality wax, and after that, it would slide on and off the bunks for most of the season very easy. I would try a good coat of wax on your hull before you spend money on fancy attachments. Maybe some wd40 or silicone spray on the carpet too would help (but you'll leave an oil slick in the water which might draw some attention if its crowded)

Don't use any petroleum product, find some food grade silicone to spray the bunks with....

Or some type of boat soap that is safe to use in water.

In the past for one ramp that had a drop off and you could only get in so far I had a spray bottle of soap I would hit the dry bunks before I backed in.
Made it really easy. Water and fish safe.