Trailer Bunk Rebuild...

[TooMuchFun]

For MOWtown (see Marketing post)...or anyone who knows a good Marine carpenter...

I'm looking around for a good marine carpenter who can do a rebuild on my upper two trailer bunks. Offshore and Dunsmore are WAY too expensive.

They are for a Zieman trailer and a 28' Advantage Cat. The originals were untreated pine with cheap carpet ... lasted about two years and all are coming apart.

I need either redwood or treated lumber (232" long or a bit longer), 2x6s, the back 80'' need some custom work to narrow and cut the inside edges on a 45 degree angle to fit the stern strakes on the hull. Good marine carpet and stainless or Monell staples that will last.

I'm looking at trying to accomplish in about a 1/2 day or so of work when I have the boat off the trailer and on the lake ... easier than finding a place to hoist the boat off the trailer or leaving the boat in the water for more than a day.

TooMuchFun

[MOWtown]

How urgent is this project? I'm booked for at least a month...When are you going to Mead or Mohave next? I could look at your project at the same time and give you some ideas/numbers. Where do you live?

[kevnmcd]

TMF - When I did my bunks I used the pressure treated lumber from Home Depot. Bunk carpet by the foot was hard to find, but I found it here (http://www.championtrailers.com/catalog_pdf.htm). Download there pdf catalog and go to page 16 (upper left corner), 12" wide by ?'. Just tell them how many feet you want. Good luck.

P.S. This is how mine looked when I was done.

[kevnmcd]

oops...forgot the pic. http://www.lasvegashotboats.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rolleyes.gif ....and no MOWtown, I was not trying to pad my post count! http://www.lasvegashotboats.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

http://members.cox.net/kevnmcd/images/DSCN0084a.jpg

[MOWtown]

I'll take this opportunity to ask you some questions because I will be doing my trailer this winter. Â*Didn't you say that your trailer was the same Competitve trailer as mine with all of the bondo build up at the fenders/steps and elsewhere? Â*If yes, it appears that you didn't replace this bondo...you just left the corners "square". Â*I think it looks fine. Â*I wonder if the bondo was an attempt to "dress up" the trailer or to cover ugly welds? Â*Did you sand blast it, bead blast,? Â*I know you recommended that guy...how much did he do? Â*Did he remove the boat or did you store it in a slip? Â*My fenders are pretty beat up so I am going to replace them and weld new steps to them. Â*

Your trailer ended up looking perfect. Â*You probably hated selling the trailer as much as the boat!

BTW, you have my permission to answer all of the above questions in seperate posts http://www.lasvegashotboats.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[kevnmcd]

Mike - Where to start.....I didn't realize how much I miss the redone trailer until I posted this pic. http://www.lasvegashotboats.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif I put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into that trailer.....but on to bigger and better, hey? http://www.lasvegashotboats.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

I replaced my steps and fenders a couple of years ago, as the original fiberglass fenders were shot! That is why you see square corners on the steps and not the frame. I blew two tires one season cuz the old fenders kept falling down and rubbing on the tires....and everyone knows what happens then. http://www.lasvegashotboats.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/insane.gif

I talked to many people about sandblasting my trailer....when it came down to it, I decided to NOT sandblast it and go with the smooth look. There is a sh!tload of bondo on these things. In fact, in some areas I added more bondo to smooth it out and in others I added diamond plate to cover some of the holes I created taking some of the cancer off of it.

If I had to do it again, I probably would NOT sandblast it. I like the smooth look. One thing I would do is spend some more time on the prep before I paint it though.

Hope that helps. Feel free to ask me more questions....I spent a lot of time looking for good deals on all the addons and can probably save you a lot of time and money.

[TooMuchFun]

MOWtown ... The project is not really pressing, just needs to be done sometime this summer, or after the season in the fall. The pine bunks are beginning to splinter and the carpet is coming apart here and there.

I live up in the NorthWest off Lone Mtn., but I keep the boat in covered storage at Storage Plus down in Boulder City. A long drive, but really secure storage and only a couple miles from the Hemenway launch ramp.

In the summer my time is my own ... I'm with the University but travel and consult once May rolls around and also protect my time for the boating season ... Soooo, I could meet you most any day in the afternoon at the boat, or if you are on Mead sometime we could meet at the Hemenway launch if I am out as well to give the trailer a look without the boat sitting on it.

Let me know what is convenient with you and we can plan to connect from there.

PS -- kevnmcd -- the trailer pic looks good ... what I want mine to return to bunkwise.

TooMuchFun

[MOWtown]

Well, let's just hook up at Hemmenway. I usually launch from there for weekday night rides and go to Callville on weekends but I'd meet you at Hemmenway on a weekend, no problem. I'm going to Mohave on Fri but I might go to Mead on Sat. I'll p.m. you by tomorrow night with final info. I'm sure we could hook up at the lake within the next 2-3 weeks.

Mike

[TooMuchFun]

MOWtown ... sounds good ... I'm away from the lake this 4th weekend, but after that I'm launching once or twice a week for awhile. Let me know when is convenient after the 4th weekend and we can go from there, and thanks for the interest. I'd do it all myself, but do not want to leave the boat in the water overnight and it really takes two to do the job in a day ... one to deal with the boat and one to do the work.

TooMuchFun

[kevnmcd]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (TooMuchFun @ July 02 2003, 8:53 pm)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">.....one to deal with the boat and one to do the work.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
So, MOWtown, how about you and I take the boat out for the day so TMF can get his work done? http://www.lasvegashotboats.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif http://www.lasvegashotboats.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

Thanks for the compliment, TMF. http://www.lasvegashotboats.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[TooMuchFun]

MOWtown ... I'm going out this Friday and putting in at Hemmenway around 9:00 am and returning sometime in the afternoon ... is this a good day to connect for you to give my trailer a look and shoot me a general estimate for bunk and carpet replacement/repair?

TooMuchFun

[MOWtown]

Sorry but no. Why don't you take some digital pics of the bunks and post them? Are you going out during the weekend? Even if I'm not boating, I wouldn't mind meeting you at Hemmingway on Sat/Sun.

[TooMuchFun]

Shoot ... I may go Sun, unless it is so freakin hot that it is unbearable ... will let you know. I'd take some digital pics but the last camera of mine is somewhere on the bottom of the San Francisco Bay and I have no access to borrowing one for a few weeks.

I can give you some measurement specs (232" long, 2X6s for the top runners with some 45 degree inside angle cuts for 80" from the stern to fit the hull tunnels; 2X4s on the bottom runners and about 200" long with no custome cutting; four runners total). All runners are bottom bolted in with two bolts per trailer vertical bar and I am missing some bolts. It's a pretty typical Zieman product.

I'll keep you posted on when I am down there ... even if I do not go out on Sun., perhaps we could meet for a beer in the late am/early afternoon and I could show you the boat on the trailer? That might work for me as well ... I'd much rather visit the boat and not go out then hang about at the homestead and end up catching up on work or doing some chore or another ... let me know ...

TooMuchFun