New Bunk Boards, made them myself - few pictures to share

[XXXLTRP]

My new to me Triton 21x HP has been a bit more of a project than anticipated, but I'm enjoying it. The trailer got a new axle the day I towed it home with new wiring and lights. The carpet on the bunk boards was wearing thin and I could see the grain of the wood through the carpet when it was wet. I started the project in the heat of covid mess and lumber was ridiculously expensive. I researched and researched, finding treated pine being mostly used with a few people who used cypress and mahogany. Cypress in Va was impossible to find, treated lumber was sky high. In my search for cypress a local lumber company had left over boards of apitong. I researched it, frequently used for trailer decks, truck floors, decks, board walks and boat structure. If it's strong enough for a tracked excavator, certainly it will support a 21'bass boat. It was priced right, I got 7 2x8x16 boards that were rough cut. Spent a day dressing it all and cutting to the proper dimensions, another day with the router and covering them in carpet from Basscat. All stainless hardware of course. The 2007 Marine Master trailer had a few supports that were showing signs of it's age. The rust had def comprised it's strength from it's original condition. I made some brackets to assist carrying the load on the rusty supports. I used 1/2" unequal length structural aluminum angle and 1/2 grade 8 hardware. Used some black 5200 to limit water access between the factory supports and aluminum braces. Maybe my project will help someone else along the way. Now..I need to clean or get new carpet for the fender bunks. A new trailer just isn't in the budget. Here's the pictures.
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[fishnfireman]

[SPOTREMOVER2]

Good job. I have the same issue with the bracket rust, can buy those aluminum supports you made, anywhere?

[XXXLTRP]

SPOTREMOVER - I made those after looking across the internet and not finding anything I liked or in the dimensions I needed. I made enough to do all of the supports plus a few spares in case I had a support that was bad enough to require cutting the steel support off, keeping the vertical piece and using two like a "T". I only used 5 of the 17 brackets I made. I have a box of left over brackets with the holes drilled for the lag bolts that go into the wood. Depending on the height of the support, the long end of the "L " had to be cut to length, I tried to cut them on an angle so the bracket would rest on the cross beams and not carry all of the weight on the shear strength of the 1/2" hardware. I drilled the vertical holes after cutting it to length. They drill and cut with wood tools, eye pro required obviously.

Edit - Drilling the holes in the steel brackets was probably the worst of it.

[Javelin389]

[1Holeshot]

Outstanding job.

Much of the water here is brackish. Wonder if the aluminum/steel contact would create a galvanic corrosion problem?

[XXXLTRP]

Outstanding job.

Much of the water here is brackish. Wonder if the aluminum/steel contact would create a galvanic corrosion problem?

Possible I'm sure, but I'm certainly not a chemist ,I just tried to mitigate it all the best I could. I only fish fresh water here near me. The contact is minimum, the stainless lag bolts into the wood through the aluminum bracket and the grade 8 hardware, however the grade 8 hardware is zinc coated. I painted the steel trailer brackets with Mercury's black phantom paint and a healthy dose of black 5200 between the aluminum brackets I made and steel trailer brackets.

[mikesxpress]

Stainless bunk board brackets.

https://gatorbak.com/gatorbak-bunk-brackets/

[XXXLTRP]

I found those in my search, wrong orientation and dimensions for mine.

[1Holeshot]

Possible I'm sure, but I'm certainly not a chemist ,I just tried to mitigate it all the best I could. I only fish fresh water here near me. The contact is minimum, the stainless lag bolts into the wood through the aluminum bracket and the grade 8 hardware, however the grade 8 hardware is zinc coated. I painted the steel trailer brackets with Mercury's black phantom paint and a healthy dose of black 5200 between the aluminum brackets I made and steel trailer brackets.

You are fortunate to be able to operate your boat entirely in fresh water.

[SPOTREMOVER2]

YUP, I USED THAT "POR15" ON THE ORIGINAL MASTER MARINE STEEL BRACKETS.........IT SEEMED TO STOPT THE RUST..........BUT,
THE DAMAGE WAS ALREADY DONE. I LIKE THE IDEA OF THE SUPPLIMENTAL BRACKET ADD ON...........THATS SMART.
THEY ARE JUST HARD TO FIND!

[wareagle24]

Good job!

[billnorman1]

Clever use of the aluminum angle. I kept wearing out the carpet where the boat initially contacted it (the back) so I went to Gatorback on that segment. Your job is very neat.

[XXXLTRP]

Clever use of the aluminum angle. I kept wearing out the carpet where the boat initially contacted it (the back) so I went to Gatorback on that segment. Your job is very neat.

I looked at Gatorbacks too, I was making the boards before I had carpet, mostly due to budget and available funds and the order in which I was able to get my hands on the supplies. I went back and looked at some lighting and saw the kits used with Gatorbacks..I'd do it that way knowing what I know now just for the lighting package they offer for bunk boards.

[BILL LO]

Nice work

[muskyman73]

Excellent work. You have given me some ideas

[catdude28]

Great work. Smart idea with the angle brackets.

[BMCD]

for lumber, un treated pine and a water sealant works great. Apply several coats before mounting boards.

[Alex from GA]