Watch the video. Back in a bit further. Drive to the bow roller and clip it.Originally Posted by CatFan
Watch the video. Back in a bit further. Drive to the bow roller and clip it.
What he said I drive on all the time at 73 it's a lot better
I was a pioneer for synthetic bunk boards...
I personally installed them on 3 straight rigs (a board out of Georgia that I will not name) but I was completely satisfied...no rust, no carpet, no tacks, no water holding, no replacement...ever.
I believe the time to ditch wood bunk boards for ALL bass boats was years ago...
cannot understand why builders still use the concept from generations ago that has issues after maybe 5 years...
especially in the south...
Good luck to all synthetic board makers!
Maybe you can get a major boat maker contract as an option for the higher end rigs and go from there.
Last edited by reelman; 12-28-2016 at 04:55 PM.
2018 Z19/200 Optimax 2 stroker 24x3 Fury Ultrex 112
Lowrance HDS 12/9 Lives with 3 in 1 ducers
I always thought that one of the main purposes of the short bunks on the outside of the the trailer is to center the boat. Normally when loading I have about a foot of each short bunk out of the water.If all of the bunks are under water what keeps the boat from going off center?Does your Ranger go on the trailer straight?How far do you have to winch the bow eye to the front roller?My 21'Ranger fully loaded weighs over 3000lb which would be tough to hand winch if any part of the outside bunks are out of the water. It seems like there has to be an optimum position of the trailer in the water to make it work as advertised.Am I off base or missing something?I would think that if there is a tidal current or strong wind the boat would end up cock-eyed on the trailer?
Last edited by jayp; 12-30-2016 at 03:34 PM.
The shot bunk is just to hold the boat flat the center bunks guide the boat on the trailer I power load if I can if a no power load ramp no problem with Gaterbak get them wet it will slide right on best thing I ever did
But the whole point of the discussion is that power loading is not recommended with Gatorbaks and voids the warranty.
If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity,
nothing else matters.
This Ranger Z21i is #13 boat for me and it clocks in at 3500 lbs wet.. 60 year old retired mechanical engineer fishing 3-4 days per week and I live next to the Potomac river. I have been fresh/saltwater since I was a kid. The decision to switch to Gatorbak bunks was driven by the need to eliminate hull blistering by keeping any moisture away from the hull while trailered. These bunks do that. 10 minute ride from the ramp to home and they are dry. ALL boats use the same EPA regulated water permeable gelcoat so they ALL can get blistering from the wet carpet residing against the hull for extended periods of time. Many MFG use a "barrier" coat between the gel and the glass. (I had that done as another preventative measure when my hull was refinished) This does NOT eliminate hull blistering but does add some additional protection. I did a allot of research well in advance of having the blisters repaired on my Ranger and opted to bring the trailer home & install these bunks while the boat was on blocks getting the hull refinished.
If all of the bunks are under water what keeps the boat from going off center?
>The center bunks. The front of them are just below the surface. *Watch the video.
Does your Ranger go on the trailer straight?
>Yes. Pull out of the ramp slowly and it settles in straight every time.
How far do you have to winch the bow eye to the front roller?
>I don't winch it up. Drive up to the bow roller, clip it to the strap, pull it tight. *Watch the video.
My 21'Ranger fully loaded weighs over 3000lb which would be tough to hand winch if any part of the outside bunks are out of the water.
>Mine is a Z21i and I have been on these bunks for over 3 years. No hand winching. *Watch the video.
It seems like there has to be an optimum position of the trailer in the water to make it work as advertised.
>Correct. *Watch the video.
I would think that if there is a tidal current or strong wind the boat would end up cock-eyed on the trailer?
>I occasionally encounter tidal conditions (strong tidal flow or low tide water levels) or high winds that prevent me from loading as shown in the video which entails leaving a little more bunk surface out of the water to facilitate securing the boat onto the trailer. This is infrequent, but does occur and does require me to power the boat up the bunks a very short distance (maybe 12") to the bow roller. No issue if only done occasionally. I wax my boat regularly and this includes the area from the bow, down the hull to the front of the bunk boards. As noted previously, the bunk material is softer than gelcoat so it doesn't scratch the hull, this attribute does have a downside if you power load on the bunks as the Gatorbak bunk is sacrificial as compared to the gelcoat. It will rub a very small amount of the material onto to hull at the front contact point of the bunks which is applying the most pressure. This is removed with a little rubbing compound and another coat of wax applied. I do this a couple times throughout the year as required. *Review pictures of 3 years use on bunks before/after cleaning above. You don't see any visible wear.
This is a very simple decision:
If your not willing to alter your loading process (I power loaded on carpet for 30 years) then the Gatorbak bunks are not for you.
In the video the trailer is in the water to far the picture after the video is the right way
Put the trailer in the water so the bunks are under water then pull out so the tips of the bunks are out of the water drive boat on the trailer till it stops hook it up wench it on
you must have some of the center bunks out of the water to guide the boat straight on the trailer
For my rig on that tidal ramp the video shows exactly how far. Different boats/trailers may require adjustments to the placement but dunking the trailer does nothing for the process as the bunk material is not going to retain any water.
If the bunks are dry boat will not side on they have to be wet
You have to get them wet first
While my boat is stranded in my driveway waiting for parts I started looking into redoing the bunks. These Gatorbak covers look good; did anyone use anything to replace their wood 2x4's with other than new wood 2x4's?
I used my old boards they are 2x6's
Mike....my Xi5 trolling motor keeps me from doing this very thing. It will hit the roller. So I have to winch it about 5 feet every time. I had to quit power loading because of the Gatorbaks but between the two options, Gatorbaks was the best.
2021 Phoenix 21PHX
Mine were 2X6 and yes, I replaced everything. I even went with galvanized carriage bolts with lock washers instead of lags.
2021 Phoenix 21PHX
I back my trailer all the way in the water and then pull it up to where I normally load it. This gets the bunks wet before loading. Loading, I'll just back up until the boat floats off so there is no force against the dry Gatorbaks.
2021 Phoenix 21PHX
Galvanized corrodes too. All this hardware should be available in stainless steel. If the carriage bolt tops are not countersunk into the top of the bunks under carpet they will damage the boat. Under Gatorback, I'm not so sure.
Agreed. All stainless hardware. I use SS lags with pilot hole. Not a fan of the carriage bolts. After a few months use you can't tightened them as the heads spin in the wood.
You don't want gator backs if you have a dark colored hull. They leave marks/scratches on the hull.
Just installed carriage bolts on my newly gatorbak'ed bunks and I would agree with this simply because the installation is 1000 times easier with lags. I just chiseled out 18 perfect bolt heads and I never want to do that again.
2021 Caymas CX21/Mercury 250 Pro XS
They are a PIA to remove.
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