Trailer bunks

[CodyPhillips]

What are yalls thoughts on,

gluing or not gluing your bunk carpet on .

i will be using stainless 1/2 inch staples in either case. Thanks

[CatFan]

Don't know that glue would help. Consider Monel staples instead of stainless.

[CodyPhillips]

Which staple holds up better in pressure treated lumber ?

[Fishysam]

Read pressure treated reacts to aluminum and maybe some gel coats, kiln dried pressure treated is fine same as other sweet woods that don't need to be treated. Anyways I have used outdoor carpet glue and any staple before, never had an issue with the bunks or staples since the glue held it after it dried.

[CatFan]

Stainless will last better in ACQ treated lumber. But they will rust. Untreated lumber coated with a good sealer might be a better choice if your trailer is stored indoors. No perfect answer. I ripped a good untreated 2X12 down to 2X4s last time I replaced.

[joe3buck3]

I have moved away from carpet and now use Bunk Slicks instead. I was tired of my bunk boards rotting away under wet carpet where you could not see them deteriorating. I now buy treated 2x4s and allow them to dry them I paint them black(appearance only) before screwing on the bunk slicks. I am much happier with this arrangement. I haven't noticed any difference in hull wear between the carpet and bunk slicks on the current Aluminum hull nor on my previous fiberglass hull.

[Islands]

Just my thoughts on bunk board replacement:

Bunk boards: no pressure treated, either treat and/or paint (to match covering) yourself.

Staples: Monel, they are marine rated.

Gluing: just makes for a harder installation

Covering: I have been using Sailrite Boat Blanket material and will never use carpet again. Easier to work with, very durable and seems to retain less water than carpet.

Installation: A coat of sealer on the boards and paint to match covering. Let the bunks drain and breath, don't wrap the entire board with covering. Cover both sides and top of bunk board. Staple covering to lower edge of the sides leaving bottom of bunk board open for draining. If concerned about appearance like me, wrap only the outboard side to the underside just enough to staple.

[SoonerFan]

The first time I did this job, I bought my carpet from a store here in OKC that specialized in boat carpet...sold it on the internet all over the country. I took him to be a guy who knew what he was talking about. Here is how he told me to do it....

Use exterior grade carpet adhesive applied to the top of the 2X4 only. This will prevent the carpet from wadding up under the boat. Leave it un-glued on the sides and bottom to allow water to drain away.

I have replaced my bunks 4 or 5 times over the years and have always used pressure treated and never saw any ill affects. I'm no expert on this subject but I've never seen any credible reason to not use it.

I don't make a big deal out of finding SS staples. I figure the carpet is going to wear out long before the staples rust enough to cause any trouble. I'd be willing to bet the the bunks that are on my boat now (replaced 2 or 3 years ago) don't have any rusty staples at all but the carpet is starting to show wear on the ends.

SS lag screws are hard to find so I use hot dipped galvanized. They seem to last a long time. I pre-drill the holes and give them a good shot of silicone and screw them down.

[CodyPhillips]

Thanks for the input gentlemen .