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V-drive trailer bunk trick

Schiada Time

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Your plates on a Vee Bottom should never rest on the bunks but if they do with the plate all the way up you can taper the tail end of the bunks by shaving the wood down so the transom sits on the standard 2x6 and the remainder of the bunk under the plates is tapered or shaved down so the plates never touch. Dan Bell at Bell Racing turned me onto this trick and I took my bunks to his shop today and tapered the ends.

Trailer is being fully restored right now at Hampton Trailers and will be done next week. I'll post pics once shes finished.

Schiada Time
 

Sharp Shooter

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I think most people don't pay attention to plate position when leaving the water. I know I'm guilty...

Keep the plates all the up (if you can) and you'll be fine.
 

Schiada Time

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That is one of the things I am anal about when hitting the trailer. Make sure the plates are lifted all the way up.
 

racerden

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why does it even matter if your plates touch your bunks?
Question is why? Answer is a basic as it gets- 1st, aluminum sitting on wet carpet/wood will oxidize & eat thru (anodized or not) big time. 2nd, like a fibreglass boat bottom, they bend over time. Rather than shaving down the trailing edges of the bunk which is an okay idea (unless there isn't enough real estate for the retainers) is to simply shim up the bunks forward of the contact area and eliminate the aft section that contacts the CP's.
Hope it helps,
197
 

RiverDave

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Question is why? Answer is a basic as it gets- 1st, aluminum sitting on wet carpet/wood will oxidize & eat thru (anodized or not) big time. 2nd, like a fibreglass boat bottom, they bend over time. Rather than shaving down the trailing edges of the bunk which is an okay idea (unless there isn't enough real estate for the retainers) is to simply shim up the bunks forward of the contact area and eliminate the aft section that contacts the CP's.
Hope it helps,
197

If you shim up at the end, then wouldn't the boat not be touching most of the bunks until the front?


I'm surprised this many people said they wouldn't have their plates up on the trailer.. I kind of figured it was like an I/O where it's always up when you're on the trailer.

RD
 

ace one

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Most trailers do not fit the bottoms of the hulls very good at all and they do actually create a hook in the bottom.....take a good look at your trailer with the boat on it.....look at the top edge of the outside trailer rails, I will bet you that they are bowed like a banana, then take a close look at your bunks, they are bowed also...............I tell my customers to support the rear of the trailer when ever possible with jack stands or blocks and try and keep the weight of the boat supported............the bunk trick is a good idea, I did that in the 80's when I used to build the REVENGE flat bottoms.
 
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