Boats & Maintenance – Page 3

Trailer bunks are a critical component to any boat trailer. They protect your boat from damage by providing a smooth surface for your boat to slide on and off when launching and loading your boat. They also offer important protection when your boat is being supported by your trailer as it’s being trailered or stored. As you can imagine replacing your worn out carpet on your bunks before it becomes an issue is an important part of proper bunk maintenance. For that reason, I did some research as I was needing to replace my own bunk carpet and put together this quick guide to help anyone else that may be looking to replace their carpet on their boat trailer bunks. In this article we will discuss how to select the right replacement bunk carpet as well as some additional information regarding trailer bunks to help you make sure your boat is properly protected. What is the best carpet for boat trailer bunks? The best carpet to use when replacing your bunk carpet is a quality marine grade carpet. You could replace your bunk boards with regular carpet, but it wouldn’t last long and would easily tear. That’s why the best option is going to be a quality marine grade carpet, one that has little water absorption and is treated to last and prevent growth of mildew and mold. The best boat trailer bunk carpet will have the following qualities: Marine gradeWater resistantWeather resistantTreated to prevent mildew and moldMinimal water retentionThick and tough enough to be able to handle wear and tear After years of experience and hours of researching what the best carpet is to replace your boat trailer bunks with, I put together the following list of the top marine carpets out on the market today. My hope is that by providing you with this information, I will help you select the right replacement carper for your boat trailer and save you some time and headache during the process. I have also put together a step by step guide that will teaching you how to easily replace your boat trailer bunks & carpet. You can check out that article here. The Best Carpet for Boat Trailer Bunks CE Smith Trailer Carpet The CE Smith trailer carpet is a perfect bunk carpet replacement for any boat trailer. Simply put, this carpet gets it done. I recently purchased this product for my own boat trailer bunks and have been very happy with the results. When doing my own research, I found this carpet had was highly regarded and has received some solid customer feedback. This is a very heavy duty carpet that will protect your hull and hold up through the wear and tear that comes with boating. It has everything you would want in a bunk carpet and It comes in three different colors: black, grey and blue and is available in rolls of 11” x 12’ and 18” x 12’. This is some of the toughest carpets out there and would be a great replacement carpet for any trailer bunk. If you’re looking to purchase a bunk carpet replacement this is a great option. View on Amazon Lancer Boat Trailer Bunk Carpet If you are looking for a high quality universal bunk carpet the boat trailer bunk carpet by Lancer is one of the best options out there. This isn’t just your regular carpet. It’s extremely durable and will outlast most all other carpets. It comes in both 16oz and 20oz making it one of the thickest carpet you can find. The Lancer carpet comes in both 12” and 24” wide rolls and variety of different lengths. Its available in plenty of color options such as black, blue, burgundy and gray. One of the things that I really like about this product is that it is ravel resistant. Many carpets will unravel over time but this one tends to hold up better. It’s also water resistant and is backed by rubber allowing it to dry out faster which helps prevent mildew and mold. If you are looking for a quality replacement carpet that is thick and that will hold up over time than the Lancer Carpet is a great option. View on Amazon SeasSense Trailer Bunk Replacement The SeaSense trailer/boat bunk padding is another overall solid option. This bunk padding is made of durable, weather-resistant material and will do a great job at protecting your hull. The carpet is ¼ inch thick which is standard for most bunk carpet replacements and is easy to cut and customize to fit your trailer needs. The SeaSense bunk padding comes in rolls that are 12” x 12’ and comes in a standard black color. Overall this is a great carpet that will protect y our hull and allow for easy loading and launching. You can find the SeaSense Bunk Carpet on amazon by clicking the link below. View on Amazon Fulton Replacement Trailer Bunk Carpeting The Fulton Replacement Trailer Bunk Carpet is another marine grade carpet that will protect your boat investment. When I first ordered this carpet for the side bunks on my boat trailer, my initials thoughts were that it was pretty thin. But it has held up extremely well and has been perfect for what I needed it for. From what I have noticed this product is a lot sturdier compared to other carpets I check out at Cabela’s and other stores. It has two different size options: 8x 144- Inch and 12x 144- Inch. This is an all-around quality carpet and is perfect for smaller to mid-size boat trailer bunks. If you have a larger boat or need extra durability I would recommend going with the CE Smith Trailer Carpet or Lancer Carpet that I mentioned above. These come with a bigger price tag but are a more durable carpet. However for the price the Fulton Replacement Carpet is a great option as well. View on Amazon Other Carpet In the above list I have mentioned the best carpet bunk replacement options that I have found through experience and research. All of the carpets mentioned in this post are all solid options, but you can also find other great carpets at your local Home Depot, Lowes and other places. Just remember to get a marine grade carpet that is strong enough to hold up under tough boating conditions Choosing the Right Bunk Carpet There are a lot of solid boat carpet bunks out there but not all of them will be a good fit for your particular setup. I have had to learn this the hard way and I don’t want you to make the same mistakes. Here are some tips that I have learned along the way that has helped me select the right carpet for my boat trailer: Measure your bunks Before you decide on a replacement carpet, make sure to measure the length and width of your boat trailer bunks. Boat trailer bunks tend to come in a variety of shapes and sizes depending on the style and size of your trailer, so it’s important to get some measurements before deciding on the width and length you’ll need to cover your bunks properly. Add up the surface area you wish to cover and buy enough carpet to fit your needs. Marine Grade Make sure the replacement carpet is marine grade and water resistant. Your carpet will be constantly submerged in water. To combat this, you’ll need a carpet that won’t retain water and one that will be able to hold up in these wet conditions. A quality marine grade carpet will be water resistant and will be designed to dry quickly, preventing mildew and mold. Select the Right Carpet Thickness Most of the carpet that I have seen out on the market is around ¼ inch thick. If you want, your carpet to last longer or need more protection many boaters will double wrap their bunks. This is not necessary in all situations but may be something to consider if you’re looking to give you bunks some more protection. I have had success just using a single layer of quality marine carpet and haven’t had any issues. Color This is perhaps one of the least important components of selecting the right marine carpet, but if you want things to match pay close attention to the color of carpet you are planning on ordering. I’ve made this mistake a few times when I thought I was ordering a dark gray but ended up getting black. Not a big deal, but something to keep in mind when selecting the right carpet. Installing Your New Carpet Once you have selected the right replacement carpet installing it is pretty straight forward. In another article we give you some step by step instructions on how to replace your bunks and boat carpet on any trailer. You can check out that article here: How to Replace your Bunks & Carpet - 8 Easy Steps, but here are some basic tools and supplies you will need to get started: Marine Carpet WoodCircular Saw Staple Gun Staples GlueUtility KnifePliers Tips After the Carpet is Installed Get Your Boat Sliding Off with Ease If you are having a hard time getting your boat to slide off the trailer, try rubbing your bunks with liquid Turtle Wax or spray it with liquid rollers/silicone spray. This will help your boat slide right of the trailer. Many boaters will do this a few times a season or will reapply when the boat is getting harder to load/unload. Just make sure the winch stays hooked up until you are at the bottom of the boat ramp and the stern is in the water. The last thing you want is the boat to come off when backing it in on a steep ramp. Add Trailer Bunk Slicks Another great way to ensure your boat gets on and off your trailer nice and smooth is installing some trailer bunk slicks. These slick pads bolt directly into your existing carpeted boat trailer bunks and can be a great addition to any trailer bunk. They reduce resistance as the boat easily glides on the bunks as they get wet. Just make sure to be careful when launching your rig, especially on steep boat ramps. Keep your boat hooked up until the bottom of the ramp to prevent any potential issues. Check for Wear and Tear I recommend periodically checking your trailer carpet on the regular. I’ve made the mistake of waiting too long and had to replace all of the wood and carpet on all of my bunks. Most replacement carpets will last anywhere from 2-10 years depending on the quality and the usage. Just make sure to check the condition of your carpet so that if something does need to be replaced you can catch it early. If you wait too long you can run into some big problems. Final Thoughts Making sure your bunks are covered with quality marine carpet will help you keep your boat properly protected. I would encourage you to periodically check your boat trailer’s carpet and check for any potential issues. If you do encounter some problems, be sure to get your bunk carpet replaced as soon as you start to see any problems. This will prevent you from having to replace the entire bunk and will help with future issues. Thanks for taking the time to check out this article. I hope you have found some value out of this information and that you check out our other articles here at Tilt Fishing.