here we go....

[Brine]

Yah...that's what I figured. Ideally, you want the transom of your boat close to the back of the trailer (like 6" or so) so your bunks will catch the bottom of the transom. Is it necessary??? No, but considering it was free, I'd either add 2-3 feet to the tongue, or sell it and use the money toward a different trailer.

 

[bandgeek1263]

Couldn't I just extend the bunks? I know its a little small, but hey, I think it'll do since it was free. I really want to make it work.

I know the bunks are supposed to extend to the transom, but how far toward the bow do they go?

 

[bandgeek1263]

Little progress with the boat due to golf and an addition to our friend's barn. But, still got something done. Cut the decks, and am now tackling the wire wheel mission. I know I did this out of order, but yeah....

 

[Rat]

You really need to extend the tongue of the trailer to get the transom on the bunks. If not you will introduce rocker into the bottom of the hull which will result in porpoising of the boat on plane. This condition is very unstable, robs performance and can cause an accident if severe enough. You want the bunks to extend to the transom or just past it (maybe a 1/2 inch or so) for good support. This ain't about how the boat looks on the trailer but avoiding potential damage to the hull bottom.

 

[bandgeek1263]

So extend the bunks to be flush with the transom. Because it's galvanized, would extending the tongue be more money? I'm just thinking about the welding. How far up does the boat have to be moved?

 

[Rat]

So extend the bunks to be flush with the transom. Because it's galvanized, would extending the tongue be more money? I'm just thinking about the welding. How far up does the boat have to be moved?

No, add enough tongue extension to get the transom close tot he rear of the trailer; don't just extend the bunks back. Galvanized doesn't matter when welding, just paint it all to match or just for protection; galvanized and non-galvanized will weld up together just fine. Take a look at some of the trailer builds on this site to get a good idea of what you need to do.

In the image below I added about three feet to the rear of my trailer as well as dding three feet to the tongue to get the hull to fit correctly. Where the bunks end is about where you want to be. The main thing is to have the weight on the transom, not the thin skinned hull bottom.

 

[bandgeek1263]

So, extend the tongue up about 3 feet. Then fix the bunks appropriately.

Thanks for the help

 

[Brine]

I'd go 4ft. It will be one less foot you have to back down the ramp to load/unload. The bow stop could use some more space between it and the hitch. If you don't have considerations such as storing in a garage for clearance issues, the longer the better in my opinion.

 

[bandgeek1263]

Then I will just do 6 feet then, because I do agree that I need more room between the post and the hitch. Plus, it'll be possible to open the tailgate of our truck. Sound good? Will the added length aggravate the tilting feature?

 

[bandgeek1263]

Just kidding haha

I'm gunna go 4 feet, I still want to be able to fit it into my garage.

 

[RaisedByWolves]

My friend's dad is a master welder so I might have him work his TIG magic rather than brazing.

Yeah, thats how I would go about it.


Get it welded and have him leave the weld "Proud" or above the surface, then work it to shape with a file until it looks like the original rail.