Floor jack ,chain fall and strap.

How big a boat? alu or fg?

 

18' Aluminum

 

Are the current bunks lag bolted to the trailer from the underside or through bolted from the top with nuts on the underside? Either way it's doable, but far easier, with less lift height required, if they're lag bolted.

How big's the rig?

 

Are the current bunks lag bolted to the trailer from the underside or through bolted from the top with nuts on the underside? Either way it's doable, but far easier, with less lift height required, if they're lag bolted.

How big's the rig?

There are metal brackets holding the 2x6 carpeted bunks, with screws in the side of the bunks holding them in place.

18' Aluminum

Should be easy to slide in and out.

 

I replaced the bunk boards on my 18' Sylvan last spring with the boat on the trailer. Used a floor jack to lift it as needed and 4x6, 4x4 and 2x4 wood scraps to shim the boat to the trailer as needed while doing the work. It wasn't bad to do. Think ahead and try to have all the parts you need on hand before starting. I'd recommend replacing the fasteners if it's an older boat, or if they have corrosion on them.

 

I just did the this with my boat. I have a 16' aluminum with a 25 h.p. Yamaha so it's not all that heavy. I used a floor jack and a trailer jack and suspended it on jack stands and 2x4"s working on one side at time. It wasn't all that hard.

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My trailer has two bunks, one is broken and the boat is on the trailer. I plan to replace both bunks this week or weekend and was hoping to use a floor jack and jacks to lift the boat off the old bunks while I replace them.

The broken bunk has compressed to the point the metal bracket is gouging the bottom of my boat. I don't want to trailer the boat to a launch because any movement will create more scratches/gouging.

Have any of you done this? Any tips or tricks you'd like to share?

Thanks!

Thill, I just did it this weekend on my 17'er.
Crank trailer jack all the way down, put jack stands with blocks under the rear corners of transom. Crank trailer jack up until the boat lifts off the bunks at the rear of trailer about 1-2". Then take a floor jack and wooden block under the keel and jack up the bow until the boat is off of the bunks. ( you'll have to loosen the trailer winch before you do this). Worked like a charm.

 

Thill, I just did it this weekend on my 17'er.
Crank trailer jack all the way down, put jack stands with blocks under the rear corners of transom. Crank trailer jack up until the boat lifts off the bunks at the rear of trailer about 1-2". Then take a floor jack and wooden block under the keel and jack up the bow until the boat is off of the bunks. ( you'll have to loosen the trailer winch before you do this). Worked like a charm.

This is how you do it

 

My trailer has two bunks, one is broken and the boat is on the trailer. I plan to replace both bunks this week or weekend and was hoping to use a floor jack and jacks to lift the boat off the old bunks while I replace them.

The broken bunk has compressed to the point the metal bracket is gouging the bottom of my boat. I don't want to trailer the boat to a launch because any movement will create more scratches/gouging.

Have any of you done this? Any tips or tricks you'd like to share?

Won't be long. Wait till your local lake is open and launch the boat. Take 2 pre-drilled, carpeted bunks and bolts and R&R them after you launch the boat. Takes 10 minutes. I did this exact thing in early spring when boat traffic is zero.

 

Block up everything. Maybe even hitch it up and block up the tow vehicle too.

Don’t ask.

 

FBD, it seems you had a learning moment. But you did well trying to teach others.

Experience is what you get right after it is needed.

 

I too used a floor jack.

 

I used to lift my 14’ off the trailer and slide the trailer out to put the canoe on. Many times things that were not supposed to move moved.

Build roof rack extensions for the Jeep bought a canoe hoist. Back Jeep under canoe throw on roof rack adapters lower canoe ratchet strap say the obligatory “that’s not moving” and go.

There was also the incidents heading to FishPoint on ice when the trailer was punching mailboxes more than I liked and the time the canoe left the trailer on 96 by Portland.

 

I have done it twice with a floor jack, on two different trailers. That said, I hook the trailer tongue to the hitch on my truck so that nothing moves while using the jack

Lift one side replace the opposing bunk, the repeat for the other side.

Depending on your trailer it may have come with carpeted 2X4’s. I would recommend upgrading to a carpeted 2X6, make your own if you can’t find that size. I made my own with pressure treated 2X6’s.

The attachment hardware should work with the larger size bunks.

I have an 18ft Lund with a single axle trailer.

good luck.

Eric

 

Leave front attached to the trailer jack up the boat middle of the transom. Use the tie down opposite where you want to work and draw the boat to that bunk. Remove and replace the bunk then pull it down to the other side and do again.

 

Pressure treated can be hard on metal. I used cedar for my bunks. Drilled to holes over sized and made sure they were varnished as well then caulked them when I assembled every thing.

 

I converted my trailer from roller to bunks using donnage and a floor jack. Worked great!

 

I eliminated the carpet on my new bunks. Radiuses on the back of the bunks and routed all corners with roundover bit. Coated the wood with Fiberglass resin and put nylon bunk slides on top.

Most of the lakes I fish have really shallow launches and the slides make it much easier to launch and recover. Eliminating the carpet keeps everything cleaner and no longer acts like sandpaper on the bottom of the boat as I drive down the road.

 

Nobody has said it so I will, make sure to use stainless steel hardware when putting it all back together, anything else will rust over time.