Help need on a bunks on a 250 explorer

[hooker67]

I have just purchase a 250 explorer down in Australia and I'm a bit conserved with the bunk set up on the boat. I do a lot of long trips on the road fishing so want the boat well supported and set up right and as this is the first bunk trailer I have owned as the rest have been all rollers. The boat was nervier used on the trailer as it sat in dry dock from the time it was imported but the trailer was imported with the boat just never used.
The timber on the trailer is not well supported and the angle it is cut at only allows the boat siting 1/3 of it. We work in millimetres over here so the timber is 90mm wide at the top but dew to the angel it is cut at only sits on about 20mm not giving much support.
My plans are to replace the timber As timber is not a problem as dad has a timber mill with deeper timber that sits down to the cross braces and cut on an angle that suits the hull soot better supported.
I need to know if that will be enough support as they are only half the length of the boat and if there should be another set of bunks closer to the centre of the boat and if there should be support on the keel.
Will get better photos soon but this is what I have for now. Any help would be appreciated.

[RickK]

Hi Hooker,
The width of the timbers seems to be the norm -3.5"W  and are usually around 8"D.  If you look at the side view of your boat the front end of the bunk ends just about where your hull starts it's upward curve. So making it any longer won't do anything to support the hull.  The bunks should be placed directly under your stringers, so about midway from chine to keel.  You should have a thru-hull raw water pickup somewhere around your keel maybe a foot away (304mm) from the keel, mine is on the starboard side. So that might prevent you from adding another set of mini bunks toward the center.
As for the front of the keel, there should be a "V" support that barely adds support to the hull - most of the support is from the bunks.  The "V" support is usually 2 feet or so ahead of the end of the bunks.  You can see mine in this pic


Hope this helps.

[Woodeneye]

Most of the weight should be on the keel rollers anyway shouldn't it?

[RickK]

I have two rollers on the trailer near the front and there is little to no weight on them.  The "V" support at the keel has very little on it also.  The bunks take all the weight.  There are not rollers along the keel anywhere else except at the front.

[hooker67]

Thanks  Rick I did a bit more research and there seams to be a lot of trailers set up the same as mine.
So I think it will ok. But I still think I will replace the bunks with thicker and new ones as it will cost me next to nothing. I was all so thinking of coating them with resin to protect them than carpeting. What do you think ????
Will also check out the stringer location to make sure they are directly under the bunks for the support.
Thanks again for your help.

[Capt. Bob]

I was all so thinking of coating them with resin to protect them than carpeting. What do you think ????

Most bunks I've experienced are composed of cypress wood. Due to its nature, cypress does not need treatment to protect it from moisture. The carpet therefore isn't used for protection of the bunk but rather the hull surface. You will want something between the wood and the gelcoat finish and used as a sacrificial material. Carpet is the industry standard and is easily replaceable as it wears away.

Good luck.

[RickK]

I think the I-beams will dictate how wide/thick you can make the bunks.