Those with bunk trailers

I ordered a new alumacraft competitor 185 sport and got it with a bunk trailer based on the salesman’s recommendation. I have never had a bunk trailer before and now with the drought we are having and lower lake and river levels my question is. Have any of you had issues loading after being able to launch due to low water or if you can launch you can load? The lakes I fish have good ramps with docks but I’m worried about possibly having to go in so far and falling off the concrete ramp. My boat is still delayed so I may still be able to switch trailers.

Falling off a ramp would be a bad deal. For me not enough to ever get a roller trailer but thats just me. You can still crank a boat up a bunk trailer. Be sure to get the bunks wet as far as you can though.

Have a 20ft glass boat on bunk. Never had a shallow water issue that I could not handle.

I’ve got a 21′ glass boat. If I can get it off the trailer, getting it back on has not been an issue.

Dutchboy wrote:

Be sure to get the bunks wet as far as you can though.

This really helps the boat slide on a lot better and reduce the potential for the bunk carpet ripping too. Even if you don’t need to back in all the way, it’s a good idea to do it if you can and get boat bunk boards fully wet.

Never had an issue with mine. I would never go away from a bunk trailer after having one. Loading is so incredibly easy and I haven’t found a launch that I haven’t been able to get in and out of due to the bunks yet.

And as Dutch said, cranking up isn’t hard with them.

Thanks for the input. With never owning a bunk trailer I was a little nervous since I never power load now with my roller trailer. I’m sure there will be a learning curve but once I figure it out I think the bunks will work well.

Stanley wrote:

Thanks for the input. With never owning a bunk trailer I was a little nervous since I never power load now with my roller trailer. I’m sure there will be a learning curve but once I figure it out I think the bunks will work well.

I almost never power load. Just go in with a little momentum (not a lot) and it slides up, and then crank it the rest of the way. Super easy.

I have a bunk trailer and love it. You do have some limits unless you are willing to get wet or wear boots on very shallow landings. Northern Wisconsin has many lakes with VERY shallow landings. You would have to back in past your tow vehicles back wheels on many of them.

I have a 205 competitor sport and couldn’t get it off my Eagle tandem bunk trailer twice this year allready. Both times backing it in further only raised the rear of the trailer as it climbed out of the washout area. The competitors have a wide bottom and sit high on the trailer to clear the fenders. I was with some 21 ft glass boats that got launched but we couldnt get mine off due to how high it sits. It’s my biggest complaint about that hull design. Usually I can get the back to float but the front gets hung up. A trailer modification is on my to do list.

Never had one but what about two speed winches, make a big diffrence ?. Battery operated also cost ?

Gobbler wrote:

Never had one but what about two speed winches, make a big diffrence ?. Battery operated also cost ?

I have a 2 speed winch on mine. It was more a concession to age than anything else, but it makes cranking those last few inches much easier.

If a guy has enough strap on his winch you can always run it to the back of the trailer and back up to the bow and winch it off. I have muscled my Jon boat off without it touching water.

I have a 2-speed winch but it never comes out of low gear.
The FW drives the boat on within about a foot of the post, and I just crank the remaining.

I always wear rubber boots and have not had an issue with my 16 footer this year but watch the blow holes are really undermining the concrete. Drive slow or you may not have an axle left. I spray hair spray on my bunks every 2 weeks works wonders. Also helps with my long mop of hair

I haven’t had any issues with my warrior 2090. Deep sitting glass boat and have gotten in every access I’ve tried. One got low enough that I quit going to it because it got shallower out from the access for my deep hull, but I just started going to a different access.

Having owned glass boats with a roller trailer and now without, I’ll never get a roller trailer again. 10x easier to load and unload solo which I fish 80% of the time solo. Don’t back the trailer all the way in, get the trailer wheel wells almost completely submerged and power load her on! You’ll get it figured out quickly.

Another trick I’ve used when I know I’m going to be using a shallow launch is spraying silicone lubricant on the bunks. After getting the boat in the water, let the bunks dry some and spray. Let the silicone “dry” before use. You may need to apply several times a season depending on use. I use a whole average size can per application about once or twice per year

Don’t unhook your boat from the winch strap until it is backed in the water. It can and will slide off the trailer with very little effort.

@MikeV Any particular lube you use? Are you talking just a can of regular silcone lubricant spray or something designed for this purpose?

I’ve only not been able to launch one time, and that was with a buddies 20 foot Ranger on a small northern MN lake during a significant dry spell.

I have heard that bunk trailers were easier to load and better for support so that’s why I got one this time but like I said just nervous now with the lower water levels. I’m sure I will get a system down and I don’t fish by myself so I always have someone to help if need be.

I second the silicone spraying of the trailer bunks. I spray a whole can on dry bunks once a year. My current trailer holds the boat very well but my last trailer acted like a roller trailer after a fresh bunk spray – so be careful don’t unhook the strap until you are over the water. I think it make the carpet last longer, less stress/strain on the carpet. Use 100% silicon spray.

I’ve been reading a bit online, and some guys have reported issues with silicone sprays suspected with causing gel coat bubbling. I think I will go without.

Bunks were new to me a few years ago, its an adjustment but they work great-love my Z launch cord.

I use silicon spray, lasts real good about 8 launches or so. I spray it on whenever I remember, wet or dry, after or before putting trailer in water. I just use a fairly light coat back and forth.

Never any gel coat issues, if someone is claiming they did, they were going to get gel coat bubbling from the water on the bunks and bad gel coat anyway.

As mentioned it will slide off like a roller when first applied, but still the advantage of loading straight every time.

My next investment will be a Drotto since I fish by myself a lot.

I’m probably spoiled with good boat ramps where I usually fish but I’ve never wanted to use silicon spray on my bunks. I don’t want my boat to come off of my trailer like I have rollers.
I usually unhook the safety chain and strap before I’m backing the boat down the ramp (unless it’s an especially steep ramp and then I unhook just prior to the boat entering the water), back down the ramp until the boat floats and my wife backs the boat away all in seconds.
When we load, I back far enough in the water to submerge the bunks to get them wet and slippery, then pull out until the tops of the fenders are just out of the water. My wife then drives the boat on the trailer up to the bow roller, adjusts left or right if she has to, I hook the bow safety chain and the strap and up the ramp we go.

I just received my new Competitor 175 with bunk trailer. I love it. No problems at ramps. Stick with it.
My old boat (Phantom 170) had bunk trailer, too, and I never had issues with ramps due to low water.

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

@MikeV Any particular lube you use? Are you talking just a can of regular silcone lubricant spray or something designed for this purpose?

I just used whatever I found in the auto parts store. Regular silicone lubricant.

I have not noticed any gelcoat problems with my ranger.

Are they still making new boats with roller trailers? I can’t say I’ve seen a newer model in a while with rollers on the trailer.

Unhook the trailer from your vehicle and just launch the boat, trailer and all. It will slow you down quite a bit on the water, but then you won’t need to worry about the negatives of each type of trailer. You might want to replace the swivel wheel on the jack though with a pneumatic tire to make it easier to drive the boat up the ramp when your done.