Trailer Upgrades:

I have been wanting to do these upgrades for a while, just been busy as heck.

Anyway, yesterday afternoon, junior and I headed to the ramp.

We removed the rear bunks, removed the carpet, and installed Self Centering Bunk Covers from Tie Down. I had to purchase two boxes of the 2X4 model to cover the back bunks. I love 'em!!

We did the same on the front bunks, 1 box of the 2X6 model.

I replaced my worn out Fulton 1600 lb winch with this Sea Sence Dual Drive 2000 lb model.

I added a Boat Buckle (stainless) bow tie down to the front with the aid of a bunk bracket and a u-bolt.

I also added Boat Buckle (stainless) transom tie downs, bolted through the bunk.

We launched and loaded twice, man what a difference!!!! She slide right up with little effort, but to my surprise, she did not come off like a rocket, but slow and steady.

I re-adjusted the front bunks and we tweaked them in the parking lot with the aid of a bunk someone left laying around.

Man was it hot!!!

Ralph took her out today to a much steeper ramp and he said she slid back about a foot, then was easy to get off the trailer.

Al parts were available at Bass Pro for the best price.

Oh, and my el'cheapo backup lights, ($25 docking lights sealed by me) are still working great after 50 dunks.

Trailer Upgrades

I launch and load a LOT and these upgrades have helped make the job much easier.

My old winch had seen it's better days and I wanted a two speed to lessen the strain on me, I'm not getting any younger. I purchased the BPS 2500 pound two speed winch and man what a difference. I can easily pull her up the last foot or so with no problem.

This is the winch I chose:

I installed a Boat Buckle Stainless Steel Bow Tie Down on the tongue of the trailer, directly under the bow eye. I used a Large Vertical Bunk Bracket (5"x8") with a square u-bolt to provide a mounting surface for the tie down.

I had already replaced the carpet on my front bunks twice in four years and the carpet on the rear bunks was in need of it's first replacement. I did some research on various types of bunk "slicks" and decided to give Tie Down Engineering's Self Centering Bunk Glide-Ons a try. I like how they cover the top and sides of the bunks and come in either 2x4 or 2x6 sizes. I used the 2x6 model on the front bunks and the 2x4 on the rear. They were very easy to install. I measured my bunks and pre-cut the glide-ons at the house with my miter saw. We used two cordless drills, I drilled a pilot hole, and my son drove in the stainless screws provided with the kit.

I installed Boat Buckle Stainless Steel Transom Tie Downs on both rear bunks. I used the bolts supplied with the kit and added large stainless steel washers to keep the locking nut from pressing into the wood bunk. I used the existing hole that was made by the old eye bolt and drilled it out a little larger. I left the bolt loose enough so that the tie downs would set themselves at the proper angle when tightened up.

HOT SPOT gets parked in my garage. When I get home at night, or to the ramp early in the morning, seeing where I am backing is a problem with this long rig and to that a 4 door Super Duty! I found these Halogen Docking lights that looked to fit the bill. They can angles in almost any direction. There were no completely sealed, but me and some 3M 5200 took care of that in short order. Since my trailer has hydraulic surge brakes with the reverse disable solenoid, wiring was a snap. I ran a wire from one light to the other, then to the front of the boat and spliced into my reverse wire in my 5 wire harness. I waited until dark to adjust the angle. Needless to say, the world in now lit up in just the right places.

Ain't she purdy now?

One last item I wanted to do was adjust the front bunks. The is made sear by using a long 2x4 and a son with a ratchet. Place the 2x4 under the bunk and hold steady pressure while tightening the bolts.

She has been dunked and loaded over 100 times since this work was done and I am very pleased with the results. It is not only easier to launch and load, but faster as well.

Hope this article helps someone.

HOTSPOT