PVC bunks

I know this has been asked but searching on my phone is a bit of a pain. Going to pick up pvc today and I'm thinking 1 1/2" is what I need to get, if my old memory serves me correctly. Is that correct? Need to get my trailer done this week, my TI will be here next week.

Also going to get 4-6" for the mast. What size should that be?

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Chris


2015 Tandem Island-ivory dune

Chris, I just lay my mast along the deck, securing it with bungees as required. For short local sails, I don't bother with its black cover, only using it on long trips. Has worked fine for nearly three years now. I hose down everything back at the ramp (before lowering the mast), and then before pushing the trailer back in the garage, I loosen all bungees. Hope this helps.

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Tony Stott
2012 Tandem Island "SIC EM" with Hobie spinnaker

The drum will not fit in 4". If you can get 5" in your area that will work. I could not find that size so I used a 4" to 6" coupler and a small piece of 6" on the end to hold the drum.

I've just been strapping my mast/sail down to the boat. I like the PVC idea though!

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2015 Hobie Tandem Island Hibiscus
"Third Normal Form"

• Trampolines
• Hobie cover
• Davis Spar Fly
• Kayakbob's Sprayskirts
• Spine Board Hakas

What size pvc for the bunks?

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Chris


2015 Tandem Island-ivory dune

2" works pretty good. I used the grey PVC conduit.

This is the first set up that I moved to a different trailer.

[url][URL=http://s1165.photobucket.com/user/Drewyaker/media/015.jpg.html][/url][/url]

I'm using 1 1/2" for the bunks and 6" for the mast carrier.
Northern Tool sells an aluminum door and endcap for 6" .

Electrical conduit in pvc is the same size as white water pipe but is grey and has some sunlight protection built in.
I put some 303 Aerospace protectant on my bunks and can push the boat across them with one hand.

If you plan to use more than 10' that will be in contact with the hull I would advise just butting the ends together after cutting the flared couplings off.
The coupling on 1 1/2" is thick enough to raise the boat off of the bunks for quite a distance. I was worried that it would eventually put a dent in the hull.

Chris

I can buy 20' lengths of the white at Lowes. I can only find 10' in the grey.

Chris, what is 303 aerospace protectant. Was thinking of putting on a coat of auto wax.

Wonder if the 1 1/2 or 2" is better?

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Chris


2015 Tandem Island-ivory dune

Its a sun screen that goes on like Armorall.
http://www.detailersdomain.com/303-Aero ... p_283.html

I used 1 1/2 because it seemed to provide good contact with the hull. My bunks are supported every couple of feet by an elaborate adjustable hardware system.
You might want to go with 2" or larger if you will not have a lot of support points for the PVC.
I have seen people use sizes greater than 2".
Chris

I used 2" gray conduit, 10 feet long, and have it supported with three crossbars.

The "flat" part of the TI hull that would sit on the PVC isn't much more than 10 feet anyway - maybe 12 feet? Outside that area the hull tapers up or the scuppers go away entirely. I have a V-shaped roller under the bow toward the front of the forward hatch, plus a smaller roller (actually supposed to be the bow stop) under the bow right at the end.

I might just pick it up with my big trailer and figure everything out when I get it home. Sounds like it isn't flat and level on the bottom. Problem is with my trailer at over 20' total length, the entire boat will fit on it so if I use only 10' at the back, I'll have 8.5' up front without support, if I don't know how high to put a support.

Chris, can you post pics of how you have yours supported?

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Chris


2015 Tandem Island-ivory dune

If you search "pvc bunks" you will see many pictures of my trailer.

I carried the pvc to the bow stop in three separate sections to account for the change in shape of the hull bottom.
The last section at the bow stop is about 4' long and I just modified it to have the two pieces of pvc come together at the stop then they flare outward from there. They are also higher at the bow.
For me it was simpler to use the same hardware throughout because I made extra parts and I think it provides better support than just a roller.

I know it's a pain trying to build a trailer for a boat you don't have as I did but you might save yourself some work if you just pick the boat up then work out the pvc. You could always ty-wrap a couple of pvc bunks on a simple 2x4 frame on cheap harbor freight caster carts to set the boat on while you work on the trailer.

Chris

3 inch pvc is standard what everybody uses. doesn't bend and supports kayak.

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2015 Revolution 13
2015 Outback
2014 ProAngler 14
2012 Sport
Oregon certified Fishing Guide

Actually, you are the only person who has suggested pvc pipes larger than 2 inches in diameter. Just sayin

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Tony Stott
2012 Tandem Island "SIC EM" with Hobie spinnaker