Logo

Juat added side bunks and they are causing the trailer frame is deflect, anyone dealt with this?

hotrod53

Contributing Member
I have a Tee Nee trailer for my 16' Sylvan, it has always been a pain to get loaded, especially if it is windy or wavy. I recently added a set of Overton side bunks and they seem to be a decent product. Unfortunately, the bunks make the trailer frame deflect. I haven't launched since I installed these, but I'm hoping it won't bend my frame. My frame is U channel and not rectangular tube, maybe is should be called Cheapie instead of Tee Nee...LOL

I mounted them as close to the axle as possible so that I could take as much advantage of the cross brace as possible, but they still deflect. I was thinking of buying some 1" or so galvanized black iron pipe and sliding it up inside the bottom of the bunk's square tube and making it long enough to span the trailer and up inside the opposite bunk arm. I'm thinking that this would transfer the torque into the black iron pipe instead of the trailer frame. What do you think?
 
UPDATE: I looked at black iron pipe, a 1.25" black iron pipe will fit inside of the square tube uprights, but of course some day soon it will look like a rust ball and the pipe was $22. I happened across a square wolmanized ballaster ($2.97), probably called a 2 x 2 but its finished size is EXACTLY the inside diameter of the square tubes. I cut it to length and slid it in the tubes, the strength is increased dramatically with NO frame twist! I may have just solved my problem. It does exactly what I had hoped, transfers the downward torque into the now wooden cross brace and the frame holds true. The downward torque is now upward torque in the center of the wood. As long as the wood doesn't get all warpy and twisty, this may just work!
 
Last edited:
If memory serves me correctly, you have to use special "coated" or stainless screws when working with treated lumber because the treatment is corrosive. You could have a problem with with the tubes corroding from the inside now. Just a warning.
 
Back
Top