Trailer Bunk Carpet Alternative – 5 Best Choices, Their Pros & Cons

Trailer bunk carpets are prone to splitting and cracking over time and must be replaced; otherwise, they would dent your boat. Unfortunately, some carpets wear faster than others, which is where carpet trailer bunk alternatives come in. But what are they?

Well, trailer bunk carpet alternative options are built to offer more durable performance than their carpet counterparts. They also make launching easier thanks to their slippery nature compared to bunk carpets. These alternatives are available in many styles, including glides, slicks, wraps, and covers.

So why choose carpet trailer bunk alternatives? And do these alternatives have any drawbacks? Keep reading to find out this and much more.

Best Carpet Trailer Bunk Alternatives Comparison Chart

Below, we will look at the different bunk carpet alternatives available, including their pros and cons.

Type of Carpet Trailer Bunk AlternativeProsCons
Bunk slicksUV resistant. Don’t retain grit, sand, and water. Resistant to cracking and splitting. Best for aluminum and fiberglass boat hulls. Naturally slippery.Not suitable for aluminum hulls with painted bottoms. May damage cumbersome fiberglass boats.
Bunk slides/glidesResistant to salt, sun, water, and other weather elements. Come with backends to protect the bunk edges from tear. Easy to install over carpet bunks or bare wood. No lubrication is needed.Don’t work with aluminum boats having painted bottoms. Most store-bought slides are thin, and the screws may gouge the hull.
Bunk wrapsA permanent solution, unlike carpet bunks. Resistant to fading, chipping, and cracking. Built-in grooves for ease of cleaning. Easy to install on bare wood or over worn-out bunk carpet.  Not recommended for use with fiberglass or painted aluminum hulls. May scuff boats with gel coats.
Gatorbak synthetic bunk coversBest for hulls of all sizes and types. Dry faster and stay cleaner than trailer bunk carpet. UV resistant. Don’t trap debris or water.A little expensive but worth every penny.
Plastic trailer bunksWeather resistant. Slippery for ease of boat launching and retrieval. Ideal for small and large-sized boats. Less likely to split or crack like carpet bunks.Not suitable for use with fiberglass boats with gel coating.

What Are The Best Trailer Bunk Carpet Alternative Options?

Tired of replacing your trailer bunk carpet every now and then? Nothing to worry about because there are many carpet trailer bunk alternatives available to choose from. These alternatives are not only affordable but also durable and include the following:

Trailer bunk slicks

Bunk slicks are made of premium polypropylene materials to ensure long-lasting durability. Thanks to their plastic construction, the slicks are UV and weather-resistant.

Unlike trailer bunk carpets, trailer bunk slicks don’t retain grit, water, or salt. Also, they are not prone to splitting or cracking like carpet bunks. In addition, they don’t require lubrication thanks to their naturally slippery properties.

Likewise, the best part about slicks is that you can easily install them directly onto bare-bunk or carpeted trailers. However, they work best with aluminum boat hulls and jet Ski, helping reduce friction between the trailer and your boat.

Custom bunk slides/glides

Similar to bunk slicks, trailer bunk glides or slides are built to make launching and retrieving your boat a breeze. The glides are constructed from sheets of Starboard or marine-grade polymer material to reduce friction. You can also build the glides using PVC boards.

What’s more? You can install this carpet alternative for your trailer bunk over the worn-out carpet or directly on wood bunks. The slides also come with BunkEnders to protect the bunk edges from wear.

In addition, you can use trailer bunk slides if you have metal, fiberglass, or unpainted aluminum boats. Despite this feature, it would be best if you did not use these slides with aluminum boats featuring painted bottoms.

Plastic trailer bunks

Plastic trailer bunks are made from polypropylene materials, making them UV and weather-resistant. The slippery material makes this carpet naturally slick for quick and easy launch for trailer bunks.

Moreover, the best part about plastic trailer bunks is their bend design. This feature lets you quickly put your boat back onto the trailer, even in shallow waters.

Unlike carpet trailer bunks, plastic trailer bunks offer a better resting surface for aluminum hulls during transit. Simply, the plastic bunks don’t create any resistance when launching aluminum boats like with carpet bunks.

Gatorbak synthetic bunk covers

Synthetic bunk covers are another excellent replacement for trailer bunk carpets. This is because you can use these covers with all types and sizes of hulls since they come in various widths and lengths.

Even better, the covers feature a deep rib design to ease rinsing debris and water away. And as the name suggests, the covers are constructed from UV-resistant and anti-microbial synthetic materials for superior durability.

These unique materials also ensure the covers don’t trap water, reducing the spread of creeping species. In other words, these covers offer the same benefits carpet bunk trailers provide. But of course, without the problems the bunk carpet creates.

Bunk wraps

Bunk wraps are a permanent solution for worn-out carpeted trailer bunks. So, you can install it directly over your old carpet or bare wood.

On the flip side, you cannot use these wraps on painted aluminum, fiberglass, or gel-coat hulls. The wraps could damage your hulls. You can only use the bunk wraps with unpainted aluminum boats, boat lifts, and pontoons.

Additionally, the wraps are constructed from durable and high-impact plastic that will not fade, crack, or chip for life. They also feature grooves for ease of removing debris, sand, and salt that could scratch your boat hull.

How Do You Make Trailer Bunk Glides At Home?

While you could buy ready-made bunk glides, you could also make custom ones at home and save money. The process is easy, and here is how to go about it:

Step 1: Get the suitable materials

Before you start anything, you should buy PVC trim boards at least 18-inches long and stainless steel mounting screws.

Step 2: Cut the PVC board

Depending on the length of your trailer bunks, cut the PVC trim to size using a hacksaw. You will need two pieces. Next, cut a small angle on the front end of each piece.

Step 3: Sanding the cuts

After that, sand the ends of both PVC pieces to remove any sharp edges that could dent your boat hull. As for the rear ends, you should file them into a rear rounded bullnose or convex shape.

Step 4: Drill the screw holes

Next up, mark where you want the screw holes to appear using a marker or pencil. Then, get a countersink and drill the holes, ensuring to leave more than 1/4-inch of PVC right above the screw heads. Lastly, mount the glides on your trailer bunks using stainless crews.

Why Use Carpet Trailer Bunk Alternatives?

Clearly, there are so many benefits of using carpet trailer bunk alternatives. These include:

Reduced friction

The first reason is that carpet trailer bunk alternatives minimize friction between the trailer and the boat for aluminum hulls. This allows your boat to slide on and off with minimal effort. So, you don’t need to use a lubricant.

Minimized spread of encroaching bugs

Another benefit of carpet trailer bunk alternatives is that they don’t allow pests to stick on the surface like bunk carpets. This helps minimize their spread to clean waterways.

Resistant to corrosion

Additionally, some carpet-covered trailer bunks may cause corrosion to the hull of your aluminum boat. Chemicals may easily leach through the carpet, which is not the case with bunk slicks, slides, and wraps.

No splitting or rotting

Unlike carpet trailer bunks, alternatives like bunk wraps, slicks, and glides are not prone to cracking, splitting, or rotting over time. This helps ensure long-lasting durability.

Easy to install

The best part about these alternatives is their ease of assembly. This is because you can install them over the existing carpet or on bare wood.

Any Drawbacks of Carpet Trailer Bunk Alternatives?

While bunk carpet alternatives offer many benefits, they have some downsides. However, the main drawback of these alternatives is that you cannot use them with boats featuring painted aluminum hulls. They could damage the paint.

Besides, some carpet trailer bunk alternatives, like the bunk wraps, don’t work with fiberglass or gel-coat boat hulls. This is because they don’t provide a gentler launch like carpet bunks.

Key Takeaways

Whether on a budget or not, you will come across many trailer bunk carpet alternative options on the market. The best part about these alternatives is you can install them over the bunk carpet.

However, while carpet trailer bunk alternatives offer many benefits, you should know they have some downsides. Nevertheless, the good news is that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.

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