14ft Flat Bottom Jon Boat - Bunk Size?

[geeksterman]

What size bunks do you recommend for my trailer? Boat is 14ft Flat Bottom "Jon Boat"

 

[geeksterman]

The bunks currently on trailer is 6ft....is that ok???

 

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

It looks like you need a longer trailer.
The bunks need to support the transom and the tongue of trailer should weigh about 10% of the weight boat and trailer.

 

[Clint KY]

I just put new bunks on my trailer for my 1648 and made them 10 ft.
I made them as long as the flat part of my boat.

I topped them with vinyl fence posts ripped lengthwise and am VERY pleased with the result.

See my post labeled "Length of Bunks?" and my entry in the "Post a picture of your trailer" thread at the very top of the this forum. It is the last entry in the thread as of today.

 

[cwphoto]

geeksterman » 10 Jul 2014, 06:34[/url]"]The bunks currently on trailer is 6ft....is that ok???

It looks like you have a lightweight version of the 14' Jon, so I don't think you need to get crazy supporting it. I think 6 feet is perfectly adequate, even five would work. While it's probably a good idea to check your tongue weight, that really has more to do with the placement of the boat on the trailer relative to its length. I think it's important to extend your bunks all the way to the rear of the boat.

To put this another way, if you need to slide your boat off the trailer by say 2 feet to get the tongue weight to where it should be, then make sure your bunks extend 2 feet beyond the rear of the trailer as well. No surprise that the vast majority of the weight is at the rear, so I think that's the most important part to have supported properly.

On my 14' I also made a wider front keel support. Some people just use a piece of carpeted 2 x 4, and this will help give the boat some lateral rigidity at the front. Little tiny 3" rubber keel rollers on a flat bottom seem kind of silly to me.

Best,

Troy