I bought a 2015 TI that the original owner kept on carpeted wood bunks (4 separate bunks for the main hull and 2 bunks for the AMAs) that came from the dealership he bought the kayak from. I noticed slight hull deformation and after doing some research found that PVC bunks were popular.
I made my own but they only lasted a season and the stress from loading is causing them to crack. My first reaction is to buy some new PVC pipes and cut them a little shorter on the back end so they don’t bend as much. I’ve also been trying to figure out how to mount my roller further back to prevent the PVC from bending too much.
I’m curious if others also use a similar set up and what they think about it.
Second choice would be to just pony up for the hobie cradles. My issue is cost and I have the hobie beach wheels with one cradle and it’s pretty flimsy and prone to breaking.
SpeedyStein:
Sweet trailer setup!
Just a thought - could you put a 2x4 under the PVC to stiffen it from the bottom? Would still get the compliant part of the PVC, but supported in a way that it won't break.
Also, love that your trailer has Unistrut. Such an under-rated project material!
Mr. X:
Maybe you can use a bigger PVC pipe? Looks your PVC the diameter is too small.
And from my experience, 4 saddles can support your TI well, you can see my 4 saddles how to support my TI
NowhereMan:
No TI, but I’ve got a couple of AIs and 3 trailers. I’ve got Hobie bunks on one trailer, and PVC bunks on another (the third trailer is under construction). I prefer the PVC bunks as I believe that they provide better support, and the newer Hobie bunks are prone to cracking. I’ve never had the PVC crack. I use 2” gray PVC (electric conduit), as it is more UV resistant. You can see a bit of it in the pictures here: