Hull repair needed

[Searay]

I just noticed on the 96 SN I just bought that there is a chip out of the hull right behind the wheel well on the trailer. About the size of a nickel or dime. Looks like maybe the trailer was in the water too deep and possibly the boat hung up on the top edge of the fender before dropping into the bunks when it was pulled out. Is this a do it yourself repair? It seems to be in a bad spot right on the corner of the hull. Any suggestions?

Also, an area of one of the trailer steps is quite soft. I could never understand all the carpeting as it holds in so much moisture. Bad for the wood and the trailer metal eventually. Anyone replaced theirs? I'm thinking painted plywood with non-skid paint or strips. Also, sand and repaint the surface rust areas that are starting to come through near the steps.

[NautiqueJeff]

A fairly common modification for the Ram-Lin trailers is to remove the wood and carpet and replace it with black diamondplate. I haven't done it yet, but that seems to be a good solution. The wood holds too much moisture, as you point out, and over time the trailer will rust. The trailer I used for my '94 was beginning to show signs of this.

Results are kind of like this, but different...

http://www.metalwax.com/Images/fender3.jpg

You might also consider using some type of grate-like flooring to replace the wood. I think that's the direction I'm going to go with mine.

[skitime]

searay, I have the same problem with the wood on my trailer. Will probably paint plywood and then re-cover with carpet, I have done this with other trailers and it seems to hold up well. I don't want to add any more metal to my trailer unless it's aluminum (will pit and dis-color) or stainless ($$ and heavy)...good luck with your '96 SN

[tryan]

a quick/cheap fix to the hull would be to use marine tex. i would let it dry out all winter and put some gel coat on it and sand it down next spring.

donald at minicraft.com or interlux will give you some pointers.

glass fibers suck up water and will cause the gelcoat to blister over time. fix it.

anybody used any sheet pvc to do the trailer sides under the carpet? cheap, light weight and won't rot?