Trailer maintenance: Wood drift boat

[WAGS]

My 20 year old trailer (which appears to by a Baker Trailer same design but no name on it) is causing wear and tear on my wood drift boat bottom. The damage is being caused by the cross piece just in front of the roller. As we all know the boat rests on this cross piece when traveling. I do not have a UHMW shoe on my boat bottom any longer, chosing instead to use 20oz cloth and epoxy when i replace the floor in this boat a couple of years ago. Back to the cross piece....it was covered on the top and side with a rubber sheath (no jokes...). The rubber sheath has worn completely through in a couple of spots and the boat now is resting on the cross piece (metal) and is etching grooves in the epoxy bottom!

This rubber sheath was connected on either side with large pop rivets of some type. I always assumed that the sheath was tire material. But when I went to Les Schwabs today they told me that it was not tire material as it had a woven nylon cloth backing.

To all your wood drift boat owners (Metal/fiberglass too, what material is on your trailer's cross piece? Anyone know of or seen this rubber material? Anyone know where this material can be purchased?

Thanks all.

wags

[willierower]

The rubber stuff is most likley from a conveyer belt. Check around some mills or other manufacturing places they may have some old stuff laying around.

[Keta]

Or bolt some UHMW where the rubber was.

[WAGS]

willie rower. Excellent guess/suggestion. The Conveyor belt could be it. the manager at les schwab was confused with the backing to the rubber facing. as it was a nylon mesh similar to an old fire hose.

keta, i thought about the UHMW but i am worried that it is just as hard as the steel cross piece and it would continue to cause a groove to form.

thanks guys.

[Keta]

UHMW is softer than steel