Downfalls to Custom Ski Guides.. PVC Nightmare

[akmotorider]

To all those considering a do-it-yourself ski guide: here is the result of an attempt to use PVC garage trim from Home Depot. I did this because no one will ship ski guides up here to AK for less than the cost of the guides themselves.

At first glance, the material looked promising. I coated the two 8' long pieces in a double coat of spray bed-liner to toughen it up and make it black. But after just one trip, loading and unloading one sled - one time - it is completely trashed.

What's worse, though, is how difficult it is to load the sled onto these. The PVC is just too soft. I figured the bedliner would make it hard enough, but no. The carbides cut into the trim like a knife through hot butter, sticking to it in the process. They also ripped out multiple screws on both sides.

$60 down the drain. I should've coughed up the big boy dough to begin with. Lesson learned.

 

[couch]

Just go find some old bedliners and rip into strips. Use a heat gun to flatten down the ends as needed ..

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[Big10inch]

I also used an old truck bedliner ripped down. Seems to be holding up very well. I do not run carbides, just hardweld runners. Carbides grab everything, rocks, stumps, trailers, unless you really need them to run icy trails, get rid of them...

 

[Coldfinger]

I too use strips of bedliner. 7’ long. The skis leave the bedliner and rest directly on the plywood. More secure when the tie down bars are tightened.

Prior to that I used 2ea pvc sch 40 pipes under each ski. The dia was just large enough to keep the carbides from touching the wood deck. I used wood screws to secure the pipe to the deck every few feet. Worked great if you dont mind the look and watching your step because they were more of a tripping hazard and were slippery too. Would allow the skis to slide easier than ever.

 

[akmotorider]

I too use strips of bedliner. 7’ long. The skis leave the bedliner and rest directly on the plywood. More secure when the tie down bars are tightened.

Prior to that I used 2ea pvc sch 40 pipes under each ski. The dia was just large enough to keep the carbides from touching the wood deck. I used wood screws to secure the pipe to the deck every few feet. Worked great if you dont mind the look and watching your step because they were more of a tripping hazard and were slippery too. Would allow the skis to slide easier than ever.

This is useful information. I hadn’t considering shortening the ski guides to allow for a more secure hold on the sled by the tie down bar. The only thing holding my 10.5 foot sled onto my 8 foot trailer is one superclamp on the skis. I could use that extra traction, especially with the slicker ski guides that I will be installing in place of the ones pictured.

Also, there must be different types of PVC, or different coatings, or something, because the PVC board I purchased was never slippery - even before the spray bedliner application.

 

[couch]

This is useful information. I hadn’t considering shortening the ski guides to allow for a more secure hold on the sled by the tie down bar. The only thing holding my 10.5 foot sled onto my 8 foot trailer is one superclamp on the skis. I could use that extra traction, especially with the slicker ski guides that I will be installing in place of the ones pictured.

Also, there must be different types of PVC, or different coatings, or something, because the PVC board I purchased was never slippery - even before the spray bedliner application.

We use a superclamp on the skis plus a short length of rope through the rails with one part keeping sled from going ahead and the other keeping it from sliding back as additional security ...running a short deck though so most of the skid is overhanging.

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[Coldfinger]

Just to be clear, the pvc pipe supported the ski on both sides of the wearbar so the only point of contact was plastic ski on pvc pipe. Very slippery. Sled would slide off tilt trailer effortlessly once the skis got on the pvc.

 

[OrangeKowJumper]

This is useful information. I hadn’t considering shortening the ski guides to allow for a more secure hold on the sled by the tie down bar. The only thing holding my 10.5 foot sled onto my 8 foot trailer is one superclamp on the skis. I could use that extra traction, especially with the slicker ski guides that I will be installing in place of the ones pictured.

Also, there must be different types of PVC, or different coatings, or something, because the PVC board I purchased was never slippery - even before the spray bedliner application.

Coldfinger is talking about using PVC pipe ..you're talking about a trim board. .right? ..totally different product. . ..and like already said. . just go find a truck bed liner that someone removed and has setting out back of the shop or garage and use a skill saw and cut it into strips of whatever width you need and you'll be a happy sledder...it's the cheapest, fastest, best ski guide money can buy .. .specially when it's free .. . . ..also look on craigslist or local swap pages on FB ..usually find one pretty quickly there ..

 

[volcano buster]

The spray in bedliner places usually have piles of them from guys that got tired of the slick liner and finally ponied up for a spray in job.

 

[arcticridr]

Have been using bedliner strips for 20 years I have some on an open trailer that are 15 years old and have hardly a scratch from carbides , I also line my 27' enclosed and spliced them together and also made corners so the sleds will railroad track to their proper spot as was said spray in bedliner places usually are happy to GIVE them away since most land fills and solid waste company's WONT take them with out charging a ton of money , free bullet proof ski glides !!

 

[volcano buster]

I cut a chunk out of the floor of an old bed liner to go in the bottom of my cross bed toolbox in my truck. It keeps the dirt and water off the items in the bottom of the box as I used to throw my dirty/wet work gear in for transport. Chainsaw oil now has a place to settle out without soaking into everything as well. Periodically I can gut the box, pop the bottom out and clean it real quick and reassemble.

 

[skidooboy]

vinyl lattice panels from home depot. you can coat the whole bottom of the trailer. got the tip from a fellow sledder in michigan. Ski

Veranda 4 ft. x 8 ft. Black Garden Vinyl Lattice 73004497 - The Home Depot

The 0.2 in. x 48 in. x 8 ft. Black Vinyl Classic Diamond Lattice features a vinyl construction that is both weather and impact resistant. It features a low-maintenance design that is easy to install and

www.homedepot.com

 

[turbolover]

vinyl lattice panels from home depot. you can coat the whole bottom of the trailer. got the tip from a fellow sledder in michigan. Ski

Veranda 4 ft. x 8 ft. Black Garden Vinyl Lattice 73004497 - The Home Depot

The 0.2 in. x 48 in. x 8 ft. Black Vinyl Classic Diamond Lattice features a vinyl construction that is both weather and impact resistant. It features a low-maintenance design that is easy to install and

www.homedepot.com

Not a bad idea. How well does it hold up?