Ar240 Tower 2015+

[newbote]

I searched but couldn't find it. How hard is it to fold the Tower and does anyone having any pics or videos? My boat comes in next week and never tried lowering the tower on the demo run. I am putting the boat in dry stack and hoping it's not too difficult to do.

 

[Mainah]

It may not be hard but it will still be a pain to have to do everytime. I would not want to have to do it with my LS and it is just a bit easier with tgat as I understand. I was able to find dry stack that accommodates towers and they store my trailer too. In fact I can even leave my bimini deployed. It did cost a bit extra for the tower capable dry stack slip over non-tower.

I will let ar240 owners chime on how folding is accomplished. I can tell you that it is a bear with one person on the LS because it is difficult to take the weight off to pull the second pin with just one person. Hopefully the ar240 tower is lighter and easier to manage with being more vertical.

 

[ThatJeepGuy]

I find it not difficult at all. Granted I've only had the boat 10 days, I've raised and lowered the tower probably 6 times. 1 man job. Just 2 knobs to loosen/tighten.

 

[greg]

It is a quick 2 min process. Turn 2 knobs and lower. It is not too heavy.

 

[rsg1963]

You generally need two people but only because the top of the tower is too far from the two knobs you need to unscrew. The weight is nothing a typical smaller person can't handle so even a child (albeit a tall one) can help. Now add two Wetsounds Rev 10's (or any tower speakers really) on there and whoa, better get a full sized adult to help lower it.

 

[Hellacool]

It is easy but it is not intended to be transported while it is down. There is no means to secure it, if the boat bounces the tower can bounce. Not sure what damage it could cause. I have a 2016 AR240 but I think the tower is the same. Easy to put down though.

 

[subysti]

I do it by myself all the time and I have 8" tower speakers. I just lean in to the back of it while I unscrew the knobs. It's balanced well enough that just having your shoulder weight in to it will hold it up. Then I just slowly lower it down.

 

[greg]

You can transport with tower down if you use the factory brackets if you have too. They should be somewhere in the boat. Two big aluminium L brackets with a bolt in them.

 

[Hellacool]

You can transport with tower down if you use the factory brackets if you have too. They should be somewhere in the boat. Two big aluminium L brackets with a bolt in them.

I never got those. Guess they kept them.

 

[greg]

They were under the rear seat for me in the back. They may have took them during boat prep

 

[rsg1963]

I do it by myself all the time and I have 8" tower speakers. I just lean in to the back of it while I unscrew the knobs. It's balanced well enough that just having your shoulder weight in to it will hold it up. Then I just slowly lower it down.

Holy cow @subyski! I'm a 245 pounder (love me some cheeseburgers) and there is absolutely no way I can lower mine without an adult to do the knobs while I lower the bar. Each speaker alone is 22.8 pounds, all on the top leading edge. I wish I could shoulder-lean-hold the side of the tower while unscrewing the final knob. That would be lovely.

 

[Chester]

Sorry...old thread, but does anyone have pics of the l-bracket installed? Thanks

 

[2kwik4u]

Sorry...old thread, but does anyone have pics of the l-bracket installed? Thanks

Here is my boat as we were looking at it for the first time ever. Hadn't been setup by the dealer yet and still had the brackets in place from shipment. Might have to zoom in to see them.

 

[Chester]

I gotta imagine the AR240 is similar. I think the boat behind yours is a 24ft...but the brackets got cut off in the picture.

Thanks

 

[2kwik4u]

I gotta imagine the AR240 is similar. I think the boat behind yours is a 24ft...but the brackets got cut off in the picture.

Thanks

Same attachment method. 99% certain it's the same bracket. Unsure if it's the same tower or not though. I remember looking at it pretty closely when we took it off. Piece of aluminum bar with a welded piece of aluminum rod. Hole in the bar for a thru bolt into the tower base, and a tapped hole in the rod for the tower hand screw. Very simple/easy piece to make, only variable really is the angle on the end of the rod to get the tower to the correct height. Good fabricator could make those in an hour or less I'm sure.

Boat in the background was a 24ft, not sure if it was an AR or Limited S. I went through the other pictures around this one in the album and didn't have any more of the towers.

 

[swatski]

Sorry...old thread, but does anyone have pics of the l-bracket installed? Thanks

What @2kwik4u said, that's the same bracket. I looked for mine but cannot find those. Definitely tow with the tower raised. Check those wheel handle bolts all the time! Those can vibrate loose (not good).
The boat int the picture background looks like an LS with raised tower base.

--

 

[J-RAD]

It's heavy with 4 JL 7.7 speakers it's heavy, but I can get it up and down myself. I have to put it down and up to clear the corner eave of my house.

 

[Shookie]

You can transport with tower down if you use the factory brackets if you have too. They should be somewhere in the boat. Two big aluminium L brackets with a bolt in them.

I have 2 metal brackets in the cooler storage and I had no idea what they were for.... learn something on here everytime I login.

 

[Chester]

I have the brackets too...they handed them to me at delivery but when I looked at them I had no clue how they were installed. After looking at the picture I get it. This forum is very useful indeed.

 

[2kwik4u]

It's heavy with 4 JL 7.7 speakers it's heavy, but I can get it up and down myself. I have to put it down and up to clear the corner eave of my house.

I was surprised how much "heavier" the tower on my 190 felt after adding the sound bar. It still a somewhat easy one man job, but the 38lbs added a significant heft to the tower.