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Diy tower install?
- Thread starter Rich Lynn
- Start date
ripler
Jetboaters Captain
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- Boat Make
- MasterCraft
- Year
- 2021
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- 20
I installed mine. To get access inside the hull I removed the seats in the area where the bolts will be and drilled a big hole in the area behind the seat and line it with some U channel. You will need to reinforce the hull with some marine plywood and fiberglass
Matches744
Active Member
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- 2004
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I installed mine also. Not to hard, I did make my own mounts so I could mount it where and how I wanted. My wife crawled into the tight spots to hold the wrench! I just used some regular 3/4" plywood for the front mounts been 3 years and no issues.
Speedling
Jetboaters Admiral
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- Year
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I installed my own and keep being unsatisfied with it. But that is my personality. If i do it it can always be better. Wasn't terribly hard but required 2 people.
sethman919
Jetboaters Lieutenant
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On my old rinker that I added the tower myself I used 3/4" king star board as reinforcement. I shaped it as close as i could with a table saw and belt sander. then stuck it to the inside with a bunch of 3M 5200. it was rock solid and will never rot.
Chillypilot
Jetboaters Captain
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I installed mine. Managed to find a stock tower. It's not difficult if your handy.
Speedling
Jetboaters Admiral
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I did about the same thing but what I found is that the bolt that goes through the whole end up pinching against the fiberglass and putting pressure on it sideways not laterally. This caused a couple small spider cracks that I didn't think would happen with the amount of reinforcing that I did
sethman919
Jetboaters Lieutenant
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Not sure what you mean here. Never had a problem with mine. No cracks at all.
Speedling
Jetboaters Admiral
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basically I am saying the fiberglass of the hull itself is just a little thin if it wasn't a factory tower. Even with my backing board and epoxy reinforcement I feel the hull has too much flex. When I took it apart a couple years ago to redo it and make it beefier (original kit that came with tower had marine plywood) the threads of the bolts had pushed into the fiberglass with forward/backwards motion that they kept an imprint of the threads. I have a couple spider cracks as well.
I have fun with short trips jumping waves however so we may be the type of user that shouldn't have a forward swept tower of our design. I really like the factory designs on the older 240's. They just look super stable.
I am sure that with a good backing and some extra epoxy and fiberglass anyone can install a tower, but the tower itself can eventually push forwards and back against the board and the hull fiberglass no matter the install method.
If I do it again, I will pre-drill a small hole for location, then layer a bunch of fiberglass, and then finish drilling the holes. This ensures that the bolt is through a LOT of fiberglass. I would be sure to make a good plate on the back anyways. Mine has that starboard/nylon board AND a stainless metal plate on top of that.
Like I said, I abuse a bit much, and I am the type that is never satisfied with his own work. Always could have done better.
