Lowe FS175 Aft Flip-Up Seats

[Putzaroni1]

Hello,
A friend and I purchased a Lowe FM 169 fishing boat. It is a good boat but back in 2001 when they came out Lowe hadn't figured out the best way to do seating for 4 yet and it was WAY too cramped for adults to sit in the 4 provided seats. I was at Cabelas the other day and the grandson to my boat, the 2013 Lowe FS175 has an awesome arrangement with the rear seat sitting over the live-well and the rear storage area. If you are cruising, you have the seats setup normally, if you are fishing and want the pedestal seat you just flip the whole unit forward (it's on a hinge) and install the post seat and you're fishing.

Has anyone seen if you can purchase these or if there is anyone that has tried making one them self ?
If you have, please share any ideas. We took all the wood and old carpet out and wanted to replace it with Deck Vinyl but then got to thinking, what if we were to replace our current arrangement with a seating arrangement that can be converted.

Here is a link to the picture.
http://images.loweboats.com/images/categories/boat-gallery/original/boat-gallery_9228.jpg

Thanks for any ideas.
Pat

 

[redneckpunk]

Re: Lowe FS175 Aft Flip-Up Seats

Thats the first I've seen of those style. So if Im seeing correct, the back flips down and then the whole unit flips over creating a flat deck with an additional seat mount? I know when researching ideas for my current resto, I looked at my neighbors new Lund and it has rear seats that when the back is folded down it creates the flat deck. I was seriously considering building mine similar until I learned the hinge system alone was $125 each.

~RNP

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Lowe FS175 Aft Flip-Up Seats

Doesn't your boat have a splashwell? I would leave that intact....

Look at what people have done to their aluminum boats in the restoration section.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Lowe FS175 Aft Flip-Up Seats

That is an awesome design! I wanted to do flip up seats in mine when I was building it but there was certainly nothing pre-made available that I could find. I ended up just going with 2 jump seats and building a box with a pedestal base in the middle. Works for me but the Lowe design is neater. http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w200/ezmobee/New Boat/IMG_0487.jpg

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Lowe FS175 Aft Flip-Up Seats

if there is anyone that has tried making one them self ?
If you have, please share any ideas.

Hey Pat, here's what I built:

Full deck, fishing mode...

Flip up the seat, cruisin mode...

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Lowe FS175 Aft Flip-Up Seats

I have found that few people will sit in the rear seats by the motor; they pile in the front area instead, so it may not be the wisest use of limited space to install seating back there