Tips for DIY Wakeboard Tower Installation

Hey guys - I just bought a 2000 175SX Glastron and I am looking to put a simple tower on. I just found one that I like on the local classifieds for a great deal and hoping to get it installed this evening.

Any tips that you guys can offer as far as bracket placement, backing, other things I should be considering? It is a WakeAir Tower with speakers and racks.

Thanks for any advice or tips!
Erik

Re: Tips for DIY Wakeboard Tower Installation

This is a pic of the tower I am looking to install:

Re: Tips for DIY Wakeboard Tower Installation

There have been a few threads in this forum that have a ton of information on installing towers. I'd recommend spending some time looking through those so you can avoid some of the things that others have come across.

The main thing you want to be sure to do though is properly reinforce the mounts with backing plates on the inside of the boat. Even if the surface looks relatively flat, you should still do it. There is a lot of pressure on those areas, and it's easy to get gel coat cracks going. There are a number of different approaches and materials people have used to do this. In general, you want to get as big a piece of backing in there that you can. I used 1/2" plywood and put a marine epoxy between the plywood and fiberglass to fill any gaps, but I've heard of people using liquid nails or something similar which is a bit cheaper than epoxy. Just make sure you have everything lined up and square on the boat, and you should be fine. Good luck.

Re: Tips for DIY Wakeboard Tower Installation

Thanks Brick! This is great information... I'll let you know how everything goes. Looking forward to the project!

Re: Tips for DIY Wakeboard Tower Installation

I just finally got my factory installed tower back on my boat after it caused spider cracks. I blamed glastron for a **** poor installation job and sent them pics to make them pay for my gel coat to be fixed....

Here is what I had to deal with.... A nice protruding angle right above the holes...



Solution.... 3/4" plywood 4.5x8" bracket ( biggest I could fit through my access point), west system marine epoxy, 205 hardener, fibrous silica. Mix hardener and epoxy 5:1 ratio and add silica to make a peanutbutter consistency, apply 1/2" thick to plywood ( epoxy mixed like this will act as a bonding/ filler agent). Bolt bracket to boat till epoxy oozes from sides, don't tighten all the way down; that will be later. I didn't use my towers hardware to bolt the brackets, I bought bolts to get gummed up and sure enough they got ruined. I also used a lock washer and nylon lock nuts, overkill probably.... But I don't want them to come loose.



The metal bracket and rubber gasket were the only brackets behind my tower originally, not nearly enough. If I shake my tower now, the whole boat moves unlike before whereas I could see the gunnels flexing.

Re: Tips for DIY Wakeboard Tower Installation

Great info from ThreeMile! I installed my Aerial Assault tower on a Sea Ray 230 BR. I have a 3/8" thick fiberglass hull and backed it with 3/8" marine plywood, used Goop Supermend epoxy to fill the gap between flush and curve of hull. I will post some pics but it is rock solid and maybe moves 1/2" at the tow point.

Re: Tips for DIY Wakeboard Tower Installation

Thanks guys! This has been a huge help and I have a much better understanding of what to do now going into installing this thing. Hope to work on it a little here and there during the evenings and have it ready to take out this weekend and try the tower. I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks again!