Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

[ford 250]

New, I have pic's of what I did. But have no clue on how to post to this thread. What I did was construct a PVC frame that fits inside the boat, and it comes up around the tubes to form a flat area to mount the bimini top. Can also mount boat license to the frame. Will try to attach pic's in future, my top will be here Wed this week. It's a 4 bow 8ft long top, found on EBAY for 130.00

 

[ford 250]

New, E-Mail me @ wallace9725@yahoo, I can attach pic's from there.....

 

[Rakumi]

So because of financial issues, I had to patch my excursion once again (which I found the hole) and it worked out. So I hope it holds up until next summer because it is all I can do for now. Had a nice light ride without my floor near the docks (to see the patch would hold up) and it was pretty fun. I love being on the water. Happy boating.

 

[shadow_cruiser]

Has anyone used or saw someone using these dollies for their mariner 4 http://www.t-motorsports.com/deluxe...y-trailer-tote-trolley-transport-cart-wheels/. I have only found pictures of kayaks with them. I cannot store a full size trailer dolly nor do I want to make one from PVC. Any info would be great

 

[AnaKinG]

These work pretty well as long as you don't put too much weight on it. Just the boat and light gears (life jacket / inflatable seats, etc) will be fine. Any extra weight, just throw them onto the boat near or at the dock.

 

[sadarahu]

any idea why I cannot see the video - it says "the video is private" ?
Art

 

[intexbros]

I'm afraid my entire boat is ruined. I tried o-rings and plumber's tape around the threads, but air is still getting through the small marks in the boston valve (picture still here, for reference: http://images2.snapfish.com/2323232...66=ot>2437=<84=52:=XROQDF>2;6;8:2<44245ot1lsi). After purchasing a trolling motor, marine batter, and fish finder to go with my Mariner 4, I'm at a complete loss. If anyone has any other suggestions, I'd welcome them gladly.

 

[Big Sur]

Well. I just realized how worthless the seats in my Mariner 4 are, just like everyone else that owns one of these rafts. Otherwise I'm very pleased. Does anyone know where I could get a frame, with longer oars? I searched the internet for frames, and couldn't find anything. W/O a tube bender I wouldn't know how to make one.

​So, I noticed a lot of posts about replacing the floor and was wondering why make it a four part floor when the middle two sections could be one piece, and wire hinge could be used to attach the ends. It sure seems like a lot of work to make an unnecessary joint. Am I missing something here?

I'm not going to start my project for a few weeks, so If I'm all wet, and there is a good reason, please let me know.

I'm thinking of making two cabinets level with the top of the raft, and mounting a swivel and seat on each. I considered buying an adjustable pedestal, but figured once I got it at the right height, I'd never change it, so why not build a wooden cabinet at the right height, and buy just $7 swivel, and save some money. Can any of you see why I would need a height adjustment? I live in Montana, and plane to use it to float the local rivers. The girls just love it, and I love to see them in their bikinis too! I might use it for fishing, but right know I'm fishing for something better!

 

[ford 250]

Hello again all, I got the Bimini top for my Mariner 4. It's all mounted up and ready to go. If someone could tell me how to post pictures to this site, I would be happy to do so. .......

 

[Slayer33]

Hey everyone, my first post here!

Here's a little background on my boating/fishing adventures. I just entered my "late 30s" but last year was my first year fishing since my childhood. I had a blast, it was almost all shore fishing with the exception of 1 trip out of a float tube, and I loved it! Needless to say, I got a Outcast Super Fat Cat float tube for Christmas and have used it 4 times so far this year. My one friend who I fish a lot with didn't want to get into a float tube, he can't swim and is slightly scared of the open water. We fish strictly lakes around here.

So, being the good friend I am, I picked up a used Intex Seahawk II (pre-2008 model w/o motor mounts) for really cheap. We have taken it out about 6 times now, and have had a great time on it... until last weekend when we got caught up in some windy conditions and spend hours paddling back to the dock

With that experience, I went out and picked up a new Minn Kota Endura Max 55# trolling motor and deep cycle battery. I was going to attempt to custom make a mount for it for the mountless Seahawk II but I was having a hard time trusting any design I could come up with while keeping it relatively cost effective. My background is a mechanical designer with military equipment and now I am an electrical designer in the oil and energy industry, so I had some good ideas.

For some reason, its hard to get your hands on a Mariner 4 in Canada. (where I'm from). But last night I finally saw one on Amazon.ca and pulled the trigger instantly. I knew this was the best option since I would get a little more space, and most importantly have the mounting locations on the craft so I can just pick up a mount!

So I am about to start my modifications, I picked up a couple of 13" seat pedestals on clearance last night and will look at making a solid floor.

I am looking for some input from you guys as to which transom mount I should pick up, I found one locally at for $50, it is a universal one, looks like stainless tubes and a wood back plate. OR should I get the new composite one from Intex? The cheapest I can get it up here is for $60 from eBay.

Can you guys chime in with some advice on which to get?

I'm going to scour this thread today to see what other good ideas I can do to mod my new Mariner 4! Should have it by next week! YAY!

 

[flukesofnature]

Big Sur
Keep in mind portability, set up and tear down..after 10 hours of fishing etc. The cabinet idea might be better served as just building a seat that sits on the tubes, full width of the Mariner for full support, and it keeps the seats from moving backwards and forwards( or you can add small eye bolts to the floor, and use bungi cords ) the seat ,if good plywood is used..5/8...possibly wont bend too far in the middle, but I am heavy so I added two custom supports under the seat, using three inch diameter PVC pipe and the same diameter PVC toilet Flanges( see them at H deport) but it makes an "I" beam kind of system. The two flanges on top are permanently mounted under the seat( set them as wide as they can go....right up to the inside of the side tubes , and the two flanges on the bottom connected to the floor .Put it together with the pieces of PVC pipe, and the whole thing creates a space under the seat that can be used for what ever...backpacks, tackle boxes, but can be torn down easily and still put in the back of your car.Then as you said...add the 7 dollar swivel, and the seat..which , if you do it right, with butterfly bolts, etc, can be torn down or set up with the concept of portability maintained. You could probably use less sized diameter pvc pipe( 1 1/2 inch) in a four poster kind of set up under the seat...I found the flanges and that worked well for me.

Rdiddy
Seriously... seal the boston valve completely with PVC cement....find a river raft repair shop , or follow directions on NRS web site, and cut a simple hole in the tube, and install a new boston valve assembly, seal it to the pvc fabric of the mariner with PVC cement..see sail-rite ( HH-66)....somebody somewhere does this five times a day....not hard.
One other thought...seal the male part of the boston valve to the female section...including the dents...with pve cement., or silicone...this makes the valve permanent.( can not deflate like you do normally) Then get a 12 volt coleman inflator ( wall mart -23 dollars) this has an inflate and deflate capacity. I believe that when you attach the inflate attachment( same size diameter as the boston valve opening)to the deflate side of the pump...it causes a suction.This may take a little longer, but I think it might work. You might rent this pump first , or one like it..they all have deflate capacity...and see if it works...or if it doesn't work..take the pump back to Wally world.BTW it plugs into your cigarette lighter in the car
I love the pump any way...it makes inflate time about 3 minutes all total..so it is worth it no matter what the outcome on the deflating the sealed boston valve.

 

[sadarahu]

Has anyone used or saw someone using these dollies for their mariner 4 http://www.t-motorsports.com/deluxe...y-trailer-tote-trolley-transport-cart-wheels/. I have only found pictures of kayaks with them. I cannot store a full size trailer dolly nor do I want to make one from PVC. Any info would be great

I bough one and did some testing. The problem is that the M4 is pretty wide and on uneven surface the M4 pivots making it unstable. If you plan to launch your raft on the concrete ramp it does the job, but grass etcc makes it hard. I'm thinking about some modifications. Altough the main problem is to move the wheels farther outside because this unit was designed for kayak which is pretty narrow.
Art

 

[sadarahu]

I'm new to the forum.
I bought my M4 about a year ago and now decided to do some more mods. Because I plan several improvements I have few questions for those of you guys who deal with this staff longer and more often. I'm not a big fisherman and I use the boat more often for traveling to the distant places. I fish occasionally so the original M4 seats are fine for me. Instead creating several posts decided to ask all questions in this same post (hopefully it will make more sense).

1. I already have a INTEX trolling motor and it works fine, although it is slow and when being in the middle of nowhere in Montana or Wyoming I cannot afford to recharge my battery for 8-12 hours when I need to travel To make it short I need an outboard engine. I'm not concerned about the speed but the weight, reliability and distance (I can travel). Because of simplicyty I decided to go with 4-stroke. I believe 2-3HP will be enough for my needs.
QUESTION: What are pro's and con's of air and water cooled motors. So far the only difference I know is that the air cooled engine is simpler in construction and there is no problem with clogging the filters with sand, weeds etc. on shallow water, not sure what else ?
Last year I was checking for motors I think I saw a Suzuki 2.5hp for about $500-600, but cannot find anything in that price range. I was hoping to find an outboard for up to $600 but everything seems to be more expensive or I just have no luck to get to the right place. Anyway - I've found those 3 motors and would like to hear your suggestions - which one ?
http://www.**********/outboard_motor...-F2.5SMHA.html
http://www.**********/outboard_motor...2HP/parts.html
http://www.**********/outboard_motor...5HP/parts.html
Does any of those allow to connect external fuel tank, or if not how can I modify it ?


2. I'm planning to build a tent over the M4 and I was experimenting a bit with that last season. few days ago I have found this video and I really love the idea.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmpUygk0Kkw
Unfortunately there is nothing like that available for M4, but perhaps I could build something like that and sell a few to you guys. was doing some research however and I'm having problem finding some plastic (PVC) elements, especially those U shaped adhesive slots (not sure what the proper term for that).


3. What would be recommended anchor weight for fully loaded M4 (ie. 4 people) ?
What line lenght ?

4. Any opinions on the following products ?

http://www.********.com/modperl/prod...i=81170&r=view

http://www.********.com/modperl/prod...i=81170&r=view

5. Does anybody have a dimensions for the floor cut - 3 pieces (no carpet - just wood) ?

6. I'm considering longer/extended oars. Any solutions, suggestions ?

7. In order not to over-inflate I was wondering if there is any kind of pressure meter that I can install on the pump, or eventually pump with gauge. This Intex pump looks interesting but it has no gauge http://rubberboats.com/product/68608...-psi-pump.html BTW. - what is recommended pressure for M4 ?

8. How far can I travel on a lake (say perfect quiet conditions, no wind etc.) on a full tank (or 1 Gal of gasoline) ? Again I'm trying to estimate here how much gas need to take with me i.e per 10/miles.

9. The oryginal Intex bag is terrible quality and mine is already thorn or punctured in few places after one season. Preferably I would like to fit the boat with the floor, but eventually can pack this separately. Any links or recommendations for the M4 carrying bag ?

10. Has anybody tried to glue the Velcro straps to the M4 ? Any experience on that ?

11. Any experience on charging trolling motor battery from the solar panels ? I bought one last year at Cabelas but it did not work well. It wasn't strong enough. I do not expect to fully charge the battery even in one day, but if I would like to eventually get some extra juice on a sunny day while I'm not using the boat (of course being at remote location where the power outlet is not available). the last panel I used was 18W and it was around 2'x2' in size.

12. What is the best method to carry extra gas container on the boat, but prevent it from overheating from the sun ? I think putting the canister on the floor (even covering it with something) would not be enough in the summer when the temp is around 90-100F

Thank you - Art

 

[AKTrout]

No Title

MRDR
Just out of curiosity...does that dolly handle the boat , motor, battery and all the stuff in it in one trip? Or do you dolly the boat to wherever, and then repeat with battery and motor...etc.
AK are you breaking down after each trip...seats, floor, motor etc?

Sorry for the late reply. I actually keep the boat assembled and mostly inflated in my garage, considering the lake I fish on most of the time is right across the street from my house. I open the garage door and dolly the boat over to my awesomely friendly neighbor's dock. I take the fully assembled boat with the motor laying on the floor over and then take the battery by itself. Here's a pic of the dolly setup for use, boat ready to roll out of my garage.

 

[AKTrout]

I sure thought I got on here about a week or two ago and posted about the camping trip I was going to take with my Mariner. I rented a state use cabin on Nancy Lake and this was going to be my first full pack-up, transport, and deploy of my modified M4. It went fairly well, I'll post tomorrow with some photos and the whole rundown about the trip. I thought I had posted once or twice discussing it with Flukes... but I don't see it in the thread anywhere. Either more posts disappeared or there are some major issues posting to the forums from an iPhone.

 

[ford 250]

Hello again everyone, just got back from sea trials of my Mariner 4 with Bimini top. Works just great !!!! Tried to post pictures, but file is too large data wise to post. If someone will email me @ wallace9725@yahoo.com I will post to email....

 

[CopperFox]

Slayer33
You asked about which motor mount to get for your M4. Without a doubt, I'd say the composite one by Intex. I have the M4 with a 55 lb Minn Kota myself. That said, while it sells for $22 in the U.S. through Amazon, I see it is $59, through Amazon.ca. What a rip-off! Where do you live in Canada? Do you have a friend in the U.S.? If they ordered it, and you could pick it up, or something. The price difference is indefensible!

 

[Slayer33]

Slayer33
You asked about which motor mount to get for your M4. Without a doubt, I'd say the composite one by Intex. I have the M4 with a 55 lb Minn Kota myself. That said, while it sells for $22 in the U.S. through Amazon, I see it is $59, through Amazon.ca. What a rip-off! Where do you live in Canada? Do you have a friend in the U.S.? If they ordered it, and you could pick it up, or something. The price difference is indefensible!

Hey CopperFox, Thanks for the input. It is a ripoff up here. I'm in Calgary, Alberta. The one on Amazon.ca is actually $59 plus another $19 to ship it to me. so practically $80..

I ended up ordering the composite intex one off eBay. Ended up being $60 including shipping to me.

What is your run time like on the trolling motor? I have the Endura Max 55 with a 92ah battery.. just wondering what the run time is like, I plan to go for a weekend trip and will most likely use the motor close to a max setting for around 2-3 hours each day.. think I need a second battery?

 

[flukesofnature]

sadarahu
Good questions...although time consuming many of them are mentioned in the beginning of this thread...start at page one and plow through the now 80 pages of info.....many of your questions are answered.
But here is some help...
Check out the thread on LEHR propane outboards...in this forum....good info and reviews about that motor...takes a portable camping propane cylinder( about 1 hour operation) or a BBQ 25 gallon tank....
porta-bote had a special for a brand new suzuki 2.5 delivered for 705 dollars about a month ago..self contained...gas tank on the motor(1 800 227 8882)

There was a thread started on Ama Z on .dot com fro the Minn Kota Battery Power center, which described the use of your car ,driving, to recharge your Trolling motor battery. Good info and recommendations about voltage regulation etc...but an additional idea presented was the use of a battery Isolator...used in RV battery systems, where you could use a switch to change which battery your car's alternator was charging at any given time.
For your long driving periods..this might be a solution to use your trolling motor battery for several days before a complete recharge at home.

The oars are the same diameter as one inch wood dowels( at home depot,,,variable lengths..up to six foot) I replaced the upper section with a 4 foot cut of the wood dowel( which fits perfectly into the plastic joiner mechanism) Then I double wrapped the plastic joiner threads with Teflon tape to prevent the indirect loosening of the Oars at the plastic joiner. I would experiment, because with a seat, sitting higher than the tubes there is a bit of an angle problem with longer Oars..just a little awkward..but works as far as a longer oar stroke. Amazon has fair to good quality 6 foot oars, aluminum, for about 30 bucks ..if I remember.

The PSI rating of the M4 is listed in the rinky dink manuel you got with the purchase from Intex...I think it is 1.4 PSI

I use a 15 lb river anchor( Three tangs...looks like a mushroom with pieces cut out of it)..it works oK but 15 lbs gets heavy after a full day.There are 8 lb Kakyk anchors..which the users seem happy with....the M4 (mine is an M3) is beamy...meaning it catches a lot of wind, and moves with a mind of it's own....the anchor causes the boat to rotate endlessly, which brings to mind a second anchor..from the bow to stop this twirling.... a simple anchor with a coffee can filled with rocks, or a small bag of sand is enough to stop the boat from spinning.....(WHERE DO THE ACCESSORIES STOP>>>lol)

Saturn( the other inflatable boat company has a video on how to do a bimini top from PVC and how to do all the attachments with PVC pipe etc.Add some drop down s( or roll up side flaps) and you have a tent looking for a place to happen.....
I have thought but not tried to think of a way to use a Pick -up truck tent for the Mariner..using the natural bends of the flexible tent poles attached to a PVC pipe bend, or elbow, or what ever in the Fishing rod holders of the M3/M4. D Rings are easly glued to the PVC fabric( see sail- rite...use of HH-66 pvc cement for instructions) and those D rings could also be the anchor points for the flexible tent poles.

Somewhere in this thread...Christian Mariner..I think stated he used 2 large Hockey Bags ...one for the boat and stuff one for the floor. I final roll/fold my M3 in an 8 by 10 tarp folded in half, so that when the M3 is folded as much as it will fold, I use the halved tarp, as a tote sling to carry the whole 9 yards to my little truck and sling it into the back,,the the tarp is around it for protection and I just grab the edges of the tarp and hoist it out and carry it where ever I am going to set up. I can imagine a couple of PVC cement seams on the tarp and you have a permenent carrying bag if needed.
Saturn again..the other guys also has a PDF on how to make a portable dock from styrofoam and then using a tarp to encase it..with all the appropriate gluing instructions,,,,,change the dimensions for your folded M4 and you have a heavy duty bag. Just Imagine.....

I could see a person using 4 inch styrofoam and making a rough cut out in the shape of your gas container, top and 2 sides for sun protection......or a large cheap styrofoam cooler turned upside down for heat protection......who knows

Hope this helps..Happy Mariner-ing...

 

[AKTrout]

No Title

So about a week ago I packed up my Mariner 4 and all accessories in the family vehicle for a trip away from home for the first time. Like I've said before, I've used my M4 a ton this year, but its all been right out of my garage. So this was my first test of the portability of the boat, which was a selling point for me. It was a bit of a puzzle to get it all to fit in the back of my Toyota Rav4 without folding the seats down, but I'm good at maximizing space. In just the rear space of my Rav4 I fit the folded boat, two folded swivel seats and their pedestal mounts, the oars, electric and manual pumps, three sleeping bags and therma rest sleeping pads, coleman stove, other camping gear. On the floor in front of the boack seats the Minn Kota laid flat and was hardly noticeable. On the side where my son wasn't sitting the batter and small cooler sat on the floor. The rest of the back seat: empty. Perfect fit with comfort room to spare!
The boat transported my wife, my 4 yo son, and myself out to a state use cabin on Nancy Lake that can only be accessed by boat or float plane. It was a fun journey there, the Minn Kota 55lb trolling motor took us the 1.5 miles quick enough. When we got there the cabin did not have a dock. I scoped out the tiny little beach landing area before I went for it to make sure there were no pointy rocks. They all looked nice and round so I went for it. Not a scratch on the boat's keel. It took probably about 30-40 minutes to unpack and assemble the boat, then after we'd loaded all the camping gear on board we were motorin' to the cabin exactly 1 hour after arriving in the boat launch parking area. Dissemble time and repacking it in the Rav4 when we returned was about an hour... but could have been faster if I had some help. My wife was taking care of our son, so I was solo for the departure job.
I know I've certainly been spoiled getting to use my M4 without having to pack it up every time. My wife says with the extra work involving the boat (and our son) it would have been worth it if we went more than one night. When it was time to head home having to pack up the boat was a bit of a downer, but I knew what to expect. Perhaps the rest of the family didn't. Hah.
When all said and done, I don't have the extra cost of a trailer, I only spent hundreds instead of thousands on my boat setup, and I don't have it taking up space on a trailer in my yard all winter when it's not in use. A modified M4 is an AMAZING bang for the buck!! Regarding a stock, un-modded M4, I couldn't say. I got my M4 this April before the lake by my house thawed and got a motor mount, 55lb Minn Kota, two swivel seats, and built a hard carpeted floor the instant it arrived. For those new arrivals to the forum, this is the place to get all the info you need to turn your new M4 into a GREAT camper and fishing boat.
Take care M4 compatriots. Enjoy the water and get after that next "fish-on"!