Putting stuff back in the boat

[rsinger]

1. Vinyl
2. Speakers
3. Re-wiring tower for speakers.

On a 2003 outback does anyone know if the cross member pieces between the tower tubes are hollow? The existing wiring comes up inside the forward tube and then is exposed to get to the previous tower speakers. I would like to conceal all of the wiring.

Pics will be coming. It's just got to stay warm long enough for me to make some progress.

I've already had a snag with the vinyl. There are 3 curved pieces at the front of the boat and as they are installed I found that they tended bend inwards causing the vinyl to ripple. What I'll have to do is re-stretch these pieces. I'll probably wrap something around them, tighten to the same ripple effect and then re stretch.

[NCSUmoomba]

They are all hollow. One of mine must have gotten water in it at some point and froze; it is "puffed" up a bit. I have my tower speakers installed on the front cross bar, they are a little more tucked up in the tower and away from knocking my head on them. Also, when I installed my bimini, I had to drill mounting holes into them.

I have replaced that front vinyl as well, and it can be a pain. I tried to keep the pieces in a curve while I installed the vinyl to help reduce the ripples.

[rsinger]

They are all hollow.

Perfect. That's what I was hoping. Now to figure a way to fish 2 90 degree bends without having to drill extra holes.

[mmandley]

You will have to drill extra holes, the round tower rubes are solid where the cross member connectes. The cross member is hollow. When i did this to my LSV last year you have to drill a hole from the outside of the front tube, threw the back side of that same tube to get into the center of the cross member. You have to do the same with the back tube.

[rsinger]

You will have to drill extra holes

Great burst my bubble. Just went out to the boat and looked. Funny how something so obvious will get missed by one set of eyes.

I got three cross members on the top. I was thinking, once it warms up, up here, the center cross member. Did you go another route?

At least it makes fishing the wire really easy.

[mmandley]

I used the center cross member. Easier to fish that way

[NCSUmoomba]

Look at the bright side. Now you will have a drain hole in your tower when you fold it down. Somehow I always have water in mine. I guess moisture just condensated inside the tubes?

[Canuckle Head]

Can anyone tell me what size of drill bit they used to do this mod?

[rsinger]

Can anyone tell me what size of drill bit they used to do this mod?

I'll let you know when it stops raining here, and warms up. I'm going to run some spare wires in case I decide to add lights. Basically, I'll bundle the wires together, measure, and drill maybe a 20% larger hole.

[mmandley]

I used a 1/2 bit on the lower hinge where you have to hope for the folding hinge, i also used 1/2 for the part under the tower foot to get the wires inside the cubby.

For the tube i use a 3/8 bit.

I found it best to use the stepper bits because with the smaller tips to start they dont wander as much.

Also use plenty of blue tape, and a center punch, punch it like 3xs this will help keep your bit from walking on the tube.

[WaterBullDawg1980]

Wasn't a lot of this in Al's thread?

Rsinger: Take a look at Al's Exile thread on how to mount with the wireless look. Goes into this in pretty solid detail. I need to take a look myself, as I am about to finally start on a project of my own and am at that point.

[rsinger]

Wasn't a lot of this in Al's thread?
.

Yup, I knew it was in the forums somewhere. Finally tracked it down.
https://forum.moomba.com/showthread.php?14721-Installing-Exile-Tower-Speakers-with-No-Visible-Speaker-Wires/page2&highlight=Exile

My old setup was mounted on top of the tower. I've got to see if the bimini top still fits if the speakers are under the tower.

Doesn't anyone have problems walking under the tower with the speakers hanging there?

[rsinger]

Finally got started.

http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb397/rsingerwpg/Putting%20stuff%20back%20in%20boat/1.jpg

http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb397/rsingerwpg/Putting%20stuff%20back%20in%20boat/2.jpg

http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb397/rsingerwpg/Putting%20stuff%20back%20in%20boat/3.jpg

http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb397/rsingerwpg/Putting%20stuff%20back%20in%20boat/4.jpg

[rsinger]

Dusty, does this look familiar?
http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb397/rsingerwpg/Putting%20stuff%20back%20in%20boat/6.jpg

http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb397/rsingerwpg/Putting%20stuff%20back%20in%20boat/7.jpg

Just trying to figure out placement and clearance of tower speakers.

http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb397/rsingerwpg/Putting%20stuff%20back%20in%20boat/9.jpg

http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb397/rsingerwpg/Putting%20stuff%20back%20in%20boat/10.jpg

[wolfeman131]

Do you still have your Chritmas lights out?

FWIW- Cans underneath.

[rsinger]

Do you still have your Chritmas lights out?

FWIW- Cans underneath.

Been busy, and it's still been cold up here. There's about 1000 to take down. That being said. I'm taking them down when I finish with the boat. It's finally warming up. Was wondering if someone would notice.

Some of us have a winter that lasts almost half the year, eh. Not like you folks down south.

Still worried about head clearance, if underneath. Should be ok over engine and behind drivers seat. It's the passenger side I'm worried about. Underneath definitely looks better.

[jpetty3023]

Good catch on the Christmas lights. Might as well leave them up now, it's nearly Christmas time again


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[rsinger]

Good catch on the Christmas lights. Might as well leave them up now, it's nearly Christmas time again


Sent from my android eating iPhone using Tapatalk

Now cut that out. Ice is just off the water.

[wolfeman131]

Baby Jesus loves that you continue to celebrate his birth! Your neighbors, eh not so much. FWIW - my HOA would have fined me about $2k by now.

[rsinger]

Looks like the cans are going under the tower. Just finished drilling and fishing.

http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb397/rsingerwpg/Putting%20stuff%20back%20in%20boat/tower1.jpg

http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb397/rsingerwpg/Putting%20stuff%20back%20in%20boat/tower2.jpg

http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb397/rsingerwpg/Putting%20stuff%20back%20in%20boat/tower3.jpg


This isn't complete. I need to ream out the hole in the boat and find a suitable sleeve for the wiring.
http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb397/rsingerwpg/Putting%20stuff%20back%20in%20boat/tower4.jpg

[dusty2221]

You def made the right decision in mounting underneath!

[jpetty3023]

Good call


Sent from my iPhone's cooler than your droid utilizing Tapatalk

[rsinger]

3 down 1 to go

http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb397/rsingerwpg/Putting%20stuff%20back%20in%20boat/20.jpg

http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb397/rsingerwpg/Putting%20stuff%20back%20in%20boat/21.jpg

[jpetty3023]

Looking good Ron, gonna sound even better

[kaneboats]

I've already had a snag with the vinyl. There are 3 curved pieces at the front of the boat and as they are installed I found that they tended bend inwards causing the vinyl to ripple. What I'll have to do is re-stretch these pieces. I'll probably wrap something around them, tighten to the same ripple effect and then re stretch.

Hope I'm not too late but I've been away. When I replaced all the vinyl in my Outback a few years ago I had a guy make the covers but I did all the installation. The back of the back seat was the hardest part. I thought he cut it wrong or something. He told me to use the hair dryer and stretch a little. It worked great! I was amazed at how a little heat helped the vinyl take the shape of the curved backrest and the inside corners. So, I thought' I'd mention that you might want to take a hair dryer to the vinyl and just heat it up a bit as you stretch it. Don't have to go crazy but it will start to take the shape you need. Good luck. Again, hope I'm not too late.

[KG's Supra24]

Looking good. I definitely agree with cans underneath. Gonna have a whole new boat this year!

[rsinger]

Hope I'm not too late but I've been away. When I replaced all the vinyl in my Outback a few years ago I had a guy make the covers but I did all the installation. The back of the back seat was the hardest part. I thought he cut it wrong or something. He told me to use the hair dryer and stretch a little. It worked great! I was amazed at how a little heat helped the vinyl take the shape of the curved backrest and the inside corners. So, I thought' I'd mention that you might want to take a hair dryer to the vinyl and just heat it up a bit as you stretch it. Don't have to go crazy but it will start to take the shape you need. Good luck. Again, hope I'm not too late.

Appreciate the input, but I'm bringing the boat to the vinyl guy and he can fix what he screwed up. He knew there might be a problem with the curved pieces. He could have cut the material and not attached them perminantly to the plastic, and I could have brought the boat to him in the spring.

Actually the back of the back seat turned out fine.

[New Guy]

I'm in the process of doing mine and what I found is that the backrest actually flatten out without the covers on them and as soon as you put it back in they compress again causing the wrinkles. I used a rope across seat backs to get the proper curvature before I stapled the cover on.

[rsinger]

Bummer. One tower speaker left to go and it's too cold to work on the boat again. On a good note, while driving to check some stuff in my trailer I noticed that the public docks on the river are in. They never got put in last year due to high water levels until September.

[New Guy]

Hey Ron why the mix of Krypt and Exile?

[rsinger]

Hey Ron why the mix of Krypt and Exile?

Got 1 set from Dusty and the other from KG. I think they wanted to be on the bleeding edge of things.

Chalk it up as an experiment.

Did some tests in my basement. The hlcds (krypts) carry like crazy. The exiles are not hlcd. Exiles will be great for surfing close behind the boat and the krypts will do for wakeboarding. I still don't know if I'll wire up an A/B switch to control one or the other, or leave all 4 of them on all the time. The speakers sound completely different.

I got a second set of krypts, so if I'm not happy with the exiles on the tower I'll drop the 2'nd set of krypts in and find a spot in the boat for the exiles.

So I suspect somewhere down the pipe, I'll either be selling a pair of speakers or looking for somewhere in the boat or house to wire them up. If it's in the house, it'll be on the outside wall of the garage pointed at my nut ball neighbors house.

[New Guy]

Doesn't Ian have a set of Krypt or Bullet towers that he was selling?

[viking]

If it's in the house, it'll be on the outside wall of the garage pointed at my nut ball neighbors house.

You might want to do this anyway just for fun :)

[rsinger]

You might want to do this anyway just for fun :)

The boat tower speakers are already pointed in her direction. Once I get everything wired I'll crank it and see how long before the police show up on my driveway.

[dusty2221]

Make anymore progress?

[rsinger]

Make anymore progress?

Yea. See "FOR Wolfeman131" thread, in General chat.

[rsinger]

Still some daylight left. Got to try.

http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb397/rsingerwpg/Putting%20stuff%20back%20in%20boat/s1.jpg

http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb397/rsingerwpg/Putting%20stuff%20back%20in%20boat/s2.jpg

http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb397/rsingerwpg/Putting%20stuff%20back%20in%20boat/s3.jpg

http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb397/rsingerwpg/Putting%20stuff%20back%20in%20boat/s4.jpg

Go figure. What luck. It started raining just as I finished tightening the last bolt down. I managed to get my mirror on too.

[wolfeman131]

Still some daylight left. Got to try.

It's too bad you don't have some festive lights hanging on the house so you could finish this up even when the daylight goes away. :)

[rsinger]

It's too bad you don't have some festive lights hanging on the house so you could finish this up even when the daylight goes away. :)

Damned if I do, damned if I don't. Just can't win.:p

[motosno963]

we have the same color boat haha..but my sun pad on the back is destroyed( dried up and ripped) im going to do my seats..also if ur tall every once and a while youll hit your head on the cans like i do haha..one other thing, where did you get those spacers for the speaker mounts..whoever had the boat before me used duct tape as a spacer and it looks horrible

[rsinger]

where did you get those spacers for the speaker mounts.

http://www.bulletlines.com/rubber-collar-tower-clamp-spacers-p/6673.htm

They actually came with the cans. I got 4 sets of 2 (1 big and 1 small). You may need either 1 or 2 per mount. I needed 2.

[motosno963]

one of my cans some how ripped off the mount from all the waves we were hitting (crappy cans i guess) so i want to replace them..thanks for the link