Do you fold your tower supports up or down?

Ok this one will be much shorter...:cool:

I've taken your advice and put coozies on the end of my support poles, then lay them down. Then my board racks rest on the tower when I lay it down.

Only prob is I can't put my cover on that way.

I've been folding them up now, which holds the tower up enough to put the cover on, but there's a lot more contact between parts, as the supports now rest on the lower part of the tower, then board racks rest on the supports.

Side note, who the heck designed this bimini top to not fold with the tower? Unless you push in the little button clip and it's supposed to telescope in...mine came pre-bent, won't telescope.

Side note 2 LOL! SC forgot to install one of my snap fittings on my boat I think! One on the driver side is missing (no hole, never been there). There's a button for it on the cover, but no base on the boat! The passenger side has it? Odd.

Still ended up being kind of long...wasn't my intention

Down, to reduce contact like you mentioned.

You should be able to add a snap easily enough. Maybe gelcoat repair was done in that spot?

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Originally Posted by brain_rinse

Down, to reduce contact like you mentioned.

You should be able to add a snap easily enough. Maybe gelcoat repair was done in that spot?

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Do you put your cover on ever with the tower down? Looks to me like it wouldn't work.

No I leave it open

You can add the add the over before you fold the tower down but then the tower is resting on the cover as well. I stored mine in the garage in the winter with the cover on sometimes and you have to lower the tower and it will sit on the cover. As for the Bimini IDK i had a Z5 on my boat and it had to be removed to fold the tower down

No way would I tow with my tower down. The attachment points at the front legs are not designed for that stress. Not to mention it will be pretty close to the back of the truck while turning sharp.

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Originally Posted by New Guy

No way would I tow with my tower down. The attachment points at the front legs are not designed for that stress. Not to mention it will be pretty close to the back of the truck while turning sharp.

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Much different tower. Agree with you on the forward folding one.

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Originally Posted by New Guy

No way would I tow with my tower down. The attachment points at the front legs are not designed for that stress. Not to mention it will be pretty close to the back of the truck while turning sharp.

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I wouldn't tow with the tower down either, ever. I think maybe you misunderstood my question, it's strictly for "storage" purposes. My boat is on a covered hoist and I have to fold my tower down to fit under it, and I can't adjust it up (custom built). I prefer to put my cover on to keep dust, spiders, etc out of it while on the hoist not in use. I don't like folding the supports forward very much (still folding tower backward), but it seems better than folding the supports back and resting the tower on the cover...not sure the cover can handle that on a daily basis, and I don't want to try.

Honestly this tower seems like not a real great folding design.

What cover do you have? I'm thinking I could use my snap covers and lower the tower without issue, but I've never tried it either.

can you support the tower from above? say a simple rope to the rafters above

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Originally Posted by brain_rinse

What cover do you have? I'm thinking I could use my snap covers and lower the tower without issue, but I've never tried it either.

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I have a snap cover. I'm sure it would hold it, but I don't want to put that stress on it. Covers aren't cheap.

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Originally Posted by moombadaze

can you support the tower from above? say a simple rope to the rafters above

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Not really, it's all like c-channel aluminum crossmembers, nothing to get a rope around. I could drill a hole in a crossmember and put an eye hook, but my fear is what if my boat drops and it's connected lol! I had my winch cable snap with my Supra, don't want to take the chance. Something funky is going on with my lift right now, I don't trust it even though it just got new winch cable, and a new pulley.

we store the boat in the garage with the tower folded. i fold the legs forward so that i can get in and out of the boat easily, and so the legs don't chip the gel coat, but i have gator grip on the gunnels to protect and to step.

i have the wake board racks on the upper cross bar. when the tower folds down, the racks rest on the side cushioin so there is no contact with the gel coat. i have put the tower down on the snap cover before, but that was before the exiles grew from the tower.

after we put the boat in the garage, we support the tower from the rafter. but i understand your concern. about the lift dropping with the tower hooked to the roof. i have see nothers craft a samll post to support the tower, from the floor, or from the gunnel.