Hard top idea

[junkman41]

Re: Hard top idea

I hope you start feeling better. as for the supports, your an Inch taller then me, I never walked into any of them. try all four and see how it goes, They make a big differance with top movement, and if you walk into any then remove it. I dont think you will
good luck
Jack

 

[stephen25]

Re: Hard top idea

I think you guys have convinced i'm going to build me a custom hard top for the back half and put my Bimini top up front, Lizard what is the grey and white thing you have on the front of your top? and is there any way one of you guys can snap a picture of the underside of your top for engineering purposes, :joyous:, Thanks for all of the great support

 

[River_Lizard]

Re: Hard top idea

LOL.....I was wondering if anyone would notice that. It's an old TV dish bracket that I used to mount my GoLight remote controlled spotlight. I needed a mount that would be high enough to point to the front edge of the deck and be able to turn to the rear and point within about 15 ft. of the back also. I have it setup with a wing-nut system so I can flip it up or down quick. I've got a quick plug wired up so it just takes a snap of a plug for power and it's ready to operate. I use it for night fishing and pulling my gill net at night and of course for watching out for floating trees coming down the river after a good rain storm.
I had planned on building a "Y" bracket for locking it down but right now it's tied down with a rope. It's heavier than I wanted the bracket to be but it only took me about 30 minutes to turn that into a spotlight base. One note for any body reading this, don't run the GoLight for too long without having the motor running, they will drain a battery if you use them for a long time.
I also mounted my anchor light to the back of the hard top and my VHF 8' antenna that folds down. Once I mounted my antenna I could talk to other boaters who were about 10-15 miles away down river from my location. It's at least 16 ft. above the water line now. I'd never own a boat on the river without having a VHF on-board, it's a must have for safety not only for yourself but for those who might need help. I can contact the CG in seconds and have emergency units on the way in seconds. I've even called in 3 channel marker lights being out and given them the GPS location so the repair guys can fix them the next day. Nothing worst than running into a floating channel marker......you won't win that head-on I promise you that.

I'll see if I can't get some photos of the underside of my hard top for you sometime this week or weekend.
I think northern tools sells a square tubing bender...you'd need it if you want to make the same style as my factory top, it's got bends in the tubing structure on the top.

 

[junkman41]

Re: Hard top idea

I think you guys have convinced i'm going to build me a custom hard top for the back half and put my Bimini top up front, Lizard what is the grey and white thing you have on the front of your top? and is there any way one of you guys can snap a picture of the underside of your top for engineering purposes, :joyous:, Thanks for all of the great support

Stephen here is a link for a nice hardtop for sale. I dont know where your from it is located in franklin PA.

Pontoon Hardtop

 

[junkman41]

Re: Hard top idea

here is a picture of mine docked

 

[River_Lizard]

Re: Hard top idea

Nice Jack. I'd be happy if the area of my hard top was completely covered so I could run my propane heater and catfish while it's in the twenties outside.

 

[VaGent]

Re: Hard top idea

Just happened upon this thread this morning so I thought I would ADD my 2cents as to what I did with mine. I started off with a very lightweight aluminum frame that was "given" to me that had a badly torn vinyl covering for the top. There was enough of the material left to enable me to make a new Sunbrella top which I had made & it just snaps into the frame. At first I mounted the upright supports on the top of my fence rails like everyone else does but I soon found out that was not going to work in the wind very well. The first trip out I thought the wind was going to tear the new material & the supports off the rails. So I got to thinking as to how I could come up with a better support system. It just happened on my way home that day I came past a marine dealer who just happened to have a pontoon for sale with a lightweight aluminum top with a much better vertical support. Instead of the vertical "legs" being mounted on top of the fence rails & to the bottom of the frame of the top, they were mounted to the "outside" of the fence rails & the out side of the top frame. When the top us in the raised position "clevis pins" where used to hold the top in the vertical position. it was very simple, lightweight, quick to raise & lower & that added support of the vertical legs being supported by the fence just added to the strength of the entire. I took pictures of the set up & when I got home I changed mine & now it works like a charm & is very easy to raise & lower. I've also decided to replace the Sunbrella material as it has got torn in several places. I'll put putting some .053 5052 aluminum skins on the frame. It will add a little weight to the top but I won't have to worry about replacing the fabric again.

 

[junkman41]

Re: Hard top idea

vagent, can you post pictures of your top? I would like to see what you have done

 

[luckyjr]

Re: Hard top idea

Using 2x 2 x 1/8 alum square tube for the post and 2x 2 x 1/8 angle for the the top cross member. They will can be put together with aluminum 1/4" rivets. 2'ft spacing is normal but 3' would work if you need to save some money. Tie the post together with the angle leg out at the junction at top. Habor freight has a good rivet gun. Scissor type about 18" long pretty cheap but works good. I used Nudo poly aluminum sheets 4 x 8 cost me about $60 a sheet. The 1/4" rivets are strong 2 to 3 in the angle leg into the sq tube will do the trick. Use water tight rivets in the top and caulk. Good luck

 

[smclear]

Re: Hard top idea

Years ago we had a Harris Flote Boat with a hard top.



Sorry you can't see to much.

 

[VaGent]

Re: Hard top idea

vagent, can you post pictures of your top? I would like to see what you have done

I'll look around & see if I have some pictures of mine. If not I will take some new ones & post them for you.

 

[dls322]

Re: Hard top idea

I actually saw a pontoon hard top with supports posted one c-list a couple days ago. Guy texted me some pics. Not sure where you are but this one was near York, PA. You can search the site and find it.