Question for any 170 or 180 owners.

[sidechoke67]

I am looking to get a small family tubing boat in the Spring, and have pretty much settled on looking for a used Glastron 175. I like the sport seating in the 175, and the idea of having storage space around the engine for tubes, life jackets, etc.

I was hoping to compare storage space between the 175 and 170, but our local dealer doesn't carry the 170. Does anyone happen to know if there is storage space under and behind the bench seat in the Glastron 170 (and 180)? From the brochures, it looks like there should be some - but I can't
tell how much of that would be taken up by battery, gas tank, etc. The cockpit layout appears identical between the 170 and 175. So, it would seem that moving from an I/O in the 175 to an outboard in the 170 should leave you with more space somewhere(?)

So, I guess my question is, how much storage is behind the bench seat on the 170 and 180s ?

Thanks for any info!

 

[getinmerry]

Re: Question for any 170 or 180 owners.

I have an '08 185 with the 3.0 i/o. There's tons of storage space behind the bench seat, but there's a few drawbacks:

1. you need to bolt totes into the right side(facing the rear of the boat) in the engine compartment because the nets that come with the boat aren't enough to keep items from shifting into the fanbelt.
2. there's not enough storage on the boat for the lifejackets except in the rear compartment. This will do no good if there's an engine fire. You won't be able to get at them.
3. The lack of larger compartments forward of the captain tends to make the boat heavy in the rear because all the weight can't be evenly distributed.
4. Anchor storage is a problem. We keep ours in the water ski compartment, but you really have to work to get it to fit in there.

I'm sorry I can't answer about the 170/ 180, but they're almost identical to my boat, so the info I gave you should help a little.

The storage is the ONLY complaint I have with the boat. It's a great runner, and the 3.0 is plenty powerful for tubing. I can get a top speed of about 47 in calm water with 2 people on board. (about 39 fully loaded).

One thing to note: I bought my '08 in July. I was originally looking at the '07 175, but for only about $800 more I was able to upgrade to the fully loaded 185 with all the bells and whistles (also a year newer). The large swim platform alone is worth the cost of the upgrade to the 185 especially if you have your family as primary users.

Chuck

 

[sidechoke67]

Re: Question for any 170 or 180 owners.

Thanks Chuck! That is a lot of good information that I hadn't thought of.

 

[Grunt_Sculpin]

Re: Question for any 170 or 180 owners.

I completely agree. Space is an issue.

I have a 2008 GT185 and the storage is a big problem. One thing I miss with my old 1974 Glastron is the storage compartment in the very front. I always stored the anchor there since many times this is where you want to anchor from anyway.

To help solve some of the storage problem I have some things that I do that seem to help:

#1 I used a mild marine glue to hold down a tub in the right side of the engine compartment. I had to do this so it would not slide around. It sticks good enough but if I really needed to pull it out I could. I store Misc. items like ski ropes, towels, tools, spare ski jackets, etc.

#2 I store the Tube and my coast guard pack on the the left side in the engine compartment. If you are going to do this put some marine caulking on the screws that are poking through on the underside of the engine compartment so they don't have the sharp edge...these are tube killers!

#3 I rigged up a tube pump that connects directly to my battery with an extra long cord so that I can pull the tube out from the engine compartment, close the back and blow up the tube on the sun lounge. I usually have everyone get the tubing done at one time and then deflate it...they make tube keepers to store the tube inflated on the back of your boat...but they just seem to be in the way and I can inflate the tube in about 2 minutes.

#4 For the most part your passengers should always have a life jacket on and if they don't I try to keep them on the left side of the boat behind the passenger seat. This eliminates the problem if there is an engine fire.

#5 I store my fire extinguisher on the left side of the boat in the small side compartment. It is easy to get to and this also helps if there is an engine fire!

#6 I use the two front seat compartments to store either bait or drinks. I bought two universal gasket / plugs to plug the holes in the compartments and I can fill them with ice and have plenty of storage for drinks and food. Between the small cooler and those two compartments I have stored enough drinks and food for 8 people for the entire day.

#7 I would not store anything that you are really worried about in the compartments under the back seat. Anything that is in there will almost always get wet. I usually use this to store peoples sandles / water shoes or dock lines so I can get to them in a hurry.

#8 I am able to store a kneeboard and wakeboard between the passenger seat and the side of the boat if I swivel the chair slightly and stack them right...but I may have to get a tower because the fact that it rubs against the vinyl does not thrill me.

Hope that helps! Happy Glastron Boating!!!