Opportunity to use a lift....

BigKahuna

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Don't know if you guys remember but our neighbor sold the waterfront lot across the street from our house where we have kept our boat/s for the last 6 years. So the search has been on to find another home for our boat. Well we found one. About a 5 or 6 minute drive away in the next neighborhood we found out that a friend of ours has a nice trex slip with a cable lift. Her husband passed a few years ago and it hasn't been used for a few years. So I'm meeting with guy who installed the lift to have it serviced or to see what it needs to safely use. (If its not worth servicing we'll just park on the outside) One thing I did notice was it only had the outer boards/bunks indicating that a 2 toon boat was housed there. I'll have those bunks replaced and I mentioned to the guy that I had a tritoon and would need a center bunk as well. He told me that I didn't really need one. I've never had any of our boats on a lift before. Your thoughts gentlemen?!?
 
I’m thinking you’d be fine without (we own the nicest pontoon boat on the market) but I’d still investigate the cost of adding the additional support for the center log. Keep us posted
 
My dealer sold us our boat on a trailer without a center bunk and told us that it wasn't needed, my very first phone call was to the trailer manufacturer to get the necessary hardware to install one.
 
In many ways you’ll be fine. All of us with cantilever lifts, Sea Legs, Ultra Legs, etc... have our toons dangling. However, if I were still going to use a lift, I’d do the cernter tube support for the extra security and support. No harm and no foul in doing so. On a positive note, I don’t think you need to worry about having it out of the gate. It could easily be something to get added down the road.
 
Always supported all three as well.
 
Meeting with the lift guy today. For those of you that have a lift what exactly needs to be serviced every year to keep it in good working condition?!? Cost?
 
Probably depends some on the type of lift. Mine is the simple type that a motor drives a gearbox via a belt. The gearbox turns a pipe that wraps the cable around it to raise and lower the lift. I make sure the belt is snug and grease the grease zerks a couple of times a year (depending on use).
 
@BigKahuna I just went through this a couple weeks ago when we took delivery of our boat, I retrofitted my existing lift. You PROBABLY will be fine with just two. But I went ahead and built a center bunk, helps me sleep better at night knowing it's fully supported. With a TriToon and a big 200 HP like you've got, I would for sure do a center bunk. If your ever down on Wylie you're welcome to check it out.


IMG_7942 (1).JPG
 
Same as above. Minimal maintenance
 
@BigKahuna I just went through this a couple weeks ago when we took delivery of our boat, I retrofitted my existing lift. You PROBABLY will be fine with just two. But I went ahead and built a center bunk, helps me sleep better at night knowing it's fully supported. With a TriToon and a big 200 HP like you've got, I would for sure do a center bunk. If your ever down on Wylie you're welcome to check it out.


View attachment 29269
Thx Bannerman. Was just down there a couple weeks ago. My nephew who works for TSA lives on S. Tryon and my sister and other nephew came down to visit him from Maryland. Took my special needs nephew bowling at Bowl and Bounce and had lunch at Papa Doc's. It was a beautiful day and there were many boats on the water around that bridge.......
 
@BigKahuna I just went through this a couple weeks ago when we took delivery of our boat, I retrofitted my existing lift. You PROBABLY will be fine with just two. But I went ahead and built a center bunk, helps me sleep better at night knowing it's fully supported. With a TriToon and a big 200 HP like you've got, I would for sure do a center bunk. If your ever down on Wylie you're welcome to check it out.


View attachment 29269
That's a cool lift Bro!
 
My lift lifts from under deck. Both toons hanging. Neighbors do the same and have 3 toons hanging. According to Bennington this is fine to do. So you‘re fine with the outside toons being the lift points.

have 2 lifts. between me and neighbors, no maintenance unless cable or chain breaks. whenever I thought about it, I would oil moving parts when the lift is out of the water and charge battery.
 
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@BigKahuna I just went through this a couple weeks ago when we took delivery of our boat, I retrofitted my existing lift. You PROBABLY will be fine with just two. But I went ahead and built a center bunk, helps me sleep better at night knowing it's fully supported. With a TriToon and a big 200 HP like you've got, I would for sure do a center bunk. If your ever down on Wylie you're welcome to check it out.


View attachment 29269
Hello Bannerman. I have a question for you relating to you boat and flat board bunks. I have the option to put my boat on a lift with a set up just like yours. My boat is a Bennington 2575 RLX tritoon. My concern is this. On the bottom of my toons are aluminum "v's ". I'm concerned resting the toons with the v's on the flat board will be a problem. What is your set up like? Thoughts? Do you have these on the bottom of your toons? If so, any issues. Thanks for the help!
 

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Hello Bannerman. I have a question for you relating to you boat and flat board bunks. I have the option to put my boat on a lift with a set up just like yours. My boat is a Bennington 2575 RLX tritoon. My concern is this. On the bottom of my toons are aluminum "v's ". I'm concerned resting the toons with the v's on the flat board will be a problem. What is your set up like? Thoughts? Do you have these on the bottom of your toons?
Mine has keels on the bottom of the toons that are half round and solid aluminum, they are not a V like you have. I would not think yours have the ability to support the weight of the boat on a flat bunk. IMG_7946.JPG
 
Mine has keels on the bottom of the toons that are half round and solid aluminum, they are not a V like you have. I would not think yours have the ability to support the weight of the boat on a flat bunk. View attachment 29359
Thanks for the input and picture. Much appreciated. I watched a video on youtube of a dealership that had their boats, with toons like mine, resting on large wooded blocks. I may have to call Bennington and get some input. I'd hate to damage my boat.
 
Mine has keels on the bottom of the toons that are half round and solid aluminum, they are not a V like you have. I would not think yours have the ability to support the weight of the boat on a flat bunk. View attachment 29359Bannerman - do you know what transducer you have on your toon, that does not appear to be the typical HDI that Bennington installs.
 
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