Tower question

ssleeper94 · Newbie Joined: 31 Jan 2005 Posts: 5 City: palos heights

I'm contemplating putting on a monster tower on my 88starcraft. My question is whether or not I can use this tower for towing a pair of tubes, or is it too much stress?

thanks
newest newb

Kento911 · Addict Joined: 07 Dec 2004 Posts: 958 City: Devore

ssleeper94, actually believe it or not that could probably hold one, but the problem is that it sucks, it doesn't work right, the nose of the tube shoots straight up on every little bump, and not in that fun tube way, but in that gay cant even go fast way

noneya · Addict Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 796 City: Roxboro, NC

Noooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!

ExtremeMarine · Criminal Joined: 31 Jan 2005 Posts: 65 City: Twinsburg

Wakeboard towers should only pull wakeboarders. Tubes and other towable cause alot of drag in the water and like ssleeper94 said the nose of the tube will go under causing even more drag. This added drag puts alot of stress on a tower and cause damage to it and your boat. The best option for pulling a tube is to get a tow harness, about $10, which attaches to your boat trailer lifting eyes. There is a float bumber and a D-Ring that you attach your tube rope to. They also come in handy if you need to tow someone or get towed back to the dock. Hope the info helps. In the mean time don't tow a tube with your tower.

ssleeper94 · Newbie Joined: 31 Jan 2005 Posts: 5 City: palos heights

I figured it would be too much stress. The only reason I asked, becuase if it gets wakeboarders out of the air more, possibly it can get tubers out more. Ialready have the harness for tubing just curious. Well since tubing off a rack won' be good and I can put a pylon in for half the price. Can somebody link me to some good places to get pylons.

thanks
brian

ExtremeMarine · Criminal Joined: 31 Jan 2005 Posts: 65 City: Twinsburg

Here is a link to get pylons, all though you don't want to attach the rope to the top tow knob, this is for boarding only. There is another tow eye mid way up the pylon that is used for low line activities. If your boat doesn't have a factory pylon you will need the TriJac Universal Pylon. Here's the link and a photo. http://www.xmpinc.com/Scripts/Extended_Pylons.asp

marlinempress · Outlaw Joined: 02 Feb 2005 Posts: 112 City: Murray

ssleeper94,

I actually think Kento would be more correct on this one. The absolute max tension a wakeboarder could even think about putting on a tower is no more than 600 pounds. Towers are manufactured to be able to withstand way more than that, the tube comes nowhere near 600 pounds of tension and with a well designed and made tower like the monster tower, the rope for the tube would break far before it damages the tower. Personally, I think if you're going to spend 3-400 on a pylon, you may as well go all the way and get the tower, it'd be much better as far as setting it up, resale value, sturdiness, and just general appeal goes. For me I didn't wanna spend that much on a tower since I'm poor, and I couldn't justify spending that much for a pipe and some cables, so I just made my own for about 30-40 bucks and it's every bit as solid as the manufactured ones.

w2w420 · Newbie Joined: 09 Dec 2004 Posts: 14 City: Austin

Something else to consider, It's not the stress on the tower you should worry about. It's the stress it puts on your hull where the tower mounts to it. If something were to break, it would be at the point where the most stress is transferred from the tower to the hull.

Also, don't run a tube off a skylon. One of the main reasons for having a tower is to distribute the weight of rider (cutting out to one side or the other) as evenly as possible. This allows the boat to stay in a more level position when the rider does cut out, thereby keeping the wake more even. With a pylon the effect of the boat tilting to one side or the other would only be magnified by a tube. Tubes have a tendency to shoot up dierctly next to the boat after a turn. If you are using a skylon when this happens, you run the risk of cavitating, or overturning the boat at a high rate of speed. NO BUENO POR KACKA !!!! Twisted Evil

ExtremeMarine · Criminal Joined: 31 Jan 2005 Posts: 65 City: Twinsburg

Great Point w2w420 "It's not the stress on the tower you should worry about. It's the stress it puts on your hull where the tower mounts to it. If something were to break, it would be at the point where the most stress is transferred from the tower to the hull."

Our towers are rated for over 1,500 lbs, but it is the stress on your boat not the tower. The best way to use a tube is with a tow harness period.

ExtremeMarine · Criminal Joined: 31 Jan 2005 Posts: 65 City: Twinsburg

Great Point w2w420 "It's not the stress on the tower you should worry about. It's the stress it puts on your hull where the tower mounts to it. If something were to break, it would be at the point where the most stress is transferred from the tower to the hull."

Our towers are rated for over 1,500 lbs, but it is the stress on your boat not the tower. The best way to use a tube is with a tow harness period.

marlinempress · Outlaw Joined: 02 Feb 2005 Posts: 112 City: Murray

The question wasn't "what's the best way to pull a tube" it was if it would be ok to pull a tube with a tower, and the answer is yes, since there isn't as much force with a tube as there is with wakeboarders. If it's a problem with the hull cracking with tubes, it'll be much more of a problem with a wakeboarder.....and that's just not the case....I think the first reply to this post was the most relevant, yes it's possible, but it sucks so it'd be kind of a waste to get a tower just for a tube. And look at this! I'm only posting this once!!!

ExtremeMarine · Criminal Joined: 31 Jan 2005 Posts: 65 City: Twinsburg

Marlin
First off anything is possible. Second, a tube does put more force than a wakeboarder. A tube has way more drag than a wakeboarder. We manufacture towers and we've done the testing. No one should pull a tube with a tower. You can ask any tower manufacturer and they will give you the same answer.

marlinempress · Outlaw Joined: 02 Feb 2005 Posts: 112 City: Murray

of course the manufacturers say that as a disclaimer, I bet you could ask the vast majority of older boat manufacturers if you are supposed to be able to put a tower on it and they'll say no because they don't wanna be held liable for anything unforeseen. If you believe a tube pulls more than a pro wakeboarder than next time you're out with a pro, put a scale on the rope, then you get in your little tube and see which one reads higher. Of course the tube has more drag when it's starting out and on plane, but think about when a wakeboarder cuts....

ExtremeMarine · Criminal Joined: 31 Jan 2005 Posts: 65 City: Twinsburg

Marlin,

We have put a scale on a rope that's what I meant by testing. Also If you ask an old boat manufaturer about putting a tower on they may say no. The reason for this is because when the boats were produces towers were not around. They didn't re-enforce the fiberglass on the decks, thats why they might not recomend it. A tube creates more stress when a driver turns the boat and the tube is being slig shot at 45-50 degrees off the boat opposed to a wakeboarder cutting in where the stress is more centered on the boat. Check out some of the archived threads, you'll find the same answers I'm giving you.

marlinempress · Outlaw Joined: 02 Feb 2005 Posts: 112 City: Murray

sorry, you're still not making any sense, you've never cut hard on the side of a boat to get out far? The majority of boats produced now that aren't dedicated don't have the deck fiberglass reinforced either, only a select few cheap boats don't have original fiberglass thick enough to withstand the pressures with backing plates. The monster tower comes with backing plates. The fact still is that tubes don't amount to the force wakeboarders apply.

ExtremeMarine · Criminal Joined: 31 Jan 2005 Posts: 65 City: Twinsburg

Give Bill at monster tower a call and get his 2 cents. I'm sure he will agree with me. Wakeboard towers are manufactured and tested to pull wakeboarders hence the word wakeboard tower. If you want to tube from your tower, that's all you. You can still believe tubes don't put as much stress but when you've personally done some stress testing with engineers then I'll discuss this topic with you until then enjoy the water.

ExtremeMarine · Criminal Joined: 31 Jan 2005 Posts: 65 City: Twinsburg

Give Bill at monster tower a call and get his 2 cents. I'm sure he will agree with me. Wakeboard towers are manufactured and tested to pull wakeboarders hence the word wakeboard tower. If you want to tube from your tower, that's all you. You can still believe tubes don't put as much stress but when you've personally done some stress testing with engineers then I'll discuss this topic with you until then enjoy the water.

marlinempress · Outlaw Joined: 02 Feb 2005 Posts: 112 City: Murray

why do you think I'm so adamant about how wakeboards pull harder than tubes?.....Tell ya what, you hold on to the rope next time and see which one gives more resistance. Bill's a pansie!

ttuclint · Addict Joined: 12 Aug 2003 Posts: 984 City: Lubbock, TX

marlinempress, you are wrong.

marlinempress · Outlaw Joined: 02 Feb 2005 Posts: 112 City: Murray

wow, that's convincing....

mneal · Outlaw Joined: 28 Jun 2003 Posts: 120 City: St. Petersburg

I am a mechanical engineer and desighned my own tower and let me tell you that if you think a tube is not capable of creating enough drag to destroy your boat you are just completely wrong. Towers rae for wakeboarding only and if you tube behind a tower then you are on browwed time. The weakest link is typically the boat, the 6061 aluminum that most towers are made from is rigid enough to hurt almost any boat. As far as the tube vs. board deal, the force it is a function of surface area and basic fluid dynamics, not to mention common sence. Good luck and I hope to never buy a used boat from you. Go look at the gelcoat around your tower mounting feet...now keep watching it...you will see cracks eventually..

wake-up-australia · Newbie Joined: 08 Feb 2005 Posts: 4 City: Woodside

Just on that last point from mneal, "Go look at the gelcoat around your tower mounting feet...now keep watching it...you will see cracks eventually.." Does this 'normally' happen as a matter of course over a period of time? We've just bought a new boat & our kids want us to put a tower on. Incidentally, the boat builder said that you can use the tower for skiing as well. Basically, he said you can ski, barefoot, trick & kneeboard off it as well as wakeboarding.

Cool

DadKid · Outlaw Joined: 21 Jan 2005 Posts: 140 City: Ottawa

I sometimes ride with a bunch of skiers, one of them has won a world championship. She skis behind a Moomba Boomerang with a fixed pylon in front of the engine. The height is just above the engine itself. They would never recommend skiing behind a tower. When it's my turn to ride we put the extended pylon over the built-in. I just have to remind them not to take me through the slalom course at 32 mph. Since they don't know a lot about wakeboarding any trick I do impresses them. I just haven't succeeded in converting anyone to wakeboarding.

ballywho · Wakeboarder.Commie Joined: 05 Feb 2005 Posts: 1725

marlinempress, try this, if you are so convinced,then you try it on your boat. Also do your experiment, hold onto both lines and tell me which one has more drag.

Use ur common sense, which is bigger, a tube or a board? Which is rougher, a tube of a board?

Finally if you do make the mistake of actually trying to pull a tuber its not my fault when you have a tower on the bottom and 4 6 inch holes in the hull.
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marlinempress · Outlaw Joined: 02 Feb 2005 Posts: 112 City: Murray

he he