New Tower

[rostap]

Well I have been looking at towers for sometime because i feel like I am on borrowed time with the original metacraft tower. As much as i love the look and quality of Samson towers I have a hard time ponying up 3-4k for one on my older boat. So i have been looking at cheaper models aerial, monster, etc. but came across this one. I like the look of it but i emailed the guy and he told me it collapses backwards (which i need). But if i look closer at the tower...i can see it mabe collapses back easily but i dont see how the legs would be much shorter than the tower upright? Secondly..as I started to look closer and was done busting up laughing.... i decided against it just based on the set up in the second pic alone. Clearly the seller has never set one up. I guess everyone at the dock will enjoy hearing you coming? What do ya think?
http://cgi.ebay.com/Brand-New-Black-...44448073803665

[Jeffe]

I have seen towers with the speakers set up like that at boat shows, trade shows, etc...as way for displaying the speakers from a of multiple angles.

[Tanner]

Speaking from a pure design standpoint.... don't do it! I had a tower similar in design and the "Arch" that attaches to the boat is where you will get sway. Unless you have a bar that carries on down and connects to the boat, you lose all your strength. i had a Wake Designs Rival Evolution, and it would sway once u got weight up there. It was designed VERY similar to this, except the bar was an arch instead of having those angles on it. I'd stay away, but up to you!

[talltigeguy]

That tower looks almost exactly like the 05 Tige towers.

The one on my last Tige was pretty stout. Could have been better, but I never really complained about it.

[Oklahoma Breakdown]

It looks like the back vertical support might actually swivel down once collapsed? That would solve the clearance issue.

[Tanner]

That tower looks almost exactly like the 05 Tige towers.

The one on my last Tige was pretty stout. Could have been better, but I never really complained about it.

Tall, wasn't the 05's the MetCrap's that were snapping? Or was that older boats?

[chpthril]

Thats the Aerial Airborne tower with Aerial speakers and lights.

[dingleberry]

Tall, wasn't the 05's the MetCrap's that were snapping? Or was that older boats?

Pretty sure that the ones with all the failures were from around 2000-2001.

[spyderwebb]

Yep my "Metcrap" is a 2001 and it is crap, welded two or three times. This tower looks good in black kind of looks like a Sampson Edge to me.

[hoopykat]

Speaking of Metcrap...I was recently at my old elementary school that is now a community center in San Jose, and I needed to use the bathroom. Imagine the irony as I stepped up to a stainless steel prison cell looking toilet, and spy the Metcraft logo near the flush valve. Still in the crap game somehow, I guess....

-Mike

[NICKYPOO]

I was looking at the Ariel tower today. Not a bad looking tower but, the dealer said it was a bitch to mount.

[Bad05]

My neighbor just installed an Ariel tower and complains about the sway. He also said it was a PITA to mount and get everything aligned. When he folds it down, it grinds and doesn't seem to be to well built.

The 05 Metcraft tower Tall mentioned does have some sway, but it also has a WS 3-Some with an extra Pro 485 on it! I'm careful to not pull people up from angles and never pull tubes off the tower like I see so many do. Hopefully it stays strong for many years to come!

[rostap]

Like anything you probably get what you pay for, but being my 2000 Metacraft made it 10 years! can it really be any worse? I like the Aerial Assualt as well and is fairly reasonably priced, but maybe overkill for my older boat. Hmmm what to do....

[MoneyPity]

When I trashed my Tige Tower I looked at other universal towers and went to various boat dealers near Fox Lake in Northern,IL to find a tower to replace the Tige E-Series I trashed.

There were various universal towers that I liked but the various universal towers when out on Fox Lake seemed to be fine if they had no speakers and minimum load on board racks. Going out with a different boat with same towers with Wet Sounds Pro60's and a 485 they had a little flex but what bothered me was the squeaking noises. We looked at Monster and Evolution towers.

After reading ragboys Samson reviews and other Samson info and finding out what my insurance covered and that it allowed me to replace the e-series with a Razor. After correcting my dealers install issues where they did not follow Samson instructions the tower is everything I expected. With a couple of Pro 60's and boards and ski's in racks the tower is rock steady. I have no regrets with it but they are way expensive. If I replaced with Tige E-Series it would have saved about $400 or so before I added lights and improved mirror.

My only complaint is that two Bimini snap in mounts rattle like heck against the other Bimini poles. I solved the issue with a Velcro strap and a balloon put on the snap in connectors.

jeffe put on a dbg tower that he likes but I have no idea at what it costs. The tower structure looks solid and will support a large Bimini.

http://www.tigeowners.com/forum/show...dbg#post419193

[River Runner]

My only complaint is that two Bimini snap in mounts rattle like heck against the other Bimini poles. I solved the issue with a Velcro strap and a balloon put on the snap in connectors.



http://www.tigeowners.com/forum/show...dbg#post419193

My giant bimini doesnt rattle.

For the lack of a better term, there is an original type mount for the bottom of the bimini and another mount further up on the bimini supports.(total of 4 bimini screws, two always stay attached even for stowage).

There is another ring attached to the tower to support bimini. Hopefully pics will help understand.