24V Rear Step

[GUY_RPM]

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[GUY_RPM]

Hope these help. I like the look of your design with the major difference between ours is yours will replace the grab bar and mine just attaches to the grab bar. I did not want anything to touch the fiberglass. I think you will find out the expense of making your step will add up to much more than you expect.

[GUY_RPM]

My step rotates -5 degrees to +45 degrees so it can be rotated to be made parallel with the swim deck. My top plate is 1" thick X 6" X 29". I powder coated mine gloss black. I had to keep my step in close to the fiberglass because the transom would flex when I put pressure on the point furthest from the boat. I have reinforced my transom now and my step is as solid as a rock.

[GUY_RPM]

I can tell you once yours is done you will wonder how you ever did without it. My 12 year old son who usually thinks most of what I do and say is stupid thought my step was "Genius". I have received more compliments on my step than I can recall. My boating buddy who is a civil engineer was amazed at how much better it made my boat, seems like a simple idea but it will make a huge improvement. With your access to CAD and CNC machines I believe you will make a bad a** step. Without my seat of CAD I could never have made mine as complex as it is.

[bigtige72]

Dreddy... I like that step! Cup holders!! Great idea.. Then I won't spill my beer when I step down!! =) if you get to the point you have something for sale... Let me know!!

[dreddy]

GUY, I can already tell that my design is too narrow if yours is 29" long. Until I can get my boat in the drive I won't finalize the design obviously. Thanks for the pics. Yours appears that it does the exact same thing that I intend. You've got me worried about the fiberglass flex. What did you do for reinforcement? Any suggestions there would be appreciated. I would much rather do that up front before the initial installation if it is required.

Big - the cup holder wasn't my idea but was an easy thing to model. I’m personally liking something more like my first model because it preserves the grab handle on the outside but a cup holder without a drink in looks and works like a graphic handle. There is probably enough width to do both.

Guess I need to measure ho

[GUY_RPM]

I used a material called UHMW, whoever owns the tool shop you are using to make yours will be familiar with that material. Then I put a two part epoxy on one side and stuck it to the inside of the transom then I drilled thru the UHMW and reinstalled the grab bar. The UHMW distributes the pressure over a wider area. I put a two 8" X 8" squares of UHMW where the two inside bolts come thru the transom. From looking at your design it appears to me the best thing for yours would be to completely replace the grab bar with your step. If you do that it will give you four points going thru the transom and you can reinforce yours in four places. The problem I see with your design is you have to match the contour on the back of the boat. Not only is the boat on about a 45 degree angle but the boat is also convex the other way. Mine only connected to the grab bar in two locations so that eliminated that issue for me.

[dreddy]

Once I get my boat here (Hopefully this weekend!) I can use the existing grab handle to layout the bolt points to account for the contour of the transom. That certainly does make it more complicated and I'm glad you pointed out the advantage of the 2 point attachment.

I'm assuming that UHMW is what we call UHMW-PE (ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene) which is high-strength milk-jug material. It would be a really good dense plastic for the application but is probably unlikely to remain bonded in the long-term even with the epoxy because nothing really sticks well to it. That probably doesn't matter too much because its bolted into place at this point.

I have been planning on a replacement for the grab bar as I think it will look better cosmetically. Functionally it would do the same thing as yours. The actual step height of my design would be a couple of inches lower than yours. That is another thing I need to assess once I have the boat on the driveway. Higher may be

[dreddy]

Meant to say "Higher may be better"

[dreddy]

Boat is finally here! Now the fun begins. photo.JPG

[bigtige72]

Nice looking 24V!! I sure enjoy mine, I just installed a new clarion CMD 6 head unit, and replaced the 3 remotes with new MW1's... Refinished the teak swim deck with Teak Guard, came out amazing!! Enjoy, and keep us informed of your build on the step!!!

[gman]

I think there is more room to work when pulling the impellar on v than on the ve. I'll take the more room for that job anyday.