Ideas for Andrew - since he has nothing to do

[Levitation]

Ya, ya, I know - about one more suggestion for something ELSE to do and you are going to fall over sideways.... Anyway, it's not my pain.

1. Sports rack braces... 45 degree braces to stiffen the sports rack from fore and aft bending... Ya need to have some on hand... Since you don't, I have to haul my boat to the canvas maker to have them custom built (ugh)... Of course, if you get cracking on this I can avoid that...

2. LED bulb replacements for the standard halogen bulbs -- MarineBeam is my recommendation (after considerable research) and he can drop ship same day as ordered... Also offer them as an option /standard? on new builds...

2. A bigger anchor - Your standard anchor (R25) is not big enough.... The rule is, if they don't point and double over laughing, your anchor is too small... A Ranger Tug should cause anchor envy everywhere we go - after all, they are already, " . . . soooo cute."...

3. Add LOADMASTER Trailers of Port Clinton, Ohio. to your list of recommended trailers... They are built like a tank... Saving weight with aluminum looks good - until you hit a West Virginia pot hole mid way through a tight turn on a 9% grade at 60 mph...

4. Cut a deal with a solar panel distributor to have a couple of solar panel sizes complete with prefab mounting hardware to match the sports rack, plugs, marine wire, charge controller, etc. as a package - and priced competitively versus us buying all the separate pieces (whilst tearing out our scanty remaining hair)...

5. Sign Board(s) that will clamp to the bow railings for sticking on your state registration numbers/letters and use tax decal... This leaves the bow area pristine and/or for putting the boat name...

6. Make ALL trunk cabin side windows be opening slide windows - including the shower... This is a minimal cost upgrade for the factory...

7. 2 inches of memory foam on top of the vee berth mattress and a 6 inch tall, foam wedge pillow under the head of the foam mattress... A major improvement in comfort... Where did you get the standard mattress cushions from, the Marquis de Sade Manufacturing Company?

8. Booster battery for the anchor winch - mounted close to the motor... It is to limit the voltage drop due to long cables and aid the motor when starting under load... It will prolong motor life... It does not have to be a large battery as it is providing a boost function not the total current...

8A. Booster battery for the bow thruster - could be shared...

9. For the R25, offer a dinette table top that is shorter to give more room for the person sitting on the aft seat and narrower to give more hip room in the aisle way... It should also clip to the cabin side to stabilize it from wiggling...It will not fit across the seats to be a bunk... It will be an optional top... The fiddles should be wide so they do not cut into your forearms when reading, etc. or no fiddles I am making my replacement top without fiddles and it will have a bull nose edge... We will see how we like it on this next trip... Mine is 33.5" long by 30" wide and is not tapered... Cabinet grade cherry plywood from a local wood supply company (not the big box store)..

Well, I have more 'stuff' but this is a start...

cheers

 

[tuggertoy]

That popping sound you just heard was Andrew's head exploding..... 😱

Eric

 

[steveandtina]

GOOD SUGGESTIONS ALL, DENNY--WE SOLVED THE DINETTE FIDDLE PROBLEMS BY COVERING THE CUSHION THAT MAKES IT INTO A BED WITH A WASHABLE COVER AND LEAVE IT ON THE TABLE. MAKES FOR VERY EASY READING. JUST PROP YOUR HARDBACK UP AGAINST YOUR CATCH ALL CONTAINER [ YOU KNOW, THAT THING THAT CARRIES ALL THE CRAP YOU NEED AT A MOMENTS NOTICE---KEYS, WALLET, PURSE, SMITH AND WESSON, WHATEVER] OURS IS A DELITEFUL WICKER BASKET :lol: HERE'S HOPING ANDREW TAKES ALL OF YOUR THOUGHTS IN THE SPIRIT IN WHICH THEY WERE OFFERED,,, STEVEANDTINA

 

[Stella Maris]

Denny,
If you go to our Website, you will see that I added the angle braces to both Solitude and Karma. You can buy everything you need right at West Marine. Cost is in the $250.00 range. We had the table for Karma redone by Ranger turning the fiddles down for the very reason you mentioned. I too thought of the attachment point for the table on the cabin wall. Never got around to that one though.

You can view our Website at: Rangertug25-solitude.com

 

[Stella Maris]

Oh and Denny, we also put all of those opening windows in Solitude that you talked about. They only run $400.00 each...... The factory will order them for you from the window manufacturer.......

 

[doke01]

This is a much less expensive place for stainless fittings then West Marine: http://store.marinepartdepot.com/

I've bought from here and the quality is really good and prices excellent. I buy my pipe from the local marine store and all the fittings from here.

 

[Stella Maris]

The other source for stainless tubing is your canvas maker. If you have one that you have worked with, they will sometimes give you "scraps" of tubing. You only need pieces between six and eight inches long and they rarely have use for these.

Free is good!!!

 

[norbhat]

Levitation, I'm wondering why you're requesting a larger anchor. At umpteen anchorages in the NW and Inside Passage, we never had any overnight movement. Granted, our evenings were pretty benign. Did have a very gusty night on Lake Powell but had a good hold in sand. No movement. You mean things can get worse?

Norb
"Two If By Sea"
25' Ranger Tug

 

[Andrew Custis]

1. We have increased the overall diameter of the sport racks making them quite a bit more sturdy. Never have seen a crack due to the movement in the bars.

2. I have tried this one. Ranger Tugs is not willing to offer LED bulbs as an option. The good thing about this is our dealers who sell you the boats can offer this as an option. To change out all bulbs to LED is less than a one hour job.

3. We will provide EZ loader aluminum trailers which have held up very well. Having their support locally is the only way to go in my opinion. Our dealers do have the option to purchase trailers from anyone they would like. The trailer is an option on our order sheet.

4. We offer solar panels as an option on Ranger R25, R27 and R29 on all new construction.

5. Have to check with the state on this one. If you have your boat documented, you will not be required to place the WN numbers on the hull sides.

6. Ranger Tugs installs 5 overhead ventilation hatches, 1 porthole and 4 sliding windows. If I had more complaints on this one, I would investigate a bit more. Not sure our customers would want to pay for them. If they were at no price increase, I am sure everyone would say to add them. Why not? I think you would be quite surprised on the price increase of a window when it goes to a slider.

7. When you purchase a Ranger R29, it comes with a memory foam mattress. The Livingstons try to keep as much space inside the v-berth as possible. They worry about headroom when you add inches to the mattress. We have tried to change this without success.

More to come. Thanks for the notes as I do look at these and write them down. I bring these to the owners attention when we have our weekly meeting.

 

[JerryE]

Andrew or Anyone Else,

Can you please inform what is the SS tubing diameter on the Sports Rack for a 2009 R25: 1" or 7/8" inch? I'd like to use 8" lengths of SS tube fitted to vertical and horizontal sports rack members with a SS T at either end. This would look like a short tube on a 45º angle between the vertical and horizontal tubes.

However, I can only find 60º t-fittings, not 45º t-fittings, which would be needed if my geometry still works. Maybe there is a hinged t-fitting that might work? Ideas??

The only other option is to use 90º fittings like on Starry Night:

 

[JerryE]

Ah brilliant, I should have just checked out Solitude/Karma for how to do the angled support brackets. It seems a 60º tee bracket on the bottom, with an end cap at the top attached to a Top Slide will do it. the 60º angle means a short tube must be used, but it should work and looks good here.

 

[Andrew Custis]

Seadog sells the Tee's you are looking for. They call them a "hinged tee fitting." You can buy these in a 60 degree or 90 degree style. They come in 7/8" or 1". Follow this link and you will find what you need. You need the 60 degree hinged 90 X 4. Either one of these part numbers. This all depends on your rail size as we did change from 7/8" to 1".

290603 290603-1 60 degree Hinged Universal Tee 7/8" .53 lb 10 ea
290604 290604-1 60 degree Hinged Universal Tee 1" .70 10 ea

http://www.sea-dog.com/PDF/290603.pdf

 

[Andrew Custis]

If I was to guess, 98% sure, you have a 7/8" handrail. I would take a tape measure to it to make up for my 2% uncertainty.