Xpress 1546D Makeover... -- SOLD!

[BassAssassin]

Nice boat. I like the open floor plans. do you plan to add anything else or leave the floor open. My boat is set up the same way. I really need to figure out how to hide my wiring and battery, all that cable showing is a pet peeve of mine, not to mention a fire hazard. Do you have some kinda power distribution block that you are going to use? If so, post some pics of that.. Good build and good luck

 

[russ010]

I ran the wiring under the ribs in the flooring... I just haven't posted pics of it yet.

I don't have a distribution block set up yet. I had to get this boat ready for a tournament this past Saturday so I was running short on time to do it the way I really wanted to, but I'll get it done before the next tourney.

I have a 150qt cooler as a livewell which I sit in the center - it takes up a lot of room, but I made it removable and it will only be in there when I'm doing tournaments. I still have room to walk all the way around it, so it's not that big of a deal.

 

[Quackrstackr]

Thanks Quack - I'll definitely do that...

do I need to put a little grease on it before I put the hubs on too? Just to make sure it slides right into place? I don't think it would hurt, but I want this to be right when I do it... don't need any surprises going down the road that early in the morning!

You shouldn't need it to slide the hub on but a light coat on the axle will insure that the spindle isn't dry until you drive the trailer for a distance. I would pack as much grease into the hub as I could get in it between the bearings before I slid it in place. You said something about the assembled hubs coming with grease in them already but I'm not sure how much they will have. I have never dealt with any that were preassembled. You want as much inside the hub as you can get before you slide them on or else you will have to displace a lot of air filling it with your grease gun afterwards.

You actually need to find out what kind of grease is coming in those hubs if the hubs are not dedicated boat trailer hubs. They need to be filled with marine grease and not just regular axle/bearing grease. The two do not mix well when one is pumped in and combined with the other, either.

 

[russ010]

never though about the different greases... I'll have to check it out.

Here are the hubs I'm ordering - https://www.trailerpartsdepot.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=0003&eq=&Tp=

If anybody needs trailer parts - I highly recommend using these guys. I've been talking to Mike who works there and he is sending them to me 2nd Day Air (Ground is the only option available at checkout). But it's still a good price with the Guaranteed Shipping which I was afraid would be an unbelievable price and hate to spend, but it was actually cheaper than expected.

They have a lot of stuff on their site - a lot more than other places I have seen.

 

[russ010]

Russ, once you removed all the trash and dirt, that boat looks really nice. You will make into a nice bass rig when your through. Keep the pics coming.

Thanks Bob.

I've got more pics... but unless I've already uploaded them to Photobucket, I'll have to post them later tonight. I have been so far behind lately it's not even funny! Work is crazy right now, and I'm about to start travelling, but I need to make time for TinBoat members... I love pictures just as much as you guys do - and it's amazing what I see myself when I look at my own pictures... I see stuff I missed when I was actually doing it.

By the way - never use Brake Cleaner on painted surfaces... that is one of the best paint removers I have ever seen!

 

[russ010]

Sometimes I don't post all the pictures... so if anyone wants to browse more - you can look through my photobucket - https://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a382/russ010/Xpress Boat/

I didn't upload all the wiring pics, so I'll have to do that tonight when I get home

 

[Quackrstackr]

By the way - never use Brake Cleaner on painted surfaces... that is one of the best paint removers I have ever seen!

Never use it around plastic either unless you are just trying to formulate some sort of goo with the consistency of corn syrup.

That's a darn site cheaper for the entire unit than I had imagined. Bearings, seals and grease for both sides would probably cost you about what one preassembled hub is but you are getting the hub and a heck of a lot less work going that route.

 

[ober51]

Russ, out of curiosity, did you get any of those electronics to work - FF or trolling motor? Looks like you'd need a miracle, but hey, you never know.

 

[ober51]

Not to highjack this thread Russ, but maybe you can help. Your big jon has a really flat front, making it a true jon, no? I am looking at my boat and see more of a v. I didn't think its a mod-v but there is definitely more of a v than I previously realized. Any thoughts?

I have attached a picture of mine and yours just for reference.

 

[ben2go]

Ober51 your blue and gray boat is a mod V and the green boat is a standard jon.

 

[ober51]

Ober51 your blue and gray boat is a mod V and the green boat is a standard jon.

Alright, thanks B2G. I was looking at it the other day but forgot to mention it. Then when I was leafing through Russ' bucket album, I thought, "Maybe mine is a mod-v." I feel a bit more comfortable when taking it out in a bit more wind/chop, not that I'm going out to sea or anything.

 

[russ010]

Russ, out of curiosity, did you get any of those electronics to work - FF or trolling motor? Looks like you'd need a miracle, but hey, you never know.

The fish finder actually worked... but not very good - it has broken lines in it, but I think it will still show the depths and stuff like that ok. I ran it in simulation mode and I could make out just about everything.

The trolling motor on the other hand fried. I hooked it up to the battery, turned it on and it did a quick spin and I'm pretty sure it said "not in this lifetime". So I traded it to another guy for some Hella spot lights because he wanted the mount.

The front navigation light actually worked when I took it apart and cleaned the corrosion off the connections inside the bulb housing. I put it back on, but I still have to wire it.

I haven't tried the rear light yet - but I'll have to replace the dome on it if I want to use it and it works. I have to move it though because it's on the wrong side - shouldn't that light be on the right side of the boat (if your looking at it from behind the boat towards the bow)?

 

[ober51]

Russ, out of curiosity, did you get any of those electronics to work - FF or trolling motor? Looks like you'd need a miracle, but hey, you never know.

The fish finder actually worked... but not very good - it has broken lines in it, but I think it will still show the depths and stuff like that ok. I ran it in simulation mode and I could make out just about everything.

The trolling motor on the other hand fried. I hooked it up to the battery, turned it on and it did a quick spin and I'm pretty sure it said "not in this lifetime". So I traded it to another guy for some Hella spot lights because he wanted the mount.

The front navigation light actually worked when I took it apart and cleaned the corrosion off the connections inside the bulb housing. I put it back on, but I still have to wire it.

I haven't tried the rear light yet - but I'll have to replace the dome on it if I want to use it and it works. I have to move it though because it's on the wrong side - shouldn't that light be on the right side of the boat (if your looking at it from behind the boat towards the bow)?

Yeah if you are looking at the boat from the back, it should be on the right, the starboard side of the stern, and be visible 360 degrees with white light.

Nice, so some stuff works, that's great. That's something I'm not looking forward to doing, though by reading posts and the 12V Bible, I feel at least semi confident. I have a question though and since I'm typing hoping you can help- what is the advantage of using two buss bars, one for neg one for pos? Do I wire everything to them? Meaning each electronic's negative to the neg buss bar and then each electronic's pos to the pos buss bar? Did you use them on your last boat? WHat are you planning on this one?

 

[Loggerhead Mike]

those bearings look pitted pretty bad good thing you caught it before it left you

 

[russ010]

Nice, so some stuff works, that's great. That's something I'm not looking forward to doing, though by reading posts and the 12V Bible, I feel at least semi confident. I have a question though and since I'm typing hoping you can help- what is the advantage of using two buss bars, one for neg one for pos? Do I wire everything to them? Meaning each electronic's negative to the neg buss bar and then each electronic's pos to the pos buss bar? Did you use them on your last boat? WHat are you planning on this one?

Ober, I am actually contemplating on using bus bars now that I'm thinking about it... The electronics I have in my boat right now are as follows - radio, fish finder, trolling motor, and the livewell pump and bilge pump for my livewell. I'll also have interior leds, and the nav lights. I'm typing this as I imagine it in my head, so bear with me...

The front trolling motor is wired in series (24v) so I have 2 batteries up front for that. The only other device that will run off of those batteries is the Fish Finder, and I have it wired directly to the battery that puts out 12v.

The radio, livewell pump, bilge pump, and all lights will run off an "accesorry battery" (24 series deep cycle) that I have located infront of the rear bench. Right now, I have everything hard wired to the battery there (except for the nav lights) with all wiring running under the floor that I installed. I'm going to install a switch panel somewhere and probably leave everything hooked directly to the battery toggle posts.

I'll take pics tonight when I get home to show how I'm doing all the wiring, but I don't have any of the batteries or flooring in right now because I've been having to take it out until I get my tarp (which should be there by the time I get home).

I'll take a ton of pics tonight and post them later... I can describe how I did all of it then and it will make more sense

 

[ober51]

Russ, thanks for this. The more pics the better - as I have always let my brothers do the wiring on anything around the house. If you should how you hooked this up, with switches, fuses, etc, that would be awesome. I know positive and negative, but get confused when bus bars and switches are introduced. I am sure I am overcomplicating things, but I don't want a fire or anything, you know?

 

[poolie]

It's actually pretty easy ober51. We'll help ya out. But yea, bus bars or fuse panels (or switch panels) are usually the way to go when you have one source and need to feed several accessories.

 

[ober51]

It's actually pretty easy ober51. We'll help ya out. But yea, bus bars or fuse panels (or switch panels) are usually the way to go when you have one source and need to feed several accessories.

Thanks, man. I am not at that point yet - freaking weather and work - so I will have to take you up on that when I am. I did get a great deal on some 12 ga wire, though. Two weeks ago I went to Boater's World, now defunct, and got I think 250 ft (I think) for 15 dollars. From what I gather, that's a good deal.

 

[bassboy1]

Yeah if you are looking at the boat from the back, it should be on the right, the starboard side of the stern...

Actually no.

Technically, they are supposed to be as close to the centerline as possible, and technically 3.3 feet above your bow nav lights. However, on small pleasure boats, especially those on inland waters, no one cares about whether or not it is on the centerline, so your port side light should be just fine. Also, as long as it is visible above all motors and such, not too many follow the 3.3 feet rule, here in inland waters.

 

[ober51]

Yeah if you are looking at the boat from the back, it should be on the right, the starboard side of the stern...

Actually no.

Technically, they are supposed to be as close to the centerline as possible, and technically 3.3 feet above your bow nav lights. However, on small pleasure boats, especially those on inland waters, no one cares about whether or not it is on the centerline, so your port side light should be just fine. Also, as long as it is visible above all motors and such, not too many follow the 3.3 feet rule, here in inland waters.

I'm demanding my money back from my boating course then, lol. Oh well, thanks for that lesson though.