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Tower


Tahoe07

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I just had a Titan 3 installed on my 06 LXI. Has anybody had any issues with pulling tubers off the tower? Will it withstand the pull of a tube without damage to the hull? When the boat is loaded it is nice to get the rope above everyone.

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I just had a Titan 3 installed on my 06 LXI. Has anybody had any issues with pulling tubers off the tower? Will it withstand the pull of a tube without damage to the hull? When the boat is loaded it is nice to get the rope above everyone.

Not a good idea. Neither Titan or Malibu recommend it. The stress a tube puts on the boat & tower is a LOT more than a boarder. Probably a better idea to tie off on the transom.

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I agree - don't do it, but every time I'm at the lake, I see people doing it & I haven't heard of any towers tearing off, but they may be seeing stress cracks before the rest of us ? Also, logic would say small kids in a "small tube", verses teens in a larger tube getting pulled harder would play into it also. I have been guilty of pulling small kids from the tower to keep the spray out of their faces that the rope hitting the wake can cause.

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I wanted to try to get the tuber all the way around the boat with the tower Whistling.gif

ALL in good fun you know whip them around to do a 360

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While I've never been one to reccomend tubing on a tower, I'd prefer to see you keep it on the pylon. The transom handle has four attachement points in very close proximity to each other, where at least the tower has them far apart.

I'd post my opinion of #1 - Pylon, #2 - Titan tower, #3 - ski.

Peter

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While I've never been one to reccomend tubing on a tower, I'd prefer to see you keep it on the pylon. The transom handle has four attachement points in very close proximity to each other, where at least the tower has them far apart.

True, but isn't the transom thicker than the deck surface where the tower is attached?

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While I've never been one to reccomend tubing on a tower, I'd prefer to see you keep it on the pylon. The transom handle has four attachement points in very close proximity to each other, where at least the tower has them far apart.

True, but isn't the transom thicker than the deck surface where the tower is attached?

You'd sure think the transom would be be stronger on any boat built for a Wedge.

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Yes but the attachment of the transom handle allows the tube to put some serious torque on that transom...at least the heim joints on a titan tower don't torque the deck.

-Chris

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While I've never been one to reccomend tubing on a tower, I'd prefer to see you keep it on the pylon. The transom handle has four attachment points in very close proximity to each other, where at least the tower has them far apart.

True, but isn't the transom thicker than the deck surface where the tower is attached?

You'd sure think the transom would be be stronger on any boat built for a Wedge.

The transom is....down under the platform were the wedge is attached.... But the top deck, no, that's really for light towing and a grab handle.

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Logic and math would say the transom would be the strongest place to pull from! The first thing to go would be the hook that is bolted from the transom Whistling.gif

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While I've never been one to reccomend tubing on a tower, I'd prefer to see you keep it on the pylon. The transom handle has four attachment points in very close proximity to each other, where at least the tower has them far apart.

True, but isn't the transom thicker than the deck surface where the tower is attached?

You'd sure think the transom would be be stronger on any boat built for a Wedge.

The transom is....down under the platform were the wedge is attached.... But the top deck, no, that's really for light towing and a grab handle.

Oh.. gotcha. Just realized the grab handle is attached to the deck (above the rub rail) vs the transom/hull section. I agree, that it probably isn't the strongest section. The tower probably already has a lot of stresses with the tower weight, speakers, etc..

One other thing to watch is the possiblity of slacking the rope into the boat, dangling from the tower. that could cause some major issues to your back passengers

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Just to stir the pot, is this just an old wive's tale or does somebody actually have the data that says a tuber puts more drag on line than a hard cutting boarder or the pull to get a boarder up? Just curious. I always pull my kids from the pylon, but the v-drive layout doesn't cause a rope problem with the rear seat.

BTW, I believe the brace that supports my pylon is attached to the top deck of the boat. It's a spread out 4 point attachment, but not really that much different than the tower attachment. I know hard slalom cuts load the rope more than a tube.

edit: Forgot that you have to consider that the distance between the rope attachment and hull attachment (moment arm) is larger for a tower. Still, does anyone have proof of stress cracking pulling a tuber on a heim-jointed tower attachment?

Edited by vette-ski
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Just to stir the pot, is this just an old wive's tale or does somebody actually have the data that says a tuber puts more drag on line than a hard cutting boarder or the pull to get a boarder up? Just curious. I always pull my kids from the pylon, but the v-drive layout doesn't cause a rope problem with the rear seat.

BTW, I believe the brace that supports my pylon is attached to the top deck of the boat. It's a spread out 4 point attachment, but not really that much different than the tower attachment. I know hard slalom cuts load the rope more than a tube.

edit: Forgot that you have to consider that the distance between the rope attachment and hull attachment (moment arm) is larger for a tower. Still, does anyone have proof of stress cracking pulling a tuber on a heim-jointed tower attachment?

I really don't see how a tuber can cause that much more stress than a boarder. I use the the tower for tubing a lot, and never had a problem. Also my boat is an 88 so in theory my top deck is probably not as strong as a the new boats designed to have tower. Anyone ever been hit in the back by a ski handle that the person being pulled out of the water really hard let go of? There is a lot of force involved in pulling someone up. I got tattooed by a ski handle once, if it would have hit me in the head or face I would have been in real trouble...

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Just to stir the pot, is this just an old wive's tale or does somebody actually have the data that says a tuber puts more drag on line than a hard cutting boarder or the pull to get a boarder up? Just curious. I always pull my kids from the pylon, but the v-drive layout doesn't cause a rope problem with the rear seat.

BTW, I believe the brace that supports my pylon is attached to the top deck of the boat. It's a spread out 4 point attachment, but not really that much different than the tower attachment. I know hard slalom cuts load the rope more than a tube.

edit: Forgot that you have to consider that the distance between the rope attachment and hull attachment (moment arm) is larger for a tower. Still, does anyone have proof of stress cracking pulling a tuber on a heim-jointed tower attachment?

I don't know if the tuber puts more stress on the attachment point than a skier or boarder. I think it comes down to what happens when there is a wipeout. The skier or boarder would let go of the handle most likely in the event of a fall. If they try to hold on, I would assume that their grip would not be anywhere near as strong as the attachment point on the boat (regardless of where the attachment point is). However, with a tube, the rider could potentially fall causing the tube to submarine. This would put an instant overload on the boat and towrope, possibly causing damage.

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I've been doing some reading on the best location to pull a tube. I have a '96 Sunsetter LX and don't plan on using the tower to pull a tube, but there doesn't seem to be a consensus as to whether the ski pylon or transom hook is the safer option.

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Well, the pylon is probably "safer", but there an awful lot of I/O's running around out there pulling tubes that don't have pylons. I would sure like to think the transom (upper deck or not) on a Malibu is built better than the typical Bayliner. So, if your options are using the pylon and strangling all of your passengers with the rope in the back seat of a direct drive boat OR using the tow hook, I wouldn't have a problem pulling a tube with the tow hook. But that's JMO.

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Many of you have send the pull from a tube is to much drag for the tower. What about pulling a barefooter from a deep water start? I would think there is more drag pulling a barefooter from a deep than a tube.

When Malibu installs a Titan 3 tower at the factory do they reinforce them more? I was looking at the fiberglass in front of the windshield where the tower connects and it does not seem to be that thick.

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What about pulling a barefooter from a deep water start?

I've done that without problem.

That's what I bought the boat and tower for.

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Many of you have send the pull from a tube is to much drag for the tower. What about pulling a barefooter from a deep water start? I would think there is more drag pulling a barefooter from a deep than a tube.

When Malibu installs a Titan 3 tower at the factory do they reinforce them more? I was looking at the fiberglass in front of the windshield where the tower connects and it does not seem to be that thick.

A barefooter has far less mass than a tuber & tube, and far less surface area in the water, so far less drag. The only exception to that is going to be the speed that a footer typically goes. But it still won't come even close to how much drag there is with a tube with an adult at the speeds most people go.

Riding foils I think has to be one of the disciplines that put the most amount of stress on a tower. Typically we ride 25 - 30 mph, and are big, powerful guys. I'm well over 200 lbs & don't let go of the handle for much, and have broken ropes, handles, quick releases & torn up my shoulders doing it. I've seen guys weighing close to 300 lbs going for front flips where they hold on & pop the handle & non-stretch rope all the way into the boat. In 2000 there was an Aussie rider, a ski show vet, who was working on double front flips. He held on to one one time that ripped the top section of the tower clean off the boat. The Titan towers are really popular with the foil riders because they are some of the strongest any of us have ever used.

And seeing how crazy some tubers will pull their riders at off angles, off wakes, spinning them, whipping them, etc....... probably exceeds even what a foil rider will put a tower thru. Obviously towing your young kids is not going to do the same thing.

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