Jump to content

Welcome to TheMalibuCrew!

As a guest, you are welcome to poke around and view the majority of the content that we have to offer, but in order to post, search, contact members, and get full use out of the website you will need to Register for an Account. It's free and it's easy, so don't hesitate to join the TheMalibuCrew Family today!

Gatorstep kit on the way! No More Smelly Carpet!


Wakesetter67

Recommended Posts

So, are you just placing this over the carpet, or pulling the carpet out, which

in my thoughts would be the better way to go.

Hummmm now thinking about it, your carpet is removable, right? Not like

mine glued down.

Really like the idea of the Gator kit

Edited by Dare2goBare
Link to comment

So, are you just placing this over the carpet, or pulling the carpet out, which

in my thoughts would be the better way to go.

Hummmm now thinking about it, your carpet is removable, right? Not like

mine glued down.

Really like the idea of the Gator kit

Yes I will take out the carpet, & when my wife and I head to the lake I will set it back in over the Gatorstep, She like the carpet but hated the smell. I will remove the snaps and to be honest I never used the snaps anyway, That carpet is so heavy and I always use the wind screen I'm sure it wont blow out.

  • Like 1
Link to comment

I ordered mine with this type of flooring now because in my 2012 and 2015 the carpet was really really heavy and took forever to dry out. Will be curious to see how it goes this season.

  • Like 1
Link to comment

Correct. In the Malibu's I have received with installing Gator Step, I end up pulling the factory carpet and removing the snaps (phillips screws). I clean the fiberglass surface real well, as well as vacuum any remaining particles left in the cabin. 20 minutes later, Gator Step is installed!

18006094013_b39011a2e3_z.jpg2015 Malibu Boats 23 LSV. Gator Step. by Mason Obray, on Flickr

Looks great! how do you go about cleaning the gatorstep?

Link to comment

Looks great! how do you go about cleaning the gatorstep?

I typically use a Tire/Wheel brush, and then use a product called Special Cleaner.

Apply Special Cleaner, use Tire/Wheel brush to pull up the dirt and grim. It takes a good 10-15 minutes of elbow grease, but is indeed relatively low maintenance. We're doing Gator Step on a bunch of our inventory / custom ordered boats now.

Link to comment

So I have the OEM carpet glued down to the floor in my boat and after 6 seasons its very matted and gross. If I wanted to do a gator step kit, could I theoretically cut the carpet at the seat base and remove the section in the cabin area, leave the carpet on the floor beneath the seats and install gator step in the cabin area? What would be the downside to this?

I'm willing to do almost anything at this point, the boat reeks in the summer months when it gets wet. I've tried every cleaning product and even pressure washed the carpet to no avail.....

Link to comment

So I have the OEM carpet glued down to the floor in my boat and after 6 seasons its very matted and gross. If I wanted to do a gator step kit, could I theoretically cut the carpet at the seat base and remove the section in the cabin area, leave the carpet on the floor beneath the seats and install gator step in the cabin area? What would be the downside to this?

I'm willing to do almost anything at this point, the boat reeks in the summer months when it gets wet. I've tried every cleaning product and even pressure washed the carpet to no availSo

So the best way to remove the glued down carpet is to take a sharp Utility knife, run the blade all around the seat base ( not to deep just enough to cut through the carpet and backing, Then run the knife from front to back just as you did around the seat base about 6" strip and pull up carpet, Then you need to remove ALL the old adhesive so it's just Fiberglass, it needs to be really clean and smooth, no adhesive residue, then your ready for Gatorstep!

Link to comment

Ordered my T22 with no carpet and will be ordering Gatorstep soon. You can also order straight from the factory. So far they (TJ) has been very easy to deal with.

Edited by Simo
  • Like 2
Link to comment

Correct. In the Malibu's I have received with installing Gator Step, I end up pulling the factory carpet and removing the snaps (phillips screws). I clean the fiberglass surface real well, as well as vacuum any remaining particles left in the cabin. 20 minutes later, Gator Step is installed!

18006094013_b39011a2e3_z.jpg2015 Malibu Boats 23 LSV. Gator Step. by Mason Obray, on Flickr

I noticed that there is no flooring over the pump access. It appears that the reasoning may be to keep everything level ( at least that's the way it looks in the pic) Am I correct?

Edited by Simo
Link to comment

So I have the OEM carpet glued down to the floor in my boat and after 6 seasons its very matted and gross. If I wanted to do a gator step kit, could I theoretically cut the carpet at the seat base and remove the section in the cabin area, leave the carpet on the floor beneath the seats and install gator step in the cabin area? What would be the downside to this?

I'm willing to do almost anything at this point, the boat reeks in the summer months when it gets wet. I've tried every cleaning product and even pressure washed the carpet to no avail.....

I've been able to get it clean and remove odors, you have to wet vac as you go, scrub, rinse, suck, scrub, rinse, suck... It's a process that I'm tired of and my wife loved all the new boats at the boat show with this new type of flooring.

I'm just holding out to see the longevity of this stuff. I had hydroturf that broke down after a couple seasons on a platform and it seems like there's plenty of "need to replace my seadek on my platform" threads. Anyone have proof that this stuff can last 5,10,15 years?

So the best way to remove the glued down carpet is to take a sharp Utility knife, run the blade all around the seat base ( not to deep just enough to cut through the carpet and backing, Then run the knife from front to back just as you did around the seat base about 6" strip and pull up carpet, Then you need to remove ALL the old adhesive so it's just Fiberglass, it needs to be really clean and smooth, no adhesive residue, then your ready for Gatorstep!

Good info Vince, so under neath the carpet and glue is nice finished fiberglass or will some sanding be required? Any gelcoat or color? It appears that Gatorstep or similar come in pieces and leave small gaps so I would want the subsurface grey or black.

Link to comment

N

I've been able to get it clean and remove odors, you have to wet vac as you go, scrub, rinse, suck, scrub, rinse, suck... It's a process that I'm tired of and my wife loved all the new boats at the boat show with this new type of flooring.

I'm just holding out to see the longevity of this stuff. I had hydroturf that broke down after a couple seasons on a platform and it seems like there's plenty of "need to replace my seadek on my platform" threads. Anyone have proof that this stuff can last 5,10,15 years?

Good info Vince, so under neath the carpet and glue is nice finished fiberglass or will some sanding be required? Any gelcoat or color? It appears that Gatorstep or similar come in pieces and leave small gaps so I would want the subsurface grey or black.

Ndawg,

You raise similar concerns as I have if I were to approach this in this manner. Gaps between the Gator Step would allow you to see the floor below which looks like?? What shape is the fiberglass floor going to be in once I remove the carpet/glue residue?

The other concern I would have is at the cut line at the seat base, would this look ok, or after time would it begin to fray or pull back under the seat base?

Hopefully someone could chime in with some answers.

Link to comment

N

Ndawg,

You raise similar concerns as I have if I were to approach this in this manner. Gaps between the Gator Step would allow you to see the floor below which looks like?? What shape is the fiberglass floor going to be in once I remove the carpet/glue residue?

The other concern I would have is at the cut line at the seat base, would this look ok, or after time would it begin to fray or pull back under the seat base?

Hopefully someone could chime in with some answers.

^^^ +1 to all your questions, I'd love to go this route, but I'm thinking under the carpet

is not so nice a floor as if it where finished to be viable!

  • Like 1
Link to comment

I've been able to get it clean and remove odors, you have to wet vac as you go, scrub, rinse, suck, scrub, rinse, suck... It's a process that I'm tired of and my wife loved all the new boats at the boat show with this new type of flooring.

I'm just holding out to see the longevity of this stuff. I had hydroturf that broke down after a couple seasons on a platform and it seems like there's plenty of "need to replace my seadek on my platform" threads. Anyone have proof that this stuff can last 5,10,15 years?

Good info Vince, so under neath the carpet and glue is nice finished fiberglass or will some sanding be required? Any gelcoat or color? It appears that Gatorstep or similar come in pieces and leave small gaps so I would want the subsurface grey or black.

use a good adhesive remover to try to get up as much as possible, Then in the areas that would be exposed try wet sanding and buffing those areas out, I know its a lot of work but it will make the entire job look better,

Edited by Wakesetter67
Link to comment

TMC member Intense did what we are talking about but I believe he used Seadek and his pieces all butt up to each other. He told me that under the carpet and glue the fiberglass has a checkerboard pattern, has a blue-ish/green-ish tint, and is fairly smooth. Then I talked with a boat restoration company and they said it would be best to gelcoat it, of course it was very expensive.

Has anyone ever rolled on gelcoat with a foam roller or a really short nap roller. Is gelcoat self leveling? If not I wouldn't think a slight orange peel finish would be a big deal...? No way I'm spraying it.

What about an industrial epoxy paint?

As far as the carpet fraying under the seat braces, I envision an "L" shaped piece of flexible rubber trim or even small 1/4 round like in your house.

Link to comment

ndawg here's a good DIY pictorial from someone who did seadeck in place of glued in carpet: http://www.wakeworld.com/forum/showthread.php?t=802879

BTW, Russ does some very very good DIY work and I'm sure he'd be happy to give you some pointers and sources for his prep materials. I know he's a big advocate of MA's wakelogic controller too (he has set up several MB's with gates).

Edited by shawndoggy
  • Like 2
Link to comment

ndawg here's a good DIY pictorial from someone who did seadeck in place of glued in carpet: http://www.wakeworld.com/forum/showthread.php?t=802879

BTW, Russ does some very very good DIY work and I'm sure he'd be happy to give you some pointers and sources for his prep materials. I know he's a big advocate of MA's wakelogic controller too (he has set up several MB's with gates).

3k!!! Ouch!!! That was a good read, my biggest takeaway was the monsterliner floor prep, I need to check if that comes in grey. I'll try to shoot him a PM to see how it's all holding up 2 years later.

Link to comment

ndawg here's a good DIY pictorial from someone who did seadeck in place of glued in carpet: http://www.wakeworld.com/forum/showthread.php?t=802879

BTW, Russ does some very very good DIY work and I'm sure he'd be happy to give you some pointers and sources for his prep materials. I know he's a big advocate of MA's wakelogic controller too (he has set up several MB's with gates).

Thanks for the link! I'll have to see how much GatorStep would be as a substitute material. I don't think I'd do the lockers and under seats, those areas don't seem to be the problem for me.

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...