Guide on's for a Nitro

[Mike Ratko]

Has anyone looked at aftermarket guide-ons for Nitro (882)? I saw the new mini ones the Tracker is putting on some boats. They bolt on the frame. Adding them on would compromise the glavanizing though. Other aftermarket guide-ons don't appear compatible with steps on each side of the fenders.



I was hoping to put on the vertical plastic type. Or a mini one like the new ones.

Any ideas?



Mike

 

[Jim B]

you shouldnt need them if the trailer is backed in at the correct depth. When i had mine i found the percect depth was having tops of the fenders out of the water ab out an inch. From there you can drive it right on and it will center up nice every time.

 

[Mike Ratko]

You are most likely right. I was thinking that they would help on those days when the wind is not cooperating.

 

[Jim in VA]

I have a set of homemade ones. Work well. Cost about $30 in supplies. Here are some pics:

I made them by cutting an after market ladder brace in half and using U-bolts to mount them to the top of one of the cross-braces on the frame above the diamond plate step. Capped it off with a piece of 1.5" (or 2") PVC but to length. I added lights to the posts I put on my Tracker - those all went to the new owner when I sold the boat. My current rig simply has PVC caps. I may get around to adding post lights later.

 

[Mike Ratko]

Jim C,



That was exactly the inspiration I was hoping to find. Thank you very much. I think I will have room above the step plate too.

I will do some shopping for the parts after I verify clearances



Mike

 

[Jim in VA]

Mike - it will work on your rig. That back of your trailer looks like the one on my G3 HP180 rig (right down to the gold pin stripping :lol. I mounted the exact same guide on's to that trailer as well. The ladder brace pieces angle up perfectly and are within mm's of the same width as the cross members of the trailer. Here's the brace I used from Home Depot (cost $25.00).

It came with two U-bolts that will work, you just need two more. For the life of me, I can't recall what size PVC pipe (either 1.5" or 2"). Either way, if you're worried about the white PVC potentially marking up the side of the boat if it hits too hard, you can wrap cushions on the PVC pipes or use Mr. Clean magic erasers to clean the marks off the boat (I do the latter - easier, cheaper and I don't typically hit the PVC!

 

[Mike Ratko]

Thank you Jim. I will head off to HD at lunch tomorrow and check it out. $25 is much better than the $85-115 at BP or Cabelas. I will measure the distance corner to corner of the square tubing and that will give the diameter of the tubes. A light kit would be cool but I will save that for a winter project.



Mike

 

[Jim in VA]

Mike - ping me off line if you need any help. Frankly, its really easy to do. Hardest part for me was finding the extra U-bolts in the right size!! Any good hardware store (i.e., not HD) should have them. Some tips for your install:



-- I replaced the wingnuts that came with the U-bolts on the brace with nylon insert lock nuts.



-- Cutting the brace was easy with a dremel tool. Since its made out of aluminum, its easy to cut. A hacksaw would have done it too.



-- While at HD, pick up a couple of locking pin clips. When you slide the PVC over the ends of the ladder brace, you'll want to drill a hole through the PVC and ladder brace so you can insert a locking pin. Something like this:

This keeps the PVC pipe on in case you hit a bump or pothole on the road (don't ask how I know this is necessary!).



-- As for the light kit, easy (and cheaper) way to go is to but some PVC end caps (you'll want them for a finished look any way) and mount the pedestal type lights on them from Advance Auto (or Pep Boys or Autozone or . . .).



That's about it. Again, feel free to ping me direct if you have any questions.

 

[Scott Allen]

I used side marker lights on the top front of my guides for an older trailer I had. Worked great and cheap too!

 

[Mike Ratko]

I bought the bracket at HD yesterday. It was a whopping $6. They had two brands. One at $25 and the second at $6 (usually $25). I forgot the pins.



It will be this weekend's project. I will post back at the end of it all.



Thanks.... Mike

 

[Mike Ratko]

Ladies & Gentlemen of the Board,



I completed my guide-ons for a Nitro 882 using Jim's directions above. Below are the photos of the mostly-finished product. I am going to paint the uprights black and add some relective tape to the tops while I find a set of lights to mount a the top. I am going to look at the light kits that are available at BassPro or the like. I would like something on the smaller side. I can be patient through the winter.



Thank you Jim for the inspiration.



Mike

 

[Jim in VA]

Mike - nicely done! Couple of thoughts: might be worth adding another U-bolt at the base of each guide-on. Otherwise, you may find that if the boat hits the PVC, it may cause the brace to swivel on the single U-bolt. Second, you can cap the PVC with a 2" PVC cap. Makes it look more finished. You can always pull it off later to add lower profile lights. Speaking of which, found these online (don't have them personally).

Available at: http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_104357?cm_mmc=froogle-_-225-10-7-_--1-_-38-533-129-00&hvarAID=froogle&mr:trackingCode=3801D6A8-E881-DE11-B712-001422107090&mr:referralID=NA



or these

Available at: http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/producte/10001/-1/10001/247269?&cid=chanintel&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=247269



Both are designed to fit 2" PVC. Again, nice job!

 

[Mike Ratko]

Hi Jim,



I did add a second u-bolt to each support AND I have a set of lights from BassPro on the way. I have since painted the tubes gloss black (to match the boat and trailer) and have added some reflective tape. Great minds think alike.



Thanks again for your help.



Mike

 

[Quentin xiong]

Hi, i have read all the messages above, and they give me good infos of making a guide on.. Somehow i cannot find any ladder brace at my local Home Depot..Did you guys have to bend the brace to its shape or it came already bended? I'm thinking using an electrical 1 inch EMT conduit pipe, and put a pvc 1 1/4 inch over it, but still thinnking how to bend the EMT to fit. Any others sugestions??



Quentin

 

[Jim in VA]

Quentin - the ladder brace comes pre-bent and is shaped like an elongated U - more like a |______| The idea is to cut that in half and use each cut piece for either side of the trailer. If Home Depot doesn't have it, try Lowe's, Ace Hardware, Harbor Freight or Northern Tool. You can also try Amazon.com (link below).
http://www.amazon.com/Werner-AC96-A...=1342067727&sr=1-3&keywords=ladder+stabilizer

 

[Major Mark]

Home Depot


http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...=10053&langId=-1&keyword=werner&storeId=10051