Tower up or down for towing?

[ncnmra]

I searched a bit, and all the threads were somewhat old and inconclusive. We are driving a decent distance for the long weekend, and I'm debating whether to fold the tower for the longer trip. Its a bit of a PITA, but I prefer it down for a number of reasons. Anyone have any opinions to the contrary?

I have tower speakers, but they don't interfere with the cover really, and its one of the reasons why I prefer to have the tower down, because the speakers and bimini get less wind exposure.

 

[Benny Sibbitt]

I read somewhere on the newer boats to leave the tower up when towing, not sure about your model

 

[Julian]

Yamaha recommends tower up for towing.

 

[OperationROL]

Conclusively UP!

 

[Glassman]

Leave it up. Cover anything you don't want covered with bugs.

 

[Speedling]

Can't have down. It's not strong enough and will bounce around and break.
I assume you have the model with the cable for letting it have a stop from folding too far?
I was looking at that and had ideas for mu own tower actually but man oh man do i have the projects lined up.
Without a dedicated bracket to secure it you can't tow with it down safely.

 

[ncnmra]

Can't have down. It's not strong enough and will bounce around and break.
I assume you have the model with the cable for letting it have a stop from folding too far?
I was looking at that and had ideas for mu own tower actually but man oh man do i have the projects lined up.
Without a dedicated bracket to secure it you can't tow with it down safely.

Well that's the thing; I have brackets like this:
http://yamahajetboaters.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=62191

And this:
http://yamahajetboaters.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=21294

It actually seems way more sturdy down than up. I once lost a speaker cover with it in the up position (lesson learned).

The older towers were constructed much differently and almost seem more built to be towed in both positions.

 

[ncnmra]

Interesting, stupid me never thought to actually look in the manual. Here is what the 2008 212X manual shows:

 

[Speedling]

Interesting, stupid me never thought to actually look in the manual. Here is what the 2008 212X manual shows:

Well that is totally different so go for it!

 

[Julian]

I'll be curious to see if you think it is as "fixed" and sturdy in the down position....

 

[BlackandTan]

It appears that towing is acceptable with the 212, but my 242 Limited S manual specifically says that folding the wakeboard tower is for storage only.

 

[ncnmra]

Ok, so I think that's where the confusion comes from. It seems that it depends on the boat/model/year etc. No so "conclusive" then haha.

I have found that my tower is much more stable when secured down (ie: side to side movement), and I like the lower overall height and the fact that it shifts some of the weight back also. I think I will continue to tow in the lowered position for longer distances.

 

[OperationROL]

Makes sense if you consider the design. The backwards, reverse style arch towers do not have an point towards the front to secure it with brackets. They would have to be at the back where the tower hinges and that would be incredibly weak. Yamaha ships them with the bracket but also uses additional methods to hold the towers securely in place. On your boat, the bracket is towards the back and right where it needs to be to do the job correctly.

 

[ncnmra]

Yes of course. I should have looked in the manual first, it didn't really dawn on me that Yamaha would state anything about towing the boat per se, since the manual doesn't discuss any trailer details, etc. I'm content that I'm not doing something that the manufacturer specifically prohibits.

 

[Matt Phillips]

My tower isn't foldable however, I'd think that it'd be better to tow with it up. My thought process is withstand force, stress and general bouncing about on the water in the up position, so it'd likely ride out the jarring better in the up position.

Just my 2 cents...

 

[buckbuck]

I put my tower down for long trips. I also have a 2008 212X. I do it for the gas mileage but you guys have poo poo-ed that before. Kinda hurt my feelings.

 

[Glassman]

I put my tower down for long trips. I also have a 2008 212X. I do it for the gas mileage but you guys have poo poo-ed that before. Kinda hurt my feelings.

On behalf of jetboaters forum I apologize for those bastards having hurt your feelings.
If it happens again, let me know. It's been a while, but I can still kick some ass.

 

[buckbuck]

Thanks Glassman, it's nice to know someone cares.

 

[njmr2fan]

I towed our 190 a few hundred miles from NJ to GA with the tower up. Then I found the "towing bars" so that you can tow the boat with the tower collapsed. Oh well, next road trip.

 

[dansshin]

My 2013 212x manual states:
"Do not operate the boat or transport it on the trailer with the tower in the collapsed position to avoid possible damage."

On a side note, I been having to collapse and raise the tower to get the boat into my garage and I noticed that one of the bolts that you screw into the tower is ~.25" to .50" longer than rest. Not sure why. Anyone else notice that on their boat? It seems like defective part as this one doesn't fit snuggly like the other ones due to the extra length.