Rod saver install on Weldbilt 1548

Hey guys, i want to share my rod saver installation with ya'll. My boat is a Weldbilt 1548 mod-v and i use it for duck hunting and fishing. I use it so much that i dont winterize it...atleast for the next month when my first child is expected.
Generally the Weldbilts come with no floor but they are a great company that takes custom orders and will do just about anything you want them to. When you order a floor it also comes with sides but i requests to have no sides installed and just the aluminum diamondplate floor. Which is why the ribs are exposed.
I picked up my much wanted rod savers after brainstorming and i decided to go for it. I will either install the golf bag tubes for the longer rod tips OR cut out a "pocket" in the rear bench. Let me know your opinion on that, please if i do it that way i will get the factory Trim-lok molding that Weldbilt uses on their edges for the hole. But either way i do it i will not be removing too much foam.
I layed out a few of my rods of my rods at different lengths to determine where i want the rod savers. I got them from Bass Pro for about $23

Pics

Nice and simple, I like it! :beer:

Installed and with a couple of my shorter spinners. Next question to self...individual tip tubes or slot/pocket in bench for the longer rods?

Thanks Jim. I like simple. Also, I like the rod savers because they are flexible for the contours of the ribs so I didn't have to make a flat surface for them to mount on. But I do feel like they should have come with fender washers.

Tubes, for ease of installation. Get simple golf club tubes, and holesaw a hole into the aluminum. To remove the foam, take a piece of pvc, and cut a couple teeth into the end. Core out the foam, and slide the tubes in. The remaining foam around the tubes will hold the tube in very well. I don't know if weldbilt uses white foam, or yellow pour in foam, but my experience with the yellow stuff is that once the tube is pressed into place, you aren't going to take it out without damaging it.

Also, the other reason for the tubes, is they leave a cleaner look. With the pocket, even with the edge trim (probably can be gotten cheaper from Mcmaster Carr than through Weldbilt), you still have exposed flotation foam on the inside, which can flake off and spit little pieces out from time to time. Furthermore, without a smooth liner being built, you can still hang rod guides on the flange, as you come out.

The way around this is to get someone to make you an oval pocket liner with a flange, that you can slide into the cutout, but the tubes are going to be significantly cheaper, so unless you really want the pocket, the tubes are the way to go.

I like that answer! Thanks a lot! I was leaning toward the cutout and I did think about all of that but to hear someone say it. I think I'm convinced to do the tubes! Great!

Ok so I'm all done. I used the 1-1/4 golf tubes. Drew my lines, made my marks, centerdrilled my holes. Used a 1-1/4 holesaw to drill the holes. I then used a section of 1-1/4"OD/1"ID and cut teeth in the end to "saw" the foam out (thanks so much Bassboy, worked excellent). The tubes are a nice snug fit in the bench and thru the foam. No need to glue them in from what I can tell. My bench is 17" wide and I bored the foam out completely and cut the tubes to roughly 16-3/4" long.

Pics in opposite order but you get the idea

Sweet! That is really clean. =D>

Looks great =D>