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wmk0002

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I have been looking into the Weldbilt boats, both new and used. I have run across a lot that are commercial rated thus having no HP rating or weight capacity rating. Is it easy or possible to add sufficient foam to a base layout like shown here:

weldbilt1648f25619big.jpg


This layout is what I am interested in with a length of 14' to 16' x 48" wide in either flat or mod-v hull. The split rear seats have storage on the front end and appear open in the rear. I would like to keep that storage there though. I know I could add foam between the floor and bottom in between the ribs and in the front deck. That obviously doesn't seem like enough though. I guess more would have to be added in the rear split bench somewhere. I would need to do a foam calc at some point but the link is bad in the sticky. I'm kind of against a wall because I want a very open floor plan so the boat is versatile for hunting and fishing and still would like a built in livewell. Really it all boils down to if I find a used boat like shown above that is commercial rated and at a great price should I go ahead and buy knowing I can sufficiently add adequate flotation on my own? If anyone has a similar style boat with rear split bench and a short or drop deck in the front I'd love to know where all your foam is located.
 
i own a weldbilt 1648 mv. 30 hp tohatsu 4 str pt/t tiller. i have the split rear like the one shown. mine has the big front deck with storage.it is commercial rated. i also could not find info on what exactly that means. mine is 100 gage. i have been very happy with it.it is set up like a bass boat. i dont worry about the foam issue.mine is 2012. the rear is a little different the very rear where the cutout is on the one u show is unlike mine. i have solis aluminum running to the floor behind the seats. the left side is cutout for the starting batt. i plan on cutting out the right side for storage. just hsve not got to it yet. im really not happy with the trolling motor mount. it is just screwed in. plan on having it welded. bought it in al at backwoods landing.any other questions ask away. i will tell u to go with the heavier gage. in hind site the flat bottom would probably work better for me. bigger front deck and rough weather and cutting thru waves is not something i do. good luck
 
hipster dufus said:
i own a weldbilt 1648 mv. 30 hp tohatsu 4 str pt/t tiller. i have the split rear like the one shown. mine has the big front deck with storage.it is commercial rated. i also could not find info on what exactly that means. mine is 100 gage. i have been very happy with it.it is set up like a bass boat. i dont worry about the foam issue.mine is 2012. the rear is a little different the very rear where the cutout is on the one u show is unlike mine. i have solis aluminum running to the floor behind the seats. the left side is cutout for the starting batt. i plan on cutting out the right side for storage. just hsve not got to it yet. im really not happy with the trolling motor mount. it is just screwed in. plan on having it welded. bought it in al at backwoods landing.any other questions ask away. i will tell u to go with the heavier gage. in hind site the flat bottom would probably work better for me. bigger front deck and rough weather and cutting thru waves is not something i do. good luck

Thanks man.

Why would you recommend the heavier gauge? I was leaning towards finding a lighter 0.080" hull due to the fact that I am going to try to run a 9.9hp on it so I can comply with the hp limit at a local lake. Like the picture above shows, I'd like an open layout not only for it's usefulness as a utility boat but to reduce weight and to help discourage me from overloading it with gear due to the lack of storage. It may end up coming down to that small of an outboard just not working even if paired with the perfect prop and weight balance in the boat. I could do like others and run a 18 hp or 20hp with 9.9 stickers but I would like to stay honest and stay within the rules. My dad also has a super old Evinrude 35hp that could be used if I wanted to go through the hassle of periodic motor swaps based on what water I'm taking the boat to.

Also, do you have any idea if yours has any flotation under the floor and front deck? I'm mainly just confused to whether they label them as commercial because there is none or virtually no flotation in them or if there is and they are just allowing the consumer to make the call on how much they want to use it and Weldbilt not have liability for when they overload it.
 
i dont believe i have much foam in boat at all. dont know why. u can ask the guy at backwoods landing why not. as far as the gage, heavier gage is more resistant to dings, wont flex as much and will generally take a bigger beating. if it will be a utility boat heavier will be stronger. cost and weght are not significant. u will have to special order. i have a friend with a 1652 weldbilt and a 9.8 and it will push it. the smaller engine cuts down on the area u can fish /hunt. takes too long to get there and back.u can email the fellas at backwoods and ask question. if ur boat is seldom used the lighter gage will be fine. i use mine weekly and bought it as a retirement boat so hopefully it will be my last. wanted something that could take a beating. there are pics of my baot on backwoods landing facebook page. the one from monroe ga. good luck
 
Thanks for the help. This boat would be a second boat so it would definitely not be used as much as if it was my primary one. I probably will swing by Backwoods soon and talk to them in person.
 
The deal just got better on one of the Weldbilt boats I'm looking at. It is a like the one in the picture I attached but a 1548 model. I looked at the US Composites poured foam and it seems like a product that could easily add the needed foam under small front deck, in between the floor stringers, and if I fill in the rear pods. Anyone know the approximate hull weight of a 1548 Weldbilt with the layout in the picture and 0.080" gauge?
 
Learn something new every day. I thought every new hull sold today had USCG approved positive flotation for it's rated max HP and weight capacity.
 
the first of the year i was going to buy a new weldbilt custom .. 2048 tall transom with the same layout you're looking at ... the F model price was outstanding at 2,000 delivered .. i opted for a new Lowe though .. only because i was looking at a 3 month wait and i needed the rig ASAP ... now i have some warranty issues and i really wish i would have waited on the weldbilt :(
 
xXOnyxXx said:
the first of the year i was going to buy a new weldbilt custom .. 2048 tall transom with the same layout you're looking at ... the F model price was outstanding at 2,000 delivered .. i opted for a new Lowe though .. only because i was looking at a 3 month wait and i needed the rig ASAP ... now i have some warranty issues and i really wish i would have waited on the weldbilt :(

That's a crazy good deal on that big of a Weldbilt!
 
I see a lot of them around here. They are cheap boats. (commercial rating). There is no floatation in them. They are built cheap. And one of the reasons the price is low is that they don't have a USCG rating whatsoever. No testing was ever done to the hull so you don't know it's handling characteristics, you don't know if it floats or not, etc. Getting inspections and ratings and that sort of thing does cost a little money, which adds to the final cost of the boat-and that's one reason the better hulls cost a little more. Also, without a HP rating, they have no liability as to what you do with them. You could put a 150 on a 1548 for all they care. If you sink it and go back to them, they'll laugh in your face.

Not knowing the laws and regs, I wonder if having a commerical rating affects the ability and/or rate of insurance policies? Or what about your state laws in regard to commerical boats? I just dont know on that deal. It might be worth making a couple calls depending on where you're at and how picky your state is. You boys in Jersey (IIRC) would want to check into that for sure!

I looked at Weld Bilt's and didn't like a lot of things about them. One thing worth noting is that they have an extra rib or 2 (I was looking at the 1548's). Most have 5 ribs. Weld bilts had 7. This slows the hull down but makes it "stick" to the water a little better while on plane. But also makes it a little harder to plane, and ride rougher. Most of the ones I looked at had a flat nose-which ride like poo. No jon rides as good as a modern 'glass semi-vee but some do ride better than others. And every weld-built I'd been in slapped the wake pretty hard.

They are pretty tough, but they don't handle very well and they aren't very fast. But they are stable and fairly tough for what they are. Just don't swamp it.

I figure by the time one adds enough floatation to make it float when swamped, adding the cost of the floatation + the time involved, might as well get a good boat to begin with. But maybe that's just me taking the easy way out in my old age.
 
wmk0002 said:
The deal just got better on one of the Weldbilt boats I'm looking at. It is a like the one in the picture I attached but a 1548 model. I looked at the US Composites poured foam and it seems like a product that could easily add the needed foam under small front deck, in between the floor stringers, and if I fill in the rear pods. Anyone know the approximate hull weight of a 1548 Weldbilt with the layout in the picture and 0.080" gauge?

If you do this be aware that the foam may fill the longitudinal channels (whatever they're called) and water may not be able to drain to the rear and the drain plug.
 
turbotodd said:
I see a lot of them around here. They are cheap boats. (commercial rating). There is no floatation in them. They are built cheap. And one of the reasons the price is low is that they don't have a USCG rating whatsoever. No testing was ever done to the hull so you don't know it's handling characteristics, you don't know if it floats or not, etc. Getting inspections and ratings and that sort of thing does cost a little money, which adds to the final cost of the boat-and that's one reason the better hulls cost a little more. Also, without a HP rating, they have no liability as to what you do with them. You could put a 150 on a 1548 for all they care. If you sink it and go back to them, they'll laugh in your face.

Not knowing the laws and regs, I wonder if having a commerical rating affects the ability and/or rate of insurance policies? Or what about your state laws in regard to commerical boats? I just dont know on that deal. It might be worth making a couple calls depending on where you're at and how picky your state is. You boys in Jersey (IIRC) would want to check into that for sure!

I looked at Weld Bilt's and didn't like a lot of things about them. One thing worth noting is that they have an extra rib or 2 (I was looking at the 1548's). Most have 5 ribs. Weld bilts had 7. This slows the hull down but makes it "stick" to the water a little better while on plane. But also makes it a little harder to plane, and ride rougher. Most of the ones I looked at had a flat nose-which ride like poo. No jon rides as good as a modern 'glass semi-vee but some do ride better than others. And every weld-built I'd been in slapped the wake pretty hard.

They are pretty tough, but they don't handle very well and they aren't very fast. But they are stable and fairly tough for what they are. Just don't swamp it.

I figure by the time one adds enough floatation to make it float when swamped, adding the cost of the floatation + the time involved, might as well get a good boat to begin with. But maybe that's just me taking the easy way out in my old age.


WeldBilt boats have floatation and are USCG approved ... they are just cuttin throats on prices for sure!!
 
turbotodd said:
Most have 5 ribs. Weld bilts had 7. This slows the hull down but makes it "stick" to the water a little better while on plane. But also makes it a little harder to plane, and ride rougher.

Wouldn't more ribs be a good thing, stronger build?

Unless you're talking about the runners/stringers/channels on the underside, not sure how this would slow the boat down.
 

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