Quick FCT GEN 2 Question

[BHog]

Ok I have a 1999 Super Air. IT had the gen 1 tower on it and I just put gen 2 tower on. It folds differnet so when tower is folded down it hits the side of my interior. Do you guys stand up a 2x4 or something so it wont mess up the interior. Also when i fold it down my tower miror was in the way. Where are you mounting the tower mirror?

[Cornut]

We have an '00 Air (DD) with the FCT2. When we fold it for storage, it comes down directly onto the chrome grab bars on either side of the bow seating area. We always just used some pieces of rolled up carpet as pads; never had a problem.

Not sure if the bow configuration on your '99 SAN is the same - either way, I would definitely recommend devising some sort of pad or other support, so you don't leave any marks in or on your bow area.

[ABEL]

what are you doing with the first gen tower? im assuming you already have it sold though

[BHog]

Well its not hitting my grab bars its coming down on the side of my upholstery. I wish it was on the fiber glass so I could pad it. I just dont want it to crinkle up my uplostery. Abel the welds broke on it for like the 2nd time so I said screw it and bought a new tower. I just left the old on at the dealership. The tower was priced good but what killed me was the fiberglass work. The gen 2 tower mounts in differnt places. Plus had to rewire the tower and since I got a new tower had to put new tower speakers and tower mirror.

[mf01]

I have a 94 SPN and mine touches the top of the interior in the bow. I took some 1" PVC and one of those cheap noodles for floating. I cut a couple of 6" pieces of each, then put the PVC inside the noodle. I put the noodle/PVC on the fiberglass between the interior and rail. This holds the tower about an inch above the interior. I can get some pics next weekend, if you need them.

[ABEL]

wow i cant believe the welds actually broke...and more than once!

[INVNO1]

Tower mirror has to be mounted on the lower part of the tower. At least on my 05 it does. Otherwise it will hit the windshield when you fold the tower

[BHog]

Thanks guys. here is a pic of the broken tower

[Andrew]

Well that isn't very comforting! What were the circumstances when it broke?

[TravisFling]

Ouch... that's no fun. I had a piece of machined aluminum on mine break (of course the first night of a 4 night vacation at Lake Cumberland, with a houseboat of Malibu fans next door, nonetheless.... ) and it sheared right in half. Must have been a bad piece, but two times??? that's nuts.

[skiking]

I have a '99 SSN and have the 2nd gen tower and it comes down on the chrome hand rails in the front like cornut's. Strange that yours is hitting the interior. Are you sure they mounted it in the right place? I can take some pics of my location of mounts if that helps you.

I use the some cut down noodles as well around the chrome hand rails to keep the tower powder coat from chipping when I store it down.

[Gizmo]

Brit,
The tower on the 2000 SAN I had hit the chrome rails also. It looks like your rails are in the same spot. However the tower that came stock on the 2000 has slightly different geometry than the one on my 03'. If yours is the newer style it could be the reason its not resting right.

My mirror is mounted on the lower loops also.

We need to ride together again. Ill be ready to go as soon as the knee heals up from surgery.

[xrichard]

I screwed a hook into one of the rafters then made a loop of rope the right length....I backed the boat in and then pulled the tower off the upholstry by hanging it from the piece of rope attached to the hook. You just have to remember to unhook before you pull out of the garage! (With that boat/garage combo, my clearance was super tight, so even if I used a prop to hold up the tower I'd have been in trouble if I forgot to remove the prop before pulling out of the garage....yanking the hook out of the ceiling would have been preferable to hitting the door header with a propped-up tower.)