Bassin_0502

There is a HUGE thread on these boats, Bass Hunter, Pelican etc. Check out "Any Pelican Bass Raider Owners Out There?" in this forum. It's about 100 pages long I think, lots of info on mods etc.

Same thing happened to mine. I used a hole saw to cut maybe a 1" hole in each pontoon and I seal them with an expansion plug, basically a rubber stopper with a bolt through it. Holes are above the waterline, but they are lower than the drain plugs already in place. Tighten the bolt and the plug expands to fit the hole. Just buy the right size plug at any auto parts store. I do like the idea of the aquarium pump, just never thought of that. Saves holing the hull, but those plugs have never failed me!

Salt water won't be an issue for the boat, but if your trolling motor isn't made for salt or brackish water it will be its maiden and likely FINAL voyage! Good luck.

Before leaving for your long ride, consider driving around town for 15-20 minutes. Once home, feel each hub and see if they got very hot. If they feel ok, you're probably good to go. If they burn your hand off, replace/repack before you leave for the lake.

I think I'd try to find out why 'half' the lights went out before investing any time or money in the project. Is it a right vs left 'half' or perhaps brake vs tail light 'half'. Wouldn't want to replace all the wiring just to find out it was the vehicle harness that was the problem and not the trailer at all. Of course, rewiring would certainly eliminate any problems from the trailer harness on back. (Just watch the ground, poor grounding is a very common problem.)

Had a similar problem not long ago with a new utility trailer. Drove me nuts.... Problem is almost always a poor ground. In my case, the lights needed to be mounted on an 'L' bracket which was then mounted to the trailer frame. This design requires that the 'L' bracket is grounded to the frame, which may not happen if the frame is heavily painted or if the bolts holding the bracket don't make contact. I ended up taking a 12 inch piece of trailer wire with the insulation removed and wrapped that around the bolt that anchored the L bracket to the frame. This provided a good ground and problem solved. Good luck!

I have a Pelican; it does not have the beaded texture that you show in your photos, even though, I had to sand the surface in order to get the Registration stickers to adhere. It does not add to the appearance! I like your idea of the plexiglass 'frame'. You might be able to rivet the frame and make it look even a little more finished.

Just picked a trailer at Harbor Freight, 4'x8' folding set up. Paid $259.99. Now comes the assembly!

Does anybody use the 40" x 48" Harbor Freight trailers for these boats? I know several of you have posted that you use HF trailers, but I'm curious how well the 48" ones work. Seem like they would be too short for a 10 foot boat?

Mounted mine on the trolling motor with a hose clamp and a bracket from MinKota. Put it right behind the skeg, works great and is well protected

I think in your Rod Geeks Review post you mentioned "Bob" said they had been painted and on their way to 'customs'. As an earlier poster here said, that's when it probably happened, an over eager Customs inspector removed, inspected, and repacked. It was the 'repack' step that hurt!

Don't know of anything clear, but I would think a spray can or two of gutter sealant would solve the leak problem if that is where the water is coming from. Tape the side of the hull to keep a neat edge.

Try some yard sales. Spring coming, lots of folks cleaning out their garages. There may be an Avid out there waiting for you!

x2 They are far more stable. Don't know that I've ever seen a commercial rod built that way though. Like Alpster, I build my own.

visit gpsfiledepot.com. I would rec staying with Garmin, $300 is plenty, lots of units to choose from at that price point. Lots of free legal maps on that site, but only for Garmin units.