www.iFourWinns.com

Howdy boys... I've been lurking on the forum for a while and just traded my 180 F/S for a H220 SS. My mood can best be described as "happier than a puppy with 2 peters". The maiden voyage was yesterday on Lake Lewisville. As the Admiral backed me into the water I cranked her up and hit the captains call exhaust. It was not my wife you heard giggling like a school girl. It was me !!!

Very windy but she handled the choppy water like a champ. We hung out at the family cove for a few hours and then went for a cruise...headed towards Sneaky Petes. Didn't make it as a screw came out of the base of the bemini. I took the other one out and dropped the whole thing in the back of my truck. Although I like the shade while we are parked I'm just not sure it can hold up on either choppy water or speed (closed). Surprised they used screws at the base...not sure if any of you have replaced them with pins but I'm thinking of trying that. My only other complaint has to do with the sub they mounted a few inches from the floor. As it is mounted directly into the fiberglass....any volume and the thing sounds like a trunk full of aluminum cans.

A few mods here and there and I'll be completely satisfied. I know I'm supposed to post a pic... just have not snapped any shots of her yet. I'll get some on soon. See you on the water.

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Bret
'08 FW H220ss 5.7Gi

Congratulations on the new boat. I went from a 180 to a 220 last year and the difference was worth every penny.

Are you talking about the screws coming out of the 'glass or the screw that attaches the bimini to the stainless mounting bracket? My bimini sheared off the 1/4"-20 thumb screw at the mounting bracket last year and I was lucky nothing got to badly scratched up. I was running in a 2-3' chop at the time and obviously the mounts were not up to the task.

Mine came loose all the time as well, even with 242 (blue) Loctite and I wasn't going to use 262 as you need heat to get the connection apart.

I fixed the issue this year by re-drilling and threading the factory mounts to accept a 3/8" SS shoulder bolt with a 5/16" thread. I had to drill out the bimini top brackets to accept the 3/8" shoulder bolt as well. I believe I used a 1/2" long shoulder bolt which allowed for two nylon washers on each side of the bimini mounting bracket.

The 1/4" thumb screw has a significant stress riser in the root of the thread which is subject to a significant shear load during a good thrashing through rough chop. The shoulder bolts tighten up against the face of the mounting bracket and have a nice radius to keep them from shearing off.

Good luck and enjoy the new boat.


Steve

Good to see your still checking in with us Steve. I haven't seen you post much lately and was wondering. How has your summer been? Hopefully a nice Labour Day Weekend is coming our way.

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Marc, Kathlin & Nathalie


'89 Chaparral Laser 32

'93 Vista 245, 5.8L w/ King Cobra

Former Boats
'01 H260, 7.4 VP Duoprop
'98 H200, 5.0 GL w/VP SX drive

Very nice! another North Texan. We boat on Eagle Mountain. Can't wait to see some pics.

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Troy
2008 Centurion Avalanche
1994 Four Winns Horizon 180 SE 5.0L OMC Cobra (Sold)
2002 Ford F150 Harley Davidson Edition (http://www.nhtoc.com) 378 hp & 465 tq at rear wheels
2008 Honda Accord EX-L w/Nav

Are you saying you started it while out of the water as you were backing down the ramp, and just before you hit the water? If so, I'd stop doing that right away. Starting a motor without water to the intake is very hard on your impeller and will shorten its lifespan by quite a bit.

If not, then never mind.

Either way, "pics or it didn't happen!"

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Paul
2007 Four Winns Horizon 220
Mercruiser 350 Mag MPI w/ Bravo III Drive
2004 Ford Explorer Limited (V8-AWD)
Pomme de Terre Lake (Southwest Missouri)

Also, you might look into removing the sub and stuffing the empty area behind it with some polyfill. Doing that cleaned up my rattles pretty nicely.

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Paul
2007 Four Winns Horizon 220
Mercruiser 350 Mag MPI w/ Bravo III Drive
2004 Ford Explorer Limited (V8-AWD)
Pomme de Terre Lake (Southwest Missouri)

No pics so assume it didn't happen for now.... the "happier than a puppy with 2 peters" also seems to apply to "busier than a puppy with 2 peters".

Thanks for the recommendation on the polyfil. How did you contain it right behind the throttle? It seems to be an open area back there....did you just put enough to where it stayed put in that area?

I've also eyeballed the storage area right in front of the passenger seat. This is right in front of and below the glove box area as the bow cushion raises and reveals an area with at least 6 cubic feet of workable room. I figure I can build an enclosure box for a sub and place there...hopefully giving me the response I'm looking for. The boat came with a Kicker 3 way amp. I've not seen an amp like this before but it is split between the sub, amp 1 and amp 2. There is no indication on the amp as to its power so hopefully it has enough to push a decent sub.

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Bret
'08 FW H220ss 5.7Gi

I want to upgrade to a H220, BUT 1 have to see what happens W/employment 2 convince the wife we need a bigger boat

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2008 H190 Blue W/Red accents 4.3L Merc
2015 Tacoma Access Cab Super White 4x4 TRD Sport
2014 HD FXDC Black Stage 1 Mods V&H Bolt Ons,Naked VO2 AC & FP3.
2011 Polaris 500HO RED]
Life Long Boston Bruin Fan 2011 Stanley Cup Champs!!
#736

Just bought an H220 myself. Similar problem on the bimini top. Driver side scew sheared. I put a longer screw in and had to make a bushing because the fit was too loose. Since that fix the top has been good. Also, noticed that the other side had started to back out. May have added to the failure. Loving it so far. You mentioned yours had the sub? Did you also have the amp?

John

More SS on Lewisville....what color is it? What ramp do you use???

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Current Boat:
2004 Sea Ray 320 Sundancer "Nauti Luvin'"

Previous Boats:
1999 298 Vista "Seas The Day"
2008 H200SS "Nauti Luv"
2006 Tahoe Q4

I think something more visual would be appropriate right about now?? PICS PLEASE!!

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Ardy
Adelaide South Australia
Red H180 3.0 Merc

Well, the Cowboys just lost so I figured I would upload some pics...finally. Just not my day I guess....first the boys take it on the chin, now I can't get my pics to upload (either by direct upload or by URL). I'll keep playing with it and have found several mods that are on schedule for 1st quarter 2010 thanks to you guys.

I use the Shady Shores ramp.

http://s862.photobucket.com/albums/ab189/skullpatrol/?action=view&current=brets_boat.jpg&newest=1

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Bret
'08 FW H220ss 5.7Gi

It was not my wife you heard giggling like a school girl. It was me !!!

I felt teh same way the first time I heard the exhaust on my H200SS!

But then I heard the exhaust on my Baja. Gotta love a big block!!
I do miss the looks of the FW SS though. If only the windscreen worked as good as it looks and it some how had a potti on board I would still have it.

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1998 Baja Boss 252 7.4L MPI Bravo 1 (SOLD)
2007 FW H200SS 5.0GXI (Sold)
2004 Chevy Silverado 2500 Crew 6.0L (tow vehicle)
1991 FW 170 Freedom 4.3L (SOLD)

Congrats Bret and welcome! Your on the right track, talking about replacing the factory sub with a box you built. That's exactly what I did. Trash the sub as well, if you put it in a sealed enclosure it will fail before summers over. Mine did. Built as big a box as I could fit in that same location and put a JL in it and I'm much happier. CYA out there!

David

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2008 H210SS VP 5.7 Gi/SX
2011 Ford F150 FX4 EB

Sorry for the non-response, don't know how I missed your question. Yes, I just stuffed two bags of it in there and it is still holding itself in the original place pretty nicely. Very easy and very cheap!

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Paul
2007 Four Winns Horizon 220
Mercruiser 350 Mag MPI w/ Bravo III Drive
2004 Ford Explorer Limited (V8-AWD)
Pomme de Terre Lake (Southwest Missouri)