www.iFourWinns.com

Anyone ever had problems with their center storage locker being unable to drain? This has been an issue for us now the past two summers...something got clogged and stuck in there after our first year. The center storage area fills with water and never drains into the bilge anymore --- and of course, all the forward storage areas drain into it. We've been dealing with it by just bailing it by hand when it gets a few inches in it, but it's very annoying. The drain goes towards the stern, presumably under the gas tank, but it must turn or something because I haven't been able to snake anything in there to clean it out.

Anyone else have this issue?

Thanks.

Ernie

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JustBreathe
'05 230 Horizon

No solution from me, but this seems to be a common problem with Horizons. I probably have it myself, except I never have any water get in there in order to find out. I've always had the feeling that removing the fuel tank and cleaning out whatever is under it may be the only way to truly and permanently fix it.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

I've also read about this one (but haven't experienced it yet). As I recall, someone found it was a slight shift of the gas tank forward that's blocking the ski locker drain hole. I'd take it to the dealer, and get them to move the tank back and possibly mount some star board stop blocks so it doesn't happen again.

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2007 Horizon 200
4.3L GXi/ SX 225 HP

same problem here.....slow drain and it seems I'm just going to live with it.

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2004 230H 5.7 Gi DP - SOLD!

Hey Mike...

"never got any water in there to find out." You need to get out more. ....get caught in a rain squall (much fun - NOT).....take a big one over the bow, get more toys in the water and throw 'em back in there while wet...... guess you haven't had to wash any mud and dirt off the floor either?

I forget you are lucky to store your baby indoors.

Ernie

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JustBreathe
'05 230 Horizon

Normally there is a limber hole in the bulkhead at the rear of the ski locker and one in the bulkhead at the rear of the gas tank compartment. I have not seen the gas tank compartment on modern Horizons so I don't know how the tank compartment is set up. On my old 88, it's just an open compartment with the aluminum tank, which is mounted to the stringers on each side. Nothing under the tank at all. Mine always drained from the anchor locker to the ski locker right through the gas tank compartment to the rear bilge. In fact that was probably what caused much of the rot that I spent the summer of 06 fixing! New stringers, gas tank mounts and floor. I wound up changing the forward cover so no rain water runs through the anchor locker (older models had no external drain) to the ski locker to under the gas tank. Since I had the cover re-done, there has not been any water at all in there. I'd contact FW and see what they say. With the newer conposite construction and plastic gas tanks rot and corrosion is not such a big deal, but still standing water is not good ultimately.

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

Long drill bit will fix it.

Others have the problem, mine is still not fixed but it is on my list of "November Warranty Work" that I'll be submitting (along with my boat) to the dealer this winter.

Here is a previous discussion. Long thread, but it has some worthwhile info (both text and pictures):

http://www.ifourwinns.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=778&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=30

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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)

Well, running a drill bit along the bottom of the tank would not be the way I'd approach it, but I can see how it would probably work, at least temporarily (until the debris or whatever clogs it up again).



We've taken a big one or two over the bow and that may be enough evidence to say I don't have that problem, but since we do store indoors and haven't been caught in the rain I don't have a lot of experience with this. Mud in the boat? Are you serious!!??

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

With my 'modern' Horizon the access seems to be pretty good in that there's what appear to be 1" thick starboard deck panels that can be unscrewed and lifted to gain access to the tank. Of course, the entire Sunsport rear bench would need to be pulled first. Other than that, there's a idunno 6" access port to the area of the tank where the pickup and sensors in the gas tank are.

Anyway, JB, sounds like you ran a snake or equivalent through the ski locker drain and hit an obstruction. If you can determine how 'deep' that obstruction is, you might be able to verify or rule out the shifting gas tank theory. If it is just a clog, either TxJ's 'mother of all drill bits' or the old stand by of blasting out any obstruction with a high presure hose may be attempted.

To me this is an issue that can not be ignored. Aside from evaporation, the design of the boat calls for removal of water via the bilge by pump or drain plug. Until you do get it resolved, one of those mini wet vacs may be the way to go.

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2007 Horizon 200
4.3L GXi/ SX 225 HP

+1

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

On my old school Horizon, there is a gas tank hatch made of 1/2 plywood. Like you said, first the rear seat comes out, then the cover can come out. When I re did mine, I used mahagony to make up some stringers and cross braces to attach to the main stringers to support the gas tank. I replaced the old rotted rear seat with a rear bench made for a pontoon boat, 2 sections 36 in wide. They match the front buckets I replaced 3 years ago and look good. Then I made a new engine compartment bulkhead behind the rear seat out of 3/4 in plywood like the original. All the wood was coated with clear penetrating epoxy sealer and the pontoon seats have plastic bases so they will never rot. Installed them with threaded inserts into the new floor, which were sealed with 3M 4200. Way better than the way the factory did it. Unsealed screws, floor stapled down, lasted about 12 years before the rot took over.


For sure if there is any wood in there, in stringers or bulkheads I'd want that fixed. It was a nasty job to fix the rot I can tell you that. Any boat I would buy after this, I'd make sure that no water stands anywhere if there is a way to get it out, and also I'd re-bed fasteners to keep water out of wood cores. I don't think the newer Horizons use wood in that area, but have never seen one opened up.
In another thread someone indicated that the plastic gas tank shifted slightly and blocked the drain. I like the idea of a plastic tank, no corrosion, but it seems easier to solidly attach an aluminum tank to stringers because of the welded on tabs.

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88 Four Winns 200 Horizon
4.3 OMC Cobra-4bbl
2002 Walker Bay 10/2012 Suzuki 2.5
2008 Walker Bay 8

1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0/Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi/Quadradrive II

Our dealer talked to FW and they moved our gas tank about a 1" back and it solved the problem. Have your dealer talk to FW to see if they have issued a service bulletin. We had a 2005 230 Horizon.

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Jnizi

2007 Vista 338 "Better Yet"
Previously:
2007 Vista 258 " Just Right"
2005 Horizon 230

Hi jnizi...thx...... we'll ask about it this winter.... ...hate to hijack this thread when it's inside the Horizon section, but I started it....when did you move up to the Vista? ...As I recall, you shared the wonderful "list to starboard" experiences with us .... How's it feel in the bigger boat? You can still do some tubing in that size Vista, right?

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JustBreathe
'05 230 Horizon

Our 200 SS continues with this problem It will be at the Top of our list to do when we take her in for winterization.

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Jeff

2006 Four Winns Yellow Horizon 30th Anniversary 200 SS
2005 Nissan Titan Crew Cab
2004 Ford F-150 Lariat

http://www.seabrook-services.com