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 Post subject: 268 Upgrades
PostPosted: Mon Feb 01, 2010 11:00 pm 
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Location: Freeland, MI
Ive been wanting to do this for awhile. Here are some of the upgrades I have done, I don't have pics of everything. Thought I would share.

A step I fabricated for the tongue, makes is alot easier to navigate getting the boat on the trailer.

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We found the original 2" or 2 1/2" cushions with the seam in the middle was not working for us. My hip seemed to fall right at the seam and was very uncomfortable. We have a local mattress shop, I had them make me a custom 5" thick 2 piece foam mattress, with the seam toward the port side, just so you can access the under storage.

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Both the center V storage locker and the storage under the aft cabin have limber holes. This has caused the items in them to get wet form time to time, then mildewy if you don't catch it soon enough, so I added some plastic pipe to funnel the water where it needs to go without getting everything wet. Here are a couple pics of the V storage, I did the same thing in the aft berth under storage.

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The storage lockers covers under the V berth area are kinda a pain to get into without removing the cushions and lifting them off, then reversing the process. Some days it seems as though we are in them 50 times, so I thought if I hinged them it would make things alot easier. It really helped, just lift the front of the cushion and hinge the cover and it doesn't fall in the opening. The admiral had the cushions off cleaning them, but you can get the idea.

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Mounted a flat screen on the head wall. Added an outlet and cable plug on the head wall. Both are behind the upper storage cabinet in the head, and I pulled power from the head outlet. I ran the cable behind the head, down under the closet, under the floor in front of the aft cabin, under the stairs up to the radio breaker box area, the into the port gunwale, into the engine compartment then terminating in the aft storage locker, where I hook the cable form the marina to. I also put a splitter in the port gunwale near the cooler storage and put another cable outlet on the top of the cooler insert along with an outlet. I then have a second TV mount base mounted to the inside of the arch so we can move the TV into the cockpit area as well.

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Here is the transfer switch for the generator and the new switch plate that I had made to accept all the factory switches along with the 2 generator switches and another blower switch so the blower can be turned on at the genny controls.

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Under cabinet paper towel holder.

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Stereo upgrade. Clarion head unit, rockford fosgate amp and I forgot the brand of speakers.

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Above the half closet there is a false panel the is held with to small blocks and velcro. I moved the blocks back and pushed the false panel back and it makes a perfect spot to store towels rolled up. We have tried to squeeze every bit of storage space we can get.

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This sorta shows the windlass install, I didn't know better when I did this so I ended up with a Lewmar horizontal windlass vs a vertical one. If I could do it over again, I would use the vertical one, but it serves its purpose. Also the fender mounting setup we use.

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The ever controversial grill mounting :D .

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'14 Cruisers 380 Express "Simon Sez"
Merc 8.2 Mag MPI 380
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'08 V318
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 Post subject: Re: 268 Upgrades
PostPosted: Mon Feb 01, 2010 11:08 pm 
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Location: Indiana
Thanks for the post Jeff. I'm still undecided about which way I want to go with the grill, except I'm 99.9% sure I'm getting rid of the kettle and getting a Newport.

I really like where you have the TV mounted. I'd go for it, but then I'm still stuck with the drop down TV onboard.

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'08 H240, '08 V318, '04 268, '04 225


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 Post subject: Re: 268 Upgrades
PostPosted: Mon Feb 01, 2010 11:10 pm 
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Location: Freeland, MI
Does that drop down swivel left to right?

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'14 Cruisers 380 Express "Simon Sez"
Merc 8.2 Mag MPI 380
DTS B3X, (x2) Axius Premier


(SOLD)
'08 V318
Merc 350 Mag MPI 300
DTS Seacore, B3 (x2)

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 Post subject: Re: 268 Upgrades
PostPosted: Mon Feb 01, 2010 11:32 pm 
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Location: Indiana
No. The admiral takes down the cabin table and makes it into a bed. We lie down with feet under the TV and watch a movie like that before retiring to the aft cabin for the night. I've seen them mounted right above the aft cabin entrance, and also on the side of the head like you have.

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2007 358 T-5.7GXi IB
Previous Boats
'08 H240, '08 V318, '04 268, '04 225


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 Post subject: Re: 268 Upgrades
PostPosted: Tue Feb 02, 2010 8:20 pm 
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Shark

Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 1:24 pm
Posts: 120
JSIMON,

Thanks for the post. I plan to mount a TV on my 268 in the same spot as you. Can the wall panel on the front of the head be removed to run wiring or did you get access by removing the medicine cabinet in the head? Did you install a digital TV antenae or do you simly hook up to cable?

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 Post subject: Re: 268 Upgrades
PostPosted: Tue Feb 02, 2010 9:05 pm 
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Location: Freeland, MI
SpecialK wrote:
JSIMON,

Thanks for the post. I plan to mount a TV on my 268 in the same spot as you. Can the wall panel on the front of the head be removed to run wiring or did you get access by removing the medicine cabinet in the head? Did you install a digital TV antenae or do you simly hook up to cable?


I removed the medicine cabinet to do the wiring, and it currently is just hooked to cable. I have used the tv while on the hook and had some limited success, so that is my next project, is to install a digital antenna. Im looking at the Shakespeare style 2025 omnidirectional marine tv/fm antenna. This will use the antenna when no cable is hooked up and switches to cable when it is hooked up.

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Jeff

'14 Cruisers 380 Express "Simon Sez"
Merc 8.2 Mag MPI 380
DTS B3X, (x2) Axius Premier


(SOLD)
'08 V318
Merc 350 Mag MPI 300
DTS Seacore, B3 (x2)

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 Post subject: Re: 268 Upgrades
PostPosted: Wed Feb 03, 2010 9:17 pm 
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Location: Cleveland, OH
Nice upgrades. How do the tubes work at Funneling water out? It looks like you used some sort of adhesive at the ends is that correct? Sorry. I'm looking at the pictures on my iPhone so it's not as clear as it would be on my computer. My favorite upgrade you did is the cable hookup on the arch. Do you have any pics of that?

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 Post subject: Re: 268 Upgrades
PostPosted: Thu Feb 04, 2010 7:14 am 
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Location: Freeland, MI
drballard33 wrote:
Nice upgrades. How do the tubes work at Funneling water out? It looks like you used some sort of adhesive at the ends is that correct? Sorry. I'm looking at the pictures on my iPhone so it's not as clear as it would be on my computer. My favorite upgrade you did is the cable hookup on the arch. Do you have any pics of that?


For the plastic conduit, I used a clear silicone adhesive, I laid in a bed of the adhesive, and sealed the ends with it. I haven't had any water in them since. But even better, both of the storage areas I did this to always had a musty smell which I guess would probably be somewhat normal (I use a citrus bilge cleaner a couple times a year), but now that the compartments are sealed off from the bilge, the musty smell is gone.

In the above photo showing the grill, you can see the TV mount on the portside of the arch. I installed the cable hookup and a 110v outlet on the top surface of the cooler insert as far forward as possible so not to interfere with opening the cooler. I did it that way to keep it out of any potential weather/water. I ran the wiring back to the outlet in the galley.

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Jeff

'14 Cruisers 380 Express "Simon Sez"
Merc 8.2 Mag MPI 380
DTS B3X, (x2) Axius Premier


(SOLD)
'08 V318
Merc 350 Mag MPI 300
DTS Seacore, B3 (x2)

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 Post subject: Re: 268 Upgrades
PostPosted: Fri Feb 05, 2010 7:24 am 
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Nice upgrades. I was wondering if the heat of the grill affects the vinyl on your back seat? From the angle of the picture, it looks like it would. I love the location of the mount, but would be afraid of damaging the vinyl.

ryot2

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 Post subject: Re: 268 Upgrades
PostPosted: Fri Feb 05, 2010 6:36 pm 
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Location: Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
Very nice upgrades, JSimon! The tubing in the bilge and the hinges on the storage compartments are excellent ideas.

I'm thinking of setting up a 22" HD LCD TV in the same spot on our 258. I love the way you ran the cable. The only twist that I plan to add to your install is that I want the TV to run on DC, so I'm going to install an inverter behind. I just don't want to have to run the generator every time we want to watch a movie or TV. I am far from a whiz with electrical wiring. Anyone got any good ideas as to where to how to tie the TV into the DC power system?

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 Post subject: Re: 268 Upgrades
PostPosted: Fri Feb 05, 2010 10:47 pm 
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Dolphin

Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2008 2:05 pm
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Location: Oyster Bay, NY
Love this thread! I am jealous of the mattress thickness, but as I have said before, I am too claustrophobic to sleep in the aft cabin! As it is I have to either be pretty drunk or take a few Advil PM to sleep below! Really sucks...sort of! Plan on adding the hinges, possibly the shore power connector for the generator, and some sort of grill before this season. But right now getting ready to dig out from the snow in the northeast!

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 Post subject: Re: 268 Upgrades
PostPosted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 11:58 am 
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Location: Freeland, MI
ryot2 wrote:
Nice upgrades. I was wondering if the heat of the grill affects the vinyl on your back seat? From the angle of the picture, it looks like it would. I love the location of the mount, but would be afraid of damaging the vinyl.

ryot2


No problem with heat on the vinyl, I have used it this way alot and alway check to make sure. The vinyl gets hotter on a hot sunny day form the sun, than the grill does.

SundayDinner wrote:
Very nice upgrades, JSimon! The tubing in the bilge and the hinges on the storage compartments are excellent ideas.

I'm thinking of setting up a 22" HD LCD TV in the same spot on our 258. I love the way you ran the cable. The only twist that I plan to add to your install is that I want the TV to run on DC, so I'm going to install an inverter behind. I just don't want to have to run the generator every time we want to watch a movie or TV. I am far from a whiz with electrical wiring. Anyone got any good ideas as to where to how to tie the TV into the DC power system?


I think you could catch power from the head sink area. Isnt their swithches nearby for the head there?

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'14 Cruisers 380 Express "Simon Sez"
Merc 8.2 Mag MPI 380
DTS B3X, (x2) Axius Premier


(SOLD)
'08 V318
Merc 350 Mag MPI 300
DTS Seacore, B3 (x2)

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 Post subject: Re: 268 Upgrades
PostPosted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 1:41 pm 
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Joined: Sat Aug 16, 2008 7:15 am
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Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan
I like the mattress idea, may I ask how much the upgrade cost and how long it took to have it made?

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 Post subject: Re: 268 Upgrades
PostPosted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 4:46 pm 
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Location: Indiana
There is power in the head, shouldn't be to hard to do. If you remove the medicine cabinet and the toilet paper holder you'll have all the access you need. Its pretty roomy back in there, I had it off to run new wiring to my waste/fresh water level indicators. Turns out they were wired into the connectors wrong from the factory.

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Previous Boats
'08 H240, '08 V318, '04 268, '04 225


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 Post subject: Re: 268 Upgrades
PostPosted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 5:30 pm 
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Location: Freeland, MI
GTbay wrote:
I like the mattress idea, may I ask how much the upgrade cost and how long it took to have it made?


They made it in like 3 - 4 days. I think the price was like $430.00. I know that seems steep, it would have been cheaper to have a one piece one made, but then it would have made the storage area under it just about useless. The difference in the comfort is worth every cent.

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Jeff

'14 Cruisers 380 Express "Simon Sez"
Merc 8.2 Mag MPI 380
DTS B3X, (x2) Axius Premier


(SOLD)
'08 V318
Merc 350 Mag MPI 300
DTS Seacore, B3 (x2)

Image


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