If so how does it affect handling. Trying to gain a little rear space for power pole pumps but also to reduce weight a little in rear. I have a 185 with a 115 opti and 2 powerpoles so its a little heavy in the rear and I am thinking of putting the trolling motor batteries in the forward most compartment. I know Tracker does that on some of their Deep V boats. Give me your thoughts.
Not an issue with the Tracker V hull, but I believe it'll be an issue in the mod vee. Think of how your boat performs when a person sits on the front deck and that's what you'll get - plowing. Most tins a heavy in the tail with 3 batteries and 19 gallons of gas and a live well. Adding a plate and cup to the prop solved mine.
2015 Ranger RT188 DC; BassCat Storage Box; Mercury Optimax 115ProXS;
19" Spitfire X7; Vessel View Mobile; Minn Kota Ultrex 80; GForce Handle;
TM Eliminator; Helix 7 G2N SI Combo F/R; HydroWave KVD; BBT 4" Angled Bow Mount; Durasafe Locks for Electronics and Ultrex;
Twist Step Boarding Ladder; EZEE Step ES1; BAC RAC Rod Storage; Motor Mate Transom Saver
When I put the 150 on my TV18 I had to move both trolling batts to the front. It helped reduce weight in the stern and it brought the bow down a little so the boat sat more level.
You might just put some five gallon buckets full of water or sand up there and try to see the effect. Not perfect, but better than not trying it.
Good idea. ^^^^^
I don't think placing some sand bags or buckets of water would give you a true measure because you would still have your existing batteries in the rear. I would remove the trolling motor batteries from the rear and place them in the front and then head out for a test run.
This is a good point or one could remove the batteries then add equivalent weight to the front for a test run. I have heard good and bad of doing this too much bow weight can cause poor handling and porpoising in some cases. Its a fine balancing act with weight distribution although the Tracker is not an ill handling hull very rarely hear of any issues there.Originally Posted by gotlimit?
Roy
2020 Triton 18 Trx
Mercury 200 Pro XS V8
Bravo FS 24P Prop
Atlas 6” jp
Dual Humminbird Helix 10 MEGA SI
Minnkota Ultrex.
I have to agree with Geauxtide on the ModV hulls. Like Original Tin I have the TV18 and since having the jackplate installed on my boat the motor sitting back so far has made my boat sit very low in the back so I will be moving my TM batteries into my front compartment. I am not great at wiring but my biggest challenge will be running my on board charger cables up to the front of the boat.
Eat, Sleep, Hunt & Fish
2010 Tracker Tournament V18 18' 3"
Mercury 115 Optimax, Mercury Spitfire X7 Prop 19P
Minn Kota 70b Thrust Maxxum
6 inch CMC Pro Hi-Jacker
Lowrance Elite 7 TI (Bow)
Lowrance HDS7 GEN 3 Touch (Console)
Smartcraft Merc Monitor (Basic)
I'm in the middle of doing that right now.
Luck favors the prepared ; Louis pasteur
Well. I have the front deck off and redoing carpet. I think I will install the wire from the front compartment to the bow so it will be extremely easy to do later if I decide to try it.
Thats a very good idea while you have it apart.
Roy
2020 Triton 18 Trx
Mercury 200 Pro XS V8
Bravo FS 24P Prop
Atlas 6” jp
Dual Humminbird Helix 10 MEGA SI
Minnkota Ultrex.
I am thinking the same thing. The manufacturer should have designed the Bass tracker to allow 1 or 2 or 3 trolling batteries at the bow or near-bow part, and re-balance the rest.
It seems stupid to have the trolling batteries sit on the transom. I doubt one or two batteries’ weight will affect a lot of the boat’s performance, no matter deep V or modified V hull.
It’s also stupid to put battery in the same compartment with gas tank. Not sure how it has met and passed the safety standards.
Last edited by BassTracker175; 01-13-2019 at 04:07 PM.
I "had" two batteries mounted in the front of my Grizzly 1860 right behind the front deck. One day had some really rough water where the boat got pounded and I ended up breaking the mount on one of the batteries. I wouldn't put wet cells up there. I now have four batteries in the back. Two in the open back well and two behind the seats right in front of the back deck. Boat performs really good with this setup and I only have a 50hp. Time to plane is zero and stays up there at low speeds.
Are you saying mounting batteries at bow is too stressful for the batteries ties? It’s a good point but I think it can be resolved. The transom is relatively stabler than bow due to the weight of the outboard.
In rough water if I don't slow way down the bow really gets pounded since the V on the from of a 2006 Grizzly 1860 is minimal. A 185 is probably a completely different ride.
Same issue on my pt 185 except I only have 1 pp and hydraulic plate. Been thinking of upgrading to Relion lithium batteries.. would save something like 75-80 pounds just for the trolling batteries alone.
2005 pro team 185
2005 opti 115
21” spitfire x7
Bobs machine 6" action hydro jackplate
8’ power pole blades
Loved how my batteries were located under the center rod storage up on bow of my Alumacraft Competitor 175.
My TM batteries on my Polar Kraft are located on each side of the livewell on rear deck. Kinda nice, it clears up the rear battery/gas tank storage area, and shifts weight up a little.
I moved my trolling motor batteries to the front last year to offset the weight of a hydraulic jackplate and two power poles I installed. The ride was smooth as silk and level. I was on a bayou so I didnt have the room to try top speed and handling at high speed. I noticed it did plow a little but as i stated I really didn't have room to dial it in and play with it Anyway when i was ready to trailer the boat i beached it on the bank while i put the trailer on the ramp. I almost had to ask someone help pull me off the a bank. It buried in the mud due to the weight of the batteries up front. The water had been high and recently receded so i was beaching it in gumbo which didn't help. I idled up to the bank and didn't hit it hard so it didn't take much to stick it. I would have moved the batteries back to the rear anyway due to the way the boat "felt" with the batteries up front. I believe i would have plowed pretty good in rough water on an open lake and would have lost a great deal of top speed. I'm not that concerned about getting every mile per hour out of the motor but i didnt want kayaks and canoes passing me while i was tached out. This is with a 2009 190 with a 90 Opti on the back.
I put 2 group 31 AGMs in the front of my 175 when I bought my Ultrex a year and a half ago. The boat sat level in the water even with a 90 lb electric outboard on the back. I couldn’t worry about the speed though (7.3 mph) Lol
I have a 1992 16 ft aluminum Lowe , kinda a mod V hull like the new Trackers . I only have a light evinrude 30hp 2 stroke . when I tried to put 2 group 31 up front I couldn't get the bow to lift enough to stop plowing the front end and after spearing a few large waves and getting soaked I gave up and put them in the back of the boat . Now the bow lifts over the waves effortlessly . Unless you have a heavy outboard engine you might not enjoy the weight of the batteries up front .
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