H50 recessed foot peddle questions

[wkblazin]

Has anyone ever installed a recessed foot pedal on this or similar 16ft. Aluminum? Need help deciding if I need to support underside if I can actually install one.

[Altro Cat]

My experience with two different Xpress models is that you have to see how the floor is braced.

On my old 96 V50 the floor didnt need any bracing added. My 08 H51 did need new supports welder in.

[Ranger391v]

If memory serves me correct, the H50 has a brace (or at least my 2005 did) that will end up getting cut.

As for 'if you'll need to re-brace it' ........ I think that's up to; 1. how much weight is standing up there and 2. how much flex you can live with.

I've heard that the metal trays helped firm up the deck when screwed in verses the plastic ones. I also heard that the decks would flex regardless. Thus I never could bring myself to installing one b/c I didn't want to fight any possible hassle. The guys that re-braced their's ended up welding stiffener legs on each side of the 2 length wise cuts ...... leg extended from the underside of the deck downward to the hull. IDK what it did to the paint/finish on the hull's outside ...... I'm sure it would have burned it off right were the weld was.

[Altro Cat]

Cant tell anything by looking at the outside of my hull.

[wkblazin]

Thanks for the info. Yes mine has the braces going directly across. I'm about 200 lbs so I'm sure it would flex without bracing it. But I'm so used to it over the years, prior it would destroy my back without it. I fished out of it for the first time at only 4 hours I could tell it was making a difference.