Front deck thickness

[mstrbass]

I ahve a 2015 119c about how thick is fiberglass around the foot pedal area . i am thinking of adding an assist pole to make it easier to get in and out of boat I have boat efx steps but I am still reocvering my balance after brain cancer . Any ideas? Thanks Dave

[jc2bg]

Last time I installed a recessed trolling motor pedal tray was around 10 years ago, but it was on an older model. I’m not sure about a 2015. The problem would be leverage, as a support at waist level would put significant strain on the fastenings. Your best bet might be to explore a metal plate fastened to the underside and bolted through.

P.S. Checked with my dealer, who says that the area around the foot pedal is Ranger’s pultrusion material, which is thin but super-strong. However, top-down screws could strip if enough force is exerted, so bolting through is still safest, except that there is a lot of very stiff foam packed underneath the deck.

[carlots]

I guess i just learned something. i thought Rangers were all fiberglass, NO WOOD. ??????

[jc2bg]

I guess i just learned something. i thought Rangers were all fiberglass, NO WOOD. ??????

Sorry, I had a brain freeze earlier. Was thinking about an older model boat that I worked on. There are YouTube videos showing the new/modern build process.

Follow-up: The videos mentioned above show that the area around the foot pedal is sheathed in Ranger’s pultrusion material. I checked thickness with my dealer, who says that the pultrusion material is approximately 5/16 thick, yet stronger than steel. As he also states, though, the problem with attaching a grab bar in that area is the height of said bar and potential leverage. The danger is that fasteners might strip out if enough pressure is exerted, so the way to go is to attach a plate underneath and bolt through. But the only access point would be through the bow panel, and the whole area underneath the deck is solid foam. Good luck to the OP. What he’s trying to do must be possible, but needs some engineering.

[mstrbass]

Thanks for the info

[SkidooSteve12]

Not necessarily these, but a toggle bolt/anchor might be the best bet.
https://www.wholesalemarine.com/gare...hoCH5cQAvD_BwE

Quote from a review for those toggle anchors: These anchors were very easy to use just make sure you have clearance to pivot the toggle. You will have to remove floatation foam under the Mount before inserting the fasteners. Someone suggested using a 90 degree Allen wrench in a drill to remove the foam that’s what I did and it worked perfectly.

[Rangerdeepv]

Just a suggestion but how about a welded rig which sits in the front seat hole?