1999 Longhorn Nautique Restoration Thread

I think a new Ramlin is $4,500-ish. And if I was buying new I'd go with single axle and IMO nothing loads easier and shallower than a Ramlin for these boats.

Having said that, incredible looking trailer! Leave the zip ties, they look fine to me.

in general, if I wanted a new trailer like this, not longhorn style but just a plain black trailer like this one. What would it cost on average?

Thanks! Great thread!

Not worried about it! Honestly, I’m fine with the zip ties. Every boat trailer I see uses the same thing.

rosconole wrote: Dude dont sweat the big zip ties just because the trailer isn't black you don't need to get carried away with Adel clamps or drilling into the trailer. Just get a small brush with matching paint. I wouldn't use anything metal on metal because it will ruin that nice paint....they do make all different color zip ties as well.. trying to plasti dip some clamps will just fade pretty bad over time.

Drilling and taping is the only thing that makes me hesitant because these are torsion axels, not leave spring axels. I don’t know where the rubber core ends within the axel and don’t want put a screw into it.

desertskier wrote: The cleanest option would be the clamps that Keno suggested but they require drilling and tapping the axles. If you are worried about the plastic ties breaking then you could swap them out for some stainless ties. You could also have the stainless ties painted to match. Follow this link then click on "Metal Cable Ties and Mounts". They have some nice plastic dipped red ones for JQ! Some more options Or just put the boat on the trailer and forget about them.

The cleanest option would be the clamps that Keno suggested but they require drilling and tapping the axles. If you are worried about the plastic ties breaking then you could swap them out for some stainless ties. You could also have the stainless ties painted to match.

Follow this link then click on "Metal Cable Ties and Mounts".

They have some nice plastic dipped red ones for JQ!

Some more options

Or just put the boat on the trailer and forget about them.

I love it.

DHMcFadin wrote: Jonny Quest wrote: Yup. Looks like Longhorn zip ties. Very thick zip ties. It’s what the old trailer had as well. Not sure what else they would use.

Figured you's shoot for something a little better looking to go with everything else

Black ones are the only ones that will last in UV rays, the others crumble in just a couple of years

He could have at least used some of these in the link if that's the case

link

What are those black things holding the brake lines to the axle tubes,some zip ties or something else?

[QUOTE=DHMcFadin]

Wow!

Fine looking trailer. You’ll have a rig to be “Texas Proud” no doubt.

Here's my reasoning with the battery relocation. This could change but this is where my thought process has taken me.

1. I am no longer using the factory ballast tanks. Each one of those tanks empty weigh 30-35 lbs. So almost 70 lbs is being removed from the rear.
2. Growing up, whenever we had a lot of people in the boat, the bow would sit lower in the water. With enough people, and depending on how rough the lake was, water was known to come over the bow. You might say, "well that's a driver error". Come down to Lake McQueeney and I will show what rough water looks like lol. We had dual batteries then. I figured moving them back a few feet would help this.
3. I really liked how our 206 and 200 have a centrally located battery. It just seems to make more sense.
4. As far as the slalom wake goes, I learned how to three event behind this boat with more than a couple observers weighing it down. I think the wake will be fine for my kids. At this stage in my life, I am no longer competing. The only ski equipment I will have in the boat are a couple masterline ropes/handles, some lifevests, and couple pair of cutoff jumpers attached to the tower. If and when they decide they want to get serious about tournament skiing, I'll do exactly what my dad did and get a boat for that purpose.

Now, I do completely agree about losing the storage. Since I am going to bags in the rear instead of tanks, I am not sure how much room I'll have in the rear locker for lifevests when the bags are full. I am not worried about the shift in weight because I think its pretty close to proportional. But I am worried bout the lack of storage. Y'all definitely have me thinking.

Either way, I am having that compartment squared off. Something about the half moon opening seems like it doesn't really belong.

ultrarunner wrote: THAT is some serious progress. I see what you mean at the hull-deck union. Looks pretty nasty. I think a Longhorn-orange rub rail is in order when you get there. Interesting idea for the center storage locker. Do you have any concerns of moving too much weight aft? These Sports got heavy in the rear end with the redesigned transom storage locker, vs. the previous gen. I always tried to keep that aft locker empty, and just a bit of gas when on the course. Mine also had those ballast tanks and associated plumbing back there also. There would be plenty of room up front for twin batts if weight moving aft is a concern. Just thinking out loud... Ultra...

I tend to agree with Ultra. Mid ship battery location might be OK, the real sensitivity to weight seems to be in the locker and fuel tank from my experience, but I do think if it were me I'd keep the batteries up front. Why do you want to lose that locker to batteries, seems way more useful as storage?

One group I ski with we tend to have 4, sometimes 5, total, plus I carry an anchor and we have a cooler. Other times we have 3 total, low fuel, carry less in the trunk. The wake difference is significant. A light Sport has a really good slalom wake, a heavy Sport has a still soft but much bigger slalom wake.

THAT is some serious progress. I see what you mean at the hull-deck union. Looks pretty nasty. I think a Longhorn-orange rub rail is in order when you get there.

Interesting idea for the center storage locker. Do you have any concerns of moving too much weight aft? These Sports got heavy in the rear end with the redesigned transom storage locker, vs. the previous gen. I always tried to keep that aft locker empty, and just a bit of gas when on the course. Mine also had those ballast tanks and associated plumbing back there also.

There would be plenty of room up front for twin batts if weight moving aft is a concern.

Just thinking out loud...

Ultra...