Rod holder mounting problems - HELP!!!!

[Bucktail Butch]

I recently bought a pair of Fish-On rod holders to mount on my 1987 Lund 16 foot boat. Although I think they're great holders, I'm beginning to wonder if they were the right choice.
I intend to mount them with side mounts at the top of the gunnels (gunwales) and want to run all of the bolts through the hull. The mounting instructions specify that side mounts must be within 1/8" of top edge to allow the rod holder to swivel. Therein lies the problem. At the top of the gunnels is what I would call a rubrail; it is rounded on the sides and flat on top and runs the full length of both sides, I assume to strenghten and protect the gunnels. Due to this feature, I am trying to figure out a way to get this job done. I have access to enough white oak to use as spacers or whatever, but the problem is the drilling of holes in the hull itself. I really don't want to attempt to drill through the rubrail, I can't believe that's the best way to go.
Have any of you run into this or a similar problem and, if so, what was your solution? Any suggestions or solutions would be appreciated. :help:
Thanks,
Butch

[river_walleye]

I assume you have a glass boat? You aren't thinking of mounting them on the outside of the boat are you? Anything that gets mounted outside of the boat, usually gets lost when you come into a dock. I have several bow lights on the bottom of the river.They do offer some different mounting options for the Fish-On holders. Hold them in place and see if it wants to swivel before you drill any holes.

[ESOX]

I would suggest finding a holder that will mount on top of the gunnel.

[Bucktail Butch]

river walleye: Nope. my Lund is aluminum and I want to mount the rodholder mounts inside, but the rub rail sticks out and up too far for the 1/8" clearance to be held.

Esox: The top of the gunnel rubrail is only about 1 1/2" wide max.

I wish I could post pictures, I think that would make my problem clearer than I can describe it in words, but my computer has only 64 MB of RAM and every time I try to scan, download and send pictures, the damn thing locks up.
Picture this: The aluminum sheeting of the hull, probably .060 or .080 thick, comes up and at the top a piece of extruded and shaped aluminum tubing that I refer to as a rubrail is riveted full length, front to back, on both sides. This rubrail is radiused and protrudes too far inward (approximately 3/4") to leave enough clearance if the mount is bolted directly to the inside of the hull. If I put in a spacer of 3/4" white oak, the mount will clear the rubrail, but to get within 1/8" of the top of the rubrail, the top bolt holes in the mount line up with the rubrail, which I don't think should be drilled through.
I hope I have clarified things, but I'm afraid I may have made it more confusing. If I can figure out a way to send some pictures, I will do it but it will have to be on some other PC than mine.
Thanks again,
Butch

[river_walleye]

Hey Butch, I think I know what you mean now. Is it kind of a "D" shaped piece of alimunum and flat on top? Here is a picture of mine, but I don't have the rub rail. I just sold a flat bottom boat I had rod holders in too. It had the same type of rail. I didn't want to drill all of the way through, so I used some very large stainless sheet metal screws. They didn't go all of the way through and I never had any problems with them. They never came loose, and held tight when I got snagged up in the rivers.http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/539/219PDC_0164-med.JPG

[ESOX]

I see what you are dealing with now. Look at the Down East Salties with the double clamps, they are the strongest thing out there for that type of application, and require no drilling.

http://www.down-east.com/

[jpollman]

I second the Salties. They're the cats' pajamas ! :)

[Bucktail Butch]

ESOX and jpollman, Thanks guys, I'm going to buy a pair of double clamp Saltys (who's the best source, keeping in mind that I'm up in the NW lower and don't have access to the SE shops?) which I will use toward the rear of the gunnels to troll in the prop wash or run boards or long lines. I still want to figure out a way to mount the Fish-Ons forward of midships. I've got a friend who owns a small machine shop and he can work this thing out, I'm pretty sure.

river walleye, Nice set up. Thanks for the idea, but as I said, my rubrail is radiused, inboard and out. I sure wish it was squared off like yours, I'd mount like you did in a heartbeat.

Thanks for the help, I appreciate it. If anyone else has any ideas or suggestions, please send them along. God, I love this site!!!!!

Butch

[jpollman]

Butch,

I know that Cabelas carries them. Maybe you could just order some and have them shipped to you. If not, just make a few calls to your local tackle shops. They may know if anyone carries them locally. Good luck.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/pod/horizontal-pod.jhtml?id=0001441&navAction=jump&navCount=0&indexId=&parentId=&parentType=&rid=&link=&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fcatalog%2Fpod-link.jhtml.1_A&_DAV=search

[FishTales]

I still want to figure out a way to mount the Fish-Ons forward of midships. I've got a friend who owns a small machine shop and he can work this thing out, I'm pretty sure.
Butch

Since you have access to a good shop, I am sure he can come up with a two piece block that can be mounted on the gunnel, without drilling holes in the boat, then that block can be drilled and tapped to accept mounting screws.
I know I could make something that would work.

[Houghton laker]

they also make a "nut" of sorts called a plus nut...If you do not want to go all the way through the metal and it is hollow inbetween you drill a hole...put the plus nut in tight the bolt and it swells the nut to stay in the hole on the back side! You can then back out the bolt , attach the rod holder and bolt it on! they use these all the time for mounting ladder racks in trucks! You can get them at National ladder on JohnR and 696

[ESOX]

Do you mean T-nuts?
Like a Molly Anchor for metal

[Houghton laker]

Yes...they come with there own wrench to hold it in place...they are used in the beds of trucks when you cannot have a nut on the back side....I have used these often for installing my ladder racks in my trucks!! They work Fantastic!! and Last !!

[Hotwired]

look here

http://www.bollhoff-rivnut.com/id24.htm