Inside rail on Lowe boat(s)

I've got a Lowe that has a grove along the inside the boat near the top of the gunwale. This grove runs continuously the entire length of the boat front to back. It seems I've seen it on other brands also but not positive. Been to several shows and looked at the Lowe boats but have never seen this grove in use. What's are it's purposes?

I own a 2001 Lowe 1467t and I guess I don't see or understand what you are talking about? The top rail that goes around my boat is made of what looks like extruded aluminum. Is this the groove you are talking about? If so, it is just designed that way for strength and that is the purpose of the groove. When you bend metal into shapes like this it gives it greater strength without having to use solid stock. I hope this answers your question, and if not then post a pic so we can see exactly what you are talking about

The area I'm talking about is actually on the inside of the boat but maybe an 2-3 inches down from the edge of the gunwale. It appears like the edge of a camper canopy/awning rail. On an RV/camper awning (not the roll out type) the awning has a hard plastic piping sewn onto the awning fabric. You put this piping into the grove and slide it across and thus you have installed your awning. Hope this helps you understand as I sure had a hard time figuring out how to describe that one......probably still messed it up?

My Lowe 160W, rigged by them as a bass boat style, doesn't have that groove. I don't think so, anyways. See my avatar....

So...it may be that Lowe has a support extrusion that fits into that groove. That support may be the way my aluminum deck on my bass boat style boat is affixed to the main boat itself. ???? Just guessing, of course, rich

I believe the groove can have a bolt put in it to attach rod holders and other things. You should be able to modify the head of a carriage bolt to work.

Ok here is a pic of my boat. If you are talking about the rail behind the depth finder in the pic then that is just an extruded aluminum design for rigidity. I can pretty much guarantee it was not designed to put bolts into, although you may be able too. This is common when dealing with aluminum to see these extruded molds and most are patented designs. Each bend, crease, or fold makes the aluminum more rigid. In my opinion it is just coincidence that it looks like an awning cover slot.

If it's like my tracker, it is designed to put 1/4 inch carriage bolts into. Check towards the front or back for a spot made to insert the carriage bolt head and slide along.

Tracker calls it the versa track system and they charge way too much for cupholders and other accesories of that nature.

I have cupholders/trays to hold phones lures etc. around on mine as well as some tubes to store rods in when not in use.

I'm in the process of ordering a driftmaster rod holder and base to see if I can get them to mount because the tracker ones were just the normal plastic ones.

Hmm well my Lowe doesn't have these slots for carriage bolts that you speak of. You can probably get bolts into it from under the bow plate but it doesn't look like they specifically designed my model of boat for doing that. I am sticking with the strength factor still.

Sorry for the tardy reply but some other business to take care of. Johnny25 it is at least similar to yours if not exactly like it? not for sure? You might have hit the nail on the head with the strength part but it seems like a expensive way to gain additional strength extruding that complicated part just for strength alone. That's kind of why I thought it had a dual purpose.

Speaking of "dual purpose"...it just might be that the extrusion is a "standard" one. Perhaps it is used by travel-trailer companies, and, at the same time, by boat companies. Flip it around and it is a boat- gunnel-railing..... the other way, a travel-trailer awning form.

Who knows, perhaps the very same extrusion shows up in a half dozen other applications, too.

If I were a manufacturer of anything, and I could find a usable, lower cost, "stock" extrusion that I could buy in bulk, I sure as heck wouldn't go making up my own molds for relatively short runs. Especially when the piece in question could do the job. Guess we will never really know.

regards, Rich

Yeah good point rich, that very well may be the case. Now these thread has me thinking about emailing Lowe and finding out the truth

Yea, if you do get an answer, please post here.

I sincerely doubt that any manufacturer would admit to using something "stock" on their products though. Heck, that would lead to people building their own boats.... if enough of us got onto it. R

If I find out I will surely post the info

Tracker grizzlys like mine have it with the groove, and they sell accessories that fit there. I made my own rod holder bracket to mount a set of berkley rod holders. Theb easiest way to use them is to drill a holen slightly bigger than a s.s carriage bolt head , clean out the garbage and insert a bolt head and slide it down the r4ail to wherever You want it. I drilled both front and back ends of the rail, that way it's not neccessary to move an item to add another. They work great I think some of the G3 boats have them as an option

novaman said:

Tracker grizzlys like mine have it with the groove, and they sell accessories that fit there. I made my own rod holder bracket to mount a set of berkley rod holders. Theb easiest way to use them is to drill a holen slightly bigger than a s.s carriage bolt head , clean out the garbage and insert a bolt head and slide it down the r4ail to wherever You want it. I drilled both front and back ends of the rail, that way it's not neccessary to move an item to add another. They work great I think some of the G3 boats have them as an option

Click to expand...

How old is your grizzly? Mines a 2010 and it has the places drilled for the carriage bolts already in each end. both sides

View attachment 1

also have a 1654 FB TRACKER GRIZZLEY with the groove (versa trac). I have all kinds of stuff attached to it with 1/4" carriage bolts,
and made up brackets. mines a 2006, and had the holes in it to insert the bolts.
not sure, but I believe the lowe roughnecks also have this, either called VAR TRAC, or EXTRUDED RECEIVER GUNNEL.
too bad I can fabricate better than use the computer. I was trying to post a build yesterday. lots of pics. of how I used the TRAC to mount almost everything. it said file too big, and wouldn't load.I don't know how to break the file down so it will load.

My TG is a 2004 1648 tiller model, and apparantly enough people bitched about no holes , they started to pre-drill them. I can switch from rod holders to gun racks in about 5 min, love'm. Another change was the rail slot goes around farther than mine, as mine end at the bow and mine has the big bent tube around the front with cutouts for wiring , etc.

Would like to see some pics of the devices you guys mount on the grove! Keep trying to get your pics online too overboard! Thanks :wink:

That's a pretty cool little idea they put on there...

I love my versa trac in my grizzly. I have only mounted the bass pro rod holders with carriage bolts. But have plans for cup holders. I like the fact that I can move rod holders to either side or to accomodate the number of people or Target species