# Kruser's 1986 Traveler



## Kruser (Jan 1, 2012)

hi,

I've been lurking for around 6 months now and just wanted to say thank you to all the posters and everyone for all the information. I bought a 15'6" traveler with a 1996 suzuki DT40 and was able to work it over thanks to all the info on this forum. I got it for 2k and a shotgun off of Craigslist. I'm about half way finished and I figured it was time to post pics. The first ones are the original boat how I bought it. The guy that had it before me put pressure treated plywood in it and I had to tear out everything, the transom was completley rotted so the first thing was to pull the motor, time for a little coonass engineering -- I built me a little frame and used a come-a-long to raise it and rolled it into the backyard while I worked on the transom.

sorry for the fat guy in the pics my wife was working the camera 

more pics tomorrow


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## Kruser (Jan 1, 2012)

Time for some transom repair, I had to cut it completly out. After reading every post on transom repair here I decided to go with the aluminum and had a great welder make me one. I went to several boat showrooms and found out how they are making them now. This guy is an artist and it was worth the $850 to have a transom that I will never have to worry about.


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## LonLB (Jan 1, 2012)

Nice boat!

That Transom is great! Never have to worry about it again.


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## Kruser (Jan 2, 2012)

Thanks!!


The next step was storage, this boat had no storage and only one seat, so I got a hatch from cabellas and cut out the rear seat so I could bolt the seat holder down. there was a lot of styrofoam in the seat that I had to cut out but the good thing is there were angles along the sides inside the seat so I was able to have a floor inside to keep things out of the bilge


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## Kruser (Jan 2, 2012)

this one came with a transom mount troll motor, well I wanted a bow mount so I found one for $20 on craigslist and here is what happens when MinnKoda and Motorguide mate.....
I had to add a small piece of aluminum extrusion and it fit right in the bow mount


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## Kruser (Jan 22, 2012)

Finally got to do a little work on the boat -- I got the hatch in, got both battery boxes mounted and the control cables on the motor. Got the whole thing wired, console in and the first dry mount of the front deck. Now all I need is to seal it with something and bolt it down.
I think I'm going to leave it open under the deck and just support the back of the wood with a couple of pieces of extrusion


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## UtahBassKicker (Jan 22, 2012)

Lookin' good.


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## Jdholmes (Jan 22, 2012)

I want your level...oh and the boat looks good too.


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## Kruser (Jan 22, 2012)

thanks 
that was just a straightedge

now I go to research wood sealers and figure out how to get that old carpet glue off without too much work  ....


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## Kruser (Jan 27, 2012)

Well, it's friday night and I can't go fishing tomorrow so I'm researching....reading and reading.

I had two options for the deck, old school Spar Varnish or Bed liner, and after I'm bleary eyed from reading and some advice from UtahBassKicker I think I've decided on the bedliner -- more pics tomorrow


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## Kruser (Feb 19, 2012)

Finally got a good weekend to work on the boat, it's Mardi Gras here and I got to mount the trolling motor block, glued down with resourcinol. Installed the back deck support and cut out the rear floor. the rear of the deck is supported with two pieces of aluminum extrusion that I had leftover from my Robot Wars days. It looks like all I'm going to need is 1-1/4" support in the center to make the floor stable.

I spoke to the bedliner engineers and to apply it to wood I need to seal it first with Kilz, so that's next..


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## TimRich (Feb 20, 2012)

Nice work! The boat has come a long way! Can't wait to see the finished product.


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## Kruser (Feb 20, 2012)

Thanks!!

I wish I had the time and money to just finish it in a weekend-- 

do you or anyone know where to buy resorcinol?
I called DAP and it's been discontinued, I hate when they discontinue a great product


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## Kruser (Feb 22, 2012)

I found the resorcinol, this is the original formula that DAP had:

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/wppages/cascophen.php

I guess if I put airplane glue in a boat it will fly? :mrgreen:


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## Kruser (Mar 10, 2012)

Well I decided to go with the carpet, the bedliner was just too much mess. Got the floor under the console done and the casting deck done. But I found out that my arms are not long enough to reach around to bolt it through. LOL I guess you can be a knuckle dragger and still not have enough arm


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## Kruser (Mar 11, 2012)

Here's the pics of the deck under the console -- guess I'll never get it right to get them in the proper sequence


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## Brine (Mar 11, 2012)

Nice work Kruser. Looks close to fish ready now.


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## Kruser (Mar 11, 2012)

Brine said:


> Nice work Kruser. Looks close to fish ready now.



Thanks! and it is almost ready, I'm going to make a little movie of it's maiden voyage


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## Kruser (Apr 7, 2012)

Well it's done except for the trolling motor wiring and dang it floats!!!


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## Kruser (Apr 7, 2012)

I couldn't get a video loaded on here so here it is....Maiden voyage....


https://s182.photobucket.com/albums/x99/John_Karen/The%20Boat/


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## Kruser (May 13, 2012)

I had a weekend where I could work on it so I took the lower unit down and it was a mess, whoever put it back together last time didn't get the shaft seal in right and it was leaking bad. The motor looks very well built, it's all brass and stainless. But ofcourse the brass oil screws are all buggered up so I have to wait until tomorrow to get new ones and I did see a little water in the oil so I may have to replace the seals.
It did run good on the first fishing trip I went on......didn't catch any fish though...


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## fool4fish1226 (May 14, 2012)

Glad to see that it floats, that always a good sign :LOL2: Hope everything works out with the motor so you can go catch some fish.

Boat looks great =D> Thanks for sharing


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