# Pods added to transom?



## 10sne1 (Mar 27, 2014)

Theses pods look cool, but are they worth having? Or would trim tabs be as good. Do they help with trimming the boat while under power? Or do they do there best work for flotation? What am I missing. I
Like them but want real life report. Thanks


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## huntinfool (Mar 27, 2014)

They add extra flotation to the back of a boat. Since they are fixed they aren't really a trim tab. I have them on my 1860, but other than a step to help get in the boat and flotation that's about it.


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## Ranchero50 (Mar 27, 2014)

Pods help the rear of the hull float higher at rest. They also move the wetted center of buoyancy further back so the hull planes out and comes off plane flatter.

On mine I stepped my pods up 1" from the bottom and it caused me some porpoising problems. I ended up making some full size tabs that I could adjust to make the hull run best. Single person, my hull is light int he front end at 45 mph, it's skittish if I'm running into a wind. Two people it's very stable and smooth.


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## huntinfool (Apr 6, 2014)

[attachment=-1]uploadfromtaptalk1396836397116.jpg[/attachment]

Mine are up from the bottom also. But they are factory installed. I don't have any comparison without them.


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## WebbsWelding (Apr 11, 2014)

I have installed several sets of these pods. They do a few things, they add about 250 lbs of flotation, which is the same as getting my big ass out of the back of the boat. The keep your prop from running as deep at slow speeds and they get you on plane quicker. All the sets I have installed were set with the rear edge 1/2 inch above the bottom level of the hull. just my 2 cents, new guy here, great looking site.


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## surfman (Apr 14, 2014)

Where can I get some for my boat? Do they just bolt on?


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## Jim (Apr 14, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=348634#p348634 said:


> surfman » 14 Apr 2014 09:51 am[/url]"]Where can I get some for my boat? Do they just bolt on?



Bassboy1 from FishonFabrications (Board Sponsor) can make you them. Give him a PM or call him direct. https://www.fishonfabrications.com/custom-fabrication.html


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## surfman (Apr 14, 2014)

Thanks.


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## Jim (Apr 14, 2014)

I might add them to my boat too…..

So Im curious if you do do it how you like them.


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## WebbsWelding (Apr 14, 2014)

I have heard Cabella's is selling the Beavertail Pods, Have not confirmed that though. Adam Webb


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## DMGO (Apr 15, 2014)

Thinking about adding them on my boat, too. 14' alum v-hull. My boat sits somewhat low in the water if I'm fishing alone. Think pods would help that?


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## WebbsWelding (Apr 16, 2014)

It depends on the type of v-hull, most have rounded bottom corners on the transom, and the few v-hulls I have fooled with seem to have a steeper pitch to the transom but I did not actually confirm that, just looks that way. They would help with buoyancy(-1 sp?) , just not sure how they would mount and handle on the water with a true v-hull.


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## surfman (Apr 16, 2014)

I would think they would be most helpful on a smaller boat, like a 14' as opposed to an 18' due to the the fact that the 18'er already displaces more water and has more bouyancy but, on the other hand a larger boat has a tendency to be loaded more just because you can.

I could be wrong but for $250 on the beavertail pods that is going to be hard to beat.


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## bigredxlt (Apr 16, 2014)

I just bought some beavertail pods from cabelas for my 1542. Trying to find a weld shop to weld them on for me at a reasonable price so I can't attest to how well they work just yet. I can tell you I was very impressed with fit and finish when I got them. They were bigger than I expected and they look great. I'm excited to get them on and find out how shallow they will let me take the boat as this is the primary reason why I got them. 

From all the reviews I have read, adding pods is a great idea. There is a lot controversy as to where to mount them for the best performance, but I wouldn't really waste my time reading all that garbage. Just give the directions that beavertail provides to your welder. I'd rather trust the manufacturer than some internet hotshots.


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## bigredxlt (Apr 16, 2014)

Not to hi-jack the thread but to anybody who has welding knowledge how much do you think it should cost to weld the pods on?


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## WebbsWelding (Apr 17, 2014)

It all depends on the boat. I have installed some that were a perfect fit, went right on. Then I have had some that had to be adjusted. By that I mean the far back bottom edge of the pod is supposed to be 1/2 inch above the plane of the boat. So if the pitch of the transom is too steep then you have to add plate to get the right angle. It also depends on the condition of the hull. If the transom has got a bow from years of use you have to adjust for it. Its a lot of welding. I have cut two sets off that were installed wrong by other welders and both guys said they knew something was wrong as soon as they throttled up. To answer your question, I charge $250-400, The ones I cut off, they were both installed for under $100. Tight Lines, Adam Webb


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## surfman (Apr 17, 2014)

Nothing wrong with welding but they can be bolted on too.


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## bigredxlt (Apr 18, 2014)

The pods and transom matched up well with the angle of the pods not sure if it was exactly .5 inch rise but it was pretty close so they shouldn't require adjustment. but now you have me concerned because the welding shop quoted me 100 for fixing a cracked welding the pods and fabricating a leg on the console. I thought that sounded way too cheap. By the the boat is a 94 so not ssure if you would consider that old in realm of aluminum welding but there are definitely some imperfections in the transom.

not really interested in bolting them because I would have to cut in to the pods and drill a bunch of holes in the transom. Seems like welding them on is the more practical route.


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## Jeeper (Apr 18, 2014)

The shop down the road from me has done hundreds of these and they normally charge $100, but if there is any thing they have to add it would be more (example my buddys duracraft they had to add some extensions on because of the angle of the transom so his was 125). As long as they do good work go with them.


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## WebbsWelding (Apr 19, 2014)

I agree, just because someone is cheaper does not mean they do poor work. At the same time just because someone charges a lot surely does not mean they are better. I remember when I was sixteen I hit a tree in my 16 footer, It left me with a fourteen inch long crack where the floor meets the side. I finally managed to find a guy to weld it. He says " I get ten dollars an inch". I was floored. This was my only choice? (pre internet search days). I ponied up and got it fixed. I asked him why he charged so much. He said cause he was the only one in town that could do it. A set of pod involves about 8 feet of welding, I weld them all the way around tight. Why, because if there is a hole in the transom anywhere inside the area the pod covers good luck fixing it once the pod is installed over it. Another reason I weld the entire perimeter is strength. When you slide over a stump the entire weight of the boat, you and your gear are focused on a very small area. If the pod ends up on that stump it is putting a lot of pressure on the weld and can tear. I have already had to repair one of those as well. That one had three one inch welds across a sixteen inch seem. Of course not all lakes are full of stumps, Your guy may do a fine job and it will work just fine. Adam Webb


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## smackdaddy53 (Apr 21, 2014)

Custom built to EXACT measurements and angles I gave them, cut by CNC machine, tig welded, pressure tested, bent so there are less welds and much cheaper than ANY local welding shops that don't even have CNC equipment. $460 shipped to my door from Florida to Texas from Boyd's Welding.
Keep in mind you only gain positive floatation with the anount of pod below the water. 60# per square foot of air space.


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## WebbsWelding (Apr 21, 2014)

Those are nice, and a great deal too. They look great on your boat.


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## surfman (Apr 22, 2014)

Sweet, I would love to convert my boat to a tunnel, I should consider trading it in.


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## bigredxlt (Apr 26, 2014)

Just got mine back from the welder. Haven't had it on the water yet, but here's what the small sized beavertail pods from cabelas look like on a 1542.


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## DMGO (Apr 26, 2014)

What are those pipes that appear to be attached to each pod near the center?


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## DMGO (Apr 26, 2014)

2nd question: Is there enough room for your outboard to turn all the way right and left? By the way, the pods look TERRIFIC! I'm sure I will do mine the same way.


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## Dark3 (Apr 26, 2014)

Ranchero50 said:


> Pods help the rear of the hull float higher at rest. They also move the wetted center of buoyancy further back so the hull planes out and comes off plane flatter.
> 
> On mine I stepped my pods up 1" from the bottom and it caused me some porpoising problems. I ended up making some full size tabs that I could adjust to make the hull run best. Single person, my hull is light int he front end at 45 mph, it's skittish if I'm running into a wind. Two people it's very stable and smooth.



Can you just scream through slop with that set up..or are there water intake concerns. That rig looks like the next best thing to an airboat for the skinny.


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## bigredxlt (Apr 26, 2014)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=350253#p350253 said:


> DMGO » 26 Apr 2014, 16:36[/url]"]What are those pipes that appear to be attached to each pod near the center?



The pipes are my take on a poor mans power pole shallow water anchor. They are there so I can drop a pole through them and stake the boat off in shallow water rather than using the trolling motor. 

There is more than enough space for the motor turn. The pods were actually a lot larger than I expected them to be and appear to be really well made.


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