Cooler seat/lid on X45 - anyone put one on?

[jvbaca]

Hi,

I have an '05 X45 and am thinking of putting a spring or gas shock on/under the passenger seat over the cooler so when I'm loading it or unloading, taking it out or....putting it in (the cooler), I'm not fighting the seat. Anybody done this? If so let me know what you did to solve this problem (short of shoving a 2x4 and jamming it open). Thanks!

[WakePowell]

I installed the seat prop used on the X35. Its available from Mastercraft for $55.

[jvbaca]

Any pics to share?? I will look on the MC Wsite to see if they show it. Thanks for the reply.

[scott023]

Any pics to share?? I will look on the MC Wsite to see if they show it. Thanks for the reply.

No kidding. I think I'd snap one up if its functional.

[Thrall]

I looked at them when I was thinking about putting the hinges on my X2 cooler seat.
(Thanks S&W Marine for not ordering me the parts. Maybe NW watersports will order them for me!)
You will have to make a cutout in the seat base for the prop to go through, but I kinda liked it better than a gas shock because there's no latch on that seat and I could see the possiblity of wind or bouncing down the highway "opening" the cooler seat with a shock on it.

Hinges and a prop or shock are definately money! Not sure why MC didn't put them on all the boats. Get sick of pulling that seat out 50x a day to get into the cooler. Might be a winter project this year.

[jvbaca]

Just finished the Passenger seat cooler lid prop. It will hold the seat open when fully extended allow me to insert and remove the cooler but otherwise allow the passenger to lift the seat, open the cooler get their choice of "beverage" and close the seat with no interference. I think we're going to enjoy it this weekend. Let me know your thoughts, good or bad (I have thin skin so be nice, just kidding)!

[jvbaca]

More pics.......

More pics....

[jvbaca]

Little more info

Even though I'm using my hand in the pic to fold the spring, it only requires one finger to break the spine and the seat comes down by itself as though it had no support which is what I was after, normal operation with the exception that now I can load and unload the cooler without using my head to hold the darn seat up.......

[scott023]

Looks a heck of a lot better than the factory set up to me. Do you have a link to where you got the kit from?

[jvbaca]

Bought the Spring from west marine and the stainless #10 5mm screws from ace. About $35.00 total

[etnovass]

that looks great. what cooler is that. i have an 06 x 45 and a cant find a cooler that fits.

[jvbaca]

Walmart, igloo marine 36 qt cooler sku#003422306778 (at least that was the sku when I bought it on 04/18/10). fits like factory

[ttu]

wonder if that would work on my 07 x2. hate pulling the seat off everytime someone needs something out of the cooler.

[jvbaca]

TTU, the seat on my x45 is on hinges and was a pita to hold open to insert and remove the cooler so I installed this spring mechanism, however I did not design this to hold the seat open for someone who is just grabbing a cold one. In other words it only works when the seat is fully opened and that's the way I wanted it. If your seat isn't on hinges and you have to take it off to get to the cooler I don't know if this would work unless you installed one on each side of the seat? Still seems like the seat would be shifting while the spring is trying to hold it........I dunno....

[ttu]

TTU, the seat on my x45 is on hinges and was a pita to hold open to insert and remove the cooler so I installed this spring mechanism, however I did not design this to hold the seat open for someone who is just grabbing a cold one. In other words it only works when the seat is fully opened and that's the way I wanted it. If your seat isn't on hinges and you have to take it off to get to the cooler I don't know if this would work unless you installed one on each side of the seat? Still seems like the seat would be shifting while the spring is trying to hold it........I dunno....

no hinges. thanks for your input.