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Installation Instructions
 The instructions below are for the Tilt-Up Rails. Click here if you are looking for the installation instructions for the Cross-Deck Models.
Our Tilt-Up Rails are designed so you can install them without having to take your houseboat out of the water. You can do it right where it is when the water isn't too cold because you will need to get into the water under the outdrive space.
If you can handle a battery drill and 12-volt wiring, you can install the Rails yourself. It can be done by one person, but it is much easier with a helper.
If you are not comfortable with installing the Rails yourself, consider these options:
- You can ask another houseboat owner to help you. This is especially desirable if they also want to install PWC Rails on their houseboat. You can help them, and they will help you.
- Almost every young man who works at the marina will be experienced with a drill and 12-volt wiring. Ask around. Offer to pay them $100 after-hours to install it for you...with you helping of course. Most of these young people will jump at the chance to earn the extra cash. Refer them to this page so they can review the instructions and know what is involved.
- You can ask a marine mechanic to do it, but they will charge their normal hourly rate which will add up pretty fast. Installing PWC Rails doesn't require a certified mechanic, so most people do not hire a professional to do it.
There are no printed instructions with your Rails. This allows us to modify the instructions whenever necessary.
Please read all of the instructions BEFORE you start the installation. Then we recommend having a phone or tablet available for reference during installation.
Click here for instructions on how to load and unload your PWC using the winch.
Click here to see a unique custom installation. If your installation is not straight-forward, let us know and we will help with any customization that is necessary.
Safety
You are responsible for the safe and secure installation of the Rails and the operation of your PWC's.
Your Rails come with stainless steel bolts and Nylock nuts. Stainless steel threads tend to “gall” from the heat generated while turning the nuts. To prevent this, we suggest using oil on the threads. If you do not have oil , even squeezing a little dish soap, or scraping some bar soap or Vaseline into the threads of the bolt will help. Even Chap Stick, or sunscreen will work. If you use a ratchet, turn it slowly so the threads don’t overheat…no faster than if you were using an end wrench.
Always wear safety glasses or goggles when drilling or doing other jobs with hand or electric tools.
IMPORTANT: If you are installing your PWC Rails over water as most of our customers do, always tether your tools and especially the Rails themselves. It is easy to accidentally kick them off the swim deck. This is even more important when you are getting ready to mount the Rails to the Frame because most of the weight of the Rails will be beyond the edge of your swim deck. We recommend that you tie a rope around the curved end of your Rails and run it up over the railing on your top deck, and down to your work space. This serves two purposes: 1) It secures your Rails from accidental loss into the lake, and 2) It allows you to control the level of the Rails as you are experimenting with mounting them at the proper angle, as determined by which set of holes in which you bolt them into our winch Frame.
We also recommend placing a floating mat under your work area so that if you drop a nut, washer, bolt, or tool, the mat will catch it.
If you haven't already done so, review the loading and unloading page before reading the following installation instructions. It will help give context to the installation steps.
Included
In addition to the Rails and winch Frame, your PWC Rail kit includes all the hardware and parts you will need to install your Rails for most standard installations. If there are special structures under your swim platform, you might need to purchase longer bolts from any hardware store. This is a list of the parts included with each one described in more details throughout this page:
- Main Rails and 1/2" x 3 1/2" Carriage Pivot Bolts, Washers and Nylock Nuts
- Mounting Frame and 4 3/8" x 1 1/4" Carriage Bolts, Washers and Nylock Nuts
- Stiffener Bracket (Attaches with winch bolts)
- Gas Shock Lift Arms
- Top and Bottom Lift Arm Brackets with bolts and nylock nuts
- Sunbrella Winch Cover
There are 5 basic phases to the installation:
1) Mounting the frame to your swim platform wall (4 bolts, 3/8” x 1.25”) The 1.25” length is long enough to go through our winch box Frame, your swim platform walls and/or floor, and framing on the other side. But if you need to go through any extra thickness, you might need to get longer bolts which are available at Home Depot, Lowes, or any other hardware store.
2) Affixing the rails to the frame (two 1/2" bolts, washers, and nuts)
 3) Mounting the winch and stiffener angle bracket (2 bolts, washers, and nuts)
4) Installing the lift arms (mounting brackets and hardware)
The first 4 steps are usually done on your first trip to your houseboat. The next step, installing the wiring, is usually done on a second trip. This allows you to install everything else which is necessary before you measure how much wire you will need to reach a battery in your engine room. This will make more sense when you review the Wiring page.
5) Wiring to your 12-volt source
Each of these 5 phases is described in detail below and on the Winch and Wiring pages linked further below.
Primary Tools needed for installation
- Battery Drill (do NOT use 110 volt power tools around water)
- Full drill bit set
- 3/8, 7/16, 1/2, 9/16, 3/4 socket, end or ratchet wrenches, and 10mm and 13mm for the winch
- Tape Measure
- Black electrical tape
- Half a dozen zip ties to secure the battery wiring
- A couple pieces of 2x4's at least 16 inches long for temporary supports
Unpacking your Rails
The kit is shipped with the Rails bolted in the Frame shipping holes that are only used for shipping. The lift-arm(s) are wrapped to one of the rail-tubes. The nuts, bolts, and other attachment hardware will be in a separate package inside the main box. While the powder coating is very durable, you will want to be careful not to drag the Rails or scratch the paint during unpacking and installation. Once installed, you won't have to worry about that.
Choosing a Mounting Location
There are several considerations as to where to locate your PWC Rails. If your houseboat does not sit level in the water (starboard to port), you will want to mount your PWC Rail on the “high” side if the layout of everything else allows that. Remember, with the Tilt-Up Rails, you can mount them right over your ladder because they won't be in the way when tilted up. You can also mount them close beside a slide as shown here. If your houseboat is not level after your Rails are installed and your PWC is loaded you will want to offset the new weight with some cement blocks or other suitable weight in the opposite front corner of your basement. This is a common solution, even done by the houseboat factories on new boats.
For your consideration, relative to the down-force stress on your swim platform, it is strongest near the sides where the "skin" of your hull forms a "gusset support" up to the underside of your swim platform. If you think your swim platform might not be strong enough to support the down-force of your PWC, click here to read how you can strengthen it.
You need to get in the water, go under the swim platform, and look behind the vertical wall of the swim platform, armed with your tape measure (keep it dry). Make sure there is no framing that will interfere with the mounting bolts and nuts. To be sure, you want to go through framing, but not into the edge of an angle piece. You can move the Frame a little to one side or the other to make sure you will be able to get the washers and nuts on. If that doesn’t solve the conflict, you can drill a new hole in the Winch Frame to the side of one of the existing holes. If possible, you DO want one or more bolts to go through a structural support as opposed to just the aluminum skin. If that isn't possible you will want to purchase some aluminum angle from a hardware store to put on the inside of the aluminum skin to spread the bolt-load out.
Before you swim under your boat, review the "Winch Installation and Wire Routing" pages starting here. All of these factors will help you determine where to mount your Rails.
Rub-Rail
 If your houseboat has a rub-rail along the top of the forward wall of your swim platform, you can cut a section out with a hacksaw. Alternatively, you can mount our Frame against the rub-rail with 2 bolts* going through the forward wall, and 2 bolts down through the floor. *Depending on your rub-rail thickness, you might need to get longer bolts. But it will be more solid and secure if you cut out the rub-rail and bolt our Frame hard against the forward wall of the swim platform. Click here to see a cut rub-rail.
Hard Side Railing
If your houseboat has hard side aluminum railing that is flush with the forward swim platform wall like the one pictured below, you might need to use spacers between the Frame and the wall because of the stiffener piece that bolts on the back of the Frame. Of course, if you have a rub-rail and mount the Frame against it, then the angle stiffener won't be any problem. The purpose of the stiffener is to keep the winch box Frame from bending with the forces while winching up your PWC. Some people skip the stiffener, and bolt the Frame to one of the railing tubes around their deck.
Mounting the Frame
The PWC Rail Frame is secured to your swim platform with 4 bolts. The most common option is 2 bolts going through the forward wall of your swim platform as high as possible (we include several holes to choose from) and 2 going down through the floor using the holes farthest toward the rear of the houseboat. This actually increases the support strength of your swim platform by using the Frame as a "gusset" between the forward wall and the swim platform. This is especially helpful if you can position the Frame so the bolts are going through support framing behind the aluminum skin. It will also work if all you can do is put 4 bolts down through the floor or 4 bolts through the forward wall. ***See the last paragraph of the next section before mounting your Frame.
If you mount against carpet, press the PWC Rail Frame down into the carpet and against the forward wall of your swim platform as firmly as possible to compress the carpet throughout the drilling process. Use a 13/32” to drill these holes. Insert a bolt through each hole as you drill them to assure that the frame doesn’t move while you are drilling the next holes. After you have drilled all 4 holes, remove the Frame and vacuum or sweep away the aluminum shavings. Then bolt the Frame in place. If you don’t have anyone to help you, you can temporarily tape the bolt heads to hold them in place while you go under your swim platform with the nuts, washers, with a 9/16” end wrench or ratchet wrench. Remember to lubricate the bolts and turn the nuts slowly to avoid seizing. This is where you will want to have a flotation mat under the work area to catch anything you might drop.
If you mount the Rails in the lowest position which might be necessary if your swim platform is low to the water (see the next section***), you will want to use the inner floor holes so the Rails rest flat on the floor of the Frame when lowered. If you were to use the outer floor holes, the bolt heads will prevent the Rails from lowering all the way and will likely dent the bottom of the Rails.
Tighten the nuts as tight as you can get them with the maximum leverage of your end-wrench. It is difficult to get good leverage while in the water, so brace yourself as best you can and get them as tight as possible. After you use your Rails a couple of times, we recommend trying to re-tighten the nuts. You should check them once a year after that.
Attaching the Rails
When you move your rails into position to attach them, be sure to tether them with rope so they are not accidentally knocked off into the water. All it takes is a split-second slip or mistake and they can disappear. You can also place a towel on the edge of your swim platform to avoid scratching the Rail tubes as you adjust them.
Determining the Correct Rail Angle
 This process involves some experimenting. You will be mounting the Rail tubes into a pair of the square holes in the sides of the Frame using the 1/2" bolts and a 3/4" end wrench or ratchet. The ideal angle is when the rear of your PWC is 3 or 4 inches out of the water when loaded, and the tips of the Rails are also out of the water. Achieving this depends on more than one variable. You have to take into account how much your houseboat will lower in the water when the PWC is loaded. This will depend on the weight of your PWC and the size of your houseboat. Longer and wider houseboats won’t be affected as much as smaller houseboats. It will also depend on a technique we recommend while winching up your PWC. You will be pressing the IN button with one hand, and we recommend that you "feed the rope onto the drum evenly" by pressing down or lifting up the rope as needed as it winds up. You will have significant control over this when winching up your PWC. Guiding the rope to the same position on the drum as the bow of the PWC reaches the winch each time you bring it in will allow the aft end to always be at the same level above the water.
So choosing a rail-angle is a little bit of trial and error. There is nothing wrong with choosing an angle that is your best guess, loading your PWC, and if you don’t like the loaded angle, changing it…it is only a matter of changing the 2 half inch bolts that connect the Rails to the Frame (keep them lubricated).
We suggest that you begin with an angle so that the bottom of the entry-end of the Rails is about 3 inches above the water before you load your PWC. If you have a smaller houseboat, you might start with 4 inches above the water. Attach the Rails with the 1/2" bolts through the outside of the Frame and through the holes in the front of the Rails. Secure with a washer and nut using a 3/4” wrench. Remember to lubricate the bolts and turn the nuts slowly to avoid seizing. Tighten them until the end of the bolt is flush with the outside of the nut as described in the accompanying picture.
***If your swim platform is low to the water, or if it slopes downward, you will probably want to mount your Rails in the very bottom pivot holes. If so, use the inner set of floor holes in the bottom of the Frame to mount it to your swim platform. If you use the outer holes, the head of the bolt will interfere with the Rails. This is only an issue if you are mounting the Rails in the very bottom set of holes and not using a spacer discussed in the next paragraph.
Some swim platforms are very close to the water, or they slope downward toward the water, or the weight of the PWC might lower the rear of smaller houseboats such that the tips of the Rails or the end of your PWC might be in the water. If you mount your rail tubes into the bottom holes and the tips of the Rails are still touching the water, you can easily solve this by adding a spacer under the Rails tubes where they pass over the rear edge of the swim platform...essentially raising the rear of the Rails higher. The spacer can be as simple as a piece of treated 2x4 or 4x4 or a composite deck board or aluminum tubing as shown in these photos. It should be screwed to the underside of the Rails so it tilts up out of the way along with the Rails and doesn't become a toe-stubber. Some customers have painted or covered their spacer with carpet to look good. We do not supply spacers. Next are some examples.
 
Do not make the mistake of leaving the tips of the Rails or your PWC in the water thinking you will bring a spacer or make an adjustment the next day or worse yet, the next trip to your houseboat. Some lake water can stain the Rails and/or your PWC overnight. If your swim platform is low to the water, plan ahead and bring a couple pieces of 2x4 at least 16 inches long that you can temporarily lay on your deck under the Rails until you get a more permanent spacer.
 Mounting the Winch
Mounting the winch is the next step in the Installation process.
As noted on the pricing page, many of our customers are replacing old rails and they already have a winch. So we do not include one in our kit. Rather, if you need one, you can purchase your own directly from a winch supplier and save cost. Click here to see our description of the kind of winch you will need and some suggested models and sources.
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Test-loading Your Rails
At this point, it is time to test-load your PWC. For this test, use a battery jumper box or open your engine hatch and temporarily connect the wires to a battery. Use the loading technique shown here.
Test-loading will let you know if you have chosen the correct angle. For instance, if the rear of your Rails or PWC are touching the water, you will want to LOWER the front of the Rails in the Frame. Depending on the length of your swim platform, raising or lowering the pivot position 1 hole up or down (1.5” between the holes) will make an even greater difference at the rear of your PWC which is probably 9 to 13 feet long.
DO NOT move to the next step until you have tested the angle, loaded your PWC(s), and are sure this is the final angle.
Attaching the Gas-Filled Lift Arms
When you are satisfied with the Rail angle, proceed to the next step. Some customers wait until a subsequent trip to give plenty of time to be confident the Rails are at the best angle. The reason to wait until you are sure of the Rail angle is because you will be drilling holes into the side of your Rails for the lift arm bracket, so there is no rush. You can use your Rails for a weekend or two without the lift arms to make sure you like the Rail angle and the tips of the Rails and your PWC is out of the water. Just be sure to tether them when they are up so they don't guillotine down and hurt someone.
The gas-filled lift arms are designed to help lift the Rails and to help hold them in an upright position when you are using your swim platform. NOTE: You must also tether them when upright so they do not accidentally get pushed down and cause any harm. This is especially important if you mount them over your ladder because of the tendency to reach up and grab the Rails with your arm as you climb the ladder. You can tie them to the railing on your rear deck, or to the top of our winch Frame.
The mounting positions of the lift arms let the Rails rest firmly on the end of your swim platform when down, then, with a little bit of 1-handed lifting effort, the lift arms help you lift the Rails up the rest of the way. The higher they are tilted, the greater the angle and leverage power of the lift-arms. If you are installing 12-Foot Rails, they are much heavier, so you might want to keep a rope attached to the end of the Rails to help lift them. You can just let the rope lie in between the Rail tubes when your PWC is loaded.
There are multiple round holes along the edges of the Frame for installing the bottom of the lift arm(s) with the rectangular brackets. If you attach your Rail tubes in any of the bottom 3 holes (they are in the 3rd hole up in these pictures) attach the lift arm brackets in the lowest position as shown. If your Rail tubes are mounted in higher positions, then attach the bottom lift arm bracket just under the Rail tube in the same relationship you see in this picture. You would NOT want to attach the bottom of the lift arms lower below the Rails because they would have too much leverage and wouldn't let your Rails rest in the down position.
Secure the rectangular bracket to the Frame using the supplied 1/4-20 flat head Phillips bolts and nuts using a Phillips screw driver and 7/16” end wrench. Make final tightening with the wrench. Then attach the rod-end of the lift arm with a 5/16” nylock nut using a 1/2” end wrench. You will want to hold the hex-portion of the ball-stud with a thin wrench, or needle-nose pliers as you tighten the nut. Then snap the other aluminum bracket ball stud into the cylinder-end of the lift arm.
With the Rails fully tilted up, temporarily tie them or have someone hold them in the upright position hard against the Frame. With the rod-end of the lift arm attached to the rectangular bracket that is attached to the Frame, and the other aluminum bracket attached to the cylinder-end of the lift arm, align the triangular aluminum bracket parallel to, and within about 1/8” of the top edge of the rail tubing and mark a hole as shown below. Punch a dimple into the side of the Rail to help you center the bit. You can use the supplied self-tapping screws to make the hole if you have a socket driver that you can connect to a drill, but it is much easier if you pre-drill the holes with a 3/16” bit, then you can use a ratchet wrench to self-tap the screws tightly into place.
With the bracket secured tightly with the top screw, remove the lift arm by raising the clip on the cylinder end as shown below so that you can move the lift arm out of the way of the bottom-hole in the aluminum bracket. Be careful not to raise the clip too far...just enough so it will release from the ball stud.
With the lift arm out of the way, punch and drill the bottom hole and secure it with the second screw. Slide the clip back in place and re-attach the lift arm by pressing it over the ball until it snaps into place. It is now ready for operation.
We recommend that you check these screws for tightness from time to time. They generally hold very well on their own.
Note: The manufacturer of the lift arms recommends that you remove them during the winter and store them inside WITH THE CYLINDER END UP. This keeps the seals from drying out. You can remove them by prying up the clip as shown above.
Wiring the Winch
The next step is installing the wiring which is described on this page.
As mentioned earlier, most customers install the Rails and Winch on one trip to their houseboat so they can measure exactly how much wire they need. Then they purchase the wire, and install it on their next trip. You can still use the winch by temporarily powering it with jumper cables or a portable battery box.
Click here to see the importance of always covering your winch with the Sunbrella cover, and the best technique for putting it on your winch.
Click here to see how to tether your PWC with a secondary rope tether.
Questions? Suggestions
As you install your PWC Rails, if these instructions don’t match your installation, or if you come up with any suggestions to make these instructions clearer, please share them with me and include any pictures that can help in the explanation.
If you have any questions about installation, please don’t hesitate to ask. You can reach me personally at the phone and email below. If poossible, please send an email so I can reply with links and pictures to help with the answer.
Rocky Carter, Sales Director
Phone: 606-524-6649 (CST USA)
Email: sales@pwcrails.com
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