New Trampoline on an Old Boat

I did a search but couldn't come up with anything. I am having some trouble installing the new mesh trampoline that I purchased for my 1982ish (don’t remember the exact year) hobie 16. The old trampoline as damaged and I was unable to remove it without cutting it off. I tried to install the new tramp but I have extreme difficulty sliding in the new panels. The only prep I did was to spray the ‘luff rope’ of the panel with McLube along with the track. To my eyes it appears that the track is a little small to receive the new tramp, the ‘luff rope’ is a little thicker than the original. Can anyone offer me some advice?

Did you thoroughly clean the track after removing the old tramp?
I use silicone "jelly" as a lubricant (the stuff you put on disc brakes) you can wipe off the excess later.
They go in smoother with two people.
I'll use channel lock pliers to grip and pull as well.
Sometimes they go in like the last 18" of a 16 main sail hoist...scooch, pull, scooch, pull

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I take it this is not a Hobie tramp? A friend of mine bought an aftermarket tramp for his Miracle 20 and they used the wrong size bolt rope. Try to pressure wash the side rail channels. Otherwise you might just have to send it back. Who made it?

Its a hobie tramp.

Tramp tracks are much larger than the rope we use, so likely its the opening that is an issue? Trouble getting it into the side bars? You can pry open the slots a little more.

Tramps slide into the front crossbar first. Then aft into the sidebars into the flaired-open slots in the sidebars. This takes two people to make it easiest... one to feed and one to pull. We use a rope in the outboard grommet or a screw driver through it as a "T" handle to get a better grip.

Just about to build 60 new 16s in China for the 16 Worlds and have done hundreds of these in the past... its the worst part about building a boat! Not that easy.

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Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

On a new boat, it's easier to install them in the sidebars before assembling the tramp frame - just slide them in the end and don't even mess with the track opening. Then install them in the front crossbar. It's way faster.

If you're having a lot of trouble with an older boat, you can remove the rear crossbar, then slide the side pieces from the rear.

It appears that my side bars were installed backwards. I have to slide the sides from the back forward and then along the front bar. As a last resort I could remove the rear cross bar but I would rather not have to if I can avoid it.

The opening is definitely the issue and I think that the slot in the track is a tad small for the thickness of the new tramp. Is there anything I can do about that?

Thanks for the help so far guys.

Opening was installed in the rear at the factory back then...I think my '83 has the slots in the front.

The rear cross bar (most times) comes off pretty easily. A couple of whacks with a dead blow hammer should pop it off. You can then flip sides, and put your tramp in the sidebars first (thanks MBounds), and re-install, with slots in the front. When you replace your (Hobie) tramp again (in another 20-30 years) will go much easier.

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Hobie never built the boats with the track opening in the rear - for liability reasons. Too easy for toes to get in there and nasty things happen to them.

However, a lot of people (including myself) would turn the crossbars around so the slot was in the rear - it keeps the tramp from pulling out of the front corners.

Newer boats have the slot just a tad bit more aft, and with proper lacing technique (tighten very front 2 or 3 laces first and tie off; then back laces medium tight, then center very tight, then back laces very tight) the tramp stays in the corner.

OK, but Mid-West Yachts in Olathe, Kansas did...and there's hundreds of them around here

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When Hobie Cat found out that dealers were assembling the boats that way, they sent out a service bulletin that told them to stop it. I remember seeing it when I was working for a dealer in the late
'70s / early '80s.

Mid-West Yacht lost the memo...pulled an '87 out of the weeds this morning...slots in the rear

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