Which rod holder to install for grill?

R

radiojon

New Member
Sep 2, 2012
102
Franklin, TN
Boat Info
320 Sundancer 2005
Engines
Mercruiser 350 w/Bravo III Drives
Thinking about adding a Magma grill to the winter project list. I've read many threads about the pros/cons of various mounts (rail, pedestal, etc.) and I think I've settled on going the rod holder route; I'm going to drill and mount it on the rear port gunwale on my 320DA.

Now, I've got to pick a rod holder to install. There are various kinds -- 30-degree, 60-degree, 90-degree, etc. Is there a particular spec of rod holder that works best for the grills?

- Mark
 
Any of them will work just fine since the grille can be adjusted to fit.

Concerning 30* and 60*, unless I'm mistaken, they're the same thing - just depends on from which axis you start measuring. In other words, I believe the only thing you'll come across (at least for what is commonly available) are a straight and an angled (with the angles being, in essence, the same).

Oh... have you seen these? http://www.attwoodmarine.com/store/product/Flush-Mount If you don't need an actual "rod holder", then these are a lot easier to install. Magma makes a stem to fit into these.

Magma also makes this (among others) that is very nice: http://www.magmaproducts.com/Produc...nting/Gas005_120/A10-121/A10-126/a10-126.html Personally, this is my favorite since it's a nice, clean, small installation.
 
Last edited:
On my old boat I used one of the magma 1 1/8" diameter mounts and clamped it to the flag holder, Worked great & solid as a rock. (for sale if interested) Still looking for a mount I like to use on my 250DA - Thinking of going with a pedestal mount on the starboard side of the original swim platform.

LK
 
radiojon said:
Thinking about adding a Magma grill to the winter project list. I've read many threads about the pros/cons of various mounts (rail, pedestal, etc.) and I think I've settled on going the rod holder route; I'm going to drill and mount it on the rear port gunwale on my 320DA.

Now, I've got to pick a rod holder to install. There are various kinds -- 30-degree, 60-degree, 90-degree, etc. Is there a particular spec of rod holder that works best for the grills?

- Mark
Click to expand...

This is similar to how my grill is mounted with a detachable rod holder. I didnt want to cut a hole for a rod holder install because the similar thing done to my sundancer leaks horribly. I also dont fish, just wanted it for the grill, so that may be a foactor for you. Either way, the magma levelock power mount cannot be beat for the rod holder setup. It lets you level the grill in any position, and the clamping/expanding base secures the mount into the rod holder, and keeps it from moving/rotating.



Magma mount:
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wc...10001&storeId=11151&productId=16928&langId=-1


Grill mounted in simlar fashion to mine.
http://clubsearay.com/showthread.ph...ail-Mount-(I-know-groan!)?p=444714#post444714
 
Would it make sense that a 90-degree holder would be easier to install? I've seen a couple of videos of 60-degree installations, and since the angle creates a slight "ellipse" pattern on the surface, you have to take the drill back through at an angle to carve out a little more on one side. With a 90-degree rod holder, it should be a simple circle pattern, right?

Jim - what kind of leak issue are you having with your rod holder? I'm hoping that with proper sealing that it shouldn't be all that bad.
 
It's not particularly "hard" to do a angled-hole, but it does take more patience. And you really only get one attempt at it.

Will you be using it to hold a rod? I'd seriously look at the other mount options. It's just that much easier to install them. They will hold the grill plenty tight - and, to be honest, they're actually a tad bit easier to use since you don't have to tighten anything when you drop it in the hole. Not a big deal, though.

Yes, if a rod holder is sealed correctly (and it's not that hard to do), it won't leak.
 
No, I'm not planning to use it for a fishing rod at all, only for the grill mount. The main factor in using a rod mount is the location -- for me, it seems the best place to put the grill will be right there over the rear gunwale. We have kids, so it's likely that the kids will be using the swim platform whenever we'd be grilling; since the transom door is on the opposite side of the swim ladder on our 320DA, there's no real way to manage foot traffic without having to eek around the hot grill, so the rod mount/gunwale combination seemed to be the best option -- as it would sorta lean away from inside the boat.

If I'm not planning on using it for fishing, is there a downside to the 90-degree mounts?
 
radiojon said:
If I'm not planning on using it for fishing, is there a downside to the 90-degree mounts?
Click to expand...

No, not at all.

But, I still don't understand the rationale for using the rod holder and drilling a bigger hole? The other mounts I linked to will mount in the same spot (actually take up less space) and will also allow the grill to still lean away from the inside of the boat.
 
Maybe I'm missing something, Dennis. What other mount options would I have for putting the grill over that rear port side gunwale? And what piece of hardware could I attach the mount to? Trust me, I'm totally open to NOT drilling if that works best! :)
 
Well, other than something like a rail mount, you'll pretty much need to drill - it's just how much or to what extent you end up drilling.

Take a look at the two links I posted above. One of those should do the job with less drilling involved. Don't get me wrong, a rod holder mount is perfectly fine - but you can get away with a smaller mount since you don't need to actually hold a rod. The first link, by the way, is a universal mount that can also accept things like external rod holders (different design than you're thinking about).
 
I have 30 degree rod holders but I think any one would work since the magma rod holder base mount is totally adjustable.
 
radiojon said:
Gotcha. It looks like Magma actually makes their own flush mounts, rather than rod holder adapter mounts. Here's a link -- http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/product.do?part=103829&engine=adwords!6456&keyword=product_ad_15449&type=pla#

Maybe those are better since they're only as wide as they need to be.
Click to expand...

Yes. You could buy it directly from Magma through the link I provided, but it looks to be cheaper through places like Jamestown (the link you listed). Just make sure you select the "single" mount.
 
Lazy Daze said:
Yes. You could buy it directly from Magma through the link I provided, but it looks to be cheaper through places like Jamestown (the link you listed). Just make sure you select the "single" mount.
Click to expand...
For what it's worth that's the mount I have and it works great. Very sturdy and easy to use.
 
I installed 4 A.O. Smith Rod holders for fishing. I installed the flush mount Magma grill holder for cooking. Since you are not going to fish then I agree with Dennis. Install the one with the smaller foot print. It's a no brainer.

George
 
I have the rod mount on my grill, so I can pull it out, store the grill and place a fishing pole in its rightful place. A word of caution if you go with the pole holer option: do NOT leave your grill in the holder. Put it away. I almost learned the hard way as a slammed against the dock on a windy day and the cross walk broke my mount and I almost lost my expensive BBQ.......
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
113,172
Messages
1,427,833
Members
61,084
Latest member
AntonioJamm
Back
Top