Anyone make or bought a decent bimini top for their rig that they like? Seen a few, and was thinking about either buying one or making one.

I bought one off Amazon earlier in the year for about $120. I haven’t installed it, but the quality looks good. I have a Tahoe runabout with a factory bimini and this amazon one looks very similar. I thought it would be good for my small kids in the summer, but we’ve hardly took the boat out together so I haven’t put it on.

I gave up looking when I got mine and finally ordered a custom one from iboats.com based on the size I wanted. I got one that was 8 feet long, whatever the width was and the height was just high enough I could walk under it while it was up. I didn't want to have to duck to get under it, but didn't want it too high to loose coverage. 8' was a great length for a 17' hull. I had the nylon connectors which was fine. Sad thing is it was ~$300 but was well worth it after a few trips out.

Yeah, don't want it too high. Might have to look check out iboats.

I put this one on. Paid $125 off of Amazon. took me all of 20 minutes to install.

From SETXLongtail:

It was custom from iboats. I've been extremely happy with it. Us fair skinned folks have to have such things in the summer time. Without it, my wife and daughters wouldn't be able to get in the boat in the summer time. It still allows me to fish off the front deck and gives them some shade. It's a hair to low for me to stand and walk under but I sit and drive 90% of the time anyway. It's fine.

Was expecting to see a high price on the BPS, but that's too damn high!

Was expecting to see a high price on the BPS, but that's too damn high!

I lined it up just right to fold up even with the edge of the deck, couldn't fold it backwards due to the platform, worked out great going forward and out of the way.

I'd bust my big clumsy ass with it folded at the back of the deck like that. Mine folds to the rear and clears the platform by about 2". It lays completely inside the gunnels and the bend in the GD tiller handle fits over it like it was made for it. Mine worked out perfectly. If it stuck out of the boat at any point, it would surely get ripped off. Easy to take on/off with two screws that are easy to get to.

yep, two screws is all I had, it was only put on when we all went riding.

That was so long ago, I'm surprised you still remember.

Remember what? Lol

Your old boat.

Finding one to fit my boat and determining the night I need is difficult !

When in business, I custom built several bimini tops, some with frt, back, and side curtins, like you see on pontoon boats. BPS price is really reasonable for their bimini. I couldn't build one from scratch for that much ten yrs ago. Average cost for a 1872 jon with full zip out enclosure panels with screens and vinyl windows, snap fitted to gunnels, was $2100 dollars. Many hrs in patterning and fitting to get a true custom fitted bimini and enclosure. Also part of the cost is the tube bending equipment needed to build the frame, and the cost of stainless tube and fittings. to do it right.

Just get a tarp and run it from the cc to the motors. It'll be like a houseboat, then.

Are those tops pretty wobbly with straps for the supports instead of poles?

nope. Ran with mine up all the time. Had the straps pretty tight.

Gotcha, never been in one with straps, only the poles. I'm gonna get one made for my new boat.

We in the south man, we sleep in the open, no snow blizzards down here. haha

Just mosquitos the size of small quail....

mosquitos in ga get so big the state gives them a ss# and an ebt card

If you want to save money and not go the custom (and expensive) route, a couple of things to bear in mind.

I just mounted 2 of them on 2 different boats

1) the width is flexible-most of the off the shelf models have a 12" range that the width works on. (6" either way). there is some flex and it will not effect anything other than maybe needing a swivel mount. That is not something I was excited about as I "like things right", but it works fine.
2) I had 21" sides and went with the 46" height. I have a CC. It works fine.
3) I have a 3 bow top with straps as front and back anchors. Like the flexibility the straps gave me. On the mudboat no worries at all. On my other boat, they seem to be fine and I have run it 45 mph or so.

You can pick one up online or on ebay for $150 or so. Can be up to $225 depending on what you go with. Mine was 6 ft long. There are tons of them on there. That is not for sunbrella or the like. Just a canvas top.

I would ck ebay. Just search bimini top and all kinds of sizes, colors, etc pop up.

Not best quality in world, but I think it will hold up fine for my needs.

good luck.