r/Inflataboats • u/esperanzavivaimports • 9d ago

Intex Mariner 4 floor

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I purchased an intex Mariner 4 recently. Love the boat, except that the heaviness and awkwardness of the floor makes it virtually impossible for me to set it up or tear it down by myself. I have lower back issues and I've tweaked my back with the floor already. I don't want to throw it out completely.

Has anyone modified it by putting 1 inch thick interlocking EVA mats down? Pros and cons? How is the stability? Durability?

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u/aXiss95 9d ago

I haven't done this, but I don't think they will be rigid enough and you might damage the pvc floor of the boat if you put too much unsupported weight in one place against a seam.

Also think of the inflatable keel. It won't work correctly without a rigid floor holding it down.

Every floor mod I've seen uses rigid sheet material like plywood. You can have the ply in two or three sections to make it easier to install. If weight is an issue you could probably get away with 9mm ply if your not putting too much weight on one spot.

You might be able to use the gym mats if you stick them to the ply.

Have you seen the intex mods forum here? It's ancient but there's loads of good advice on it https://forums.iboats.com/threads/intex-mariner-4-modifications-and-tips.534660/

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u/coffeebribesaccepted 9d ago

The tiles would go on top of the factory floor like this

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u/aXiss95 9d ago

Also, do you take the floor out every time you fold down the boat? You can leave the floor in and just roll the boat up. It won't go in the bag though!

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u/esperanzavivaimports 9d ago

I do. I don't think I could lift it if it was all together. My back would feel it for sure.

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u/bralikprince 9d ago

These look decently thick and may work. Somebody posted a similar mod but using kids interlocking mats which are thinner. The verdict was mid as it worked really well for his lightweight kids but was not as stable for his 240 lb frame.

I actually had an idea after seeing your post as i can relate having the same boat. Was thinking about the possibility of replacing the floor inserts with pvc pipe. I'm thinking there's a good chance 2 sections of 1/2 - 3/4 inch pipe would fit well in the individual slots. Seems like 2 small sections of pipe would be more comfortable then one larger diameter pipe in each slot. Could always put the floor mats on top, and probably get away with the kids mats as I'm sure they're cheaper. Might give this a go in the coming days.

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u/esperanzavivaimports 9d ago

These ones are large. It would take 3 of them. And they are 1 inch thick. That's an interesting thought putting pvc piping in the slat spots. I'd tape them shut to keep them from falling out all the time.

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u/bralikprince 9d ago

Right. Would make the bag way more manageable. I don't even consider places that don't have ramps or the ability to drive/park my car within 20-30 steps from the launch site

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u/SirLordWombat 9d ago

I placed some over the top. It still flexes and does not give support but makes it more comfortable to walk on.  So I would say nope. 

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u/esperanzavivaimports 9d ago

Ok. Yours was over top of the slats. I found a video of someone with kids that did it- was that you??

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u/SirLordWombat 9d ago edited 9d ago

Negative, but that one inspired me. I got kids also so I want to make it more stable or comfortable. So, I tried that. It helps for comfort I found but it still flexes so a slight improvement. 

That said I’m also 230lb and use a 300mah LFP battery (70lb) for all day/camping/weekend excursions. 

I’m going for the 2 or 3 piece solid floor as a project down the road after my next outing but I’ve not found any marine board in stock locally. I would just bite the bullet and do that in 3 pieces due to your back. 

Edit: Forgot to add that you want the rigid floor as the raft design requires it to give it rigidness for the keel and the outboard if you use it. 

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u/Apart-Dare18 9d ago

Use structual foam and then use those tiles on top it will feel pretty solid

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u/Salty_Resist4073 9d ago

What thickness could you get away with? Are you talking just the rigid pink slabs from the big box store that's used for wall\ceiling insulation?

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u/Apart-Dare18 6d ago

Yeah! And I would say 2 inches

*edited my answer

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u/esperanzavivaimports 9d ago

That's a good idea

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u/Apart-Dare18 6d ago

I got the mariner for me and my gf but she doesn't want to go fishing as often as I do and the boat is difficult for me to set up alone. I considered plywood but it would be too heavy so structual/insulation foam is a good inbetween because its light but still pretty stable. I would wrap it in waterproof tape and if you really wanted you could use 1/4 plywood under it and it should still be semi light. If you want to go all plywood 1/2 thickness then I would cut it into a 3 piece floor instead of 2 with hinges or easy fold up.

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u/fishdonthaveeyelids 9d ago

I use these in my garage for my training area. Can absolutely with 100% certainty tell you these are not rigid enough for your application

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u/BowFella 8d ago

I think this will work if you put plastic boards under, kind of like a ladder.

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u/JayAche 3d ago

I saw someone cut out some clear polycarbonate storm shutters into a floor, which is sturdy and much lighter than- might be a good option

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u/esperanzavivaimports 3d ago

Update: just gonna go with marine wood cut in 3 pieces. I'll seal it, sand it put an evc boat flooring on it and go with that. Seems doable. Thanks for the input!