Who has modified the seatback supports on a Marathon?

[BrewCityMusic]

Just wondering if anyone here has taken the stock seatback support on a Marathon (the original one with the upper support and straplocks for golf bags) and modified it to install a dump bed, box, etc. I want to cut the support right above the seatback mounts on both sides (so I can install said cargo box) but I'm a little worried that it may make the seatbacks less stable without the bar connecting them ... Option 2 would be cutting it right behind the crossmember, but that would interfere with loading the cargo at the front of the box if it was over about 13" high - which I would prefer to avoid.

Bottom line, if anyone has done this, let me know if it's going to make the seatbacks loose or sloppy, so to speak - and Thanks!

[Dave Box]

Dale I cut mine off just by the sweater basket. The seats are fine.

Dave

[AirJunky]

I removed the seat back supports altogether when I built a bed on my Marathon. Kinda hard to tell in this shot, but the seat backs are bolted right to the front of the bed. So when you tilt the bed, the seat backs go up too. Made it nice to work on the engine, lift the bed & the seat bottom & it was wide open.



The bed is supported on a frame I built from 2" angle iron that extend from the rear bumper up & forward to the mount where the old seat backs were located. The bed was very sturdy. I'll have to look at home if I have any shots of that frame.

[BrewCityMusic]

Cool, guys - Thanks again. I found a sweet deal on a mesh cargo box that's actually for a Polaris ATV, it's the perfect 42.5 wide and 30" long so it'll only hang over the rear a few inches, it'll be just the ticket for hauling tools and whatnot for yardwork, trail maintainance, etc and the best part is it's only $70 ... I'll grab the box today and that'll give me tomorrow to play with the supports (one of my seat mounts has a cracked weld anyhow, so either way there was going to be a little "maintainance" involved, LOL)

I swore I'd never do a cargo box - must be geeting older, hahahahaha

[popatop]

Cut mine off even with the seat back still solid

[BrewCityMusic]

Again guys, thanks for the (no pun intended) support !!!

Here's the rack - There's a company called DR Cycle Works in Muskego, WI that actually has (I believe) 2 more of these available, this one had no mounting hardware (didn't need it anyhow) and ended up costing me $72 ... It's a nice compromise (in my opinion) between a cargo box and NO cargo box, it doesn't stick out too far or ? and actually (to me anyhow) looks like it was MADE for the cart! (believe it or not, the mounting holes line up with the pressplug holes where the spikeguards are held to the cart - so no drilling or ANYTHING, some stainless 1/4-20's and a couple of fender washers and I should be good to go!)

[popatop]

Looks good like it was made for it

[1fast67]

Looks good Brew!

Sent from my LG-P999 using Tapatalk 2

[Plato_99]

Brew, I like it! A cargo box/rack was on the list of things I wanted, after seeing yours I'm going to get it sooner than I expected. Looks like it was made for it. Slick instal!!

My biggest problem right now is room in the garage. Between 4-wheelers, 4x4's, boats, Harleys, ZTR's, lawnmowers, tractors and lots of machinery I ran out of room, I'm crawling over stuff. Something is going outside this weekend and getting covered with a tarp!!

[Heliarc]

Yea, that does look like it was made for it.Good find.