Other brand floorboards - interchangeable with Zodiac?

[motobando]

Hello, has anyone here tried fitting non-Zodiac floorboards into a Zodiac? I have a FC470 with a great roll up floor but was thinking of trying the full aluminum floorboards. Zodiac's prices are exorbitant so I thought I'd check other brands. I know other manufacturers make the same exact size boat but wanted to check to see if anyone else has tried it...

[Locozodiac]

Won't find a 100% compatible Zodiac floor set to snap in, al least not on a shelf, different brands having same sizes use different width alum floors.

We manufacture Zodiac alum panel floorboards clones to replace air decks, which are not even a bit popular down here. The fact is that we count with different lenght alum slats, Z rails, side joiners spare parts to do so. All slats are rivetted to side Z rails and secured with long side joiners.

Sorry, no one that I know sells spare parts separately as to custom build a Zodiac clone floorboard. Check Defender USA, have lots os Zodiac parts, but assume pricey.

Zodiac F 470 are heavy duty ones and costly, Asian alum floors are much lighter & cheaper, but intended for recreational uses.

Happy Boating

[prairie tuber]

I would imagine that there would be lots of FC470s in various states of assembly in the San Diego area, where you could make a template from existing aluminum floorboards.

If that is the case, you could simply get a couple of sheets of marine mahogany plywood (min 5/8" thick, 3/4" even better) and make your own floor boards. Use a few coats of a high quality marine epoxy sealant, and the floorboards will be fine for decades.

Admittedly, 3/4" marine plywood floorboards would weigh a fair bit more than zodiac's corrugated aluminum floor boards, but they would also be much more rigid, strong & versatile.

http://www.westsystem.com/ss/epoxy-resins-and-hardeners

[motobando]

Thanks for the ideas. I'll probably make a nice set with wood / glass combo and keep an eye out for a set of aluminum ones.