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Rhino Hoist boat lift
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MurphyCO View Drop Down
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    Posted: January-29-2025 at 10:16am
I am looking to upgrade our 1999 Air (which is a wonderful boat btw) to something newer. I was checking specs for "newer" boats and it appears these boats all weight considerably more than my 1999. According to the charts, my boat is about 2700 dry, and my Rhino Hoist lift is good for 4000 pounds. Been working great for 6 years.

Adding a center section of floats will increase the capacity to 6800 pounds which should be enough. However, according to the dealer Rhino Hoist was sold to another company, who again acquired another company. Even though my lift is only 6 years old, no one carries the floats as parts. 

Dealer is looking around for me, but I think I may be forced with changing out all the floats.

Anyone else upgraded a lift? Suggestions? 

Gary
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MurphyCO View Drop Down
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Originally posted by MurphyCO MurphyCO wrote:

I am looking to upgrade our 1999 Air (which is a wonderful boat btw) to something newer. I was checking specs for "newer" boats and it appears these boats all weight considerably more than my 1999. According to the charts, my boat is about 2700 dry, and my Rhino Hoist lift is good for 4000 pounds. Been working great for 6 years.

Adding a center section of floats will increase the capacity to 6800 pounds which should be enough. However, according to the dealer Rhino Hoist was sold to another company, who again acquired another company. Even though my lift is only 6 years old, no one carries the floats as parts. 

Dealer is looking around for me, but I think I may be forced with changing out all the floats.

Anyone else upgraded a lift? Suggestions? 

Gary

So to update my post - turns out I can purchase a third row of tanks and hardware, installed for about $4800. ($3000 is labor, takes a day with travel, etc). A new lift capable of lifting 7000 pounds is now over $14,000 so I am still $ ahead to upgrade. If anyone is interested. 
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samudj01 View Drop Down
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I find it interesting.  I have three Hydrohoists, all purchased used.  My most recent purchase was an 8800 which I bought used and installed myself.  They come up all the time in NC.  The pain point is removing and transporting.   For reference, I paid $6000 for the 8800.  I saw them cheaper and more expensive but this one was close to me and on my lake...a big win.  I did pull it out of the water on a pontoon trailer (with 2 2x6s laid across at the metal trailer braces) to clean it, work on it, and adjust the width before relaunching it and towing it to my dock and installing.  Note that they are deceptively HEAVY!  I bought the plugs for the floats for extra precaution while towing (I also strapped two dock floats on the top as insurance).  Not needed but it made me feel better as I have heard of folks sinking them, which supposedly happens fast.  Working with them isn't that bad if you are mechanically inclined.  Just watch videos and get the install instructions online.  

I would think the extra float for your Rhino wouldn't be that bad to install if you can buy it yourself.  The trick I would use to work on yours and install the middle float is to raise the lift as far as possible, put pipes in the hollow square steel tubing (4 pieces of 3ft steel pipe is what I used) and lower the lift back down to prop it up on the dock (protect your dock surface with some scrap wood).  Then you can remove and add hardware and the lift isn't floating/moving on you.  An alternative is to watch your market and grab a larger used lift and sell your old one, especially if the mounting hardware is the same.  The Hydrohoist 4400 and 6600 are interchangeable I think.  The 8800 is the same mounting hardware on the dock but a longer distance between the mounting points on each side.  Just some thoughts.   

Most likely the $1800 will be 1) cheaper and/or 2) easier than switching lifts out.  Happy to discuss if you start fooling with it yourself.  Your local dock builders are great resources for old lifts.  One of our dock guys has two Hydrohoists on FB Mktplace right now.  You could also get lucky and find another RH4068-10 Rhino Lift cheap and poach one of the floats, hardware and rubber hose.  Probably tough to find unless there are a lot of Rhino lifts up your way.

Quick search and I found this install manual:  http://nelcomarine.com/pdfs/RhinoHoist-L-Arm.pdf
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MurphyCO View Drop Down
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Originally posted by samudj01 samudj01 wrote:

I find it interesting.  I have three Hydrohoists, all purchased used.  My most recent purchase was an 8800 which I bought used and installed myself.  They come up all the time in NC.  The pain point is removing and transporting.   For reference, I paid $6000 for the 8800.  I saw them cheaper and more expensive but this one was close to me and on my lake...a big win.  I did pull it out of the water on a pontoon trailer (with 2 2x6s laid across at the metal trailer braces) to clean it, work on it, and adjust the width before relaunching it and towing it to my dock and installing.  Note that they are deceptively HEAVY!  I bought the plugs for the floats for extra precaution while towing (I also strapped two dock floats on the top as insurance).  Not needed but it made me feel better as I have heard of folks sinking them, which supposedly happens fast.  Working with them isn't that bad if you are mechanically inclined.  Just watch videos and get the install instructions online.  

I would think the extra float for your Rhino wouldn't be that bad to install if you can buy it yourself.  The trick I would use to work on yours and install the middle float is to raise the lift as far as possible, put pipes in the hollow square steel tubing (4 pieces of 3ft steel pipe is what I used) and lower the lift back down to prop it up on the dock (protect your dock surface with some scrap wood).  Then you can remove and add hardware and the lift isn't floating/moving on you.  An alternative is to watch your market and grab a larger used lift and sell your old one, especially if the mounting hardware is the same.  The Hydrohoist 4400 and 6600 are interchangeable I think.  The 8800 is the same mounting hardware on the dock but a longer distance between the mounting points on each side.  Just some thoughts.   

Most likely the $1800 will be 1) cheaper and/or 2) easier than switching lifts out.  Happy to discuss if you start fooling with it yourself.  Your local dock builders are great resources for old lifts.  One of our dock guys has two Hydrohoists on FB Mktplace right now.  You could also get lucky and find another RH4068-10 Rhino Lift cheap and poach one of the floats, hardware and rubber hose.  Probably tough to find unless there are a lot of Rhino lifts up your way.

Quick search and I found this install manual:  http://nelcomarine.com/pdfs/RhinoHoist-L-Arm.pdf

  Thanks for the manual! I signed up a dock and lift builder to do the install for me, they are great guys and I think it's fair price. They have to tie up their crew and install pontoon barge for an entire day. My lake is not even their territory; but the company who does have our lake sold the dock and lift 6 years ago are non- responsive after the intital sale, and these guys help me out frequently. Parts are ordered and we should do the install in May. 
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