[EVANW]

Greetings all,
My name is Evan, I am a field journalist hired on with a new startup Whitewater magazine aimed more towards Rafters and Catboaters. I am hoping to enlist the help of a few to finalize a poll for one of our new articles and your input is valued as boaters!

A couple of guidelines right from the start. I can't tell you the name of the new publication yet,(please don't ask). Please keep all answers in reference to known facts. I will be minimally interacting with this as I am totally un-biased from a writers standpoint. Oh and I have read through this forum a couple of times, please no bickering or fighting, unless it is absolutely necessary :mrgreen:.

The topic is on FRAME MANUFACTURERS in the Industry, we already have all the info on the rubber portion for another article so that does not need to be included.

We have already done extensive real world polling and have come up with a short list of manufacturers, I would like to get the opinions from this demographic to coincide with the current data before publication.

What I am looking for:

Advanced Whitewater frame manufacturers of today. ( These are valid businesses we are shooting for, I know everyone knows that one great guy who makes stuff. We are trying to stay out of peoples garages for this one.)

Below are the questions (enter a name of the builder you think fits this category best)

1. The Most advanced frame builder of todays era
2. Most radical new designs
3. Most diverse offerings
4. Most advanced material and construction methods


EXAMP.

1. georges frames
2. bobs frames
3. xxxxxx

Please be as un-biased as possible ( I know everyone likes to nominate the brand they own but really think about the questions.)

As you can see and have probably come to the conclusion we are doing an exclusive on just a select few and would appreciate any of your input to go along wit the current data collected mainly on the West Coast from California to Washington

I will collect this data for about a week and then it will be processed. THANKS TO ALL and this forum for the input and we are aiming for an early 2014 issue.

 

[swiftwater15]

Lol

 

[okieboater]

Troll or not, the answer is easy


MADCATR Creations - Custom Fabricated Stainless Steel and Aluminum Rafting Equipment

the answer to all the questions

 

[cataraftgirl]

Let me get a bowl of popcorn ready while I watch this one go down. Should be entertaining.

 

[MT4Runner]

Since you're only looking at frames that aren't built in peoples' garages, then that only leaves NRS. By that criteria alone, NRS is clearly da best.

1. The Most advanced frame builder of todays era
2. Most radical new designs
3. Most diverse offerings
4. Most advanced material and construction methods

Oh, with those criteria?

Ever heard of the empty set?

 

[carvedog]

Do you boat? Raft? Kayak? All of the above?

 

[readNrun]

Since you're only looking at frames that aren't built in peoples' garages, then that only leaves NRS. By that criteria alone, NRS is clearly da best.

Oh, with those criteria?

Ever heard of the empty set?

Not sure if DRE would constitute "people's garages" - still if you are looking for the most advanced....most radical...most diverse...then you are going to have to visit some garages.

 

[Wiggins]

I am guessing Orto11 will have an opinion on this one. I wonder what it will be?!

I am not sure you are going to get many responses based in number 4. As far as I know the only choices out there are steel and aluminum, and welded and rail.

I am also going to have to say NRS. You can set them up anyway you want, and if they don't offer it they will build it for you.

Kyle

 

[DoStep]

Riverboatworks in Salida fabricates in a garage (in a literal sense), but it is a legit business. He builds custom frames for any boat or use out of aluminum.

 

[raftus]

Excluding my garage - Madcatr.

I'll also give props to Rowframe.com - their pricing is simply amazing - but they don't push the technological edge.

 

[garyddoughty]

Greetings all,
My name is Evan, I am a field journalist hired on with a new startup Whitewater magazine aimed more towards Rafters and Catboaters. I am hoping to enlist the help of a few to finalize a poll for one of our new articles and your input is valued as boaters!

A couple of guidelines right from the start. I can't tell you the name of the new publication yet,(please don't ask). Please keep all answers in reference to known facts. I will be minimally interacting with this as I am totally un-biased from a writers standpoint. Oh and I have read through this forum a couple of times, please no bickering or fighting, unless it is absolutely necessary :mrgreen:.

The topic is on FRAME MANUFACTURERS in the Industry, we already have all the info on the rubber portion for another article so that does not need to be included.

We have already done extensive real world polling and have come up with a short list of manufacturers, I would like to get the opinions from this demographic to coincide with the current data before publication.

What I am looking for:

Advanced Whitewater frame manufacturers of today. ( These are valid businesses we are shooting for, I know everyone knows that one great guy who makes stuff. We are trying to stay out of peoples garages for this one.)

Below are the questions (enter a name of the builder you think fits this category best)

1. The Most advanced frame builder of todays era
2. Most radical new designs
3. Most diverse offerings
4. Most advanced material and construction methods


EXAMP.

1. georges frames
2. bobs frames
3. xxxxxx

Please be as un-biased as possible ( I know everyone likes to nominate the brand they own but really think about the questions.)

As you can see and have probably come to the conclusion we are doing an exclusive on just a select few and would appreciate any of your input to go along wit the current data collected mainly on the West Coast from California to Washington

I will collect this data for about a week and then it will be processed. THANKS TO ALL and this forum for the input and we are aiming for an early 2014 issue.

Riverboatworks in Salida Colorado
Will build a frame to your specs.
Beautiful alumn welding
Great personalized service

 

[Salidaboater]

According to who.

Here is one of the best frames IMHO

http://recretec.com/images/RecreTec-Large/dlxalumcargoframe.jpg

Recretec Mfg: Home of Outstanding Custom-Manufactured Rafting Frames, as well as Fishing Equipment, Trailers, Motor Mounts and Other Fine Outdoor Gear | Corvallis, Oregon

 

[psu96]

Riverboatworks.... Salida CO

 

[cataraftgirl]

Ok, ok, I'll play. My frame of choice is NRS. They are not cutting edge or fancy, but I like to pick and choose parts to put my own frame together. They will make custom sizes if I can't find what I need in stock. I like to change my frame around too much to ever get a welded frame. Plus I can go online, look for what I want, see the specs, order, and get the stuff in less than a week. No fancy frame builders in SLC.

My # 2 pick would be Recretec. My friend that I've been rafting with for 10 years has these on all his rafts and cats ( 4 frames in total). They are sturdy, very lightweight, and the lock-in dry boxes are sweet.

These are about the only frames I have experience with, other than home made set-ups.

 

[LongmontRafter]

how bout the "dreamrig"

This...
http://www.mountainbuzz.com/forums/f42/dreamrig-is-alive-50411.html

 

[EVANW]

garyddoughty thank you ,that is as close to perfect of a response as we have been looking for. It saves a lot of time for us of weeding through everything.

Forum members answers on this site are very different from the ones received in the Pacific Northwest and also answers actually obtained on the rivers and even the ones from PM off this site, so this is good input. Thank you all for the PM's as well, we will keep your suggestions confidential.

 

[carvedog]

CAMBRIDGE WELDING & BENDING
Cy Wert
(208) 257-3589

One of the best builders around.

Do you boat? Raft? Kayak? All of the above?

 

[klickitat]

Frames

1. Madcatr
2. Recretec/Cambridge
3. NRS
4. Madcatr

There are probably lots of others.

There are bigger differences between types of frames than between manufacturers of the same type. For example, welded steel frames from recretec or cambridge (or others) are going to be similar. Adjustable clamp-based aluminum frames (NRS or Speedrail-based) are similar to each other, but different from welded steel. Madcatr seem to have innovated more than anyone recently with tunnel style cat frames, folding oar towers, and the little wheel thing to roll your cat in and out of crazy ass places.

What is "real world polling?"

 

[EVANW]

1. Madcatr
2. Recretec/Cambridge
3. NRS
4. Madcatr

There are probably lots of others.

There are bigger differences between types of frames than between manufacturers of the same type. For example, welded steel frames from recretec or cambridge (or others) are going to be similar. Adjustable clamp-based aluminum frames (NRS or Speedrail-based) are similar to each other, but different from welded steel. Madcatr seem to have innovated more than anyone recently with tunnel style cat frames, folding oar towers, and the little wheel thing to roll your cat in and out of crazy ass places.

What is "real world polling?"

Thank You for your answers , and to a couple of questions asked,

1. Real world polling is done face to face, on the rivers, etc. This method tends to cultivate different answers than a web forum or internet response. For example a group of people may have a personal issue online with a certain provider of services so they neglect to mention them all together in a poll out of spite. Where as in person or people using the services may highly recommend them. It is a way for us to gather all the information and make a decision who we want to interview.

2. I do Raft, Kayak and Catboat for the last 14 years, I have a couple of rafts and one kayak just recently purchased a new Catboat, I won't go into the brands or my preference as I am allowed no opinion in this

We are actually wrapped up on this pretty well so this thread can be closed or however the mods work it on this site. Thanks All!

 

[swiftwater15]

Hilarious.