No they are not more prone. Its moron behind the wheel as to why rolls and spins happen. Theres no reason to crank the wheel over at 60, 70 80 mph. Slow down and take your turn. I have about 250hr seat time in the boat and have never felt uneasy in any situation. All Gladiator, T/S, or any boat is prone to anything if not driven correctly.

Are you serious??? Really come on. Do think about what you say??

Very nice. Yu know, everybody has their own theory I guess, I would just like to know what's B.S and whats not, as far as sitting, you would think you would have a better feel of what the boat is doing.

[QUOTE=fountain40icbm;2645648]No they are not more prone. Its moron behind the wheel as to why rolls and spins happen. Theres no reason to crank the wheel over at 60, 70 80 mph. Slow down and take your turn. I have about 250hr seat time in the boat and have never felt uneasy in any situation. All Gladiator, T/S, or any boat is prone to anything if not driven correctly.[/QUOTE

I agree with you probably 75% is driver error, but the question is what causes the Gladiator to be in the spotlight, maybe just a coiencedence.

[QUOTE=GrandTimes;2645679]Just cause there's not alot of them out there. They've built 49 I think. There have been more incidents with TG's just there's alot of them out there same with Fountains ect......There is nothing wrong with the Gladiator. Like any TS respect the boat and you will be fine.

[QUOTE=GrandTimes;2645679]I am sure that any spin outs, flips and other accidents can be accounted for on this fourm.

If we count them we should also count other manufactures also.
I can possibly recall only one that was not race related and it may have been a Top Gun.

You are right on the money! I raced a twin step 38 TG a full season and never spun or even came close.

The issue with the Gladiator- and some other step boats- is there's a "technique" to turning them. Done properly, there's no reason you should ever experience a spin or a roll- or even the semi-roll where the occupants get tossed. The issue I'd have is using one at speed on any smaller body of water. On the ocean or the Great Lakes, you have all sorts of vision around you. I see some of these lakes that aren't anything more than congested rivers. That scares me enough, but the thought of having to execute an emergency evasive maneuver in a boat that is more sensitive to preparation, setup and turning technique would be a concern for me.

You can crash anything- but some are easier. Prudently used, you should never have a problem.

Like fountain40icbm said, no they are not. It is like Chris said, a different technique than a straight bottom. If you bring it to Grand Lake, I'll be happy to ride along with you and give you any help you ask for. I had a T/S Top Gun and have driven/ridden in many fast Gladiators. They are sweet boats.


Oh, and the 35T/S doens't have a notch in it's transom, making it able to turn the sharpest.

MM, I would think the issue of not having the weight of a cabin would actually help prevent a spin out/hook and not exacerbate it. With less weight up front, my thinking would be that the boat would more easily carry the bow and thereby have less of a tendency to stick the nose in the water if you did trim down. Of course, there are more factors involved than just drive trim angle. I've never owned or raced one so there are many more qualified people than me to comment on this. I'm just thinking out loud - which is usually a fairly dangerous proposition for me!!!