Cellofoam PERMAPORT XPRESS User manual

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PERMAPORT® XPRESS
ASSEMBLY, INSTALLATION AND
MAINTENANCE INSTRUCTIONS

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It is important that these instructions are adhered to in their
entirety. Please read the instructions fully before starting
installation or assembly.
Contents
•Safety Instructions (installation) 3
•Safety and General Instructions (Use) 3
•Installation Considerations and Tools Required 4
•Parts List for Permaport
Xpress 5
•Basic Assembly Instructions 7
•Attaching Dock Hardware (Front Mount) 9
•Special Considerations for Double Install 11
•Attaching Dock Hardware (Side Mount) 12
•Attaching to a Fixed Dock 14
•Attaching to a Floating Dock 15
•Adjustment of Rollers 16
•Joining Two Permaport®
Xpress ports 18
•
Xpress Step ™ Installation 22
•Available Accessories 25
•
Xpress Walk 26

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Safety Instructions (Installation)
•Many of the parts of the Permaport Xpress are heavy; do not lift any parts that are
beyond your capability, use additional help to maneuver parts into position.
•When working near the water it may be advisable to tie a line to any parts that are
liable to sink until they are attached. These should be attached to inanimate secure
objects only.
•Installation to the dock requires holes to be drilled and possibly wood to be cut; these
operations should only be carried out by competent persons.
•Water and electricity do not mix well, do not use corded power tools, hand tools are
preferable or battery powered. Battery powered tools up to 20v are safe but will be
damaged if submerged.
•If you have any doubt about installing the Xpress consult the dock specialist that
supplied the unit.
Safety Instructions (Use)
•The Xpress has Heavy Duty Steel attachments for long life and durability. These
components are heavy and extend below the water line of the Xpress . It is
inadvisable to swim near, under or from the Xpress due to the possibility of
entrapment or injury from protruding parts.
•Entry onto the Xpress is designed to be a low speed operation; it is advisable that
the Watercraft be brought to a complete standstill in line with the Xpress with the
bow keel touching and centered between the first set of rollers. A small amount of
throttle is all that is required in order to propel the watercraft onto the Xpress . Do
not vacate the watercraft until it is fully stationary and the engine is turned off.
WARNING: Over throttling the watercraft upon entry can result in impacting the
dock or sliding too far forward on the Xpress .
•Do not load or unload the watercraft onto the Xpress with passengers other than the
driver.
•Ensure that there are no obstructions or persons in the water near the Xpress or on
the Xpress when loading or unloading the watercraft.

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•Stop the engine as soon as the Watercraft is on the Xpress; do not allow engine to run
while out of the water. Do not start the engine while the watercraft is on the Xpress .
Refer to Watercraft owner’s manual for further details.
Mounting Hardware
The Permaport® Xpress is best mounted at the front; side mounting is possible but is not
optimal
The standard hardware is suitable for both side and front mounting the Xpress to both fixed
and floating docks. In the case of extremely rough water or unusual conditions there may be
additional or alternative parts required.
It is advisable that this port be installed by a professional dock builder. Failure to mount the
port in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions will invalidate the warranty.
Tools required
The Xpress port has been designed to be installed with the minimum amount of assembly
and requiring only basic tools.
Note: It is essential that any electrical tools used outdoors be protected by adequate GFCI
protection. We recommend that only hand or battery operated tools be used in close
proximity to water.
•3/4” Wrench or Long Reach Socket and Ratchet Drive (Preferred)
•Drill and 5/16” Drill Bit
•Wrench or Socket and Ratchet Drive to suit
selected dock hardware.
•For a fixed dock installation, the vertical support
poles need to be driven into the lake bed, it is
recommended that at least a manual fence post
driver be utilized for this purpose.

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Xpress Parts List
Ensure that all of the parts are available before starting assembly.
• Xpress Hull Including 14 Fitted Rollers and
6 Void Fillers.
•Two Xpress Brackets.
•Two Contoured Rollers
•Two Straight Rollers
•Four 6” x ½” Stainless Steel Bolts
•Two Dock Brackets
•Four Shock Absorbing Inserts
•Two ½” x 14” Stainless Steel Bolts

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•Six ½” Brass Lock Nuts
•Twenty ½” Stainless Steel Washers
•Two Raised Washers and Plastic Caps
•Two Pipe caps
•One Lanyard
•One Xpress Step™ (some models only)
Other Parts Required (Not Included)
•2” Diameter Schedule 40 Galvanized Pipe (Length to suit).
•Due to variances in dock design and materials used, screws for attaching the dock
hardware to the dock are not supplied.

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Attachment
points for Front Mount
Rear Attachment
points for Side Mount
Front Attachment
point for Side Mount
Basic Assembly Applicable to all Applications
It is recommended that the basic mounting kit be applied to the Xpress away from the water
to avoid the possibility of loss of components.
It is essential that all threads are coated with an anti-seize compound prior to assembly;
failure to do so will complicate any future disassembly that may be required and will
invalidate the warranty.
There are large rectangular mounting holes placed along the edges of the Xpress. Select the
holes to be used. For a front mount, use the two on the front edge. For a side mount, select
two holes on the side edge, the front hole and either one of the two rear holes, although it is
preferable to use the rear most position if possible.
The Permaport® Xpress is supplied in a front mount
configuration with void fillers in the side holes. To use for
a side mount, remove the void fillers from the side
mounting holes and re-position then in the front holes. To
remove the fillers, use a screwdriver to pop off the black
caps and remove the bolt using a 9/16” socket and a 9/16”
wrench. Replace them in the front positions using the
same assembly as used in the side holes.
As Supplied

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Place a shock absorbing insert in both the top and bottom rectangular recesses on the selected
holes. These are a tight fit, so use a mallet to tap into place home, if
necessary.
Bracket Preparation and Installation
Assemble the two brackets as shown, ensuring
that there is a pair of contoured rollers on one
bracket and a pair of straight rollers on the
other. Place a washer as shown between the
bracket and the rollers as well as under the bolt
head and the locknut (4 washers per axle).
Tighten the locknut securely but do not distort
the bracket to the point where the rollers bind.
Do not mix rollers on one bracket.
Install the brackets by sliding over the inserts
Assemble the 14” long Stainless-steel bolt as shown. Do not attach the plastic cap.
Insert a 14” long x ½” stainless steel bolt through the assembly and attach the ½” Brass Lock
nut and washer on the bottom.
Washer
Lock Nut
Bolt
Raised Washer
Plastic cap
Washer

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Tighten the nuts using a ¾” wrench or Long Reach Socket. Do not over tighten the nuts,
they need to be snug without causing undue compression of the Xpress . Finally, snap the
plastic caps over the bolt heads onto the contoured washers.
There are two different types of rollers, on a front mount application the position is
unimportant. On a side mount application, it is important that the straight rollers are in the
rear position.
Attaching the Dock Hardware
It may be necessary to remove part of the dock planking in order to adequately fix the
brackets on this assembly. Lag screws should not be used; it is critical that bolts and washers
are used to mount this assembly. The Xpress should not be attached to dock stringers that are
less than 2” x 6” or in a decayed or damaged condition.Take care not to drill through the
floats under the dock.
When Mounting to a Fixed Dock it is essential that the water level is not able to come to
within 15” of the top of the dock. If there is a possibility this may occur the installation needs
to be adapted to accommodate this situation.
Front Mount
Determine the position that the Xpress is to be attached and mark a line on the stringer
representing the center of the Xpress . Mark a line 23 ¾” from the center line to both the
right and the left-hand sides; these are the center lines of each of the Dock Brackets.

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Alternatively, mark one line 5” from the edge of where the Xpress is to be positioned and
then a second line 47 ½” from the first.
Position the Dock Bracket so the center of the tube lines up with the line drawn on the dock,
ensure that the bracket is firmly against the stringer, and attach to the dock using screws or
bolts in the top two holes. (Note: If necessary, chamfer the top front edge of the dock).
Repeat for the other Dock Bracket, float the Xpress up to the dock and ensure that the
Xpress brackets line up with the dock brackets by sliding a piece of the 2” schedule 40 pipe
in the dock brackets and into the Xpress brackets. If everything lines up, insert the
remainder of the bolts in the front of the Brackets.
It is unimportant which type of roller is on which side.

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Installing two Permaport® Xpress ports side by side.
When installing a pair of Permaport® Xpress ports we recommend either joining them directly side
by side to one another or installing them with a significant gap between them to avoid entrapment of
anyone in the water.
When joining them side by side, additional consideration must be made for the selection of the dock
Brackets.
There are two different widths of dock bracket in the Hardware kit, 12”
wide and 10” wide. When joining ports side by side, the narrow brackets
(10” wide) have to go in the center of the pair. (If your kit has two narrow
brackets they can be used universally). The center Brackets must be
attached to the dock with no space between them
10” wide Bracket in both positions

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Side Mount
Determine the position that the Xpress is to be attached and mark a line on the stringer
representing the center of the forward attachment point. This MUST be a minimum of 24”
from any adjoining dock at the front.
There are two options for the rear attachment, the one toward the rear is the preferential
position but the position in the center of the Xpress is acceptable if the dock configuration
makes it necessary to use that position.
After deciding on the second position to be used, it is necessary to take an actual dimension
from the Xpress in order to determine the exact position for installing the dock brackets.
Measure the exact
dimension between the
centers of the holes.
Having determined that
dimension, mark a line on
the dock as shown. Do not
use the approximate
dimensions.

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Position the forward most dock Bracket so the center of the
tube lines up with the line drawn on the dock, ensure that
the bracket is firmly against the stringer, and attach to the
dock using screws or bolts in the top two holes, (Note: If
necessary, chamfer the top front edge of the dock).
Repeat for the other dock Bracket, float the
Xpress up to the dock, and ensure that the
Xpress brackets line up with the dock brackets
by sliding a piece of the 2” schedule 40 pipe in
the dock brackets and into the Xpress
brackets. If everything lines up, insert the
remainder of the bolts in the front of the
Brackets

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Attaching to a Fixed Dock
This System Must Not Be Used if There is a Possibility of the Water Level
Rising to Within 15” of the Bottom of the Pipe Brackets. In this case, contact
your supplier for alternative instructions.
It is essential that the poles on the fixed dock are both Parallel and Upright. If the poles are
not parallel then the Xpress could bind as the water rises and falls, which could cause
damage or loss to the Xpress, the watercraft or injury to persons.
It will be necessary to use 2 lengths of 2” schedule 40 Galvanized Pipe that are at least 24”
longer than the water depth when measured from the top of the Dock.
After installing the Dock Brackets, position the
Xpress under the Dock Brackets as shown and slide
the two lengths of pipe through the dock bracket and the
Xpress brackets ensuring they are upright and parallel.
Drive the pipes in to the lake bed to anchor them. It may
be preferable but not essential to leave the Pipes long
enough to form a handle to assist in accessing the
Xpress . Two pipe caps are supplied in the kit for this
option.
Tighten the locking screws
on the Dock Brackets. Drill a
5/16” hole through the pipe
using the holes in the bracket
as a guide. (Hint: drill two
separate holes, one from
each side). Fasten with 4” x
¼” bolt and nut.

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Attaching to a Floating Dock
It will be necessary to use two lengths of 2” schedule 40
Galvanized Pipe. Measure the distance between the top of the
dock and the top of the Xpress (Dim A). You will need two
pieces of 2” diameter, schedule 40 galvanized pipe that is at least
36” longer than that dimension. If you want to leave the pipe
above the dock to act as a handle to assist in accessing the
Xpress, that needs to be added to the length of the pipe.
Position the Xpress under the Dock Brackets as shown and
slide the two lengths of pipe through the Dock Bracket and the
Xpress brackets ensuring that they protrude at least 20”
below the Xpress bottom face.
Tighten the locking screws on the
Dock Brackets. Drill a 5/16” hole
through the pipe using the holes in
the bracket as a guide. (Hint, drill
two separate holes, one from each
side). Fasten with 4” x ¼” bolt and
nut.
Note: On some floating dock installations where the free board is low, the
Xpress bracket may come close to the dock bracket; in that instance, it is
permissible to install the Xpress Brackets reversed as shown
For floating docks that are subject to rough water conditions there is
additional hardware supplied in the separate hardware box.
The directions for utilizing this additional feature are contained in the hardware box.

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Adjusting the Rollers
Note: all of the component parts of the wheel axle assembly will sink in water;
use care when removing the assembly.
As supplied, the rollers are positioned such that they will accommodate the majority of
Personal Watercraft (PWC’s) on the market. However, it may be necessary to change the
position for use with certain PWC’s where the rollers interfere with the contours of the hull.
Note: The first 3 axles and the front axle are not interchangeable with the middle axles.
The two entry rollers are not changeable and are tighter than the rest of the rollers; do not
remove these rollers unless it is for service replacement, in which case they will need to be
replaced in the same configuration.
The rollers can be reconfigured to one of three positions on each axle and placed into any of
the positions on the Xpress port.
Removal of Wheels
To remove a wheel assembly use a lever such as a 2” x 2” piece of wood. Ensure that there
are no sharp parts that may puncture the body of the Xpress .
Insert the end under the axle as shown and gently but firmly apply upward pressure until the
whole assembly comes free from the main body.
As Supplied
Lowest Position
Highest Position

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Re-Assembly of Wheels
Slide one end of the assembly into a recess and then using a protective piece of wood or
plastic drive the other end into the opposing recess using a mallet as shown. Do not apply
lubrication as an aid to insertion.

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Joining Two Permaport®
Xpress ports Side by Side
If two Permaport® Xpress ports are to be mounted side by side it will be necessary to use a
Joiner Kit, available from your dealership.
The joiner Kit comprises the following components
Two Plain Rubber Inserts
Two threaded Rubber Inserts
Two 18” Stainless steel Bolts
One Joiner Tube
Two sets of Bolt caps

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Joiner Kit Installation
If you are joining two Permaport® Xpress ports front mounted you will need 1kit
If you are joining two Permaport® Xpress ports side mounted you will need 2kits
On a front mounted installation, mount both Permaport® Xpress ports to the dock
independent of each other using the hardware provided (see page 11 for requirements).
Ensure that the correct brackets are in use according to page 11.
On side mount installations, mount the Xpress to the dock using all three positions using
the hardware from both Xpress ports, installing plain rollers in the rear and center positions.
For front mounted Xpress ports, carry out the
following procedures on position 2
For side mounted Xpress ports, carry out
the following procedure on positions 1 and 2
Remove the fillers in the appropriate positions using a 9/16”
socket.
Thread a long bolt through a cap washer, a plain washer and the
unthreaded rubber insert.
Position 1
Position 2

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Drop the assembly into the Xpress insert slot.
Screw the bolt into one of the threaded inserts; the end of
the bolt needs to just protrude from the bottom of the
insert.
Repeat for all positions on both Xpress ports. (two positions on front
mounted, four positions on side mounted). Allow the assembly to drop
into the top slot.
Bring the two Ports together.
Lift the bolts and inserts clear of the Port.
Note: you may have to rotate the bolt up to 90 degrees in order
to make the bottom insert line up with the hole in the bottom of
the port, only rotate clockwise to avoid unscrewing the insert.