Hell I'm more confused now than before

what you confused about bud

About what mods if any that I need to put on my motor

dont be confused,dont spend no more money,just leave some stuff behind,its that forkin simple.

do you usually see people dragging a camper around with a riding lawnmower?

how does your boat run with you by yourself? That will tell you if something else is going on.

Like I said before it's a 35 hp lawmaker mower motor!! The same boat your using if you was to buy it for fishing with s outboard motor on the back what size would you put?? Me I wouldn't go no smaller than a 70! The load your trying to carry is yo much for the motor!!

The boat is too small for those loads. I think coupled with a engine that may need a tune up or some slight performance mods. I think the issue is more on the hull. My 1860 can carry 3 people stock at 23-25 MPH down the ICW. Full hunting loads of 7 dozen dekes, bags & guys all at 250lbs.

Those speeds were stock & either running into wind or with.

Modded I can cruise with same loads at 28-30.

If your running deep water like that I would be very cautious in that small of a boat with those loads. How much free board do you have weighted down like that?

The boat runs great with just me and the sides are really high on that excel so it doesnt bother me having that kind of load

I'm no expert but that boat should get on plane, my little GD Hull with a 23 SD can get on plane with 3 total guys (about 200 a peice). I'd make some adjustments. Just start moving stuff/people around and play with the trim, eventually you'll figure it out. Again what are your speeds solo?

Just as a reference to the statement I put above, my 18x54 gtb would plane four guys, dog and hunting load with a stock 35 gtr motor, so I would experiment a little before I dropped cash on the mods.

A bigger boat is not an option. It would not work where I hunt. I guess I will just have to play around with it. Im not sure of my solo speeds because I did not have a gps.

That ain't a load at all! Put that load in an 1848 square chine boat and it will run 23- 24 mph all day long with a stock motor!

Why is a bigger boat out of the question?

I just bought that one. I cant sell the boat when duck season is about to be in full swing and I just dont think a bigger boat would suit me well

One of the biggest mis-conceptions out there is smaller=faster with these boats.

Unless there is a Physical barrier that won't allow you to turn around or whatever it is (steep banks, narrow ditches with thick brush or limbs that won't let you turn around) you will be amazed what some tiller time in a longer boat will teach you about running in tight places.

Thats why I posted this. I wanted tips or suggestions on where to place the load etc.

Here's my $.02 worth. The load you described is not really out of the ordinary---BUT---you must have some realistic expectationsfor that overbuilt, heavy Excel boat. My first boat was an Excel 1754 Midwest Edition. It had a slight V front with flat bottom from the rake to the transom much like I think your boat has. My boat did not like heavy loads much either. I found that moving one passenger to the rear with me and the other to the middle of the boat was the best configuration. That included having decoys and blind bags to back half of boat also. Gas and auxillary battery were up front. With a load similar to yours I could plane, albeit slowly, and build to about 16-17 mph and that was the best it would get.

Just for $hits and giggles---measure the actual length of your hull and then measure the planing surface (bottom of transom to where rake starts) and post you findings here.

I am willing to bet your boat is close to a foot shorter than what the model designation states!!

Does your boat have a tapered transom or square transom?

If you are referring to the chine it is a reverse viper chine

No, not the chine. The very bottom of the transom where it meets the bottom. Is it tapered there or is it square?

My Excel had the tapered transom and as you throttled up the back of the boat would "squat" extremely bad. I always wondered if some type of wedge on each rear corner would have helped that boat, but I decided not to try to put a bandage on a big problem.

Another thing about Excel boats---they tend to ride very flat--meaning the nose likes to stay low even with adequate power. This in turn makes planing a heavy load more difficult for a stock motor.

Isn't that Viper hull really designed for an outboard?

Yeah technically it is but thats because you can get them with the shocks on the transom to help when you hit a stump with an outboard. The dealer told me the only difference was the runner down the middle of the boat.

It has been stated already by at least four poster on here and on other threads and I will state it again, it is the boat!!!!!! Not the Excel per say, but just about any boat of that style in a 1748-52. I have one here on the lot right now traded in for the same issue - 1751SWEV. Yes an 1848 flat jon would plane that load, yes and 1856 or 80 will as well or even a 1754 or 56 jon. The 1751, if measured from the bottom of the rake to the transom has a running surface 9'8" t0 10' depending on where you measure to, side of bottome, that is about the same as that of a 15-16 flat jon in a Phowler or PD or Gator Tail boat. Less planing surface = less displacement= deep hole in the water to climb out of to plane= plowing water to the point the motor cannot overcome the bow wave to reach full plane. The guy who traded the Excel in could not plane with three men and gear, put his same motor (35MB, stock), same prop, etc on a new 1856 Phowler Extreme and is planing the boat with the same load and running low 20s, planning with four men and getting 18+ mph with full gear.

A 16-17 boat in that style is a two man rig, three men at best if they are only 190-200 lb average and gear is light.

I am not bashing Excel, we see the same thing with alot of the 16-17 MV boats as well, they are not really 16-17' when it comes to planing surface compared to any LA mudboat hull. This is the third Excel 1751 ( two VF4s and one SWEV) we have taken in trade this year for the same problems, all new 2010 and 2011s, two ran MB 35s one a GT35. Dealer push these boats on price and say that a 17' is plenty big (one told the guy it would "carry three linebackers and still run 25 mph) in order to close the sale, but any dealer who is honest, nows his product and asks the right questions would tell you that it is not the right hull for a full three man load with gear without going to a modified motor.

Now, anyone wanting a near new 1751 Excel for a great two man rig give me call cause I would love to sell this one I have on the lot to someone who can use it!!!!

PW

I am running a 1844 Uncle J with a 32PD, I can get on plane just fine with with me (250) 2 buddies(200+) and 2 dogs (65+) 3 dz decoys...guns and gas. My boat weighs more than the Excel...got be the hull....

Might have to do with the viper hull "prob not a good hull for a mudmotor" I had a 1751 excel swv and I hunted 3 guy's and gear mid 20's and 30-31 by myself. 45 blk death but started with a 4000 and still ran good with 3 guys. Never really hunted with 4 guy's. That was a great boat for 3 guys and a bunch of decoys.

This is a 4000 in the pic. 3 guy's and allot of beer on a fun run

My boat was behaving similar to this after only two months of use. I was wondering if I tore my prop up. Took it to the dealer and found out that the idle speed was too low. Turned it back up to where it belongs and it runs like a champ again.