Lenco 25" x 14" HP Trim Tab Kit Dual Actuator 12V (No Switch)

The Lenco High Performance (HP) Trim Tab Kit in the 25-inch by 14-inch dual-actuator 12V configuration is Lenco's flagship trim tab system for 28-46 foot recreational and light commercial boats. Lenco Marine has been the dominant US electric trim tab manufacturer for decades - the company built its reputation on the all-electric, all-stainless approach to trim tabs that displaced the older hydraulic systems in the recreational market. The HP series is the company's heaviest-duty offering: 7-gauge 304 stainless steel blades (the thickest gauge in the market - lighter trim tabs use 11 or 14 gauge), electro-polished finish for corrosion resistance, and the dual-actuator setup that handles the bigger blades on bigger boats.

Why dual actuators on a 25-inch tab. The single-actuator HP configuration handles smaller blades up to about 18 inches wide. At 25 inches by 14 inches, the blade surface area generates enough hydrodynamic load at planing speeds that a single actuator becomes the weak link - the tab geometry means the load applied to the actuator scales faster than blade size. Dual actuators (2 per blade, 4 total per kit) split the load and give you the response speed and holding force needed for fast deployment / retraction at planing speeds. For 28-46 foot boats running displacement / planing transitions or fighting following seas, dual actuators are the right call.

7-gauge 304 stainless steel blades. 7 gauge is roughly 0.179-inch material thickness - meaningfully thicker than the 11-gauge (~0.12 inch) or 14-gauge (~0.075 inch) blades used in lighter trim tab kits. The thicker material handles the hydrodynamic loads of 28-46 foot boats without flexing, and resists impact damage from logs / debris far better than thinner alternatives. 304 stainless is the recreational marine standard - good corrosion resistance in saltwater with reasonable cost. Electro-polished finish removes surface contaminants and creates a passive chrome-oxide layer that enhances corrosion resistance over the bare stainless finish.

Radiused blade design. The HP blade design uses a radiused leading edge that gives maximum clearance for multiple-outboard installations (where the blade has to fit between or alongside outboard motor brackets) and reduces cavitation at the prop by smoothing the water flow over the trim tab. For boats running multiple outboards (twin / triple / quad outboard configurations are common in this size class), the radiused HP geometry is the right choice - some flat-leading-edge trim tabs interfere with prop wash and create cavitation that reduces top-end speed.

4 XD extreme-duty actuators included. The kit includes 4 of Lenco's #15056-001 XD extreme-duty actuators - the heavy-duty variant of Lenco's standard 101 actuator. The XD actuators are rated for the higher-load HP application and use a fully submersible sealed housing that handles continuous immersion without leaking. 3/8-inch stainless steel actuator bolts replace the standard 1/4-inch hardware on lighter Lenco kits - these are the bolts that take the actual hydrodynamic load from the blade, and the upgraded bolt size matters for HP-class loads.

6-foot leads with Deutsch plug-and-play connectors. The actuators ship with 6-foot factory-terminated leads and Deutsch waterproof plug connectors. Deutsch connectors are the marine-electrical standard for waterproof plug-and-play interconnects - sealed silicone seals, locking detents, and the contacts are crimped (not soldered) for vibration resistance. The plug-and-play approach means install is faster than older hardwire trim tab systems - run extension harnesses from the actuators forward to the helm switch, plug everything together, done. Most installations need actuator extension harnesses (Lenco sells them in 6-12-18-24-foot lengths separately) to run the wiring from the transom-mounted actuators forward to the helm switch position - 4 harnesses needed for the dual-actuator kit. Plan the harness lengths during install.

Factory-assembled with full transom back plate. The kit ships factory-assembled - the back plate, blade, actuator brackets, and actuators come pre-mounted and ready to bolt to the boat transom. The full transom back plate spreads the trim tab load across a wider area of the transom skin (vs older trim tabs that loaded the transom at just the actuator mount points), which protects fiberglass transoms from stress-cracking under high loads. The factory pre-assembly cuts install time roughly in half vs unassembled trim tab kits.

Mechanical strain relief cable seal. Where the actuator wiring exits the transom, a mechanical strain relief cable seal prevents water infiltration AND prevents the wiring from being torn out under cable tension or vibration. The strain relief is one of those small details that separates well-engineered trim tab kits from cheap alternatives - water intrusion through cable penetrations is a leading cause of trim tab system failure, and the strain relief eliminates that failure mode.

Adjustable C-channel mounting brackets. The mounting brackets attach the actuator to the transom and are adjustable on the C-channel to accommodate different transom angles and trim tab geometry. The adjustability matters for getting the trim tab geometry right on different transom angles - boats with steep transoms (race-style) and boats with shallow transoms (cruisers) both work with the same kit through bracket adjustment.

3.75-inch sacrificial anodes. Each tab includes a 3.75-inch sacrificial anode bolted to the blade. The anode is the corrosion-protection device for the trim tab system - it's made of a less-noble metal (zinc for saltwater, aluminum for brackish, magnesium for fresh water - check your specific anode spec) that corrodes preferentially before the stainless steel blade. Replace the anodes when they're 50% consumed - typical replacement interval is annual for saltwater, longer for fresh water. The 3.75-inch size is appropriate for the HP-class tab loading.

Switch kit sold separately. The 15051-101 kit ships without the helm switch - you specify the switch separately. Lenco offers several switch options: the standard #15071-001 dual-actuator rocker switch (the basic functional switch), the #15268-001 standard-trim-tab tactile switch with LED position indicators, and the #30342-001 auto-glide intelligent switch with automatic trim tab control based on boat angle (premium upgrade for boats that want hands-free trim management). For most owners, the standard 15071-001 is the right choice - it's the workhorse switch that handles the dual-actuator deployment / retraction in a simple rocker layout.

For 28-46 foot boats. The 25x14 dual-actuator HP kit is sized for 28-46 foot boats per Lenco's recommendation. For boats outside that range, Lenco offers smaller kits (12x9, 12x12, 18x9, 18x12 in single or dual actuator) and larger kits (24x16, 30x14 in dual actuator) - select the trim tab size based on the boat length and hull type. For boats at the upper end of the 28-46 range or for heavier displacement boats running the size range, the 30x14 might be a better choice than the 25x14 - call Lenco tech support if you're not sure.

Minimum transom height 10.5 inches. The trim tab needs at least 10.5 inches of vertical transom space to mount properly without interfering with the bottom of the hull or the prop. Most 28-46 foot boats have far more than 10.5 inches of transom available, but verify on your specific transom before ordering.

Customer-supplied items. Boat mounting hardware (the bolts that attach the back plate to the transom skin) is supplied by the customer because the right size and material depend on the transom thickness and material - typical install uses 5/16-inch or 3/8-inch stainless bolts of appropriate length, with sealant and inside backing plates. Actuator extension harnesses are supplied by the customer because the right length depends on the run from transom to helm - typical 28-46 foot boats need 12-18 feet of extension cable per actuator (4 needed for dual-actuator kit). Both items are available from Lenco as separate purchase.

Install. Mount the back plate to the transom using customer-supplied stainless bolts (sealed with marine sealant) and an inside-transom backing plate. Connect 12V power from the battery to the helm switch via an appropriately-sized circuit breaker (typical 15-20A breaker for the dual-actuator HP kit). Run the actuator extension harnesses from the helm switch back to the actuator Deutsch connectors. Plug everything together. Test deployment / retraction operation. Total install is typically 4-8 hours for a competent boat owner with reasonable mechanical and electrical skills - longer for first-time trim tab installs. Lenco standard warranty applies.