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Official Weight - 2012 Wakesetter 23 LSV


Brent Wall

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Several months ago as I was trying to decide between a new VLX or 23 LSV, tow weight was a minor consideration. I am towing with a 2007 Lexus GX470 with a towing capacity of 6,500 lbs. I posted this analysis sheet but I now know that the estimated total weight was a bit low.

post-8878-0-99488500-1341527883_thumb.jp

I had the opportunity to weigh both the tow vehicle and boat on a set of CAT scales recently. The official weight of the boat was 6,160 lbs. Since we were on the way to vacation, the boat was full of gas and had a little more gear on board than usual so this weight is probably the max weight.

I haven't put much thought into where the 513 lbs (8%) error was in my original analysis but I suspect it is somewhat proportionately distributed between the boat, trailer and gear.

I thought this info might be useful to others considering a new boat or tow vehicle.

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Thanks for the info. Tower weighs in at a couple hundred pounds also.

Wow. I wouldn't have thought the tower was that heavy. I figured the tower must weigh about 100 lbs since the posted weight of a Wakesetter which comes standard with the tower is 3,900 lbs and the posted weight of a Sunscape is 3,800.

Edited by Brent Wall
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For those that want a little more detail...

The weight of the tow vehicle and boat together was 11,360 lbs. The means the GX470 weights about 5,200 lbs.

When I weighted the boat by itself, I positioned the boat so that the jack was on the "steer axle" scale and the tandem wheels were on the "drive axle" scale. The "steer axle" scale registered 760 lbs and the "drive axle" scale registered 5,400 lbs. Can I conclude from this that my tongue weight is 760 lbs?

I realize that I am at 95% of my tow capacity but I have been generally pleased with the tow performance of the GX470. We towed the boat nearly 500 miles during our vacation a couple of weeks ago. However, this is generally only a once a year occurrence. Our normal trek to the lake and back is 10 miles.

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For those that want a little more detail...

The weight of the tow vehicle and boat together was 11,360 lbs. The means the GX470 weights about 5,200 lbs.

When I weighted the boat by itself, I positioned the boat so that the jack was on the "steer axle" scale and the tandem wheels were on the "drive axle" scale. The "steer axle" scale registered 760 lbs and the "drive axle" scale registered 5,400 lbs. Can I conclude from this that my tongue weight is 760 lbs?

I realize that I am at 95% of my tow capacity but I have been generally pleased with the tow performance of the GX470. We towed the boat nearly 500 miles during our vacation a couple of weeks ago. However, this is generally only a once a year occurrence. Our normal trek to the lake and back is 10 miles.

Not sure it works like that on the tongue weight? Wouldn't you have to weight the rear axle of the truck without boat then with boat to get exact tongue weight. I wouldn't worry about being at 95% myself, better than 105%.

On the tower weight think about the tower, racks, etc.. I put one of these on my boat, it's not to bad but it's not light by any means. At some racks and I'm sure it's at least 200 lbs and probably more with bimini etc..

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Cool info.

I watched a late model 4 Runner get sucked down the ramp into the water by his LSV yesterday. Yikes.

I would always worry towing that I couldn't brake if I needed too.

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Wouldn't the posted weight be a completely dry weight, though? You add some oil here, some transmission fluid there, all of the water that remains in the block between uses (which I bet isn't trivial). It's not 500 lbs but it makes up a portion of it along with the tower.

I think that 100 pound difference in the two boats is likely the gear associated with the "stock" ballasting on the WS, isn't it? Just in folding the G3 (even with gas assist), it feels heavy once you unbalance it by putting tower speakers on it, etc. I'd put that at at least 200 lbs geared up.

I guess with my VTX I'm a lot closer to the 5200lb limit on my Acadia than I thought, though I doubt I'll ever pull with any gear or more than a half tank. It pulls it really well, though.

**The listed capacity on the 4Runner is only 5000lbs (if properly equipped)...I'd be concerned with that on a ramp with an LSV for sure**

Edited by nownow
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  • 1 month later...

I too was worried about the weight using our Acadia and its 5200 capacity. We have a 2003 sunscape 23. It has the Titan tower with 4 can speakers and dual battery. Very similar to a wakesetter I guess. I called the CHP about using the truck scales and they said no. But recommended doing a search for public scales in Ca. The nearest on was about 10 miles away. With half a tank and various cargo including 3 boards and a knee board I was surprised it only weighed 5260. I thought it was going to be closer to 6000. I was already looking for a replacement for my vehicle because the Acadia is only 4 months old. I know it's not the best but it will do for our mostly less the 5 mile pulls.

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Wow, the Malibus have gotten a lot heavier over the years. My old '89 Skier is about 2,300lbs dry weight, over a 1,000lbs less than current models. Of course, my old dog doesn't have any of the modern conveniences. But she sure is easy to pull out of the water, even on a steep ramp. I think my wife hit a new 0-60 acceleration record with me in the boat coming out of the water the other day.

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Thanks for sharing the breakdown, Brent. This was very useful for planning my next boat. I know we are never able to get all of the water out of the ballast, so I could easily be carrying an extra 2-400 pounds between them all. However, usually we are driving without a full tank of gas because there is a cheap station on the corner where we turn off for the lake.

I'll check with a performance car buddy of mine on any suggestions for caring for your Lexus as a tow vehicle to get the maximum life out of it.

I would always worry towing that I couldn't brake if I needed too.

Surge brakes on the trailer can be an interesting thing. Modern ones work really well and respond quickly, but you need to be aware of how they work and how they affect the braking process. Many newer vehicles also have skid control and even a trailer setting, so they are safer than you might think.

I did some pretty extreme brake tests with Stella behind our old 2005 Lincoln Aviator. Not sure how the brake setup compares to the Lexus or an Acadia, but I was very impressed with the ability of my rig to safely and smoothly get us stopped so I know how much time I have when following traffic. I don't like the high tongue weight of the standard trailers with the wheels so far back, but man it's a huge benefit when it comes to braking. Try braking at high speeds in reverse and see how much more your back tires slip. :)

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  • 7 months later...

Has anybody weighed a 2013 lsv that is lake ready? I assume surfgate would add some weight, but the dry weights are still the same if I'm not mistaken.

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I watched a late model 4 Runner get sucked down the ramp into the water by his LSV yesterday. Yikes.

What? Does this happen?

I'm looking at a 2013 VLX or even a 24 MXZ and that thing is a beast!

My SUV has a 7500# rated towing capacity...hope that's enough! :shocked:

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I went to the CAT scales and weighed my VLX on the trailer, it was right at 5900lbs. In addition to the stock features, here is what was in it:

Stereo pack 2

Factory 12” sub and amp

Harpoon amp

Factory 2-battery setup

35 gallons of gas

3 Johnson ballast pumps plus 3 extra fat sacs (empty of course)

Small box anchor

Small tool kit

No tower speakers (temporarily removed)

No wakeboards

No vests

No ropes

No coolers/drinks

No bimini

So full of gas/gear and ready for a day on the water this is easily over a 6000lb rig.

To calculate the dry weight of just the boat I subtract the following items from my 5900lb scale weight:

Standard Boatmate tandem trailer: 1200lbs

Harpoon amp: 25lbs

Second battery: 35lbs

Anchor: 20lbs

Tool kit: 20lbs

Sub + amp: 100lbs

Extra ballast parts: 40lbs

Fuel: 210lbs

That puts the dry weight of my boat right at 4250lbs if you include the tower, quite a bit more than 3700bs. I think the G3 weighs around 200lbs.

Aaron weighed his Boatmate VLX trailer by itself and I think it was right around 1200lbs, this is also what Boatmate says they weigh. I'm sure the tricked out option with the bigger wheels is a bit more.


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