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Bow Ballast


Dave08'VLX

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I was considering ordering mine without bow ballast b/c I was thinking about putting a custom bag up front so I could also fit lead up there around the bag. I was going to do all this myself. Your dealer should be able to install something up there if you don't want to mess with it yourself, I think they can do the hard tank. If you are going to try it yourself, you should be able to get instructions from your dealer to even use the LED switches (they are still there and available for use). I just figured out a way to get my lead up there around the hard tank and figured I wouldn't be saving much money wise with the deal I had, and it wasn't worth the hassle. B/C of the midship, the hose fittings and stuff are going to be a bit of a pain to get up to the bow, but basically you can run the intake pump from your midship hatch.

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They offered to throw in a ballast tank and pump but it was all manual and would block the heater. Where do you get the lead? How much weight can you get in the bow storage (under the seats)?

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I'd just get the front ballast tank added, why monkey with bags?
They offered to throw in a ballast tank and pump but it was all manual and would block the heater.

This doesn't make sense...

I agree....I am in the process of adding the stock hard tank to the bow of my 247. There is no way it will interfere with the heater. I plan on using the stock switch, the tank came with the level monitor already in it so I assume it will even connect to the ballast gauge. Maybe I am missing something here, but I will know first hand in the next couple of weeks.

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My dealer told me that there is no way to add the factory tank. Maybe they just didn't want to deal with it. Who did you order the tank from and do you plan to do the install?

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When I said earlier that they offered to throw in a ballast tank I meant to say bag. They said that there is no way to get a tank. Their solution was to put a 4’ bag in the walk through area and under the center cushion in the bow.

Any more info on the tank solution would be very helpful. This was the only thing about the boat that I wished was different.

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The hard tank can’t be added after that’s correct, honestly I’m not sure why a dealer would order a VLX w/o the front tank. Spend a bit of time in the VLX and you’ll realize the front ballast is necessary imho. I still don’t understand why the ballast tank and pump is manual and would block the heater. I’m not 100% positive with the new digital panels for all the accessories but previously there is at least one extra accessory switch that could be used for ballast pumps or whatever. I’d make sure there isn’t any way to add another device to the switches. I’m sure if you wanted to get aggressive you could add a pump w/ a bag up front so you wouldn’t have to fill in manually. Or just go old school, place a bag in the front walkway, and fill it up manually.

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Dave this is a good topic the easiest thing to do would be to go with the pop bags. They will cost you less in the long run and you would be able to transfer the weight to another boat in the future easily. The only down side is you are constantly transporting another 400 lbs.

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I did order 520 lbs. of pop bags but I would still like to figure out a cleaner way of getting water weight up front. I just talked to the dealer and they are going to see what they can do. I am not even picking my boat up for about a month so maybe they will be able to figure something out.

The pop bags will still come in useful for surfing and when there is only a few people on the boat.

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The hard tank can’t be added after that’s correct, honestly I’m not sure why a dealer would order a VLX w/o the front tank. Spend a bit of time in the VLX and you’ll realize the front ballast is necessary imho. I still don’t understand why the ballast tank and pump is manual and would block the heater. I’m not 100% positive with the new digital panels for all the accessories but previously there is at least one extra accessory switch that could be used for ballast pumps or whatever. I’d make sure there isn’t any way to add another device to the switches. I’m sure if you wanted to get aggressive you could add a pump w/ a bag up front so you wouldn’t have to fill in manually. Or just go old school, place a bag in the front walkway, and fill it up manually.

That is assuming the 08 is built like earlier VLX's...meaning the bow cushion supports in the walk thru are molded in fiberglass. On my 247, they are carpeted pieces that just screw to the floor. They can be removed and a tank can go in its place. I know nothing about the VLX...but I can tell you it will work on the 247!

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  • 3 weeks later...
The hard tank can’t be added after that’s correct, honestly I’m not sure why a dealer would order a VLX w/o the front tank. Spend a bit of time in the VLX and you’ll realize the front ballast is necessary imho. I still don’t understand why the ballast tank and pump is manual and would block the heater. I’m not 100% positive with the new digital panels for all the accessories but previously there is at least one extra accessory switch that could be used for ballast pumps or whatever. I’d make sure there isn’t any way to add another device to the switches. I’m sure if you wanted to get aggressive you could add a pump w/ a bag up front so you wouldn’t have to fill in manually. Or just go old school, place a bag in the front walkway, and fill it up manually.

That is assuming the 08 is built like earlier VLX's...meaning the bow cushion supports in the walk thru are molded in fiberglass. On my 247, they are carpeted pieces that just screw to the floor. They can be removed and a tank can go in its place. I know nothing about the VLX...but I can tell you it will work on the 247!

I am curious if you have completed your Bow Ballast install...

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That is assuming the 08 is built like earlier VLX's...meaning the bow cushion supports in the walk thru are molded in fiberglass. On my 247, they are carpeted pieces that just screw to the floor. They can be removed and a tank can go in its place. I know nothing about the VLX...but I can tell you it will work on the 247!

Yep, no change on that for '08, we'll have to wait until '09 and the new VLX, which should definitely get the same style deck molds as all of the other boats.

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It's not that it can't be added, it's that Malibu made policy a while back that wouldn't allow it to happen once a boat has left the factory (just like with the Power Wedge - Malibu won't sell the parts to the dealers unless it's a problem with an existing system). Now, if you've had difficulties with your boat like Kb3 has had, maybe they'd be more willing to work with you on getting it installed. But in general, they won't do it anymore.

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The hard tank can’t be added after that’s correct, honestly I’m not sure why a dealer would order a VLX w/o the front tank. Spend a bit of time in the VLX and you’ll realize the front ballast is necessary imho. I still don’t understand why the ballast tank and pump is manual and would block the heater. I’m not 100% positive with the new digital panels for all the accessories but previously there is at least one extra accessory switch that could be used for ballast pumps or whatever. I’d make sure there isn’t any way to add another device to the switches. I’m sure if you wanted to get aggressive you could add a pump w/ a bag up front so you wouldn’t have to fill in manually. Or just go old school, place a bag in the front walkway, and fill it up manually.

That is assuming the 08 is built like earlier VLX's...meaning the bow cushion supports in the walk thru are molded in fiberglass. On my 247, they are carpeted pieces that just screw to the floor. They can be removed and a tank can go in its place. I know nothing about the VLX...but I can tell you it will work on the 247!

I am curious if you have completed your Bow Ballast install...

It is still on my list of "winter projects" and I am running out of winter....I hope to get started on it in the next couple of weeks!

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  • 1 month later...

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