Thinking about a 2006 V-Ride

[8th sin]

Hello crew! I am new to this forum, and (hopefully soon) new to boat ownership as well. I found this site researching a 2006 V-Ride that is for sale in my area:

http://www.boattrader.com/listing/2006-MALIBU-V-Rider-96999123

I've been casually looking at boats over the past year or so, and I've always thought Malibus were great boats for the money. Unfortunately most of the boats within my age requirement (<5 years old) are out of my budget. Since I saw this one though, I can't seem to get my mind off it. I do have a few questions though....

Unseen and unknown issues aside is this a good price for the boat? It's about 3 hours away from me, so I want to get my ducks in a row before driving out to take a test drive. I emailed the seller, and he indicated there are no mechanical issues and from the looks of it, it seems to be in good condition. If I do decide to purchase, I will of course have the boat looked over by a mechanic.

I'm unclear where the v-Ride fits in Malibu's lineup. What are the key differences between it and a Wakesetter? I wakeboard (intermediate level), but my girlfriend and our friends are just starting out and she's into the boat more for just having a boat. At this point in my wakeboarding non-career, I'm not really concerned with marginal benefits from a much more expensive boat. If it's got a v-drive and a tower, it's probably good enough for what I want. We'd be trailering the boat to local lakes and cruising with a crew of 4 maybe 5. I recently moved to Texas from Florida, so I miss the water. Is this a good boat for me? Wakesetters all seem out of my price range, so this seems like a good choice.

Assuming the boat has been properly maintained, are there any major service milestones in the near future for a boat of this age? I am unsure how many hours are on the motor, and the details of its service history. What questions should I ask the dealer? I've been around boats my entire life, but never owned one. I have alot of mechanical knowledge from working on cars over the years, but no experience working on boats. Are these boats farily easy to perform routine serivce on yourself?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

[wakeboy]

Ask the dealer what happened to the wedge. It seems to be missing. Also, judging by your description, that boat should fit your needs perfectly in terms of size of your crew and wakeboard needs. VRides are great wakeboard boats. Basically new versions of the older wakesetters without all the "bling"

[JDubya]

How many hours...did not see it listed.

Find out the maintenance history. What dealer did the service and talk to them about the overall condition and history of the boat.

And don't forget to test drive the boat.

[Ndawg12]

Agreed, that's should be a great boat you. Hopefully the boat has between 200-400 hours on it. You wanted it to have been used but not abused. The price seems fair, a good starting point but there are still alot of questions to be answered. You'll want a wedge like WB said. What about other ballast, that model came with a center tank and optional rear tanks. What engine, 320LCR or a 340 Monsoon?....

Edited July 14, 2010 by Ndawg12

[wakeboy]

I am unsure how many hours are on the motor, and the details of its service history.

I agree that you need to test drive anything you are going to buy and talk to the dealer about the history.

[jtrovato]

I'd be wary of a dealer that doesn't even know that the proper name for the boat is. It's a vRide, not a vRider! That aside, it does look like the wedge is missing, just the plate is there. The major difference between the vRide and a newer Wakesetter is that the hull of the Wakesetter changed in 05. The vRide was introduced in 05 and uses the old Wakesetter hull. The 05 Wakesetter went with a wider hull so the interior of the boat seems much bigger. The Wakesetter also has upgraded vinyl and a lot more chrome and subtle options like the table, frameless windshield, etc. The vRide is a perfect first boat, we love ours and hope to upgrade to a Wakesetter some day, but I am perfectly find with the vRide for now.

[bdjohnson3]

I personally own an Iride (who wishes he had bought a vride), so I don't have any first hand experience actually OWNING a v-drive, but know plenty of people with them and have plenty of experience being on them... with that size of crew and for what you're describing in terms of use, I think that's the perfect boat for you. The wakesetters are awesome boats, but they're bigger, and have a lot more "bling" that is not necessary, (albeit nice,) to enjoy some time on the water - especially for your first boat.

As long as you get a wedge (and yes, make sure to ask the seller about that one), and some ballast, you should have a pretty nice set-up. That's the perfect sized boat to have to trailer as well - not too big. Welcome to the crew and good luck with your potential purchase. Nice color combo.

[8th sin]

Ask the dealer what happened to the wedge. It seems to be missing.

Wow, I didn't even notice that! I inquired about it though.

What engine, 320LCR or a 340 Monsoon?....

On another listing he has on craigslist for this boat it states 340hp, so I would assume the Monsoon. I emailed him just to make sure.

I'd be wary of a dealer that doesn't even know that the proper name for the boat is. It's a vRide, not a vRider! That aside, it does look like the wedge is missing, just the plate is there.

Yea, that kind of threw me as well. It wasn't just a typo either, as he has listings on other websites and they all say vRider. The guy is quick to get back to me, but checking his website shows this is the only wakeboard boat he has for sale We'll see how he fields my questions....if he asks what a wedge and ballast tank are, then oh boy....

[Bill_AirJunky]

Looks like a nice looking boat to me. I have an 05 with a similar color scheme & the other tower. Have a Malibu shop check it out, or at least a guy familiar with inboards & Malibus.

Those boats were available with up to 3 ballast tanks, one mid ship, one in each rear storage locker, for about 900 lbs total. You'll find lots of guys are playing with upgrading ballast in a variety of ways, but thats any boat.

I'm not a fan of the Wedge so it being missing is not an issue in my book.

Interesting trailer design.... never have seen one with nerf bars on it. Make sure to go over the brakes on it.

What engine is in it? Probably either the LCR (OK) or Monsoon (better). And how many hours? I doubt there is many as the boat looks like it's in good shape. Price is pretty good for my area too.

The big difference in this model & the Wakesetter at the time is about 6" of width & 6" of length. Interior space is a bit smaller, wake will be a bit smaller. But most riders will find the wake from the Vride plenty big, even intimidating. Bling will be a bit less on the Vride, but this one looks like it has the dash upgrade at the very least.

Good luck with the deal. Take it for a test drive, bring your board & let us know how it goes.

Edited July 14, 2010 by Bill_AirJunky

[Ndawg12]

Wow, I didn't even notice that! I inquired about it though.

On another listing he has on craigslist for this boat it states 340hp, so I would assume the Monsoon. I emailed him just to make sure.

Yea, that kind of threw me as well. It wasn't just a typo either, as he has listings on other websites and they all say vRider. The guy is quick to get back to me, but checking his website shows this is the only wakeboard boat he has for sale We'll see how he fields my questions....if he asks what a wedge and ballast tank are, then oh boy....

Sounds like the same type of "hilljack" dealership that I bought mine from. DO YOUR RESEARCH!!!

[wakeboy]

Don't worry too much about how smart the guy selling it is. If he doesn't know the right name of the boat he may also not know the correct value of the boat. Just make sure he isn't trying to pull the wool over your eyes on anything. Have a marine mechanic look at the boat if you decide that you want to make an offer.

[Bill_AirJunky]

Sounds like the same type of "hilljack" dealership that I bought mine from. DO YOUR RESEARCH!!!

Hey, I bought mine from Bridge City..... knowing they were schiesters. If you do all your homework, do all your own financing (CYA), be persistent about getting your paperwork, and plan on using a legit dealer that is possibly closer to home, you'll be golden.

[jk13]

Yea, that kind of threw me as well. It wasn't just a typo either, as he has listings on other websites and they all say vRider. The guy is quick to get back to me, but checking his website shows this is the only wakeboard boat he has for sale We'll see how he fields my questions....if he asks what a wedge and ballast tank are, then oh boy....

I wouldn't worry too much about that. He took a boat in on trade that he's not familiar with...no big deal. As long as it's mechanically sound, it looks pretty good to me. Wedge is probably not a huge deal for your level of riding, anyway. I still think ballast is a better way to add wake to any boat. (Don't flame me guys.) You will probably find you don't need either a wedge or more ballast until you want to go bigger, which may or may not ever happen. Stock wake may be plenty for your needs. Common misconception is that bigger wake=better rider. Simply not true.

[shawndoggy]

I paid a little less than that from a private party last fall for a boat with a wedge, fiberglass platform, and rear ballast. Mine has no heater, no shower, and the base 320 lcr motor. My "deal" also had some hair on it (took me a couple months to get the title in hand) but that's a different story.

I'm still learning to wakeboard too... can go wake to wake heelside and that's about it for now (but I'm working on it). The wake is plenty big to go wake to wake even with the ballast empty and the wedge up. I've only filled the rear tanks once on the wakeboard and the wake was definitely intimidating.

If you plan to surf behind the boat you definitely want the wedge. And this boat makes a fine fine surf wake with the wedge down and a 750 in the rear locker.

Edited July 14, 2010 by shawndoggy

[shawndoggy]

I wouldn't worry too much about that. He took a boat in on trade that he's not familiar with...no big deal. As long as it's mechanically sound, it looks pretty good to me. Wedge is probably not a huge deal for your level of riding, anyway. I still think ballast is a better way to add wake to any boat. (Don't flame me guys.) You will probably find you don't need either a wedge or more ballast until you want to go bigger, which may or may not ever happen. Stock wake may be plenty for your needs. Common misconception is that bigger wake=better rider. Simply not true.

Agree 100% for wakeboarding. Wedge is critical if you wanna surf tho.

[stroker-ace]

check www.dallasboats4sale.com as well.

[Jimmypooh]

I wouldn't worry about the wedge plate being on it without a wedge. I've seen this before on new vRides. When we bought we looked at a new vRide without wedge but still had the plate. They did this because it's easier to add the plate during construction rather than later, but then it didn't need to have the price of the wedge. You will likely want a wedge after about a year (or just add a bunch of ballast).

Other things to note:

Teak Platform (will need to be cared for each year...and looks good at the moment)

Likely doesn't have a bimini or board racks (ask), which are both a must IMO. +$500 for 2 racks and bimini

Unless the computer has been serviced within the last 2 years, you will need to get the software reflashed in order to get the cruse control to hold at slow enough speeds for surfing. +$50ish

If it doesn't have the rear tanks (you should be able to see them in the rear lockers) It's not a major problem. Lots of people prefer to remove those and put in sacs instead to save some room(when not in use) and have more ballast (hold more when in use).

Overall, I think you'll really like the boat but keep in mind you'll need some cash to do a little bit of upgrading. See if you can get a full list of options and equipment that come with it (such as board racks, cover, and bimini).

Good luck!

[Ndawg12]

Agree 100% for wakeboarding. Wedge is critical if you wanna surf tho.

Not everyone is as well-schooled as we are about malibu's but they know they should have a wedge back there, get the wedge if not only for resale purposes.

[8th sin]

So was the wedge not standard? It doesn't really matter to me so much, just as long as I'll be ok without it. I did some wakesurfing a few months ago for the first time and damn was it fun...would I be able to add the wedge in the future if I wanted to?

[JDubya]

Yep...

Stnadard Wedge

Pro V Wedge

[8th sin]

Interesting trailer design.... never have seen one with nerf bars on it. Make sure to go over the brakes on it.

I forgot to ask the dealer, but can anyone tell if it has electric or surge brakes?

[Ndawg12]

surge

[Bill_AirJunky]

I forgot to ask the dealer, but can anyone tell if it has electric or surge brakes?

Based on the tongue, I'd say it's surge. Don't see many electric brakes on a boat trailer.

[Ateam]

So wild! I bought that exact boat today!! Same color, year and everything - except mine had wedge and a Bimini but no speakers. I have several kids and we took it out for an afternoon session. It is an awesome boat - my 10 and 8 yr olds got up for the first time with a wake skate!! It was a blast. Good luck and I highly recommend the V-Ride.