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hands up who likes there malibu


fredtopp

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hey all just putting this out there that scrolling through the topics on this forum there is alot of nasty stuff that seems to happen with these boats ....

oil leaking hear ,computer cliches there , this dosnt work , wirings fried , using oil ,no oil pressure , cant get the oil out , wedge wont go down , wedge wont go up , and on an on it goes ...lol

well any way i absolutely love my boat down to the ground and havnt had any of the major dramas that ive seen on this forum ( thank F%#K )

but ill tell you this for free .... if i was doing my research on buying a malibu cus i didnt know a thing about them ... an i came across this site , an seen the problems some of you have had ... i would run the other way

so lets hear some good things ...what is it you like about your boat .. ?????

FT

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Love my Bu, turn the key she starts every time.

What you and others need to understand is that this site is packed full of advice and help on fixing issues with boats. Most of us don't have issues those that do start threads to find out what is going on and how to fix the issues. In four years of Bu ownership I have had no major issues and only a few very minor ones (ballast pump quit working etc.). However I have learned a lot about other things to look for and watch out for not to mention being able to help others with issues they may be having. People are not going to look for information on how to fix their boat if nothing is wrong with it. When people are having troubles with their boats that is when they start looking and find us, that is why this site is so good. We can help get you back on the water and save a weekend.

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I grew up always wanting a Mastercraft because that's all I knew of for ski boats. Once I was in the position to upgrade to an inboard boat I had looked around and found that there were allot more options other then Mastercraft. My son and I started looking at all the boats available and we both fell in love with the clean/sleek look of Malibu boats. We looked around for a while and came across a repo boat that looked to be a bit neglected but put in a low bid, we had got outbid but then saw the winning bidder asking questions on this site about weather to buy or not, allot of people said to run away from it and he did. It had very low hours, me being a mechanic, and loving to tinker and do my own work played a big role in us deciding to buy the boat. Mechanically it has been rock solid, we had VERY, VERY, few issues. It took allot of cleaning and buffing to get it to where it is today but we are very happy with our decision. We have had no major problems and very few of the small issues like corroded connections causing gauges to act funny, and..... actually that's all I can think of for problems. No ballast pump issues, no leaks, no oil usage, we are very happy, and lucky we haven't had some of the issues people talk of. We were thinking of upgrading last winter, and it would have been another Malibu.

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I grew up always wanting a Mastercraft because that's all I knew of for ski boats.

I had the same situation with Nautique... So glad this Malibu fell into my lap. Although a Ski Nautique is nice, they look like old farm tractors next to my Bu!

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I'm in love with my Australian built '05 RLxi.

It's only my second boat - previously had a much loved and well utilised Australian Gilflite Shortline 190 that was a fabulous boat that our family had hundreds of hours of enormous joy from. (See my gallery).

However, the 'bu is a magnificent upgrade. It's a beautiful looking boat in my eyes (I think more attractive than the later models and I see the 'interesting adornments' obstructing recent windscreens have been jettisoned in the 2012 models...). The interior is a very comfortable place to be. It's great to ski behind (as was the Gliflite). The Monsoon 340 is sensational and has magnificently filled my desire to acquire an MPFI engine - not the least bit sad about didspensing with a carburettor.

Bought it second hand after searching to find one that had Monsoon 340, NO tower (so many RLxi's have had towers fitted) and a colour I was happy with.

I love tinkering with it and making various little mods and upgrades.

It's just a lovely boat and I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to own it.

How's that, Fred? ;-)

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All boats have issues for sure, including MC and CC. The problem is that you can't turn a wrench while holding a purse, a glass of wine, and a cheese plate. So they just go to the dealer and pay the bill. Gotta love the ingenuity and desire to DIY projects from many bu owners, not to mention their willingness to share their experiences on this forum :thumbup:

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All boats have issues for sure, including MC and CC. The problem is that you can't turn a wrench while holding a purse, a glass of wine, and a cheese plate. So they just go to the dealer and pay the bill. Gotta love the ingenuity and desire to DIY projects from many bu owners, not to mention their willingness to share their experiences on this forum :thumbup:

It's swirling the glass of wine that causes the most problems. The centrifugal force works the nuts loose. At least those that still have them.

My old school '94 runs great, with the occasional tune up. Carb has never been worked on, with 600 hours. Great boat!

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I'm in love with my Australian built '05 RLxi.

It's only my second boat - previously had a much loved and well utilised Australian Gilflite Shortline 190 that was a fabulous boat that our family had hundreds of hours of enormous joy from. (See my gallery).

However, the 'bu is a magnificent upgrade. It's a beautiful looking boat in my eyes (I think more attractive than the later models and I see the 'interesting adornments' obstructing recent windscreens have been jettisoned in the 2012 models...). The interior is a very comfortable place to be. It's great to ski behind (as was the Gliflite). The Monsoon 340 is sensational and has magnificently filled my desire to acquire an MPFI engine - not the least bit sad about didspensing with a carburettor.

Bought it second hand after searching to find one that had Monsoon 340, NO tower (so many RLxi's have had towers fitted) and a colour I was happy with.

I love tinkering with it and making various little mods and upgrades.

It's just a lovely boat and I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to own it.

How's that, Fred? ;-)

Yeah mate that's the ticket

Ft

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Check out the Mastercraft (a.k.a. Mastercrap on my lake from those who actually own them) and Correct Craft sites, they have the same amount of issues and they paid a lot more for their boats whether new or pre-owned.

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My VLX is the first inboard I have owned. I looked hard at Tige, MC, and Nautique before buying. I am very happy with my Malibu. It has not given me any problems so far. The amount of room in this boat is amazing.

All boats will have their problems. Luckily, themalibucrew does not sensor out "bad" posts and allows the membership to discuss their problems and solutions.

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I'm one of the people who post about things I don't like and am loud about it. I think it is important to be critical of the boat you own and suggest things that could be better or you aren't doing the community or the boat brand any justice. *I feel* that's what makes this community and this boat brand better than some of the others in the top 3 (I want to emphasize that this is my OPINION). It doesn't do owners any good to sit around on a forum and stroke each others ego by just talking about how great their boats are. If someone came onto this forum and left with the assumption that malibus are crap, that's their own problem.

That being said here are some of things I *LOVE* about my bu.

1)Never been off the lake due to not starting - ever. That's in 5 years of ownership, old 89 sunsetter and new 06 WS LSV. Malibu's IMO are extremely reliable.

2)Maintenance has been extremely low on the newer boat, but the older one needed more maintenance, which is fair.

3)All the MC boys brag about their wake, but the wake on these boats are phenomenal as well - especially if you compare apples to apples and sac it out like they do. Anyone ever see the inside of those x-stars they brag about? Sacs all over the place...

harleysstar.jpg

4) The features in my boat are not over the top and having features for features sake. I have perfect pass, a nice ballast gauge, and a depth finder. I don't have pop up screens, and powered rising towers (I never even lower mine). I chalk this up to why I have such little maintenance on this boat.

5) The interior of this boat is just awesome. I've got more space than any other boats I've seen out there and the wake is great. Nice deep backs for all the seats and a nice big flat sundeck that you can actually lay out on. The pop down ski pylon is great for keeping everything flat in the back (love this feature).

6) This boat handles like a dream

7) Subjective, but this is one of the best looking boats IMO. It has great sleek lines to which the gel scheme accents.

I might be critical of the things I feel could be improved but by no means do I feel these boats are a slouch. Again I think having a critical eye towards improvement is important for all boat brands. Otherwise they would never improve.

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...but ill tell you this for free .... if i was doing my research on buying a malibu cus i didnt know a thing about them ... an i came across this site , an seen the problems some of you have had ... i would run the other way...

FT

I suppose there are people out there who "have people" who deal with the inconveniences of life, so they are not bothered with maintaining a boat. Your not likely to find those people on this forum.

In my category of living, I have to manage my own inconveniences. I understand that owning a boat, particularly a 13 year old boat, means that I need to enjoy working on her. So when I came across this site, I bought a Malibu, because of this resource. :rockon:

Edited by Bozboat
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There is always going to be like a 10-1 ratio at best....if you think about it logically. The people that are experiencing problems have a real and immediate need to get it solved.....there is ZERO pressure to make a post about how you love your Malibu. :)

With that said:

My malibu has never been to the dealer or any other shop since I have owned it. Of course I am fairly mechanical and don't mind doing the work myself either.

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I suppose there are people out there who "have people" who deal with the inconveniences of life, so they are not bothered with maintaining a boat. Your not likely to find those people on this forum.

In my category of living, I have to manage my own inconveniences. I understand that owning a boat, particularly a 13 year old boat, means that I need to enjoy working on her. So when I came across this site, I bought a Malibu, because of this resource. :rockon:

Great post, explains my situation exactly.

Saturday my A/C quit and my sewer line plugged.

I took care of the sewer line already and waiting for parts on the A/C....

With some help from friends, I roofed my own house this summer.

Edited by Ruffdog
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My malibu has never been to the dealer or any other shop since I have owned it. Of course I am fairly mechanical and don't mind doing the work myself either.

In the 12 years that I have had my boat, with one exception, I have this same experience. In my mind my boat is the best built ski boat I have ever seen, and I have seen a lot. I'm not saying best wake, most bling, baddest stereo, most power. But build quality of the mid 90's was way up there.

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I think if you look at who is actually complaining about their Malibu problems, it's the new guys.... the regulars don't complain about our boats. We present the problem, search for others who have seen it before, collect advice, & fix it.

That said, it is a boat....... Bring Out Another Thousand. Just some place to throw your paycheck every week. Whether it be in money or time, no one plays for free.

I do think there is a movement within the wake boat industry in general, and Malibu specifically, to go to high dollar boats with lots of bling, glitz & electronic gizmos. I'm an IT guy who loves gadgets, but I really don't need some of the crap that is coming out in the new boats. I can't even imagine fixing some of the issues with touch screens & retractable dashes that will be happening in the next few years. Considering the economy I think these companies should be making more simple, affordable boats with real usable options (Axis & MB come to mind.... maybe the Ride series).

Edited by Bill_AirJunky
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This was my first year owning a boat and I am hands up 100% happy with my 'bu (bought a used '08). put 70 hours on her this season so far, not 1 problem. Reading this board for the last 18 months daily made me develop boat hypochondria, but got to remember like someone already posted, this is where people come to get help and post their issues.

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This was my first year owning a boat and I am hands up 100% happy with my 'bu (bought a used '08). put 70 hours on her this season so far, not 1 problem. Reading this board for the last 18 months daily made me develop boat hypochondria, but got to remember like someone already posted, this is where people come to get help and post their issues.

Me too! I had a pretty good misfire going on when I took it off the water on Sunday. Will dig into it this weekend when I winterize it. First thought was cap/rotor. Second thought was fuel. Third thought was "Where is my compression tester?"

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Me too! I had a pretty good misfire going on when I took it off the water on Sunday. Will dig into it this weekend when I winterize it. First thought was cap/rotor. Second thought was fuel. Third thought was "Where is my compression tester?"

Mine was cap and rotor last season. Misfire/backfire solved.

Yeah, I'm happy with my boat. Wish I could use it as intended more often rather than cruising, but hopefully that'll change in the future.

Also, wish I had more money and time for modifications. All the work I've put into this boat restoring from previous owner neglect, and it's still the most "stock" vehicle I've ever owned.

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Absolutely Love Mine, Only Had 1 warranty issue, Mux Box went out, Other then that, Love it, The only problem I'm having now, i see so many other color combo's and They keep coming out with cool stuff every year, it's hard to be content... That is until you look at the Price tag, It's like throwing a bucket of cold water on ya...pretty much calms the erge...LOL

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