Jump to content

Welcome to TheMalibuCrew!

As a guest, you are welcome to poke around and view the majority of the content that we have to offer, but in order to post, search, contact members, and get full use out of the website you will need to Register for an Account. It's free and it's easy, so don't hesitate to join the TheMalibuCrew Family today!

New member, my first post!


LarsJensen

Recommended Posts

Happy to be part of the Crew. I'm picking up my new/used 2006 Sunscape two weeks from tomorrow. It'll be 1,500 road trip!!! Just hope the weather holds as I'll start just south of Madison, WI, head all the way to the Appalachians and back again with boat in tow. I'll be sure to document the entire journey and sample all the Shoneys and Waffle Houses along the way. 

New to boat ownership but have been on the water my entire life as an amateur show skier and all around hack.  If anyone has any tips for trailering longer distances please advise. The boat is 21' and trailer is tandem with new rubber and the upgraded bearings (maintenance free???) Tow vehicle is a  13' Yukon.

plan is to perform test drive and ski a run or two, winterize, perform transaction, and head back to the land of Cheeseheads. The canvas is new but was told from a friend to wrap gunwale with packaging wrap to protect gel coat from canvas. If the weather is clear and roads are clean, I'm considering leaving the canvas off. Any suggestions?

 

thanks a million times over!

Link to comment

Welcome! 

If you have stone guards, mud flaps, or one of those deals that goes on the hitch....rock tamers...towtectors....USE THEM. 

Put a couple of layers of painters tape on the lower forward sections of the fenders and step pads .....if the trailer isn't already hashed. Wrap you tower speakers and racks at least with that good packing Saran Wrap from Home Depot. I've done he whole tower before. It will keep the bug splatter off of them. Use that same Saran warp to warp a around the boat above the rub rail a few times over to protect the gel from chaffing as suggested. That far a tow I'd want the boat covered as much as possible....especially this time of year. 

2006 was a bad year for UFP torsion axles and oil bath hubs. IF it has them , make sure the oil baths are full and not leaking....... not sure what "upgraded bearings " means. Hopefully they mean switched to vault type grease hubs.....they still leak too, only when they get hot and the grease turns to oil. Bring a good heavy duty ratchet strap and tools to remove a tire should an axle fail.  Just ratchet strap it up and limp along. UFP has been known to warranty those axles even up to a year or two ago because it was a known issue. Make sure the trailer reservoir is full of brake fluid. They don't hold much and get low as the brakes wear. 

Good luck and congrats on the purchase.  1st of the two best days of your life. 

Link to comment
3 minutes ago, Bawshogg said:

Welcome! 

If you have stone guards, mud flaps, or one of those deals that goes on the hitch....rock tamers...towtectors....USE THEM. 

Put a couple of layers of painters tape on the lower forward sections of the fenders and step pads .....if the trailer isn't already hashed. Wrap you tower speakers and racks at least with that good packing Saran Wrap from Home Depot. I've done he whole tower before. It will keep the bug splatter off of them. Use that same Saran warp to warp a around the boat above the rub rail a few times over to protect the gel from chaffing as suggested. That far a tow I'd want the boat covered as much as possible....especially this time of year. 

2006 was a bad year for UFP torsion axles and oil bath hubs. IF it has them , make sure the oil baths are full and not leaking....... not sure what "upgraded bearings " means. Hopefully they mean switched to vault type grease hubs.....they still leak too, only when they get hot and the grease turns to oil. Bring a good heavy duty ratchet strap and tools to remove a tire should an axle fail.  Just ratchet strap it up and limp along. UFP has been known to warranty those axles even up to a year or two ago because it was a known issue. Make sure the trailer reservoir is full of brake fluid. They don't hold much and get low as the brakes wear. 

Good luck and congrats on the purchase.  1st of the two best days of your life. 

Thanks Bawshogg!  The trailer is a Trailer Mate. It's in great condition but thanks for the heads up! I'll confirm bearing type. 

Link to comment
10 hours ago, LarsJensen said:

Happy to be part of the Crew. I'm picking up my new/used 2006 Sunscape two weeks from tomorrow. It'll be 1,500 road trip!!! Just hope the weather holds as I'll start just south of Madison, WI, head all the way to the Appalachians and back again with boat in tow. I'll be sure to document the entire journey and sample all the Shoneys and Waffle Houses along the way. 

New to boat ownership but have been on the water my entire life as an amateur show skier and all around hack.  If anyone has any tips for trailering longer distances please advise. The boat is 21' and trailer is tandem with new rubber and the upgraded bearings (maintenance free???) Tow vehicle is a  13' Yukon.

plan is to perform test drive and ski a run or two, winterize, perform transaction, and head back to the land of Cheeseheads. The canvas is new but was told from a friend to wrap gunwale with packaging wrap to protect gel coat from canvas. If the weather is clear and roads are clean, I'm considering leaving the canvas off. Any suggestions?

 

thanks a million times over!

Welcome!  I've got the same boat and have been through many mods and additions.

Do what Bawshogg says. 

I check my oil hubs every half tank of gas but they've been fine so far.  Even if they look full test the drain/fill allen screws to make sure they're not seized.  Rotate them to the top by moving the trailer and unscrew them.  If you can't see the oil level through the old glass use a tooth pick or something to measure the oil level.  Good standard practice with a new trailer is to come to a rolling stop (try not to use brakes much) after 20 miles or so and feel the hubs and brake discs.  I one of them is warmer than the others then something is amiss with the hub or a bad caliper respectively.  Also, discs should all look shiny in the pad contact area.  If one does not you may have a bad caliper.

Put the cover on and completely wrap the tower if there is any salt on the roads - which there will be in Wisc. in Feb.  Salt dust and boat interiors/towers do not go well together.  The first day above 32 after you get home take a hose and rinse the trailer, exposed parts of the hull, and the running gear.

Enjoy dreaming about open water and get a good wet suit if you don't already have one!

Link to comment

Welcome.  If the boat is very clean and you think you will get into bad weather it may even be worth a shrink wrap. I hat the idea of salt. Wet is easy to fix but salt from our northern roads is not so easy to clean up. I check bearing every time I stop.  Just a hand on the wheel looking for temp difference.  Have a safe and fun trip. Take your time.

Link to comment

Thanks for all the input! I did consider the shrink wrap but was told by another boat dealer that if there are any loose ends flapping, that may scratch gel coat as well.  

My wife says that I'm more excited for the new boat than the arrival of both kids. Almost as excited!!!

Link to comment
16 hours ago, LarsJensen said:

Thanks for all the input! I did consider the shrink wrap but was told by another boat dealer that if there are any loose ends flapping, that may scratch gel coat as well.  

My wife says that I'm more excited for the new boat than the arrival of both kids. Almost as excited!!!

This is normal... Just ask my wife. 

 

I always have a jack w/ me on long trips but that trailer mate is pretty slick.  I may need one. 

For 1500 miles I'd shrink wrap the tower and under the rub rail if you're towing w/ a cover on.  Just make sure you secure the ends well.   The salt does scare me but if you can give it a bath as soon as you get home it should be fine.  

We're going to need photos stat.  Congrats!

Link to comment
34 minutes ago, Gavin17 said:

This is normal... Just ask my wife. 

 

I always have a jack w/ me on long trips but that trailer mate is pretty slick.  I may need one. 

For 1500 miles I'd shrink wrap the tower and under the rub rail if you're towing w/ a cover on.  Just make sure you secure the ends well.   The salt does scare me but if you can give it a bath as soon as you get home it should be fine.  

We're going to need photos stat.  Congrats!

Thanks Gavin! Pics will come, I'm going to post my journey from Madiso, wi  to West Virginia. I'll try to make it funny but no promises.

Link to comment

If you do a tight shrink wrap it would be fine.  Done well its like a drum it does not move or flap. Some people put something like glad wrap on any corners or contact areas of the hull. I still have the shrink wrap from my boat when I bought it. I asked my dealer to keep it. I brought it home early spring and we still have salt dust on and along roads. He helped me put it back on after looking over our new toy for the trip home.

Malibu_Boat__New__002.jpg

Edited by Sixball
Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...