Another opinion thread on a boat build!

[Wavemaker]

14 hours ago, formulaben said:

I would definitely get the flush kit. 

Thanks, I think I will - good advice!

[oldjeep]

1 hour ago, Wavemaker said:

Yes seriously, I didn't know they were illegal during daylight hours.  

Get your state boating manual and read it.  This is basic stuff

[Wavemaker]

13 minutes ago, oldjeep said:

Get your state boating manual and read it.  This is basic stuff

I guess I never really thought about having docking lights on during the day, so never thought of it as being illegal.  Night and Day is totally different in the boating world. (possibly where the saying comes from?!!) The poster who mentioned this said he ran his docking lights during the day and I thought that it was sort of like daytime running lights on cars - actually maybe a safety thing.  

Edited December 11, 2017 by Wavemaker

[AndySC]

Wavemaker,

Having 4 PTM Clamping racks is something I would love to have, it is so dang convenient and improves the look of the boat in my opinion.

I recommend the driver flip up seat, I would guess 80% of drivers will drive with the seat flipped up to see over the windshoeld

There is a towpoint on the stern of the boat, I would not recommend using this for skiiers, tubers, or towing. This tow point is located just over the waterline, which is pulls a skiier directly through the water making it even more difficult for beginners to learn. Tubers will be annoyed by water splashing up and ropes dragging in the water. Towing is okay, but all that bar is supported by is a metal backing plate behind the fiberglass IF I remember correctly. We have a retractable pylon, love it.

The battery charger is connected to both batteries, yes. I assume it has an extension cord plug in, you may have to hop in a boat or someone on here hopefully knows. 

 

[JeffC]

On 12/9/2017 at 4:45 PM, Wavemaker said:

Here is my potential boat build with options.  I'd particularly like feedback on the red highlighted items. Options that y'all are really glad you have? Items that you really don't use much? I've already deleted items from reading other threads like chilax seating and rear seat backs (way too $$ for those anyway) Thanks for any feedback you guys might have!!  (it's the off season, what else do you have to do?? lol)

 

2018 Axis T22

Charcoal gel                   $1431      (I've always had white, would like something different!) 

Blue or Red metal flake    $1431     I just think the metal flake makes the boat "pop", particularly on the Axis. (Bu's already pop!) But losing it could make room for another PTM clamping.   Think this is very much a personal preference.  On my BU, I put a LITTLE Machine Silver Metaillic on it, and I think it looks fantastic. If it were between flake and PTM racks, I would go PTM. 

CS Bimini Top and Boot - w/Rope Storage and Surf Board  $832.00    Like mine, but could probably have survived fine without it.

Shrinkable Shipping Cover $313.00         (I guess this is mandatory) No mooring cover, boat will always be kept in garage.

High Altitude/Torque - 15 x 13 - 2773 $215.00

Monsoon 410 60L CAT -    Incl.

Exhaust - Surf Pipe       $715.00     (really looking forward to this option, I understand  it cuts back on the noise quite a bit for the surfer)   I dont have this on the BU, have never missed it.  I think it also can help with pushing the CO back behind the surfer as well. 

Stereo Option - Pack 2 (AutoVolume)  $3,649.00 

Quick Release Latch                $229.00

PTM Clamping Spinner Slide Off  $1,833.00    These are a splurge.  90% of the time would only need one. Hard to spit out another 1.8k for another. Will I regret not having 2? Will the boat be overly "unbalanced" with just a rack on one side?  Cant recommend these enough.  I love mine.   I have a ski rack as well that uses a bungee, there is NO comparison with either simplicity, or security.

Gorilla Tracking Fin (2nd)     $360.00

PnP Ballast Plumbing - HI FLO w/Auto Vent   $729.00

Surf Gate w/Axis Surfband  $3,507.00  Dont skimp here if you plan to surf... 

Wedge - Power Wedge II    $3,124.00  Dont skimp here if you plan to surf... 

Depth Finder                   $378.00

Drop In Cooler -               $101.00     Will probably drop this and buy a cheaper one aftermarket   Not sure what fits in the Axis, but can tell you that I have the BU cooler, and I will probably replace it with an AO.

Seat Bolster - Flip Up         $192.00     Or buy one of those "full seat" cushion boosters?    Dont know what this is on the Axis, but can say that we think the wakeview seating on the BU is an awesome feature that we love. 

Soft-Grip Flooring              $1,153.00   Probably will get flamed for this comment... if you have dogs by chance, I do not think I would do this.  I declined this option on the BU, and am glad I did.   I personally think it is harder to clean this on my swim platform and the trailer steps than the carpet is in the boat.   The carpet will not look great for long, but I believe will be cheaper and easier to replace when the time comes.   I also can say that my swim platform gets WICKED hot in the sun, more so than the carpet (both get hot tho).

Zero Off GPS Cruise             $846.00  Dont skimp here

Battery Charger (US)            $250.00   Dont have one, have not needed one. 

Dual Battery Switch              $160.00   Valuable option, should be standard IMHO

Hydraulic Steering                $1,146.00      This is definitely a luxury item mainly to help the wife when driving. Seems like everyone who has driven with it,                loves it. But losing this option could help make room for another PTM clamping rack

Pull Up Cleats - Two Pair         $347.00

Ski Pylon                                $208.00     These don't appear to be recessable, seems like it would be a toe stubber. Not sure I would use it much anyway, I'll probably drop this one.

Docking Lights                         $400.00    Won't use it much at all.  But better to have them than the recessed area where they are supposed to go?   I took these because I thought they might be useful when I was putting the boat on the trailer late in the day, and I didnt want to cut into the gel for an aftermarket solution.   It really hasnt made a significant difference.   If I had it to do over again, I would probably have put my money somewhere else.

Underseat Lighting - White        $215.00

Underwater Lighting                  $399.00    Another gee whiz item that I wouldn't use much, but I bet it sure looks cool at night!   Didnt go for this, I dont regret it.   First, not enough night running to make it worth it, and even if I did, there are MUCH less expensive options aftermarket.

AW15 Tower Storage Pole           $69.00

14 in T13 Alloy                          $117.00

14 in T13 Alloy w/Side Carrier     $286.00

Ebony-Lighting Bezel Color        $74.00

Transom Step                          $250.00

If Phender Pros are an option for you, I would go for them.   If not, I would prepare myself to drill into the gel to do them yourself.   We LOVE them...  It takes all the hassle out of putting the fenders out, and recovering them - and if I have crew that cant tie a decent knot (yep, I have those), it REALLY is a big deal.  I put them on my boat at the recommendation of a friend, and they are probably one of my top three favorite options!

 

Good luck, have fun!

 

 

[MadMan]

On ‎12‎/‎9‎/‎2017 at 5:45 PM, Wavemaker said:

High Altitude/Torque - 15 x 13 - 2773 $215.00 

 

If Malibu is charging $215 to swap props, I'd take whatever prop came stock, use it as a backup, and put that $215 towards buying the prop I wanted. 

[Wavemaker]

Really good stuff@JeffC , thanks for all those suggestions! I've heard both ways concerning the soft grip, some say carpet gets hotter and some say the soft grip. I do know that the Axis is putting in gatorstep this year over seadec - maybe that will make a difference. I'll look into the phender pro, I don't think it's an option on the Axis. Drilling holes into the gel coat is definitely a scary option!!

 

 

23 minutes ago, MadMan said:

If Malibu is charging $215 to swap props, I'd take whatever prop came stock, use it as a backup, and put that $215 towards buying the prop I wanted. 

This is a good idea, I know @Raimie is doing this.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JeffC]

4 hours ago, Wavemaker said:

Really good stuff@JeffC , thanks for all those suggestions! I've heard both ways concerning the soft grip, some say carpet gets hotter and some say the soft grip. I do know that the Axis is putting in gatorstep this year over seadec - maybe that will make a difference. I'll look into the phender pro, I don't think it's an option on the Axis. Drilling holes into the gel coat is definitely a scary option!!

If you really dont want to drill yourself, perhaps your dealer would do the install... but Im sure they would want a pretty penny for that. 

I would be interested in what you think of the GatorStep.   I have been thinking of installing that on where we step into the boat... I always worry that someone will slip.  I try to get people to step over the gunwale, but I dont always get the point across quickly enough. 

I know you were not looking for aftermarket stuff, but I love these too... and I think my seams will last a lot longer because of it:

SeatSaver

I had mine before I had the boat.   It also doubles as a "laptop table" for us at lunch time.

[Wavemaker]

48 minutes ago, JeffC said:

...I would be interested in what you think of the GatorStep.   I have been thinking of installing that on where we step into the boat... I always worry that someone will slip.  I try to get people to step over the gunwale, but I dont always get the point across quickly enough. 

I know you were not looking for aftermarket stuff, but I love these too... and I think my seams will last a lot longer because of it:

SeatSaver

I had mine before I had the boat.   It also doubles as a "laptop table" for us at lunch time.

That's a great idea to help save the seats, I just may get 1 or 2 of those - thanks for that link!  I'm sure you know where to go to get the deck gatorstep, but here's a direct link for your boat:  http://www.gatorstep.com/online-store/MALIBU-22-VLX-2015-2017-p77348647

[granddaddy55]

On 12/9/2017 at 6:58 PM, Pnwrider said:

Pylon does not retract, but if you order without it, there is a hole there. Plus if you ever pull a skier or tube..... I would keep ski pylon personally. 

you can’t get the depth finder without zero off cruise control. So deleting that would delete depth finder as well. Honestly, it’s 2018, gps cruise should be standard imo. Dealer here said almost no one checks that box but I would for sure if I was ordering an axis. 

Docking, underseat lights, and transom leds could all get killed from your build and not really take away from the overall experience. Whereas a 2nd clamping rack would see way more use. I think the underseat leds are a joke personally. They couldn’t have figured out a better option than just drilling 2 screws into the seat base (which stick out badly on a fiberglass non carpet seat base)? 

You could also save some money by just buying a promariner charger for $100 on amazon and installing yourself as well. 

How often do you drop your tower? 

Since when is the depth finder zero off based?  not in 14’, what year? Seems pretty silly?, I don’t like that mine says shallow depth and I can’t read the depth unless I turn that alarm off, but it’s there snd it works 

[granddaddy55]

On 12/10/2017 at 10:24 AM, vanamp said:

When I'm at home and see pics of underwater lights I wish I had them.... When I'm on the water around sunset and the mosquitoes start attacking I can't get boat on the trailer fast enough. 

Amen brother , Amen

i usually never do this and leave the doc without cleanup so we have since owning this boat learned to stop early cause mosquitoes, old days with the outboard,  Trailer it and role.  

Two weekends ago we ended at dusk and had to scoot up to gas station on hwy to clean up and to stop the pain 

Edited December 12, 2017 by granddaddy55

[Raimie]

On ‎12‎/‎9‎/‎2017 at 7:58 PM, Pnwrider said:

Pylon does not retract, but if you order without it, there is a hole there. Plus if you ever pull a skier or tube..... I would keep ski pylon personally. 

you can’t get the depth finder without zero off cruise control. So deleting that would delete depth finder as well. Honestly, it’s 2018, gps cruise should be standard imo. Dealer here said almost no one checks that box but I would for sure if I was ordering an axis. 

Docking, underseat lights, and transom leds could all get killed from your build and not really take away from the overall experience. Whereas a 2nd clamping rack would see way more use. I think the underseat leds are a joke personally. They couldn’t have figured out a better option than just drilling 2 screws into the seat base (which stick out badly on a fiberglass non carpet seat base)? 

You could also save some money by just buying a promariner charger for $100 on amazon and installing yourself as well. 

How often do you drop your tower? 

I had the ski pylon on my 14 and ordered it on the 18. It does not retract, but you will get used to it. I think I sat on it once, that never happened again... It is useful for pulling kids and tubes. I skied off it once just to say I did. I could live without it, but it's nice to have.

You actually can get the depth finder w/ zero-off. I did not get zero-off because we ride in a river. The paddle wheel is more accurate in those conditions. I skipped the depth finder last time, but went with it this time.

Lighting - I passed on all of it because we get literally assaulted by mosquitos at dusk. Its so bad that if we are when it's starting to get dark, I pull on the hoist and run in the house leaving the boat to deal with later. I will go back out an hour or 2 after dark and wipe down and cover it then. I believe all the extra lighting can save you close to 1k. Additionally, I don't think the boat looks odd without the docking lights. There are feature areas where they go, but it doesn't look like anything is missing without them.

 

[jcon44]

30 minutes ago, Raimie said:

I had the ski pylon on my 14 and ordered it on the 18. It does not retract, but you will get used to it. I think I sat on it once, that never happened again... It is useful for pulling kids and tubes. I skied off it once just to say I did. I could live without it, but it's nice to have.

 

FWIW I have a retractable pylon on my LSV but leave it up almost all the time. To be honest I cant remember the last time I put it down. I've used it to pull a tube and tow other boats on occasion, its also a nice handle to use when getting on and off the sun pad. I used to leave jackets back there to dry but after loosing two I don't do that anymore. I also like that it keep my cover off of the vinyl as well.

Good luck on the new boat!!

[minnmarker]

9 hours ago, JeffC said:

If you really dont want to drill yourself, perhaps your dealer would do the install... but Im sure they would want a pretty penny for that. 

I would be interested in what you think of the GatorStep.   I have been thinking of installing that on where we step into the boat... I always worry that someone will slip.  I try to get people to step over the gunwale, but I dont always get the point across quickly enough. 

I know you were not looking for aftermarket stuff, but I love these too... and I think my seams will last a lot longer because of it:

SeatSaver

I had mine before I had the boat.   It also doubles as a "laptop table" for us at lunch time.

Good ideas!  I use the little SeaDek ovals on the gunwales behind the tower bases where people step and "kitchen floor pads" on the seats.  Lots of floor pad designs and colors available and you can even get round pads that fit into the seat curve.

[RevWil]

Wavemaker,

Great research questions. I might have gatorstep on my swim platform and the other poster is correct about it getting HOT in the sun!! The bungee racks don't work well for surfboards especially the soft boards but one PTM will be a unique look, maybe you could be the trendsetter. 

As for the surfband, it is hard to keep up with the changed settings of wedge and especially speed. I often ask what the wedge and speed are set at when I'm being picked back up. I find myself signaling for those changes to the driver so I can keep up what they are. But having the ability to change the SG is awesome. Mine doesn't have volume on it but I would love to have that feature.

It's a big decision and commitment but I know you do your research. Looking forward to getting behind your ride 2018.