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Dealer Upgrades vs Factory


SpaceSurfer

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I just picked up a '15 LSV 23. Love it and got a great deal on it since it's the end of the season. I've been looking around the forums for a week now and have learned two things. A) I don't know jack about boats (I'm a car guy). and B) I really don't know jack. 

Since I've had this realization, I know I'll be using the Malibu dealership for all service and maintenance and pretty much anything else I can think of. My question is. I see a lot of options people speak about and wanted to know what all can dealerships install after the fact. I.e., heated seat, the multifunction steering wheel, or heater with the pull out hoses (mine has heater ports but they don't come out).

I know this is a stretch but I also don't like the transom color; can that be repainted/re-gel'd (i don't think thats the word but oh well). Previous owner also had it "detailed" prior to my taking possession but obviously this detailers definition of "detail" and mine are VASTLY different. It looks like his version is a powerwash. Are dealerships good places for full on details?

Then, I keep seeing that the '15 lsv 23 has "hard ballast" in the stern but when I looked, I saw bags. Are those bags aftermarket PnP with the Malibu ballast underneath them?

Sorry for all the q's! I literally got the boat last week and it was basically a, here you go, kind of thing and I've never owned a boat before!

Oh, last q, everywhere I look online, one of the first things I'm supposed to check is that the drain plugs are in, I'm sure they're in since I haven't sunk yet but where are those plugs?

Yes I know, I'm a noob. Yes I’ve RTFM! 

Edited by SpaceSurfer
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My suggestion would be to post your location and ask a member here to take a few minutes to go over this with you in person. If not that, your local dealer should be able to go over it with you. It sounds like you’re lost and could use some direction.

 

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Ditto what Ronnie said, but to answer a few questions-

The bags you see are the plug and play (PNP) bags.  The hard tanks sit under them, below the panel in the rear lockers.  The hard tanks overflow into the bags.  The tank level on your dash will only report the hard tank level, so you have to keep filling past 100% to get the bags full. 

Two drain plugs - one in the hatch in the floor next to the drivers seat and one at the bottom of the transom.  

Swapping your fixed heater vents to a pull out hose is pretty easy.  https://heatercraft.com/products/hot-tubes

If your local dealer is good, they certainly can typically do a nice detail.

The heated seat may be able to be added - I am not sure if 2015’s would be pre-wired or not though.  And I assume it would require a new seat - this would all get pretty pricey real fast   

The command steering wheel probably is a difficult add now if even possible - I would let that thought go.

Changing the transom color could be done by a good gel shop, but I can’t see it being worth the expense.

Hope you can find a TMC member nearby to give you a walkthrough, and probably even show you some basic maintenance so you aren’t so dependent on a dealer.  

Oh, welcome and lost some pics!

 

 

 

 

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Post up some pictures of the transom and the boat of course! 

If it were me I’d find a local detailing company and have them wax and condition everything if you don’t want to do it yourself. 

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Pretty sure the 2015 LSV actually has 3 drain plugs - there's another T plug right by the V Drive. Pull out the tray that's underneath the back center seat and you'll see it down there.

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7 minutes ago, chantel said:

Pretty sure the 2015 LSV actually has 3 drain plugs - there's another T plug right by the V Drive. Pull out the tray that's underneath the back center seat and you'll see it down there.

That's correct.  One at the transom, one under the v-drive and one in the center access.

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Thanks for the help! I'll definitely get some help in the next couple weeks from someone to show me around. I'll post pics soon as it's clean enough to show off! I thought of wrapping it but with it being the back half of the boat and the area thats gonna get the most water hitting it at speed, i just figured the wrap would start pealing pretty quick. 

Ordered the heater pull out vents. Spoke to the local dealer and they said to enjoy it the next few weeks while the weather is warm and once its time to winterize, I can go in and we can talk about options. He'd never had someone request the heated seat or command wheel upgrade so he was gonna look into it. 

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You sure the heater vents don’t pull out, 1st time pulling it out I thought I was going to break it, had to open vents, hook my fingers through holes and yank kind of hard for 1/4 inch

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