Need a Malibu boat to fit in garage with 7' door

[peter19u]

Hello Everyone"

I am in the market to by either a new or used boat and would love a Wakesetter but the only catch is it has to fit into my garage which ix 23'2" deep and has a garage door that is 83" high. I've heard some people say it will fit and others say it won't. I also don't want to have to remove the top section of the tower every time.

Do some of the older Wakesetter (2002-2005) boats sit lower on the trailer than the newer Wakesetters? I really want a Mailibu but I've been told by a Mastercaft dealer that the Mastercraft X-1's X-2, and X-Stars sit lower than the Wakesetter and definetly fit into the garage. Does anyone knowe if this is true?

Also, my garage sits 5 feet higher that the street so I'm not sure if the slope down to the street will help or make things worse.

Thanks for all your help! I really need a boat that will fit into the garage.

P.S. If I were to swap out the stock tower with one of the low profile Skylon swoop towers would it fit then

??

[jonnyf]

i know for a fact that an 05 VLX with illusion tower will fit into a 83" opening, that is with the tongue on a floor jack as low as it can go, it maybe clears by 1/2"

[peter19u]

i know for a fact that an 05 VLX with illusion tower will fit into a 83" opening, that is with the tongue on a floor jack as low as it can go, it maybe clears by 1/2"

Thanks for the heads up. Does the Illusion tower stick up over the windshied or does it rest below the windshield. If I were to install the low profile tower would it make it any easier?

Thx, Pete

[WakeGirl]

i know for a fact that an 05 VLX with illusion tower will fit into a 83" opening, that is with the tongue on a floor jack as low as it can go, it maybe clears by 1/2"

Thanks for the heads up. Does the Illusion tower stick up over the windshied or does it rest below the windshield. If I were to install the low profile tower would it make it any easier?

Thx, Pete

The Illusion X on a VLX will sit up above the windhield when fully lowered. As for low profile tower, I wasn't aware of one being offered. Maybe you mean a low profile trailer? If so, yes that would get you a little more room.

[peter19u]

i know for a fact that an 05 VLX with illusion tower will fit into a 83" opening, that is with the tongue on a floor jack as low as it can go, it maybe clears by 1/2"

Thanks for the heads up. Does the Illusion tower stick up over the windshied or does it rest below the windshield. If I were to install the low profile tower would it make it any easier?

Thx, Pete

The Illusion X on a VLX will sit up above the windhield when fully lowered. As for low profile tower, I wasn't aware of one being offered. Maybe you mean a low profile trailer? If so, yes that would get you a little more room.

Hi Wakegirl:

I think Sylon makes a low profile tower that they say will clear a 7" garage. Do you know if the MC boats sit lower? Thx, Pete

[WakeGirl]

Oh I see. Skylon is not an OEM tower anymore though, so it will be harder to come by (unless you're talking about a used boat?). I also would doubt that it will be lower than a standard tower when fully lowered because of which sections stick up. We had a direct drive Wakesetter (now called an I-Ride) with a standard Swoop tower on a standard Extreme trailer, & we had to take the top section off to get it in a 7' opening. A lowrider trailer may have made the difference, I can't remember for sure. The newer VLX ('05-current) is a taller boat though, so I'm not convinced that would work on that boat. An older VLX ('04 & older) on a lowrider trailer with the Swoop tower may do the trick. No way to know for sure though until you try.

I don't know for a fact on the MC boats, having looked at them in the past but I would be willing to bet that the salesman was trying to sell a boat that day rather than give you good hard data.

[jetskipro550]

i know for a fact that an 05 VLX with illusion tower will fit into a 83" opening, that is with the tongue on a floor jack as low as it can go, it maybe clears by 1/2"

Thanks for the heads up. Does the Illusion tower stick up over the windshied or does it rest below the windshield. If I were to install the low profile tower would it make it any easier?

Thx, Pete

The Illusion X on a VLX will sit up above the windhield when fully lowered. As for low profile tower, I wasn't aware of one being offered. Maybe you mean a low profile trailer? If so, yes that would get you a little more room.

Hi Wakegirl:

I think Sylon makes a low profile tower that they say will clear a 7" garage. Do you know if the MC boats sit lower? Thx, Pete

No, nope, not a chance...there is NO way you can get any mastercraft into a 7' garage

[peter19u]

i know for a fact that an 05 VLX with illusion tower will fit into a 83" opening, that is with the tongue on a floor jack as low as it can go, it maybe clears by 1/2"

Thanks for the heads up. Does the Illusion tower stick up over the windshied or does it rest below the windshield. If I were to install the low profile tower would it make it any easier?

Thx, Pete

The Illusion X on a VLX will sit up above the windhield when fully lowered. As for low profile tower, I wasn't aware of one being offered. Maybe you mean a low profile trailer? If so, yes that would get you a little more room.

Hi Wakegirl:

I think Sylon makes a low profile tower that they say will clear a 7" garage. Do you know if the MC boats sit lower? Thx, Pete

No, nope, not a chance...there is NO way you can get any mastercraft into a 7' garage

Which boat out there would be my best bet for getting in my garage. Do the 2004 VLX's sit lower that the 05-07 models. I wish someone around where I live had one so I could see if it were to fit.

[jetskipro550]

Only a Malibu will fit in your garage.

[Mike00LXI]

The downward slope of your driveway to the street will give you extra clearance because as you back into the garage the truck will be at a different (lower) slope than the trailer entering the garage and it in effect drops the tongue down very close to the driveway surface (depending on the level of slope the the driveway has) My old house had a driveway like this and it was very beneficial getting past the initial mouth of the garage.

[peter19u]

The downward slope of your driveway to the street will give you extra clearance because as you back into the garage the truck will be at a different (lower) slope than the trailer entering the garage and it in effect drops the tongue down very close to the driveway surface (depending on the level of slope the the driveway has) My old house had a driveway like this and it was very beneficial getting past the initial mouth of the garage.

Hi Mike:

Thanks for the note. The driveway is level for around 5' before the garage starts sloping down to the street so that makes a different. I really want a new boat but I know that if I have to put it in storage or take the fop tower off everytime my wife won't want to go out as often!

[l1spoogy]

Hello Everyone"

I am in the market to by either a new or used boat and would love a Wakesetter but the only catch is it has to fit into my garage which ix 23'2" deep and has a garage door that is 83" high. I've heard some people say it will fit and others say it won't. I also don't want to have to remove the top section of the tower every time.

Do some of the older Wakesetter (2002-2005) boats sit lower on the trailer than the newer Wakesetters? I really want a Mailibu but I've been told by a Mastercaft dealer that the Mastercraft X-1's X-2, and X-Stars sit lower than the Wakesetter and definetly fit into the garage. Does anyone knowe if this is true?

Also, my garage sits 5 feet higher that the street so I'm not sure if the slope down to the street will help or make things worse.

Thanks for all your help! I really need a boat that will fit into the garage.

P.S. If I were to swap out the stock tower with one of the low profile Skylon swoop towers would it fit then

??

Peter,

I have an 05 Vride with an Illusion tower in my garage right now. It is on an Extreme Low profile trailer and I have to take off the tower tow point to get it in the garage. I don't have to take the tower off just fold it and take off the tow ball. My garage is exactly 82 inches high and only 20 feet deep. From the time I pull up in front of my house till the time the boat is in the garage is less than 15 minutes.

I don't know how much lower the Low profile trailer is compared to the normal trailer but I believe it is only a few inches lower at most. I needed every inch i could get.

David

[WakeGirl]

Which boat out there would be my best bet for getting in my garage. Do the 2004 VLX's sit lower that the 05-07 models. I wish someone around where I live had one so I could see if it were to fit.

Yes, they do have a bit less freeboard to them than the newer VLX. But as David says, it may be possible with a new boat. Where is your location? That would possibly tell us which trailer your boat would come with if you bought new.

[peter19u]

Which boat out there would be my best bet for getting in my garage. Do the 2004 VLX's sit lower that the 05-07 models. I wish someone around where I live had one so I could see if it were to fit.

Yes, they do have a bit less freeboard to them than the newer VLX. But as David says, it may be possible with a new boat. Where is your location? That would possibly tell us which trailer your boat would come with if you bought new.

I'm in Norther California, Rocklin. I'm looking at a used 04 VLX that sits on an Extreme trailer but the current owner is not sure if it is a lowrider trailer. Is it possible to get the trailer retrofitted. Id have him swsing by with the boat to make sure it fits but he is 3 hrs away.

Thx, Pete

[WakeGirl]

Which boat out there would be my best bet for getting in my garage. Do the 2004 VLX's sit lower that the 05-07 models. I wish someone around where I live had one so I could see if it were to fit.

Yes, they do have a bit less freeboard to them than the newer VLX. But as David says, it may be possible with a new boat. Where is your location? That would possibly tell us which trailer your boat would come with if you bought new.

I'm in Norther California, Rocklin. I'm looking at a used 04 VLX that sits on an Extreme trailer but the current owner is not sure if it is a lowrider trailer. Is it possible to get the trailer retrofitted. Id have him swsing by with the boat to make sure it fits but he is 3 hrs away.

Thx, Pete

Not easily, at least that I know of. It should be easy enough for him to figure out, most everyone has a friend or 2 with a 7' garage. If you have pictures of the boat, we may be able to tell you if it's on a lowrider.

[peter19u]

Which boat out there would be my best bet for getting in my garage. Do the 2004 VLX's sit lower that the 05-07 models. I wish someone around where I live had one so I could see if it were to fit.

Yes, they do have a bit less freeboard to them than the newer VLX. But as David says, it may be possible with a new boat. Where is your location? That would possibly tell us which trailer your boat would come with if you bought new.

I'm in Norther California, Rocklin. I'm looking at a used 04 VLX that sits on an Extreme trailer but the current owner is not sure if it is a lowrider trailer. Is it possible to get the trailer retrofitted. Id have him swsing by with the boat to make sure it fits but he is 3 hrs away.

Thx, Pete

Not easily, at least that I know of. It should be easy enough for him to figure out, most everyone has a friend or 2 with a 7' garage. If you have pictures of the boat, we may be able to tell you if it's on a lowrider.

Hi Wakegirl:

Here is the URL for the boat: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/boa/213746397.html

Thx, Pete

[WakeGirl]

I'm going to take a guess & say that I think that is a lowrider. The pictures aren't great, but the giveaway should be at the prop cage - look at how close to the ground it is. On that boat, the tower is going to detach from the lower hoops at the bottom of each front leg (of the top section) & tilt back into the boat. Your high point will be each of those legs sticking up, so you'll want to measure that with the tower collapsed. With them being close to the outside of the boat, it should be a relatively easy measurement to make. One other possibility is that Skylon has been making a Swoop for other boat brands with an option that allows these legs to fold down, making the overall height easier to deal with. It may be possible to have that retrofitted to the tower, so that may be worth checking on.

I could be wrong about all of this though, so take it FWIW.

[Daman]

If you couldn't fit your boat into the garage and you only want to store it for the off season then I would use simple mini dollies. They actually bolt to both of your axles and lower your trailer so that the prop guard rollers are about 3/4-1 inch off the ground. You should be able to have a total drop of 6-8 inches I beleive.

[lxirod]

Which boat out there would be my best bet for getting in my garage. Do the 2004 VLX's sit lower that the 05-07 models. I wish someone around where I live had one so I could see if it were to fit.

Yes, they do have a bit less freeboard to them than the newer VLX. But as David says, it may be possible with a new boat. Where is your location? That would possibly tell us which trailer your boat would come with if you bought new.

I'm in Norther California, Rocklin. I'm looking at a used 04 VLX that sits on an Extreme trailer but the current owner is not sure if it is a lowrider trailer. Is it possible to get the trailer retrofitted. Id have him swsing by with the boat to make sure it fits but he is 3 hrs away.

Thx, Pete

my buddy has a 04 vlx with skylon in rocklin. you could ask him to measure it.

[peter19u]

I'm going to take a guess & say that I think that is a lowrider. The pictures aren't great, but the giveaway should be at the prop cage - look at how close to the ground it is. On that boat, the tower is going to detach from the lower hoops at the bottom of each front leg (of the top section) & tilt back into the boat. Your high point will be each of those legs sticking up, so you'll want to measure that with the tower collapsed. With them being close to the outside of the boat, it should be a relatively easy measurement to make. One other possibility is that Skylon has been making a Swoop for other boat brands with an option that allows these legs to fold down, making the overall height easier to deal with. It may be possible to have that retrofitted to the tower, so that may be worth checking on.

I could be wrong about all of this though, so take it FWIW.

Thanks Wakegirl. He was not sure if it is a lowrider or not. Are there any #'s I can have him look for to determine if it is a lowrider trailer or not. Do you now what the height of a lowrider trailer is? Maybe I could have him take some measurements to determine if it is or isn't.

Thx, Pete

[SacRiverRat]

I see there is an '05 in Chico with half as many hours for 4k more.. check it out on BoatTrader

(was just makin a quick market check for you... 41k for a 04 with 200hrs seemed a little high... turns out it wasn't grossly overpriced)

[peter19u]

Which boat out there would be my best bet for getting in my garage. Do the 2004 VLX's sit lower that the 05-07 models. I wish someone around where I live had one so I could see if it were to fit.

Yes, they do have a bit less freeboard to them than the newer VLX. But as David says, it may be possible with a new boat. Where is your location? That would possibly tell us which trailer your boat would come with if you bought new.

I'm in Norther California, Rocklin. I'm looking at a used 04 VLX that sits on an Extreme trailer but the current owner is not sure if it is a lowrider trailer. Is it possible to get the trailer retrofitted. Id have him swsing by with the boat to make sure it fits but he is 3 hrs away.

Thx, Pete

my buddy has a 04 vlx with skylon in rocklin. you could ask him to measure it.

That would be great! I want to make sure it fits before I buy the boat. If he could meausure the highest point on the tower with it folded down that would be great. Better yet if he could bring it over to see if it would fit I would be more that happy to compensate him for his time.

Thx, Pete

[peter19u]

I see there is an '05 in Chico with half as many hours for 4k more.. check it out on BoatTrader

(was just makin a quick market check for you... 41k for a 04 with 200hrs seemed a little high... turns out it wasn't grossly overpriced)

Will do!

Tks, Pete

[WakeGirl]

I'm going to take a guess & say that I think that is a lowrider. The pictures aren't great, but the giveaway should be at the prop cage - look at how close to the ground it is. On that boat, the tower is going to detach from the lower hoops at the bottom of each front leg (of the top section) & tilt back into the boat. Your high point will be each of those legs sticking up, so you'll want to measure that with the tower collapsed. With them being close to the outside of the boat, it should be a relatively easy measurement to make. One other possibility is that Skylon has been making a Swoop for other boat brands with an option that allows these legs to fold down, making the overall height easier to deal with. It may be possible to have that retrofitted to the tower, so that may be worth checking on.

I could be wrong about all of this though, so take it FWIW.

Thanks Wakegirl. He was not sure if it is a lowrider or not. Are there any #'s I can have him look for to determine if it is a lowrider trailer or not. Do you now what the height of a lowrider trailer is? Maybe I could have him take some measurements to determine if it is or isn't.

Thx, Pete

I don't know, but I would doubt it. I couldn't tell you what the height is - trailers vary so much even within the same boat model that I wouldn't even want to guess on that. I would ask him to lower that tower & throw a tape measure on it. Anyone that wants to sell a $41k boat this time of year should be more than willing to do that. And, you can always confirm that when you go to drive it.

I am with Sac, that does seem a touch high for this time of year.

[curtisco24]

I'm a little late on this discussion, but I have a seven foot door, and I could clear the 04 back wakesetter with the illusion with no problem. I have tried to put a new mastercraft in there and it wasn't even close. Not trying to step on any toes here, but it has been my experience that the mastercraft people will lie to you continually, just to sell you a boat, and then you are on your own. Malibu on the other hand, takes care of you, and is honest.