ISO a 2-piece tower for a 2002 21' Sunscape (previously misidentified as a Sunsetter!! - sorry...)

[SkipGundlach]

I just sent the below to Malibu - but figured one or more of you might have the answer, and even better, might know of one for sale.

Here's the CS note I sent:

We are under contract for this boat: https://www.boats.com/power-boats/2002-malibu-sunscape-21-lsv-8967585/ - and it's without a tower.

This is an interim boat until two young boys decide whether they'd prefer skiing or wake sports, at which point we'll buy a new boat specializing in whichever modus.  Meanwhile I and my son are moderately skilled amateur skiers, and wanted the best possible ski wake with the ability to generate a moderate wake sports wake.

Along the way we'd looked at several of your Sunsetter and Wakesetter boats which had a 2-piece, rear rectangle, and front wishbone shaped, tower.  We've heard that was a factory option.  Here's are a couple of examples:

and

I've been unable to locate the manufacturer of these; was that something YOU made?  Or can you direct us to a source?  Or, even the name (and maybe part number) of these units?

Thanks.

L8R

Skip and Michael

PS if you have a better recommendation for an inexpensive way to get the tow line very much higher, and perhaps provide the mount for a very large bimini, I'm all ears (call me Dumbo, both for the ears, and the flying!)

Edited April 1 by SkipGundlach
clarification

[DonT]

The tower you are looking at is the Titan tower -  I don't think they are available anymore .  That being said, only inboards shows that they have titan towers for sale...I don't get how they are doing that.  Might be worth a call  https://www.onlyinboards.com/accessoryshop/products/wakeboard-towers/custom-fit-towers/series-ii-wakeboard-tower-titan-ii/

I have a samson reverse arch on my sunsetter lxi....it came with the boat and would not have been my first choice (not really a fan of reverse arch for a ski boat), but the Samson tower is very solid.  I would look at either the edge or the razor.

 

 

[SkipGundlach]

Thanks for the note!

[cowwboy]

Give Scott a call and see if he is still making them. 

I know he was making them under the star one name. Now that he got the Titan name back from Malibu I don't see the actual towers on his site anymore.

https://www.titanwake.com/

[SkipGundlach]

37 minutes ago, cowwboy said:

Give Scott a call and see if he is still making them. 

I know he was making them under the star one name. Now that he got the Titan name back from Malibu I don't see the actual towers on his site anymore.

https://www.titanwake.com/

Thanks for that lead.  I've reached out; it looks as though he only makes accessories to the original 2-piece tower, however.  I'll see what happens with my email and text/chat request.

Edit: he bounced right back, to the effect that while his site shows 7AM-4PM if I wouldn't mind, as he's not yet had his coffee, calling after 9 PDT ☺

 

Edited March 25 by SkipGundlach
more info

[formulaben]

It's too bad they don't make those anymore...as viewed from above it forms a triple triangle.  Simple and super strong.  Also nice to be able to mount the mirror to the tower on this design. 

[SkipGundlach]

Titan Towers (now TitanWake):

I just got off a lengthy conversation with Scott, who's on the way in for open heart bypass surgery, and who's - a week or so ago - made his last tower.

Short story is that if I don't succeed, we can talk about a custom made one - he'd been making about a dozen a month - but being a one-off very expen$ive.

So, short of finding one on a boat that got killed without killing the tower, it appears I won't find a Titan sized for our Sunsetter - ragasnagagigafratz!

He and I had some technical discussions which confirmed my eyeball presumptions; I don't think we'll find a similarly capable, and elegant (in physics terms) tower. 

Sigh...

[HollywoodBall]

I put a Roswell Area 53 on my 97 Air Nautique and it totally modernized the boat.  Great looking and functioning tower.  Can be installed to fold forward or backward.  

[Nick55]

You can give Wayne at New Dimension Towers a call and see if they have a pattern or can make you one.  

[SkipGundlach]

17 hours ago, Nick55 said:

You can give Wayne at New Dimension Towers a call and see if they have a pattern or can make you one.  

Thanks - I have reached out to them.

Edited March 26 by SkipGundlach
spelling

[JasonK]

I like the Samson tower on my Response. Great towers

[23LSVOwner]

You might possibly be able to get a G3 Malibu tower for that. You would need to compare the beam for your boat to later models to see what might fit.

Edited March 26 by 23LSVOwner
Spelling

[SkipGundlach]

12 minutes ago, 23LSVOwner said:

You might possibly be able to get a G3 Malibu tower for that. You would need to compare the beam for your boat to later models to see what might fit.

Thanks,  I've reached out...

[SkipGundlach]

Update:

So far I'm strongly inclined to a Monster MT2, as it most closely resembles in form and function my preferred Titan.  I'm in conversation with Monster currently, as to my anal-retentive attention to detail regarding mounting both the tower and a bimini to best effect (best, anyway, I see it, to drill, tap, machine screw, and Loctite blue dissimilar metals bimini fastenings, and oversized base and backing plate support for fiberglass).

Meanwhile, Scott has suggested in a flyby as he goes in for open heart bypass surgery that perhaps, after all, a Titan might be made affordably.

So, as the boat won't be seatrialed, let alone sitting where we can do something with/to it, for the moment, the research continues.

But, since I may have your attention again, does anyone have the gunwale spread distance just aft of the side windows on an 02 21' Sunscape, and likewise, just aft of the handrails in front of the windshield?  And, putting all my begs in one askit, are there any impedimentia under those areas making drilling/bolting challenging?

Thanks for any knowledge!  The boat's 93" beam will make for careful  docking with the dock roof supports' spread 100"...

[butter71]

I don't have the measurements you're looking for, but can tell you there is a lot going on under the gunwales.  At least it is true for our 2000 LSV, and I suspect for your VLX also  Basically, you'll find pvc pipe glassed-in on the underside of the gunwale, for carrying wires, etc...  As a result, installing tower mounts in this already tight, congested area is a challenge.  We used a dremel type tool to cut and grind the pvc tube out of the area for the tower mount.  A great deal of caution is needed to avoid damaging the wiring, especially on the starboard side where most of the wiring is carried.  It's a tight, awkward, uncomfortable position to work in, but do-able.  We benefitted greatly from other posts found on this site before taking on the project.

On the other hand, there was plenty of room to work with for the tower mounts in front of the windshield.  Hopefully you'll find the same with your VLX.

Best of luck.

[SkipGundlach]

3 minutes ago, butter71 said:

I don't have the measurements you're looking for, but can tell you there is a lot going on under the gunwales.  At least it is true for our 2000 LSV, and I suspect for your VLX also  Basically, you'll find pvc pipe glassed-in on the underside of the gunwale, for carrying wires, etc...  As a result, installing tower mounts in this already tight, congested area is a challenge.  We used a dremel type tool to cut and grind the pvc tube out of the area for the tower mount.  A great deal of caution is needed to avoid damaging the wiring, especially on the starboard side where most of the wiring is carried.  It's a tight, awkward, uncomfortable position to work in, but do-able.  We benefitted greatly from other posts found on this site before taking on the project.

On the other hand, there was plenty of room to work with for the tower mounts in front of the windshield.  Hopefully you'll find the same with your VLX.

Best of luck.

I lived for 15 years on a sailboat with much the same issues, sometimes with conduit but mostly not, and held up with dabs of 5200 taped in place, the tape long gone by the time we acquired her!

Glassed in PVC might be challenging, but there are other boats with it installed so I suspect that I'll manage ☺

There's some indication that it might work; this is a similar hull:

 

[Steve B.]

I've got a Titan III on an '02. I'll get you the measurements over the weekend.

[SkipGundlach]

19 minutes ago, Steve B. said:

I've got a Titan III on an '02. I'll get you the measurements over the weekend.

Thanks!

[SouthsideBoarder]

I’d go titan over monster if not cost prohibitive. If I’m understanding correctly and he might still make you one. 
Buddy has a monster and it’s ok. Another friend who had a titan it just seemed more solid. YMMV. 
 

is Skylon still making towers? That could be another option. 

Edited March 29 by SouthsideBoarder

[SkipGundlach]

6 hours ago, SouthsideBoarder said:

I’d go titan over monster if not cost prohibitive. If I’m understanding correctly and he might still make you one. 
Buddy has a monster and it’s ok. Another friend who had a titan it just seemed more solid. YMMV. 
 

is Skylon still making towers? That could be another option. 

Titan was my first choice; agreed.  He's out of commission at the moment so it will be a while before I hear back, I expect.

Skylon has apparently gone the way of Titan, and now makes accessories: https://www.skylonsports.com/products/skyrack-horizontal-malibu (that's just the specific for Malibu's racks).  With factories making their own racks, aftermarket ones are dropping out, I expect...

[cowwboy]

Have you looked at what towers great lakes skipper has? They have some nice assisted lowering towers and even a few power towers currently. 
I'd also start digging on marketplace and ebay. I know I sold my Titan 1 fairly cheap when I went to a G3. 

[SkipGundlach]

1 hour ago, cowwboy said:

Have you looked at what towers great lakes skipper has? They have some nice assisted lowering towers and even a few power towers currently. 
I'd also start digging on marketplace and ebay. I know I sold my Titan 1 fairly cheap when I went to a G3. 

No, good point, to both.

However, it's a very long shot, as the Titans are boat-specific - though if there were a crapped out/wrecked 21 sunscape which didn't have tower damage, perhaps a Malibu-factory (they'd been building them by then I think I learned) Titan might be available inexpensively.

Thanks for the idea/s.  I've tickled GLS for a Titan for the boat.  Marketplace and eBay are barren...

Edit/update; GLS replied and awaits the on-center spreads for the feet - thanks, Steve B!

Edited March 29 by SkipGundlach

[cowwboy]

The titan can be massaged pretty easily to accommodate different hull sizes.  

[SkipGundlach]

7 minutes ago, cowwboy said:

The titan can be massaged pretty easily to accommodate different hull sizes.  

So far none seen so it hasn't mattered ☺

[oldjeep]

In your searches - also look for VTX towers (pre 2016).  I believe that the sunscape was the precursor to the VTX and for any dimension that matters, A VTX tower may fit.