IXFE boat order finalized... (long)

[IXFE]

I haven't been very active on the forum lately (work has been brutal), but I do lurk from time to time and figured some might be interested on where I ended up on my 2015 order... I have so much boat junk floating around in my head I gotta dump it somewhere, right?

It's no secret I've been in a new boat every year since 2010. This year I really tried to go back and re-evaluate everything. I demo'd more than ever before (just ask Mason), and I spent a lot of time thinking about each and every option from the perspective of "will I really use that?" -and/or- "will the next owner value that?" It took a long time, and I even pushed my order an entire month because I just wasn't ready. I probably would have pushed it again, but I didn't want to miss the year end rebate that's in place. I even considered a few other boats (VLX, SC, G21).

Ironically, after all the mental thrash, I think you'll see I ended up with boat that definitely resembles the last several. Sigh, what can I say? I'm just not that adventurous. We love this this color pallet, and it has proven remarkably easy to sell.

So Friday was the deadline to get a January build slot, and I submitted the following in the order/categories you'd find on a Malibu window sticker (I literally just copied this from my email to the dealer).

Items in green were the hardest choices for me. I agonized over some of these, especially colors, engine / prop, tower, upper racks / bimini, and stereo.

2015 Wakesetter 23 LSV

Exterior Colors:

· Hull Base: Ebony

· Hull Main: Machine Silver Metallic

· Hull Accent: Ebony

· Hull Accent 2: Indy Red

· Swim Platform: Ebony

· Deck Base: Ebony

· Deck Accent: Machine Silver Metallic

· Deck Main: Ebony

· Tower: Black

· Tower Speakers: Black

Interior Colors:

· Interior Base: White

· Interior Main: Light Graphite

· Interior Accent 1: Ebony

· Interior Accent 2: Light Graphite

· Bead: Regal

· Dash Accent: Light Graphite

· Carpet: Sterling

· Fiberglass Floor: Ebony

Canvas Covers:

· Great Lakes Bimini (Surf pockets and rope storage) *** WAIT FOR NEW MODEL IN SPRING ***

· Evolution cover (color TBD) *** NOT ORDERED FROM MALIBU ***

· Shrinkable Shipping Cover

Engine/Prop:

· Monsoon 410hp

· High Altitude Prop (ACME 1235)

Engine Accessories:

· Polished exhaust tips

Graphics

· Wakesetter hull graphics

Stereo Components

· Wake 23 LSV Pack (8 in. speakers)

Tower & Accessories

· Black Illusion G4 tower

· PTM Clamping Spinner Slide Off (Port)

· PTM Clamping Spinner Slide Off (Starboard)

· Wetsounds Rev 8 w/ Horn (Black 1^st Set)

· Wetsounds Rev 8 w/ Horn (Black 2^nd Set)

· Tower amp - 500w

Wake Technology

· Bow Malibu Launch System

· Midship Malibu Launch System

· Rear Malibu Launch System

· Wakesurf Technology (aka Surfgate)

· Power Wedge II

Cockpit Options

· Cup Holders Stainless

· Sport Dash w/ Rotary VDC 4-way joystick

· Logo Carpet

Hardware

· Battery setup Option 2

· Dual Batteries

· Battery Charger

· Pull up Cleats – 2 pair

· Pylon V-drive Brushed Gray Anodized

Lighting

· Bow Light – pop up

Trailer Note: 18” wheels to be supplied locally. Please ask for wider fenders!!

· Ebony tandem axle trailer

· Spare tire mount UNDERNEATH

· Surface mount LED w/ clear lens

· Transom Straps

· Transom Step w/ surface mount LED

· Tread plate Aluminum – Front & Rear step pads

· Tread plate Aluminum – Tandem Fenders

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Here's what I didn't order (red items seriously considered, blue items briefly considered)

· Canvas: CS or Z5 bimini; GL cover

· Engine: 350, 450, or 550 engine; 537 or 2419 prop

· Engine Accessories: Flush kit, Heater, Sea Strainer, Shower, STE

· Stereo: Sat radio, Sub/amp, Rear MUX, Trans remote

· Tower: G3.2, Flo-cam, Rear lights, Upper racks, Swivel mounts for speakers

· Wake: PnP

· Cockpit: Table, Deck Track, Seat heater, Super fusion, Nav

· Hardware: Bow eye, Fire suppression, Hydraulic steering, Ladder, Phender Pro

· Lighting: Docking lights, Transom lights

· Misc: Life w/out Limits Album

· Trailer: 18" wheels, Two - tone, Elite Shield, Runway lighting, Polished tongue

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[Sunscape fan]

That's gonna look awesome!! Congrats on the order. Wizard Lake Marine has a boat almost exactly the same colours as that...except the swoosh is black on their boat. Just in case you wanted to see a real boat in your colours.

That's gonna look sick on the water.

Curious, why did you not order PNP?

Edited December 9, 2014 by Sunscape fan

[AJWest]

What made you choose the 410 motor over the 350 with the new gearing in 2015 vs 2014?

Edited December 9, 2014 by AJWest

[IXFE]

That's gonna look awesome!! Congrats on the order. Wizard Lake Marine has a boat almost exactly the same colours as that...except the swoosh is black on their boat. Just in case you wanted to see a real boat in your colours.

That's gonna look sick on the water.

Curious, why did you not order PNP?

I've had PnP on the last two boats, and I wanted to try dedicated reversible pumps instead. This is one area where I decided to splurge a little (it's more expensive) because I want to try it. I never liked PnP much because they drain too slow, and you have to mess with shut off valves to seal them off. I want the supplemental ballast to be truly separate from the factory tanks. I'm also going to add a pump for the bow sack, so I wanted all the sacks to be uniform.

[IXFE]

What made you choose the 410 motor over the 350 with the new gearing in 2015 vs 2014?

I did extensive engine / prop testing and came to the conclusion that the 410 / 1615 is the best option for me. While the factory does not offer the 1615 prop, I will be switching to it after I get the boat. The 1235 will then become a spare. I have no interest in a 2419 due to the high RPM's it produces. The PW2 basically renders the torque prop obsolete, imho.

As far as transmissions, there is no new gearing in 2015 for Malibu / Indmar boats. Only Axis / PCM boats saw new gearing.

Malibu transmission is the same as always... 1.5:1

I took this pic of a 2015 VLX with the 350.

Edited December 9, 2014 by IXFE

[saxton15]

What is the "Life without limits" album? This is an added cost?

[Levi900RR]

[DocPhil]

First of all, boat looks sweet and I think it will be a sweet ride.

Lots of interesting choices here too. I was thinking you would go for a full "easiest to resell" route. However, clearly you did not. You went more for a middle ground it seems. Putting priority on options you love, which is the way it should be!

Are you sure you are gonna be happy without the LS3? Hard to go back from that power.

Definitely don't get it back in resale though.

[shawndoggy]

No sub? Or you gonna do that yourself?

You have been down the road of an underpowered wetsounds setup before, AND you know a little about stereos now, so you should know that the 500w tower amp isn't going to be enough for two pair of rev 8s. IIRC the rev8s want about 200w per can, so it's a very inexpensive fix. Arc audio ks300.2 (175w per can at 14.4v) or ks600.2 (300w per can @14.4v) or JL HD 750/1 (185w per can at 12.6v) to the rescue.

Sat radio is a very very simple plug and play addition if you want it later. How much do they want for it from the factory?

Edited December 9, 2014 by shawndoggy

[jb 156]

Heater is a must, will extend your season!

[wedge88]

What is the "Life without limits" album? This is an added cost?

The "Life without limits" album is additional but it is a hard cover book that Malibu will put all the build pics of your boat with hull ID stamped on the front. I was also told that if you do a factory tour, then you will be added to the album as well. It is around $200 but it will be my favorite scrap book to look at from time to time.

[saxton15]

Oh ok makes sense. I took it as some musical compilation you pop in while cruising.

Back to IXFE, Great looking boat. What persuaded you to take the G4 over the 3.2? I'm a fan of both, just being curious.

Edited December 9, 2014 by saxton15

[ahopkins22LSV]

Awesome looking boat man! Can't wait to see the actual pictures of it. I agree with you that the 409 is a good engine choice for the LSV. I drove one this past weekend with 7 adults full stock plus 750 PNP and it jumped right to 11mph. Pretty sure it had the 1235 on it.

I agree that a heater is a must have option unless you plan on adding one yourself to route the outlets to where you want them.

[Fman]

Great looking boat Dave, I think you will have no regrets going with a reversible pump ballast system over PnP. G4 with clamping racks too, sweet!

Congrats to you and the family... Good times coming your way next summer!

[Chrisjjbrown]

That is a very fine looking Boat. I think the options you choose where spot on.

[Pnwrider]

Boat looks great, congrats!

[IXFE]

First of all, boat looks sweet and I think it will be a sweet ride.

Lots of interesting choices here too. I was thinking you would go for a full "easiest to resell" route. However, clearly you did not. You went more for a middle ground it seems. Putting priority on options you love, which is the way it should be!

Are you sure you are gonna be happy without the LS3? Hard to go back from that power.

Definitely don't get it back in resale though.

"Easiest to resell" is really a tough thing to define, and you will get many different opinions. I certainly have mine. But you are right, for me it really is about balance. I definitely try to refine the boat each year with things I've learned in years past, and each year I splurge a little on a few things that I just flat out WANT. If this was a science, I'd just get the same boat every year. But it's not a science and besides, what fun would that be? It is MY boat first, and there's always a chance I keep it. I never want to order a boat that I don't want. Resale has never been my end game or primary goal. It's definitely secondary. With that said, it's a consideration for sure.

That brings me to the LS3. I knew I'd have to answer questions on this since I had the 450 last year. When I ordered it last year, I think I overshot a bit. I did zero research or demos, other than read opinions on this forum. I knew I didn't want the 350 in the big, heavy LSV so an upgrade was in order. The decision between the 410 and 450 was made on a whim, and something I considered a splurge item, and I definitely liked it. However, I think it was probably more power than I needed, and my research this fall demonstrated that. The 410 / 1615 combo allows me to surf fully loaded (hard tanks + PnP + bow sack + wedge at any position) at any speed, all the while staying at aprox. 3,250 RPM. I can't ask for more than that! So this year, my approach was to pay for only the motor I needed, making no sacrifices, then apply the savings to some of the other splurge items. I hope I don't regret it.

I have read your take on the LS3 resale value. I'm not sure if I agree or not. I know if your case you did not see the value. But that's a sample size of ONE. My boat sold last year for what I wanted to a guy who wouldn't have been interested in the boat w/out the 450. So does that mean I got the value? I guess so. But maybe if I had the 410 I could have sold the boat for the same price (to a different guy) and been $4000 ahead. I'll never know. But I'm testing the theory this year. I figure most people understand the concept of an "upgraded motor" but that's about it. For $4,000 less I can still say I have an "upgraded motor."

[Wakesetter67]

What is the "Life without limits" album? This is an added cost?

Great looking as always!! Here is the Life without limits album, You can name it anything you want, When I visited the factory my boat was about done so I did not get to see most of the build this is a detail photo album of just your boat!! one of my favorite things!!

[IXFE]

No sub? Or you gonna do that yourself?

You have been down the road of an underpowered wetsounds setup before, AND you know a little about stereos now, so you should know that the 500w tower amp isn't going to be enough for two pair of rev 8s. IIRC the rev8s want about 200w per can, so it's a very inexpensive fix. Arc audio ks300.2 (175w per can at 14.4v) or ks600.2 (300w per can @14.4v) or JL HD 750/1 (185w per can at 12.6v) to the rescue.

Sat radio is a very very simple plug and play addition if you want it later. How much do they want for it from the factory?

Stereo... another topic I knew I'd have to explain. It's appropriate that the question comes from Shawn, my stereo mentor.

This was a major sticking point for me this year, and I'm not sure I got it right. Let's break it down by zone:

CABIN: It all started with the LSV Sound Pack. Last year I didn't want Malibu's integration as it was very poor. So I just got "stereo delete." But this year you need to get the Sound Pack if you want to have 1) Full use of knob on the Sport Dash as master volume and track skip, and 2) integrated head unit with Bluetooth in the new MTC. But this year I wanted both, but Malibu won't sell you just the Black Box and the Medallion interface. You have to get the entire Sound Pack which is bundled with the 8 interior speakers and the RF amp. I can live with 8 interior speakers; after all this is what I had last year since Exile had no 8" option. When powered correctly, those RF's sound good, and I quite like the OEM look. My plan is to just swap out the amp with an Exile Javelin. I love that amp!! It will put 75 watts to each cabin speaker + 800 to the sub.

SUB: I am skipping the sub and plan to do another Exile Xi12 in a ported enclosure, powered by the Javelin. I really loved that on last year's boat. It was the gem of the entire system.

TOWER: This was a tough decision, but I went with the factory Wetsounds mainly because I like how the Malibu cans look on the G4. So I'm going to give them a shot. The 500w amp is listed as a separate option by Malibu, but when you opt for the tower speakers you have no choice, you have to take that amp. It will be coming out. I haven't decided what to put in it's place. Probably the same Exile 30.2 I used to run my XM9's last year, but I need to do some more research.

I'm not doing an EQ this year. 99% of the time I used it solely for the master volume knob and AUX input. With the Sound Pack I get both... I'm actually really excited about the big knob on the Sport Dash as a volume control. But the other 1% of the time I will miss separate volume control of the tower. So I gotta figure out how to achieve that. The boats from factory are now set up to do it with the fade control in the MTC; not quite as easy as a knob on an EQ, but for me it's probably enough... I honestly don't control the zones separately that often.

Once I decided on the factory integration (head unit controls in the MTC), it got me thinking about Sat radio. No matter how many songs we put in our "boat" play list every year, it does get old. It might be nice to just tune in a commercial free Sat music channel and just let it play all day. Having sat radio as a source in the MTC would be cool. But Malibu wants $650 for it, and it would require me to sign up for yet another account the Sirius/XM (already have two). So I passed thinking I could just stream Sirius from my phone.

Anyway... more to come on stereo.

[IXFE]

Heater is a must, will extend your season!

Maybe it extends the season for the ONE person who can use it.

I skipped the heater last season and didn't miss it. I'm not a fan of Malibu's heater installation... not even a little bit. Plus, I need to space for my sub enclosure.

[Wakesetter67]

Stereo... another topic I knew I'd have to explain. It's appropriate that the question comes from Shawn, my stereo mentor.

This was a major sticking point for me this year, and I'm not sure I got it right. Let's break it down by zone:

CABIN: It all started with the LSV Sound Pack. Last year I didn't want Malibu's integration as it was very poor. So I just got "stereo delete." But this year you need to get the Sound Pack if you want to have 1) Full use of knob on the Sport Dash as master volume and track skip, and 2) integrated head unit with Bluetooth in the new MTC. But this year I wanted both, but Malibu won't sell you just the Black Box and the Medallion interface. You have to get the entire Sound Pack which is bundled with the 8 interior speakers and the RF amp. I can live with 8 interior speakers; after all this is what I had last year since Exile had no 8" option. When powered correctly, those RF's sound good, and I quite like the OEM look. My plan is to just swap out the amp with an Exile Javelin. I love that amp!! It will put 75 watts to each cabin speaker + 800 to the sub.

SUB: I am skipping the sub and plan to do another Exile Xi12 in a ported enclosure, powered by the Javelin. I really loved that on last year's boat. It was the gem of the entire system.

TOWER: This was a tough decision, but I went with the factory Wetsounds mainly because I like how the Malibu cans look on the G4. So I'm going to give them a shot. The 500w amp is listed as a separate option by Malibu, but when you opt for the tower speakers you have no choice, you have to take that amp. It will be coming out. I haven't decided what to put in it's place. Probably the same Exile 30.2 I used to run my XM9's last year, but I need to do some more research.

I'm not doing an EQ this year. 99% of the time I used it solely for the master volume knob and AUX input. With the Sound Pack I get both... I'm actually really excited about the big knob on the Sport Dash as a volume control. But the other 1% of the time I will miss separate volume control of the tower. So I gotta figure out how to achieve that. The boats from factory are now set up to do it with the fade control in the MTC; not quite as easy as a knob on an EQ, but for me it's probably enough... I honestly don't control the zones separately that often.

Once I decided on the factory integration (head unit controls in the MTC), it got me thinking about Sat radio. No matter how many songs we put in our "boat" play list every year, it does get old. It might be nice to just tune in a commercial free Sat music channel and just let it play all day. Having sat radio as a source in the MTC would be cool. But Malibu wants $650 for it, and it would require me to sign up for yet another account the Sirius/XM (already have two). So I passed thinking I could just stream Sirius from my phone.

Anyway... more to come on stereo.

I was torn on the stereo delete my self, But we are going to order a black box on line and make it work, I will post updates as we begin and see what all is involved making the integration work, Hoping to have the new Exile 8" Cabin Soon!!

Edited December 9, 2014 by Wakesetter67

[shawndoggy]

If you are patient you should be able to find a sirius SCC1 for under $200 (I got a bnib one on craigslist using searchtempest for $20, but it took about 6 months of weekly searching for that to come up). It is totally plug and play... you don't even need to run power to the SCC1 -- it just plugs into the RFX5000 with an svideo type cable, and then you need to put the antenna somewhere.

Sirius will let you pay by the month, so for $8 a month during boating season it's not a biggie. Cancel when you sell (and pull the SCC1 for the next boat too!).

If you run a JL HD 750/1 to your towers, you could also run a JL HD RLC for tower volume control: http://www.jlaudio.com/hd-rlc-marine-audio-amplifier-accessories-98118. If you ran a JL amp for your cabins (XD1000/5 would be a good match) you could do the same.

Are you going to run line drivers between the black box and the amps? I've read too much about low voltage out of the BB to think it doesn't make a difference. But then once you price line drivers and the HD-RLCs.... the EQ makes a lot of economic sense.

As a resale only comment: will running wetsounds and exile in the same system be a turn-off to potential buyers? I don't know and I've run both in the past. I know some folks are VERY brand loyal, down to buying "their brand's" amp install kit (as if wetsounds wire is different from anyone else's). There are lots of "brand neutral" (i.e. not part of the exile/wetsounds hatfields and mccoys debate) components that wouldn't seem out of place.

No curiosity about trying a different sub?

_________________________

And am I reading correctly that you're NOT going with a blinged out trailer? Oh the humanity!

[shawndoggy]

$65 sirius tuner: http://york.craigslist.org/ele/4794312722.html

$75 sirius tuner (but you'd need to buy the antenna separately -- they are about $10): http://cfl.craigslist.org/for/4735723918.html

Edited December 9, 2014 by shawndoggy

[IXFE]

$65 sirius tuner: http://york.craigslist.org/ele/4794312722.html

$75 sirius tuner (but you'd need to buy the antenna separately -- they are about $10): http://cfl.craigslist.org/for/4735723918.html

Thanks, Shawn. The real question for me is... If I plug that into the RF6000 black box, will it show up automatically as a source in the MTC screen? If so, I'm in!

In case you can't tell, I'm really liking the idea of a clean, factory integrated, system where everything works through the MTC and the Sport Knob. I spent a good hour in a '15 LSV that had everything factory. I quite liked the user experience of controlling my tunes over the new MTC. Also, the BT worked excellent and was easy to pair.

Anyway, it's certainly a different approach to what I did last year, but that's what makes this fun... Doing things a little different each year. I really think Bu has given us a better user experience this year, and I want to try it! I just want good power too!

[Afun]

Here you go again outdoing yourself! Very nice classy Audrey Hepburn type color scheme...I forget who I copied that from. Nice move on the 410. You always have the nicest boats!