cjohnson

The prop you go with depends on the gear ratio of vdrive. It'll be different if you have the 1:1 vs the 1.46:1. If you call Acme they're super helpful and know their stuff.

I did this in my old 05 Avy but can't find the pics. I cut out the face and top of the footrest then built a ported box that followed the angle along the front. I re-glued the existing carpeting and cut out holes for the sub and port. If you have the ability to build a box definitely do it.

Two more:

Sorry to hijack the thread but do you have any more pics of the G23 shown here (interior and exterior)? We're due for an upgrade this year and those are the exterior colors I think we're going with.

The M235 was only $5K more? Where are you located? I'm in Calgary and the difference here between a fully loaded Ri and M235 at the boat show last year was over $60K. I think the Ri was around $140 and the M235 was just over $200K. I'm not a big surfer so maybe not as picky as some but when surfing I changed the surf settings on our G23 the first time out (based on recommendations from guys at planetnautique) and have never touched them since. I haven't surfed a lot of other boats but it's the best I've been behind and it also never matters where people sit. I bought it for the wakeboard wake so surfing was a not as relevant. If you're in the west Wizard lake gets some pretty good pricing from Nautique (and I think Centurion now). They are the #1 Nautique dealer (by volume) and were able to negotiate some pretty good pricing due to the dollar last year. At that price range I'd make sure to demo them all and make your own decision.

I hate to be the guy to recommend a different brand but if you're up to the price point for a M235 why aren't you looking at a G23? All the things that I don't like about the 2015 were fixed in 2016 (spray and stereo at the top of the list) and the surf wake is probably one of the easiest to set up. Our dealer sells Centurion and Nautique and they've told me that the Ri has the most options for tweaking the surf wave but it also tougher to get exactly the way you like it. I think all three are great boats but the M235 is significantly more but it does have the power pocket door. lol If I only surfed I'd look to the Ri since it's the least expensive with one of the best surf waves out there.

I'm of the camp that as long as you stay within the manufacturer spec's (even it's only by 1 lb) I don't think you're being "unsafe". I'm sure liability is a big concern for them with a lot of testing done to ensure that the maximums are still within a "safe" limit. The only thing that I'll add about bags or springs as that while they don't increase capacity they could help with control. The suspension on our Ram half ton is extremely soft and the truck really bounces when going over speed bumps. I've towed our boat with Ram half tons a F150 and a Nissan Armada and non of them had any problems towing our boat (at about 7,500 lbs with fuel and some gear). As far as stopping goes basic physics says that momentum is velocity times mass. That means a heavier truck will take longer to stop than a lighter truck (with all else being equal). The key is to have the proper weighting on all 4 tires to maximize braking ability. I could see a WDH helping here but unfortunately they don't work on boatmate trailers with a swing away tongue. That said, I did have to hit the brakes hard once and it stopped surprisingly fast and the trailer reacted just fine.

Here's a post of them out skiing. I'd have waited longer but don't think it's worth the risk of freezing the block. haha https://www.instagram.com/p/BLjg1SgAT1Z/

I did some research and it looks like you can get bags with or without compressors. We might trailer two or three times max a year so is it worth getting the one with a compressor? How do you fill the ones without a compressor? Do you notice a difference in ride when they're not filled up? I know it's a lot of questions - I know nothing about them. Thanks.

Our Ram 1500 is good to 9,950 lbs with a WDH and I think is a class IV receiver so I don't think it's an issue (although don't know for sure). Below is an except from their towing chart. It's a little confusing because they say recommended and max in the same note. "The maximum trailer weight is 5,000 pounds for a weight-carrying hitch. A weight distributing system is recommended for trailers over 5,000 pounds."

This actually sounds like it might be a good option since a WDH doesn't work. Our boat is probably 7,500-8,000 lbs with trailer, fuel, gear, etc. and I find that the our Ram 1500 bounces uncomfortably when going over speed bumps at low speeds. Do you have any suggestions what to look for or go with for airbags? We took our G23 through the mountains with a F150 last year and I don't remember feeling uncomfortable in any way behind that truck. Maybe the suspension is better than the Dodge.

The Reese SC will also work with surge brakes. The issue is that they have ~30" arms which won't fit on a lot of trailers with a swing away tongue.

I'd just be worried about a cop that decides to be a jerk one day - could result in a massive tow bill. In AB they occasionally do spot checks on people that are pulling trailers so I'd also be concerned about what they check. I'd put a WDH on if I could but it's not possible. Good thing that we keep our boat at the lake 99% of the time.

Don't forget about the exchange rate.

Wow, I hope I never get pulled over when going to BC. I think before this year it was pretty rare to see any boats trailers with brakes that aren't surge. There is a really good discussion on planetnautique discussing safe towing of the G series. What I found interesting is that most half ton trucks have a max towing capacity of 5,000 lbs without a weight distribution hitch. Most newer boats fall into this category these days. Funny thing is that you can't put a WDH on a boatmate trailer with the swing away tongue.

Any hints? Does it start with a fs and end in a 33?

You'll just need the adapters to match up with your factory line and the fly high sacs will work (although it will be an extremely slow fill). I think the factory hoses are 3/4" but don't remember for sure (3/4" lines will require 2 W742 and 2 W736 per bag). I'm sure if you call wakemakers they could tell you exactly which fittings you need. I agree that if you're pulling the hard tanks go with the 1,100's for sure. On my old Avy I also put a 580 sac under the port side seat as well. Just use an overflow from the port side 1,100 to go into the 580. Makes a great wake with all that weight. I had the non C4 version so I can help you on the starboard side if yours is a C4. Edit: Thinking about it, you might need one more adapter if your empty pumps are connected directly to the hard tanks (like they are in the centre tank).

The two pins will need to come out. The toughest part is getting off the two clips that hold the pins (but I think there's a tool for it.) Other than that it's a relatively easy process. Also, removing the bolt from the top makes it much easier when you're routing the cable. The UFP manual has pretty good instructions.

I 100% agree with this. The differences in wakes seem pretty minor between brands, never mind new model of a manufacturer. That said, I was at the boat show yesterday and the Ri237 was the best looking boat there (and reasonably priced). The new Malibu M235 was $220K CDN and quite underwhelming. Everything else seemed pretty much the same as last year. Maybe prices have plateaued......ok probably not.

I don't think your numbers are right. Fortune 500 companies average for 2015 was $945 billion (after tax) profit on $12.5 trillion of revenue which is almost a 8% profit margin. Companies working with a 1% profit margin would be a recipe for a train wreck in a downturn (particularly if they're carrying debt). The average profit margin is not double digits but there are plenty of industries that are. That said, my point was that it is expensive to build these boats. A mere 10% reduction in prices would put these companies out of business.

It is unreal how much ballast they're adding to boats these days. My old boat didn't even weight 4,000 lbs and the new ones are pushing over 11,000 lbs loaded up. I wonder how much of the recent improvements are a function of increased displacement vs. changes in hull design. Hippies would never get into this sport with that kind of carbon footprint. haha.

I'd contact your dealer and have them ask Fineline. He did say a new prop was coming so they have some kind of solution (whether it's custom or not).

I heard from my neighbor that the fix is a custom prop which is on its way. Maybe Supreme is having Acme make one specifically for that boat?

I think another point to keep in mind is that there are major costs associated with building boats beyond just the cost of parts. It's also not like these manufacturers profits are 50%. If you look at Mastercraft's financials for the year ending June 2015, their sales were $214MM, cost of good sold (parts, labor, etc) was $163MM operating costs were $24MM, interest tax, etc was another $18MM and Net Income was $5.5MM. This means that gross margin is only 23% and if you go all the way down to net income it is only 2.5% of sales. Malibu's gross profit margin is 26% and net profit margin is 6%. These are accounting number so some are non-cash costs but the point is that margins are pretty tight at the end of the day. If there were to reduce their boat prices by only 10% they'd either be out of business or management would be fired by the board. Bottom line is that competition between manufacturers keep prices to a "reasonable" return. As mentioned above, it's a small volume market so the benefits of mass production just aren't there. Dealers also need to make their 20-30% gross margin to cover their rent/employee/insurance/......... costs. People who want to put in their own stereos, plumb their own ballast can certainly do so for a lot cheaper but they don't have the expenses to deal with. The prices make me choke a bit but I get it why boats cost what they do.

This is actually pretty accurate..............it's a little absurd that prices have gone up 100-200%. Now they are adding things like a power seat and steering wheel controls to justify even more price bumps. lol