Chattwake's 2012 Axis A22 Vandall Edition
 

Hey guys,

I'm picking up my new boat tomorrow morning from the plant, and I wanted to share some photographs of the build process. I was tempted to wait until I had everything done and installed, but I figured I'd just post things up as they get finished.

I decided to go with an other Axis A22 for 2012 because I had an absolutely awesome experience with my 2011 A22. I had zero problems out of my old boat. It threw the best wake I've ever ridden - consistently. What I mean is that, when I wanted to ride slow and try to learn something new, I could, and the wake retained its shape. When I wanted to let a novice ride with factory ballast, the wake was nice, rampy and had a small lip for the newbie to use to get a feel for pop. When we wanted to slam the boat with 4k in ballast over the factory weight, it threw a monster clean wake at 23mph all the way back to 80+ ft.

No, this boat is not as blinged out and crazy as some of the boats I've owned and some of the boats that are available. Look, I've got two kids, a mortgage, and I want to buy a house on the lake at some point. I made a financial decision to focus on the core values/components I had to have in a wakeboat, and found that in the Axis A22. I was willing to sacrifice some bling to lower my cost. I'm not saying that everyone should do this, or that it's a mistake to buy a more expensive boat. Buy what suits YOU best. For me, I was able to save enough on the boat to put in a monster wetsounds stereo, and not have to take out a loan.

The A22 is a utilitarian boat. It's a wake machine. There are no heated seats. There are no touch screens. However, it's still plenty nice for those of us who simply want to shred a lot, and own a boat that throws an awesome wake under a wide variety of conditions, without having to break the bank.

Yes, my A22 is still relatively pretty pricey because it has the big motor and the Vandall package, but I wanted the extra power and the creature comforts that I used last year (like the heater, chillax seats, docking lights, etc.), and I wanted to have 450hp to move all the weight I intend to throw at this boat.

I just wanted to share some pictures and give some brief thoughts as to why I stock with the A22 for this year. There's a boat for everybody out there. There is no one, single, "best" boat. That being said, IMO, the A22 is one of the absolute best options on the market at this time for someone that wakeboards a lot, values a great wake, values an extensive dealer network, and wants as much bang for the buck as he/she can get.

Below are some build pics I received. Obviously, the boat has a ways to go before I'm done with it. I still have to mount the (powdercoated) z5 and install a ton of wetsounds gear, including a pair of white REV 410's on the tower.

In the last picture you can see the boatmate trailer that I had some custom work done to. I can't thank boatmate enough for being willing to work with me on the small changes I wanted to make. I wanted a solid white trailer with all clear led lenses and every piece of diamond plate anodized black. I know it can be a total pain in the behind for manufacturers to do custom work; however, the guys at boatmate (Owen Shelton in particular) went above and beyond to get me all of the information I needed to make informed choices and to implement all of the changes I wanted.

I can't wait to see the boat on the trailer, with the z5 on and the REV 410's mounted up!

I'm off to the eye doctor to get Lasik done this afternoon, and hopefully I'm up for going to get the boat at 8:00 a.m. tomorrow. More pics to come!

Here's a pic of the z5. Yes, I know it's dirty. It will be cleaned. Also, a money shot of the LS3.

that thing is awesome and i want it haha. new boat for me hopefully next winter, this is definitely in my scope! looks awesome man!

Congrats on another awesome looking boat. I ordered my first new boat this year and cannot wait until it is done and ready to be picked up.

Thanks guys! I just can't wait to get the z5 on there and see the boat on the trailer. I think it will all tie in nicely.

WOW!! You've done it yet again chatt!! Sick boat! I'm working in leinor city and have about 4 bridges I'm working on from chattanooga to Knoxville, id love to get a set one afternoon if I could!! Got gas money in hand!

Chattewake, my boat (MB 23TWB) should be ready either the end of this month or early June. Would you be interested in meeting up sometime this summer? (Dale Hollow or Center Hill?) I would love to have you ride behind it and get your thoughts of the difference in the wake between the two as I'm sure it would benefit many others here on WW since they both fall in the same price range.

Looks great! I was wondering if you were going to ditch the Vandall graphics and go all white, but I think keeping them is really going to make the boat pop. Can't wait for more pics! Congrats!

SICK! Great job on the white homi... Let's see it all put together and on the water.

redik as always chatt! cant wait to see it all done.

unreal!

That tower looks really tall...?

Looks great Chatt. Now just get rid of the skeleton hand thing.

^^ yea i think that thing would look sick with just the "vandall edition" on the back and maybe just the "V" just outlines in black without the shading in the middle. but i'm sure its all one decal. still looks sick as hell though. that z5 is going to be awesome on it!

Nice boat, congrats! I would pull the decal on it though.

I bet they are separate decals, but the hand is under the "V"

Man, I hope you have someone driving you to pick up the boat. When I had Lasik, my vision the next morning was very good but I don't think I would have enjoyed driving. Then again, I could probably make due if I were driving to pick up that sweet boat!

Have fun with the LS3! It's a beast. You'll be running premium fuel all summer, but that's the price for performance. That motor rips!

Really? Your boat is not even on the water yet and you have chicks hanging all over it!

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/m...8/edab79d1.jpg

TJ Hahahahaha.

I thought long and hard about whether I wanted to keep the graphics or ditch the graphics. I really liked how clean the black boat I had last season looked with no graphics. However, my friend David bought a solid white A20 and kept the graphic off of it. I just did not like the look of his boat as much as I thought I would. I think it's because the rubrail is black and breaks up the white.

The decal is one huge piece. I know because I had the decals put on my black boat for the buyer. I wanted to know how hard it would be to just put the V and the "Vandall Edition" portion on the boat. What I determined is that it would be best for me to get the whole thing put on, and then, if I decided to, cut and remove the skeleton portion fo the decal. When everything's all said and done, I'm going to call on one of you photoshop gurus to do that for me so I can see what it looks like.

I've always liked as much solid color as possible, but, at the very least, this boat needs the big V on the side.

Chase, I'd be more than happy to give you a pull sometime. I'll pm you my number. Just txt me if you are going to be in the Chatt area anytime soon.

Jon, I would love to meet up with you sometime and take a set behind that MB! Usually, I don't make it to nashville unless I'm going to board bonanza. It was cancelled last year, but I hope they bring it back. If so, I may see you there. Alternatively, we always take our boat up to Knoxville for Boomsday /labor day weekend. If you haven't been up there for Boomsday, you really ought to consider coming. My friend Ryan's dealership, American Boat Center, always puts on some huge rail/pool exhibition and other events. Just pm me if you want to try to put something together.

- along these lines, why the hell don't we coordinate a few big ww members meet and greet events?

Sounds good Chattwake. When my boat is here we can work something out. The invitation is open to others as well, just send me a PM.

I'm not a big fan of Skelator's pimp hand on the side of the boat but the graphics being black don't really do it any favors either IMO. I know it wouldn't be cheap but have you considered doing it in a lighter color? Maybe a metallic grey or silver or maybe even a pearl white or plain white graphic with metallic flake to kinda ghost it in.

If you did that and kept the pimp hand the boat would still look like the regular Vandall Edition but with a more subtle graphic. I would think it would make it more appealing when going to sell it next year and keep you from having a buyer request that you put the full graphic back on it.

I don't have a great shot of my boat with the metallic silver graphics out in the sun (and I'm afraid you might start making fun of me posting pics of my boat like you do with Robert!) but I love the look of the graphics on this RZ2. I think it would look even better if they were a little lighter.

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/m...8/95c29959.jpg

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/m...8/c7acbb79.jpg

Of course that means the black bimini needs to be changed to match, although black wouldn't be terrible.

Awesome job as usual Chatt!

Chatt, Like your idea for a WW meet and greet. I think Norris Lake could be a great lake for an event. Great looking boat enjoy it.

i like chatt's boat the way it is, i need to get myself one of my own!

I guess it is all one big rumor about "once you go black, you never go back"???? Well, I tried it once and I came back to black. I guess we will see you back in black next year. Ha ha...
In all seriousness it looks awesome and that motor looks huge!!!!! That trailer looks sexy too. Boatmate is awesome. Good to see they are under most inboard boats now. They deserve all the new business they are getting.

LOL, they should change the name of the package!

Ok, I suck at Photoshop but in an effort to prove that I do work from my desk and that my Mac is a functional computer I spent nearly 15min doing this for you so say something nice. Again, I really don't know what I am doing but it doesn't look too bad. I left the V black because I got tired of working after 15min. It doesn't look bad black and would maybe tie in your black bimini canvas.

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/m...08/12A2216.png

Chatt Congrats on the new boat.To me it would look plain without the Vandall Graphics in BLACK! That makes it really pop! Also the white trailer is sick with the Black rims of course.Looking really sweet,can't wait to see the pics of it finished on the trailer.Also like the white tower.White is the color you are going with on the Rev410's? That should look Awesome too.

Chatt, why did you upgrade from the 2011 ?

Edit:
Do you have any pics of the stringer system on a axis boat?

I like the white graphic.Either way I would definitley get rid of the skeleton hand.

Chatt,

I gotta be honest, I didn't think I could like an Axis any more than your last one (which I loved). But this white one is shaping up to be a sweet ride. I have seen all white before on a A20 w/out graphics, and it looked way too plane for my taste. I think you would grow bored of it, and resale might be hard because most people who want to buy the V edition, probably want to show it off.

So... where does that leave us? I think the black graphic is cool. in fact, I kind of like white boats with black accents (you can tell by my current VLX build). The black trim pieces really pop off the white. The black decals match the theme of your black wheels, black diamond plating, black rub rail, black bimini canvas, black cover, black vinyl accents, etc.. You might even consider doing your WS in black to complete the look.

On the other hand, the "ghosted" decals shown above are SICK. If that is an option, I'd consider it strongly. The downside is more cash out of pocket, and you should be trying to keep your cost down for resale in the fall. But I really like what TJ did, even the way he left the V in black.

As far as the V only option. I'm not a fan. Don't like the V just hanging out there all alone. It looks like something is missing... sort of like when somebody debadges part of their car, but not all of it. The skeleton hand is cool (I know I'm in the minority here).

If I were you and quick resale was my goal, I'd just leave it like the factory did it and play up the black accent theme. Keep our investment low and the boat looking OEM.

BTW... it just occured to me that our boats were practically built side-by-side!

awesome dud. the 24 next year is gonna be sick!!!! i dig the whiteout.

Sweet boat for sure but, am I the only one who doesn't understand this?: If you're trying to save money or be budget conscious etc. Why buy a new boat every year? Why not buy a "brand name boat" and keep it for awhile? I've never done the math on this and maybe I'm wrong but, it seems like you're losing a ton of money every year especially if you're putting in a Wetsounds system into it.

Bear in mind I'm not bagging on Axis in any way. The pics of Axis wakes I've seen are awesome. I just want to understand the money trail and the return of/on pleasure/cost here.

Sweet boat Chatt! I like it better than the black A22! I'd love to ride behind one someday to see what all the fuss is about.

He does it every year. He has the hook up and gets them close to cost I think. Then sells them at the end of the season without losing money.

Thanks Sean! I do l have a local dealer who is willing to give me a good price on a boat every season - same setup I had when i was buying nautiques (and I had the same opportunity if I had wanted an MC). Because the resale values of he 230's and 'A22's I've owned have been really good, I have been fortunate enough to buy a boat, run it for a season, deck it out with some wetsounds gear, and then sell that same boat, with very little hours, decked out, without loosing any coin. One of the reasons is that there are not a ton of one year old used boats on the market that can be sold nationally or internationally. Dealers are not supposed to sell new boats out of territory, and not a whole lot of people get rid of a brand new boat after one season. I'm in a good niche', in that I don't have a terrible lot of competition for the particular type of boat I'm selling. Plus, my stereo's are always over the top and I try hard to make my boats appeal to a broad audience. Lastly, I take care of my stuff and clean it exclusively with Boat Bling products - which keeps everythin looking new!

TJ, I really like what you did there. I'm going to forward it to a friend at axis and see what he thinks!

Robert,

Thanks for the kind words. The rev410's will be white. I am also hopeful that, when everything is on the boat, the graphics will look really good as is. If not, I'm going to start modifying them.

In with the new, out with the old..

I love the white on white on white, I also like the all black which would look so murdered out behind my black on black truck. From experience though black SUCKS to keep looking good. I have photoshopped the hand out and i will post it as soon as I find it.

this is with no V or hand
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/e...at120818PM.png

http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/e...at100327AM.png

These are super rough but you can get an idea. Honestly, I like no graphics at all. Maybe you can buy a stainless rub rail and make it work from another boat. I would also tint the windshield a hair.

What if the windshield frame was white too?

What sub are you doing Chatt? Did you pick it up this morning? You know you are not supposed to be looking at a computer screen with those new eyes for a couple days!

I like that one without the hand but with the V and the Vandall edition on the back. Maybe even an all black V to set it off. the white windshield frame would be sick too!

I agree the hand looks major BRO status. You can always just get the boat vinyl wrapped in whatever you want.

The windshield powder coated white would look insane. You have to keep some polished metal so it does't look like a toy boat though.

I'm going with the Wetsounds XS12, powered by a syn6 (as well as my interior speakers).

In regard to the hand/skeleton thing. I love the white decals. I've passed that idea on. Who knows? Something may come of it. One thing I've learned about Axis, they listen to their riders and make changes that they want/suggest.

The more I look at it, the black decals grow on me - even the hand part. I assume everyone realizes that Vandall has that exact tatoo on his arm, and that he is a west coast rider -- hence the graphic. It's not like Axis is just trying to throw a bunch of skulls on their boats.

DBC's comments are probably right on through, if I mess with the graphic, it might look good to me, but invariably, a potential buyer won't like it and will want the full graphic. With my black boat, that's exactly what happened, and, luckily, I had preserved the original grapic and could get it put on for him. If I go cutting up the graphic now, and a buyer wants the entire graphic later, I'm going to be stuck buying a $700 set of stickers. Barf! Now, if I'm able to smooth talk some folks, and procure an extra, backup, set of graphics, I really may start pealing stuff off!

I'm just going to wait, get everything together and think hard about it. I'll ask you guys to chime in too, once all's said and done.

I did just get back from picking up the boat and, of course, it's raining. More pics to come.

Got her home. The fun begins tomorrow w/ the z5 and stereo install.

:)

Ohh man that thing is nasty!!!!!! WOW!

Project 1 - remove red reflectors from trailer
Project 2- install batteries
Project 3 - install z5
Project 4 - install amps
Project 5 - install ws420
Project 6 - install interior speakers
Project 7 - install ballast bags
Project 8 - swap steering wheel
Project 9 - add leds
Project 10 - install tower speakers (when they come in)

Other projects up for consideration are getting the racks powdercoated white, and getting the windshield tinted.

Chatt have the racks and rear vents pc'd in black I think that would tie everything together nicely.

Sick boat either way!

It looks so much better in these pictures. Making me wish mine was here :(

Have fun with your stereo/ballast install.

Looks Sick Chatt! What kind of steering wheel swap are you gonna do?.
p.s. this thread gives me incentive to work hard and save my money :)

Tower speakers should be in next week- or so I'm told. Which prop did you go with? Thought I heard the cinco was only for the 335 engine.

I'm using the 1274 power prop. It works well with the big motor!

Don't forget the "hotdogger"

Nice Boat!

Get that bad boy on the water for some pics... Looks awesome Chatt.

please don't put the old brown steering wheel on that boat. LOL!

Don't listen to the haters, the wood steering wheel is pure class!

Hotdogger is on order!

I'm sorry, but of all the Axis boats posted on this site, that boat is the ugliest of all of them.

White is a classy color if done correctly, when theres too much white, it just looks cartoonish or toyish. Not my cup of tea.

^^^^^ haters gunna hate!!!!

Chat. looks sick... I definitely think it is better looking than last years. I like the black diamond plate on the trailer with black wheels.. the whole set up looks great. Stoked to see your wake once its dialed in, with that motor and prop, i imagine you will be able to put even more weight than last year.

go break her in and take some pics

I've seen other all white boats(axis) on this site,how specifically does this one qualify as ugliest? Also what is your suggestion to make it classy but retain the white theme? Thanks for your thoughtful insight .

What the hell kind of a comment is that!This axis in no way or aspect remotelty resembles
'ugly".This guys sharing his new pride and joy and you have to call it ugly?Wow.Hey when you order your new boat then you can choose your own colors!!

The 2 chicks in the picture above didn't seem to think it was ugly.

^^^^^Nice comment clown. Keep that hate spewing garbage to yourself next time.

I'm guessing that was meant for 9645glazier...careful who you point your arrows at Matt! I've seen people's drain plugs get stolen and trailer hitch's released while they are out in the water for the careless use of arrows.

JK. How did those XS650's work out?

purely out of curiosity.

Isn't it kinda bitter sweet to sell off a rig every year just after you've personalized it to your liking?

I suppose its pretty easy to forget about that when the new one shows up!!

It's an opinion, calm down nuthuggers.

It is simply not my cup of tea, way too much white, no contrast. I'm sure its s great boat, just not my style. Although, I guess if you always liked Ed Hardy graphics, the Vandall graphics would be right up your alley.

Glazier there is nothing I want to see more than you getting punched in the face.

^^^what he said

Lol. For stating an opinion, pip down bro.

Go look at the RZ2 someone else posted in another thread, that to me is the perfect combo of white and black. I just don't dig all white boats, plus I'm sure it's a bitch to keep clean if it was actually used full season.

People around here take boats way to seriously, if your gonna post pictures, wouldn't you expect someone else to disagree with your choice? I never knocked the boat, just said compared to other Axis boats here, I've seen better. Not my style, I'm sure he's stoked with his purchase.

You went as far as to say of all the axis on this site its the ugliest..that's pretty harsh if you ask me.

I could see your point, not trying to bash, just have seen and preferred other Axis' on this site, including his old black one.


/threadjack/hatefest over, back to the boat.

"I never knocked the boat, just said compared to other Axis boats here, I've seen better." (ryan glazier)

That's not what you said... this is what you said:

"I'm sorry, but of all the Axis boats posted on this site, that boat is the ugliest of all of them"

lol, just messing with you. Let the man have an opinion, even if it is harsh, Chat's a big boy, if he doesn't want to chance having negative feedback, then he can go post pictures of his beautiful boat at axisboatowners.com where there will be plenty of positive comments and no negative ones.

One thing i don't get ryan, what about that boat is way too much white with not enough contrast? the boat is white with black with penguin grey interior with white and black. the tower, bimini and speaker set up will be white and black, as is the trailer... just curious

I am just guessing here, but I bet this guy thinks that Ryan's opinion sucks...

I think the the thing I don't like the most is the white tower, and the white powdercoating on the Z5, and he said he's putting white Rev410s on it, seems like alot of white. And like I said, I've never been a fan of Vandall's package for graphics. I think if the underside of the hull had been black or if he put a little black on the deck, it would have broken the white "blobness" of it all.

Just a bummer that this guy has to throw a fly in the ointment of otherwise a good natured thread.There's a big difference between "opinion" and insult.

Opinions are like buttholes, everybody has one and they all stink.

Chatt your boat is off the hook sick.

haha

/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\//\ that's funny

Robert coming to Chatt's rescue...???

Of all the things I never thought I'd see on WW, this is at the top of the list!

Now if Chatt would only respond in kind, we might witness a peace the likes of which this forum has never seen before!!

Bizarro World... anyone??

http://www.theeggdesigngroup.com/sto...=1304172557922

Were just on the same page and believe it or not we do agree on some things. Actually were brothers from different mothers! LOL:D

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/m...8/95c29959.jpg

TJ- That is the sickest version of an all white boat I've ever seen. Not the boat specifically, but the touch of light gray looks sweet on the all white boat.

Chatt- Love the all white axis also. I'm always a fan of all your boats!

Hey, whites not for everyone, and people have different tastes. It's all good!

I'll post up some pics tomorrow of the z5 mounted up. My 3 year old "helped" me put it on Saturday night. Today, I dewinterized the boat (never understood why they all come winterized from the factory-even in summer), mounted up all the amps, mounted all of the interior speakers, ran power and ground to all of the amps, painted my mirror mount white to match the tower, and installed the batteries. I ran out of steam about 4 o'clock and we hit the lake to get some break in hours on the motor.

All I can say about the ls3 is wow! It idles sooooo smooth and has noticeably more punch than the raptor 400. It sounds really mean and has great throttle response. I can't wait to load the boat up!

This week, I'll install the front pnp bag and 1100's in the rear hatches, finish wiring the amps, mount and connect the ws420, install the tower mirror, and (when the come in) mount up the rev410s.

I've got a lot of work ahead of me.

I love the new rear seat back layout and rear speaker location, and the new side panel/side speaker design is better. The swim platform material is softer, and, hopefully, won't get as hot as last years

I didn't think I'd notice much of a difference between last years boat and this years, but, so far, I'm thrilled with the functional and aesthetic improvements that have been made. Unfortunately, I don't have any on water pics yet, but they're coming. What I really want to do, to give everyone some insight into what the boat is capable of, is to load the boat up with 4k in water weight + the wedge, and take a video of how well this boat gets out of the hole and what the wake looks like at 23mph. I think posting that up will help show why Im so stoked on this boat!

More to come as things progress!

Haha Robert and I just poke fun each other and don't take things too seriously!

And, yes, it is bittersweet to sell my boat every year after putting so much hard work into it, but it's a labor of love.

Logan - FYI, I almost choked on my meatball sub when I saw that dos equis pic.

chatt,
U will love that motor. My buddy has it in his A22 he got late last season and it is awesome. I drove the boat last year with 4400 lbs of ballast plus five guys in the boat. With rider in tow it got on plane and locked on speed it 10 seconds. It is awesome. We ran the same weight setup in my other buddies a22 yesterday. He has the standard motor 335hp I think and a power prop. We had to move someone extra up front every time we took off. He wishes he had opted for the lr3 after experiencing it.

Sweet - my buddy bought a 2011 Vandal Edition and I have been pretty impressed with the all around wakeboard/surf performance. I am also partial to white/black - :)

Can't wait to see it all put together! And for all the haters of black and white - suck it !

I first experienced WW's love/hate relationship with white when I was new to the forum, having bought my first boat... all white down to the tower. People said horrible things to me and about that boat (even the dreaded "B******r" slur). Ultimately after two seasons I grew tired of the all white... it just become boring to me and I craved some flair (just not 14 pieces).

For me the trick with white is to accent it with lots of black trim... it really pops off the white. It's sort of like white cars. They look sooooo good with black wheels and DARK tint (at least 20%). In Chatt's case, I think he's nailed it by leaving on the black graphics. They tie into the theme nicely and the contrast is stunning. When he tints the glass it will really complete the look.

As for that RZ2, it would look better with black graphics too, instead of gray. What's the point of the black wheels with nothing else to tie them in?? And who posts Tige pics in an Axis thread anyway?? If I didn't know better, I say it was.... nevermind. But it is pretty bush for somebody to trash Chatt's boat in his own thread. Some folks really have no shame. It's not like this is a thread where he's soliciting opinions. We're celebrating his new sled!! Sheesh...

One more thing... with the LS3, that boat must be a real hot rod.

At least the heats off me for once. LOL

:)

You definitely have the baddest boat on wakeworld bring it to northern California !

Haha- yea, meant for 9645glazier. XS650's sound great! Much better mids than the polks. Hopefully I'll see you out- I want to hear your system!

Come on Logan...that's a bit of a stretch. Chatt's boat is nice and all especially with the extra $500-$600 he spent on the motor and white tower but have you seen some of the boats on here??

The list of nicer boats than Chatt's is long and distinguished, like my...tow rope:

1. Lon's X80
2. Robert's Blue & White Tige
3. The new 22' stretched to 24' MB
4. All MB's for that matter
5. The Fakesetter

I'm sure there are many more. Ghost out the graphics including skeletor's pimp hand and install the wooden steering wheel and I'd consider it.

I'll try to get said wooden steering wheel on tonight. We'll see what we can do about the graphics :D

to each his own but i'm nut hugging chatts new whip. Never cared much for tige or mb.Every body has their own opinion but mine is that this boat with the motor, stereo and overall look is the best looking boat on here.

Chatt - i would take off the decals up front right @ the bow tips.

Alright, all is forgiven with that image. I say that as a community, we make an effort to paste that image into every thread asking for input or opinions on boats!