Malibu owners-best tower for vlx

(tigeal) · (tigeal) **Join Date: Jul 2002** 02-22-2003, 7:25 PM

Looking for input on towers for new VLX, What do you like?

(timmy) · (timmy) **Join Date: Jul 2001** 02-22-2003, 7:30 PM

swoop looks the best and is sturdy. titan ones are ugly, but sturdy. some of the boss toweres look good too.

steveaz 02-22-2003, 7:45 PM

I'd say it depends on your priorities.

Do you want..

the stiffest?
the most asthetically pleasing?
the cheapest?
minimal hull stress?
garage door clearance?

Unfortunately all of these options aren't available in one tower except possibly the new Boss towers..haven't got to put my hands on one yet. I am kind of partial to the new Titan's with the swept rear hoop but that's a matter of opinion too.

Steve

(tigeal) · (tigeal) **Join Date: Jul 2002** 02-22-2003, 7:59 PM

I think they both look good, although completely diferent, the titan and swoop, as come on new vlx std. equip., hull stress and stifness are a concern, ease of collapsing. non ratleing for sure

(timmy) · (timmy) **Join Date: Jul 2001** 02-22-2003, 8:11 PM

my swoop doesn't sway, doesn't rattle, and no hull cracks after 180 hours so far. i would think that malibu wouldn't put something OEM that was going to be damaging to the hull.

folding it down is easy and taking it off completely is easy. concern would be garage door clearance. it wouldn't go in the 7' garage without removing the tower at the last place i lived. now i am renting a storage place with a 12' garage door, no need to even fold the tower now :-)

steveaz 02-22-2003, 8:52 PM

I have to disagree with the stress crack issue. I have seen a few boats with the the Swoop and stress cracks. One of which I ride behind regularly and all 4 corners have stress cracks.

Don't get me wrong, I think the Swoop is a great looking, stiff tower, that is better than most, but I think the fact that it mounts on the sides of the gunwhale contibute to some side to side sway and eventually stress cracks.

These are just my observations and opinions but what led me to purchase the less asthetically appealing Titan.

Steve

(greatdane) · (greatdane) **Join Date: Feb 2001** 02-22-2003, 9:25 PM

I think the new titan swoop tower is one of the best looking towers out there. When loaded up with racks, speakers and a bimini, it is sweet. The polished one is totally sweet.

Now, if they would just make as stretch bimini that connected from pole to pole then there would be no need for bimini poles. That would be clean!

(malibudude) · (malibudude) **Join Date: Feb 2001** 02-22-2003, 10:04 PM

The Titan Gen II is the tower of my choice. Easy of up and down, strength, looks, and low clearance for garages.

(paulsmith) · (paulsmith) **Join Date: Mar 2002** 02-23-2003, 5:33 AM

Funny, I used to agree with Tim that the Titan was "ugly". But I ordered it on my Malibu anyway because it is so functional and its reputation as the strongest, most well built tower out there.

Now after getting "used" to it, I love the way it looks, as long as it is loaded up with accessories. I still agree it is ugly on a boat by itself.

Anyway, for what its worth, I would put the new Titan on a VLX over a Swoop.

(sdub) · (sdub) **Join Date: Jan 2003** 02-23-2003, 10:24 AM

If fitting the boat in the garage is important, consider the Titan unless your opening is more than 7'3". The Swoop does not fit in a 7-0 garage opening when collapsed. You have to take it off. PITA. At first the Titan is pretty ugly, but man it grows on you.

(greatdane) · (greatdane) **Join Date: Feb 2001** 02-23-2003, 10:27 AM

Sorry, I meant the new Titan II (it is not a swoop) but is does have a bit more of a swoop to it when compared to the original Titan.

I wonder how that tower would look on a super air.

(ofwc) · (ofwc) **Join Date: Sep 2002** 02-23-2003, 11:31 AM

I wanted the Titan, but I chose the "low profile" Swoop. This is currently a special order item. Here's why:

1. Clearance - My garage opening is 6'10". The "low profile" version folds back and has an additional break in the front leg (like MC has on the rear) that further reduces the clearance height. I beleive the final clearance is only an inch or two above the windshield.

2. Walk through window clearance - The Titan won't allow the walk through window to open completely on an '03 unless it is mounted "just right". If it is mounted to allow the window to open, it is positioned so that the garage clearance is substantially higher (7+'?).

I wasn't fond of the setup on the collapsible Boss Billet tower. The articulating joint looks problematic to me. However, I am getting the Boss mirror mount and Boss racks just to mix things up a bit!

(trace) · (trace) **Join Date: Feb 2002** 02-23-2003, 1:31 PM

here's a custom Skyjac on my 96 VLX:
http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/tracetrimble/lst?.dir=/rig&.src=ph&.order=&.view=t&.done=http%

(lchamaschuk) · (lchamaschuk) **Join Date: Feb 2002** 02-23-2003, 4:31 PM

We went with the Titan tower, just because it can be folded down and hidden under the mooring cover. Our last boat was stolen, so security concerns are pretty high on our list.

(sdub) · (sdub) **Join Date: Jan 2003** 02-23-2003, 4:43 PM

BT's swoop sounds like the ticket.