need tower/pylon for chaparral

I have a Chaparral but i don't know what tower to get or if I can even have one. The boat doesn't have anything for a pylon to fit into and I don't know what towers will fit onto the boat. Somebody please help me and tell me if I can use a tower and what tower to get.

Just picked up my Chaparral 196 today with a proflight tower! Will let you know how it works after i use it! Looks Good! and existing Bimini works $$$

how much did the tower cost?

p.s. for those of you wondering what kind of Chaparral I have, i'll find out and tell you tomorrow

Wakeside.com has several universal and custom towers that will fit your boat. Check out Skylon X-treme, S-Bend, or Sport Bar, Titan Series I or II, or the ProFlight Swoop.

Wakeside has just been approved as an Authorized Internet Retailer for ProFlight. We will have the towers and accessories on our site this week. Check out their Custom Swoop at http://www.proflighttowers.com/towers.htm.

We are not able to offer Boss Towers at this time due to a Patent infringement with Correct Craft. We hope that we can offer Boss towers again soon if they can clear up the legal issues.

Mike Hellweg
http://www.wakeside.com

It was pricey, $2100 + install etc.

Check out Roswell Wake Air, http://www.roswellwakeair.com , they have some nice towers that look really sweet on the I/Os. If you are in the Illinois area shout me an email.

There are a few pictures of Chapparal's on our site at: http://www.monstertower.com/customerphotos/index.htm

Bill
www.MonsterTower.com

Well I have found out that I have a Chaparral 205. I am looking for a tower on the cheaper side since I don't have much money. Thanks for the suggestions so far everyone.

Check out the Skylon Sports Bar. This one will work on your boat as well.

If you consider the Wakeside Reward Points, the effective cost is $719.95 after you use your reward on your next order (like racks).

Here is the link:

http://www.wakeside.com/miva/merchant.mv?page=W/PROD//skylon_sport_bar

Mike
http://www.wakeside.com

Benjamin
Beware of universal towers.} We have a tower called the sport. It is fully custom made to your specific boat and sells for less than $1300 comes in your choice of Black or White powdercoat. Let me know how I can help.
www.wakeair.com
Brian
1 877 Wake Air

In my humble opinion there are good quality universal towers and there are poor quality universal towers. The same is true of fully custom towers. I have seen very poor quality custom towers that are high priced and/or ugly. The Skylon universal towers are very high quality and look great. We have sold many Swoop X-Treme, S-Bend, Super Sport, and Sport Bars without any reported quality issues. As a matter of fact, we are not aware of a single unhappy customer who has purchased a Skylon Universal Swoop tower.

The key to buying quality is to go with a quality tower company that stands behind their products. That is more important than custom vs universal. That is the reason why Wakeside has chosen only the top OEM tower manufacturers and has generally avoided aftermarket tower manufacturers. It is not that an aftermarket company can't produce a good tower, they can. It is that the OEM companies like Boss, Mako, NVert, ProFlight, Skylon, Titan, and Wake Designs have had to go through great design and quality measures to be accepted by the wakeboard boat manufacturers and to remain the OEM supplier. Here are some examples of the OEM manufacturers:

Malibu: Skylon, Titan, MetCraft
Tige: Boss, Wake Designs
Calabria: Boss
MB Sports: Skylon
Centurion: ProFlight, Skylon
Sanger: ProFlight
Supra: Mako racks
Moomba: Mako racks
Nautique: NVert racks

Wakeside.com has been working hard to offer all of the best OEM brands and eliminating companies that don't measure up. We have eliminated Barewest last year and have added Mako, NVert, and ProFlight this year. NVert and ProFlight will be on our site later this week. If we find more quality OEM manufactures that stand behind their products, we will add them in the future.

Bottom line - buy from a quality company (usually OEM) that stands behind their product and then find the one you can afford that looks best on your boat. Universal towers ship much faster than a custom tower. Sometimes only a custom tower gives the boat owner the look they want.

Thank you everyone for your help. Your suggestions/advice is great! I'll check out all the towers you mentioned and let ya know what I decided.

Mike really nailed it. I disagree with Brian saying "beware of universal towers", especially from a person affiliated with a company that only makes custom towers. Beware of what? These boards are about helping people, not competetive positioning.

There are a lot of great universal towers, and all of us that make them have many customers that would stand by that statement. The are some shakey, poorly engineered universal towers out there but it really is the exception. Same is true for custom towers.

Compare companies and products well and you'll find a great tower for your boat, univeral or custom made, and the prices are getting better to reflect the competetive nature and saturation in the market.

Bill
www.MonsterTower.com

hey i just wanted to clairfy that boss does not make OEM towers for tige (let along towers for anyone else anymore),wake designs and a local guy in TX near their factory do OEM for Tige. And Ben, go custom, they are A million times stronger then anything universal, you cant get the perfect geometry with a unversal tower, you want something that is built to the width of you boat,not fitted to your boat, makes life so much better, you might pay a little more, this is true, but save up and do it right in one shot. Check out wake designs, or one of your lacal dealers and check out ALL the towersd on a boat, yank on them you will learn really fast which one you awnt and dont want. PS poles suck to board off of.

Btw, Todd, Tige's "local guy in TX near their factory" is a little more than that. They're built by a company called Syncro Vac and they are located just east of Austin and about 3.5 - 4 hours south east of Tige'. They are known for manufacturing parts for high-tech companies and highly respected for the quality of their work.

www.syncrovac.com


(Message edited by nick360 on August 12, 2003)

I have seen towers at the Boss factory that they manufactured and were selling to Tige for some models. I have no idea if they are still shipping any towers to Tige at this time with the Correct Craft lawsuit. Tige has also used Wake Designs and Metcraft. I didn't know about Syncro Vac. Interesting.

Mike

I as well thought it was Metcraft Mike, but i have to say this from what i have seen, nick, high quality isnt the word i would use, cost effective corner cutting goofy designs is not my thought of a backing of a huge "high tech company." Why not get more creative? Poor weld quality and wacky design my friend, but we all have our opinion dont we. I have to say that i have fab'd and welded systems for our goverment, as well a nascar and other industries and the quality (with such HIGH backing) i see is not up to par with the others. this is all i have to say on this, not bashing Metcraft or who ever backs there company, just another man's stupid opinion i guess.

Metcraft won an OEM deal with Malibu for 2004 with their new Illusion X tower. The Illusion X replaces the stainless steal Illusion tower manufactured by Titan for the 2003 model year.

The new Illusion X by Metcraft is cast aluminum and swoops forward toward the front of the boat like the prior Illusion tower. Someone who saw one last week told me that it looks a little rough and plastic looking. I will reserve judgment until I see one.

Metcraft is one tower company that I really don't know very much about. The owners of Tige boats with a Metcraft tower could tell us the most about the quality of Metcraft towers.

I know one thing, the quality of a tower is very important. If the tower is bad, the whole boat feels a little cheap. I recommend going with only the best OEM tower manufacturers. Universal towers from these quality companies are usually good quality too. Wakeside has had tremendous success with the Skylon Swoop X-treme and the Swoop S-bend towers.

On a side note, I just heard of a relatively new aftermarket tower company that has more than 4 inches of side to side play when cranking on the tower. That is unacceptable from my perspective. Remember not to believe everything that is advertised, but talk with people who use the product over a period of time.

Let's see how the 2004 Illusion X tower manufactured by Metcraft does with Malibu this season. This is a new concept that may catch on. Reminds me of the towers that hold the radar on cruisers.

Mike

Benjamin,

Good luck on your search for a tower. You may want to talk to a few Chapparal owners of whatever tower you decide on as references.

Also, make sure the company will take the tower back if you dont like it as well. You pretty much have that right anyways with anything you buy today as long as you have buy with a credit (not debit) card.

When you get a tower on post some pictures up! Below are some pictures we got in the last couple days of Chapparal's with towers.

Bill

NO WAY!!!! Metcraft got Malibu? That is nuts!!! I think Tige is going to fly solo this year and make their own towers. But i would love to see Metcrafts new Wake designs Epic rip off. The "Reverse" concept has been poorly mocked by others. I think Phat Buddies is the worst rip off yet

Don't know about everyone else but I got a Monstertower too and I'm a big guy -- 6'4 and 250 -- and It's solid as can be... I recommend it!

Anyway, enjoy the rest of the summer on the water.. while it lasts!

Bob

rob that tower has no play at all? it doesnt sway?

Benjamin, I also have a Monster tower and I couldn't be happier with it. Not only is the price right, but their customer service among the best in the industry.

As for custom vs universal, not only do I regularly ride behind my boat, but also a SAN. The ride is every bit as good and I can honestly say that MY tower is just as solid as the Flight Control tower (custom tower). Don't get me wrong, I love the SAN and Flight Control, but I didn't have $50 G's to drop.

The install was easy and it looks great. As mentioned in a previous post, we all have our opinions, here's mine.

Bill at Monster invited me to participate in their photo shoot on Lake Lanier a few weeks ago. Attahced is a pic from that shoot. This guy is one of the best riders I've seen on our lake. He was rippin' behind my boat, and I didn't hear or see anything from the Monster.

Best of luck Benjamin, or anyone else considering a tower.

I should clarify a couple of points:

Metcraft is only one of three OEM tower manufacturers selling to Malibu. Skylon and Titan still have 98%. Metcraft needs to prove themselves to the very picky Bu owners.

Metcraft did not rip off Wake Designs Epic design. First of all, Malibu was first with the forward swooping design and they hired Titan to develop the Illusion two years ago. For the 2004 model year, they are now offering the Metcraft Illusion X. It doesn't look anything like the Illusion or the Epic.

Here is a link that will show what the new Illusion X looks like:

http://www.wakeworld.com/news/2003/malibu6.asp

Mike
http://www.wakeside.com

WELL MIKE I DO BELEIVE THAT WAKE DESIGNS HAD IT ON THE BOARD FIRST, MALIBU JUST BEAT THEM TO THE WATER, AND THAT IS THE STORY THAT COMES OUT OF THE MALIBU FACTORY. PLUS THE LOOK IS TOTALLY DIFFRENT, MALIBU'S TOWER IS STRAIGHT AND LACKS CONTOUR, WHICH I GUESS IS A PREFRENCE THING TO THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER. AS FOR THAT NEW Metcraft Illusion X TOWER I AM RATHER SHOCKED AT HOW COOL IT LOOKS; I WONDER IF THAT IS BUILT INTO THE GUNNEL? I CANT BELIVE THAT IS MADE BY METCRAFT, I MUST SAY IT IS DAMN COOL. BUT ON A TOTALLY DIFFRENT NOTE, DOESNT THIS DISCUSSION BOARD SEEM LIKE A MONSTER TOWER SALES PITCH AREA?

The Illusion X is bolted to the gunnel with eight bolts. Since Malibu developed this tower with Metcraft, I'm sure that Malibu strengthened the gunnel at that location to withstand the tremendous force that this type of design would put there. Cast aluminum should be plenty strong to withstand the forces even with the rather narrow base width.

The shape of the tower is very cool. The price is almost identical to the Skylon Swoop and the Titan Series II which is way lower than last year's Illusion tower.

The only negative thing that I have heard is that up close the Metcraft Illusion X looks a bit rough (cast aluminum mold) and a plastic looking. I hope to see one soon, but the Malibu dealer in Oregon only sells the Skylon Swoop (which is a very nice tower). We may need to wait for the boat shows to see it in person.

I know for sure that Metcraft manufactures it.

Rob,

Haven't seen your answer to Todd's question. I have been real curious about how stiff the Monster tower is since it is a totally new product this year.

We like to know as much as we can about all of the products in the marketplace.

Mike

Stiffness of a structure is really a relative thing. Grab any metal structure like a play set, staircase or wakeboard tower shake it side to side, it will move to some extent, it must. If the material of the structure is aluminum or stainless, it will move because they are ductile materials. If it was glass it would not move but crack because it is brittle.

The best place to learn about tower stiffness (and stress analysis) is at http://www.inboardtalk.com/tower/tower%20analysis/analysis.htm where Matt shares the results of modeling the traditional arch tower design, the Titan and the Monster Tower. This was pretty early on and the wall thickness of the tubing has been increased, but it certainly shows the Monster Tower compares favorably in deflection under load to any other tower design.

Also, check out the customer comments page at http://www.monstertower.com/customerphotos/index.htm as well as the comments under the photos. You'll find many comments from customers that are very impressed with the stiffness of a Monster Tower compared to other towers. If you would like to talk to any of them let me know and I'll hook you up with them

For anyone going to SurfExpo you’ll have a great chance to do the “yank, crank and compare” test for every tower on the market, including the Monster. I’d love to get some feedback about stiffness from people that get a chance to do this.

Bill

Well Bill i must say this my friend, i understand the whole process of making a tower, mounting a tower etc. and i can tell you that there is "movement" in a tower and then there is SWAY. When you say movement are we talking .125 in. of movment, or are we talking a .5 of an inch. I can say that i have hand my hands on pleanty of towers that maybe have .063 in. of give in them. i know that my tower has no sway AT ALL. The boys at Wake designs have hooked it up with a rock solid quite tower. If anyone has any doubt in that department i can point to a entire lot of boats with WD towers that are 2002 and newer that a rock solid, the reverse arch included. SO again bill how much do they move? I am curious....

Todd/Mike, per my earlier post, I have a Monster Tower and I'd say it's rock solid. I'm no pro, but I've ridden behind numerous towers, SAN, X-Series, Centurion, Malibu and I can safely safe the Monster is every bit as solid, if not more in some cases. I did have to tighten things up a few times after the initial installation, but haven't had to do anything since. I'm sure if the install isn't done properly, as with many things, you will have issues.

One of the things I've found in this industry is you have two kinds of people. Those who think they know everything and more or less put you down. Then there are those who simply love the sport, want to help and give top notch customer service (Nautique in Atlanta, Buywake.com and Monster tower for example). You two seem to be the type who think you know everything, and are a black cloud in our sport. Shut up and Ride!

I don't work for Monster Tower, I don't work for Bill. I do know Bill because I asked him 5000 questions before and during my tower/accessories purchase. I'm glad Bill is the type who loves the sport and wants to help. He could have told me to pound sand with all my questions. Keep it up Bill, Customer Service goes a long way. ANYONE interested in a tower, call Monster or Bill, They have given me exceptional service. Peace.

Taylor,

I did not say one negative thing about Monster Tower or how stiff they are. I have not even seen one in person yet here in Oregon. Wakeside currently offers and sells four top brands of towers so we feel that it is important for us to know all of the options in the marketplace. Since Monster is totally new in the market, not much is known about their tower yet except what they say about their own product and the reviews that Monster buyers post on the forums. I'm not sure why you grouped Todd and I together since I have never talked with Todd before other than this thread.

I wonder how credible a source you are since you implied that "I think I know everything, that I put people down, that I don't simply love the sport, and that Wakeside doesn't want to help and give top notch customer service". You are totally wrong on all four accounts!

I speak only when I know something from experience and believe that I have something to offer to the wakeboarding community. One area of expertise at Wakeside is towers. We are the leading Authorized Internet Retailer for the largest OEM tower manufacturers. That is where our experience and input comes from. Do we know everything - absolutely not, nor did we claim that we did.

I don't recall ever putting you or anyone else down on this forum. I did state my opinion regarding the tough qualification process to become an OEM tower manufacturer.
You are totally wrong about Wakeside not "simply loving the sport". The owners and all of the associates at Wakeside love the sport. We are totally committed to this sport. That is why we created Wakeside. We wanted to "raise the bar" and provide the best shopping and customer service experience possible on the Internet. We ride together weekly in order to demo products so that the advice we give our customers is accurate and real. Our Wakeside demo boat is totally loaded with products that we offer and sell. We designed the Wakeside Battle Rack wakeboard rack together with Titan. My brother Tom Hellweg owns Skylon and two Malibu dealerships. We are totally committed to this sport and the development of the industry.

If you think that Wakeside has created a "black cloud in our sport", then I would dare to say that you don't know what you are talking about. I'm certain that others in the industry would tell you that the industry is better served since Wakeside entered and started serving.

Mike

Guys,

This has gotten well past what I'm willing to stay involved with. Let's all go get a beer and go riding

Bill

PS: I've heard good things about WakeSide which is why I have recommended you in other posts, keep up the great work.

Todd,

Sorry I forgot to answer your original question about how much towers move. This first depends on the force and direction of load applied. Check out http://www.inboardtalk.com/tower/concept/fea/monster-SIDE2/monster-SIDE2-Displacement-Plot1.jpg to see the displacement with a 600 lb load aft and 200 lbs lateral. The FEA deflection is about 1/2, which is about the same as what you get pushing the tower side to side (naturally assuming a correct installation).

I agree with you that Wake Designs makes solid towers, very nice workmanship on what I have seen. Outside of a few companies that you never heard about and would have to dig hard to find that are below par, it's an industry of enthusiasts doing the best job possible and all are making very nice products.

We are one of the "new kid on the block" in the market (coming up on two years now) but the companies involed have been manufacturing and marketing products together longer than our model has been alive.

Bill

PS: Chill out Taylor or I'll stop answering your questions

right on bill

I finally decided to get a Monster Tower. It fits my budget and works great(very strong). Thanks again for all the advice everyone.