Help with my malibu VLX

(face_smash) · (face_smash) **Join Date: Aug 2004** 02-16-2005, 9:14 AM

Anyone out there know a good setup it terms of ballast (and where to put it) in my VLX. Waiting for it to arrive at the moment but it has the rear sack removed and has been replaced with LPG tanks (Us english guys are not as privilaged as you guys accross the pond when it comes to fuel prices) any suggestions will be greatly apreciated!!

(hyperlitenrd) · (hyperlitenrd) **Join Date: Jan 2003** 02-16-2005, 9:21 AM

general ballast tips:

evenly distribute the weight through out the boat. you could put 2 sacks in the back(1 in ea.) then anotherone either on the floor next to the driver, or in the bow. Im not sure if your a memember, but a good malibu website is www.malibuboatowners.com

good luck!

(face_smash) · (face_smash) **Join Date: Aug 2004** 02-16-2005, 9:26 AM

thanks buddy, i only asked because the sacks have been taken out to make room for the LPG tanks!

(riverside) · (riverside) **Join Date: Mar 2002** 02-16-2005, 10:47 AM

is it a 2005 vlx?
malibu is no longer building the vlx with the ballast tanks under the floor.(europe boats only) because of new ce rules.i am thinking about building my own ballast tanks and put the lpg tanks on top of the homebuild hard tanks.

(face_smash) · (face_smash) **Join Date: Aug 2004** 02-16-2005, 12:20 PM

Yea mine is a UK Malibu and its a 2004 and has the center bassast tanks and just two massive tanks where the bags were!! What you said about building your own ballast tanks is a cool idea and i did think of it but wasnt sure if anyone had a different idea! The Malibu dealer said that the tanks (When full) weigh as much as the bags when they are full. My only problem with that is as your day progresses the tanks will start to drain and as a result the wake will change!!! ???????????????????????????? What do you think??

(riverside) · (riverside) **Join Date: Mar 2002** 02-16-2005, 11:18 PM

hi,
well the tanks i use wieght 43 kg and contain 33 liters of lpg each. 1 liter lpg wieghts 0.48kg
so it is only aproxx 32 kg of lpg,the rest is the weight of the tank only.

before my new boat i used 2x80 ltr tanks.with the 80% safety they carry 128 liters.so that was 61 kg
and i never noticed a wake change.

p.s nice boat,do you have a lpg filling station at the water??

(Message edited by riverside on February 16, 2005)

(face_smash) · (face_smash) **Join Date: Aug 2004** 02-17-2005, 2:53 AM

Really the Wake did'nt change???!!! Well that means im going to have to load her up with the bags!!! Yea we have filling stations on the lake for fuel and for LPG! Im not sure how much LPG the tanks actually take in mass??

Thanks for your comment on the boat, i am sooooooooooooooo pumped about it!! I used to wakeboard of the back of a jet ski and then i went to florida for the summer with my girlfriend and went behind an 04 X star and found out what it really about!! Here is a picture of my home town lake from my jet ski

I think a custom ballast system around the tanks is the way forward!!!

(riverside) · (riverside) **Join Date: Mar 2002** 02-17-2005, 8:49 AM

i,m pretty shure there is no room for the ballast system and lpg tanks.I don,t know how big your lpg tanks are but mine are 60x30 cm and have 33 liters lpg each.
i,m thinking of using these watertanks so i can still use the boat ballast sytems and make somekind of frame arround it to carry the wieght of the lpg tanks..
here are some pics.

(face_smash) · (face_smash) **Join Date: Aug 2004** 02-17-2005, 9:18 AM

my LPG tanks are much bigger than these ones! I think they are 70 lts each??! i might just put a 600Ib sack in the middle of the boat and make some kinda system that your talking about for the rear!

(riverside) · (riverside) **Join Date: Mar 2002** 02-17-2005, 9:55 AM

cool,going all the way ,huh?
the stock ballast and the weight of the tanks will do...you could use some lead in the back.
the vlx needssome extra wieght up front.
please let me know what kind lpg system you have on your malibu.i,m looking for a Multi port injection for my 340 monsoon.I know it is a english system

(face_smash) · (face_smash) **Join Date: Aug 2004** 02-17-2005, 10:58 AM

Mine is the moonson upgrade EFI also! Yea need to get the most out of this boat possible!! i havent picked it up yet, going to get her in roughly 2 weks so i will give you more info then on the LPG!! SO you think the VLX needs more weight up the front?????????????????

(riverside) · (riverside) **Join Date: Mar 2002** 02-17-2005, 12:52 PM

yep...malibu offers a build in bow tank on the new 05 vlx models.
but the 04 vlx wake with the standard ballast is already good especially compared to a jetski

just add some extra in the back and about 175kg up front in the walkway and the wake is freaking huge...no need to use the wedge anymore.

(face_smash) · (face_smash) **Join Date: Aug 2004** 02-18-2005, 8:33 AM

How much should i throw in the back dude??? And hay!!!! The jet ski wake was actually.......................................... ............................Yea it was crap!!!!! ha ha

(tigeal) · (tigeal) **Join Date: Jul 2002** 02-18-2005, 11:35 AM

I would consider making the existing gas tank into a water ballast tank, I think it would be easy and the 35 gal. capacity would 200 + lbs. right were you want it.

(face_smash) · (face_smash) **Join Date: Aug 2004** 02-18-2005, 2:34 PM

Good idea alan but where do i put the gas if i do that????

(tigeal) · (tigeal) **Join Date: Jul 2002** 02-18-2005, 3:46 PM

Did't read post well enough I guess, Though you had LPG bottles were rear ballast would be?

(face_smash) · (face_smash) **Join Date: Aug 2004** 02-19-2005, 1:42 AM

oh ok dude!!! thanks anyway though!!