Unhappy boat owners???

Ok the Tige-Nauti-Sanger made me put this post up. Lets here things you don't like about the boat you CURRENTLY own. No one wants to hear you put down and bash the boat you used to own. No MC sucks or Bu's suck.
I want to hear about things you wish your boat had, the way it doesn't handle right or wishing it had a cooler- Stuff like that. Let's keep this informative and not negative. Remember, we are talking about your CURRENT boat.

I will start...I don't like that my wake boat doesn't exist! I am selling a fishing boat to get one though, hopefully older X-Star or SAN so hopefully I will get some good tips/pointers.

You will have a tuff choice old X-star or SAN hate to be in your shoes.
But we have the same prob nonexisting boats this is a big neg for my boat

I hate the tiny fuel tank my x2 has. Filling up twice in the same day sucks. I also hate that the drivers chair doesn't pivot, although it does in the 06 model.

I wish my boat (05 supra 21v) had a swivel seat.
And I wish the engine ran on garbage, and there was a kegerator built in...Other than that I love it

Has anyone ever added something like this:
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=10001&productId=37032&catalogId=10001& classNum=563&subdeptNum=37&storeNum=18

i wish my o6 v215 had a heater and about a thousand pounds more factory ballast..

I wish that our Sanger v215 had a riser on the driver's seat for my wife. Pivot would be nice also.

I hate that if you step on the center cushion wrong (in the playpen area) it will fall through. So many people have nearly broke their neck.

J Ro to tha D- Do you fill up twice riding all day or shorter than that? That seems like a whole ass load of gas. Also is the seat the same as a 2001? If so, does the 2001 slide forward/back? Does it raise/ lower? Thanks

Glove Box on the VLX is huge but the door and latch- cheap, I guess you can order a stainless upgrade, but for the money should be a little more hearty.
Seat warmer only warms the butt unlike the picture shows in the brochure warming the lower back, a nice to have if you have a low back strain.
Heater and seat warmer require at least 1000 rpm to warm up.
Stainless cup holders rattle with aggressive hole shots, this is annoying when you have a very quiet, solid, and smooth running boat. A little hot glue fixed them right up.
All wake boats should come from the factory with as much ballast as they can put in, paying an upcharge for a bow tank is crazy when your boat is called a "wakesetter".
The price and the price of the "accessories"- the manufacturers are killing us light pocket riders with the yearly increases. If interest rates were any higher I have got to think very few could afford one.
Ok that one's probably off topic but I needed to vent. I'm sure a lot a people can relate.
The sweet wake makes it all worth it!

Nice find Bill! I'm going to look into that.

Richard, you can have a heater put in for a couple hundred bucks.

Steezy: It's actually a rare ocassion. But it does happen in the summer when we're on the water all day with 5- riders and a couple thousand pounds of ballast.

In my SAN I want more storage and a real ice chest. But hay I call it a tractor get in shut up and ride.

Diddo on Tates comment about the riser on the driver seat., My heater works good. Wish Sanger had more up to date towers like MC, or MB Sports

I want a dam SAN gas fill that dosent spit back at me!!! Some times it pukes two-three times, a cup each time. Its embarrising at the marina or on land.

I wish they would make a gas filler that would allow you to leave the nozzle in without having to hold it, like you have on a car. Cars have that little hole that they added when they got rid of leaded gas and it holds the nozzle in place, so you don't have to hold it forever or get sprayed with gas when it overflows.

I have no idea why they installed my head unit for my sterio in the glove compartment out of reach of the drivers seat on my XLV. And my Balast bag leaks in the back left compartment and I havent been able to find the leak.

Hmmm, where do i start? The list could go on and on for a 13 year old boat. I wish she wasnt so cold natured. The steering feels like mud, guess i'll tackle replacing the cable during the off-season. Lastly, she can be a grumpy, jealous old woman. She acts fine when its just me and her, but if a female steps on board, she just all of the sudden she doesnt want to run right: stuttering and coughing for no apparent reason. Oh yeah, and my trailer sux; the wheels are stained from when the bearings barfed grease all over the place and i have to refill the brake resevoir every time i tow. Trying to stop a 4.5k lb trailer with a Land Rover D90 and no trailer brakes is a scary experience. Regardless, I still LOVE my boat, even after 13 years.

To those that might complain about your seatheater not working on your new '05; just remember how good you have it.

Cheers,
DKJ

(Message edited by dkjbama92mariah on December 14, 2005)

Good post so far- no bashing. I also wish my 21V had swivel seat, Also more LED lighting on tower, and intergrate Perfect Pass saved name settings with wakeplate settings.

I agree with Chris on the 21V. Wish list:
-Swivel seat
-Integrate pp with wakeplate
-get rid of spring in glovebox
-Pay more attention to the stereo: Real sub in a REAL box, please.

I wish my boat was 80ft longer.

--lameass built-in "cooler" that is no more than a fiberglass tub with no insulation. It should be called a "super quick ice melter" instead.

--tower has gobs of head clearance but sways more than any other tower that I've seen.

--playpen cushion can shift and fall through (see other posts above)

--no factory disco ball option

I would like my 03 X2 to have had gutters to drain the water that runs down between the pads on the sundeck instead of just making the lockers wet.

I also wonder why the rear seat isn't split into three seat cushions instead of two. The long one is just a paint to deal with.

I have a 05 VLX - I think they made a mistake when they took away the cup holder next to the glove box and the stereo postion and cover are a biatch to get to while driving.
I agree that the bow ballast should be standard.

Mbrown - try putting some tape on the inside top of the cup holder before using glue, it did the trick for mine. I used hockey handle tape.}

My 2004 Supra SSV

- Captain's chair doesn't swivel

- A quick drain connection for the engine block would be nice. Something similar to what they already have for the manifolds. I used to own a Bayliner several years ago that had a Mercuiser engine in it. The Merc had quick drain hoses that allowed you to completely drain the engine block in about 30 seconds. It is rediculous that Indmar doesn't have something like this.

- The tranny and V-drive both need quick drain hoses just like the motor has for the oil pan. No reason why they shouldn't have them.

That's about it.

I wish I had seating behind the driver's seat (wrap around) in my '04 SAN.

Fredrik: good call!

I hate the location of my head unit. Everything is planed pretty well other than that. 22 hrs, 1/4 season, already kicked into submission

Fredrik,
I would like my 03 X2 to have had gutters to drain the water that runs down between the pads on the sundeck instead of just making the lockers wet -

This is probably the sinble BIGGEST complaint I have with my MC. I am devising a way to get arount this so that the salt water doesn't get down on the motor in future years. I will say that the Nauti's do have something like this. Bascially they added hard rubber moulding to the tops of the dividers right where the cushions meet the dividers. Simple and effective, wish MC would take some leads from others and their owners.

On the X-Series boats from MC, they should have built a solid tank in the front for the ballast system, the bag that's there is/was crap.

1) Me too, Swivel captains chair would be nice
2) White navigation light on the tower
3) Coolant drain for heater unit
4) Locking glove box
5) Locking ski locker ($1000 worth of stuff stolen this year)
6) Some kind of ballast indicator, I think you can get it on a Bu, would be handy for wakesurfing setups
7) Gas springs that actually hold up the clamshell or a sharper blade on that guillotine
8) Tower that’s predrilled for wiring
9) More board racks
10) Speed sensitive stereo volume
11) The engine - storage compartment dividers are held in by thumb screws. The darn screws keep coming out.

gas fill on BOTH sides,swivel seat,locking glovebox,cushions on hindges.

More cup holders on my BU. Quieter engine (it is now that I installed a Freeair exhaust).

I will go with Big Ed for gas fill on both sides. I love my 99 launch other than that. Good to to see you on the board DKJ. I've seen the pic's of you're boat on the other board it's not as bad as you make it sound. I thought it was a sweet boat other than when you got T-BONED by a jetski.

My 211SE came with a radio in the glovebox with no provision for any control from the driver's seat. I think it's actually dangerous, of course I added a remote on a custom made key panel.

Stock ballast pumps don't always prime when the boat is sitting still.

Flip up passenger seat should be lockable.

Tower headroom is minimal.

Not enough top speed (solid) to pull barefoot one-footers.

All in all it's a great boat, I would buy it again today.

My 03 X2- swivel seat, a little cramped with several people in it, no locking storage (even cheap bass boats have locking storage) No nice built in ice cooler for drinks, seats are hard to keep clean, wish they had more color choices for the vinyl

I'm surprised noone said that they wish their boat had the "accessories" that the Monster Tower boat has.

For me and the old school 1990 Malibu Skier-
I wish I had some cubby holes to conceal the ballast. All ballast bags are out in the way of an already cramped boat.

I wish I had perfect pass also.

In Malibu's defense, neither ballast nor perfect pass existed in 1990.

Tige 24V

There are large patches of gray vinyl that scald your feet when it's sunny. The vinyl needs to primarily be a light color with a few small darker areas for accent. Playing hopscotch on my sun deck is a joke.

98 VLX-

Just got it but here is what I've noticed-

-The armrest/stereo cover just flops shut. I'm going to rig a latch/velcro, something to hold it open. Trying to operate the stereo shouldn't take two hands.

-It has one rear hatch instead of three. Plus it's motorized so it takes forever to open.

- No swivel seat, common complaint. How hard can it be to add one? I'm going to look into it..........

How about an A/C inlet, opposite of an outlet. One that would be connected to float chargers for the batteries and maybe a switchable block heater? It would be nice to park your boat and just plug it in with an extention cord.

I wish my X2 had all hinged seats like my Sanger did. It's really a pain to get under any of the seats with people in the boat. The Sanger was a breeze.

So I wonder if any dealers are reading and taking notes.

04 GG SSV

-Swivel captains chair
-Gas fill on both sides
-Built in cooler is laughable, I'd rather just have some storage space
-Do away with the Double Up seating (I think that's what it's called, rear seat pulls forward so passengers can face rider). It clutters up the interior when with a crew with gear and takes up would be storage space.
-Tower isn't all that sturdy, but I admit there's a ton of crap on it and they redesigned for 05+ so that might be fixed already
-Boardracks are too high on the tower
-Built in transom saver on the swim step

Having said that, there is one thing on my boat that I love and can't for the life of me figure out why others don't follow. Any boat that puts the head unit in the glove box blows my mind. What a terrible location. The location on BU's is terrible too (arm rest flip up thing behind throttle). I love the fact that my head unit is right where it should be on the dash.

I would be stoked if they took the V210 and gave it the V215 treatment. ie Put a taller deck on it to give you a flat sun pad and slightly deeper interior. Also the back rest behind the drivers seat is nice too.

I agree and deal with:
Too small of an ice chest
Non-swivel seat
In addition I hate the way she handles in rough water, but that's a given.
I have replaced all the guages under warranty, just a hassle.
Besides that, it's all good.

Biggest complaint I have about my boat is that it's not built yet (late Feb).

The current boat I just sold has many of the positives most of you listed as negatives here (swivel seat, head unit by the driver, gutters in the rear compartment). My biggest complaint about the X30 was that it was a little too big for me, and it did not have a self draining cockpit like the new ones. Other than that, (I really hope someone is listening) SPEED SENSITIVE VOLUME!!! Even an automatic -20db attenuator for when the boat is in neutral, not under load, would work.

I'm gonna pile on and say I wish my 06 mobius lsv had a swivel seat and also wish it had a wind deflector in the walk thru like other manufacturers have.

I agree with Darren on the v210.

And I forgot, the illusion tower gives great visibility when driving with no posts blocking vision, it is very sturdy and receives a large bimini with plenty of shade and head room, but it is a PITA if you want to board the boat from the side, it's mounted to the gunnels right where you climb in, so you have to step on the seat every time.

As far as stereo location I have a wired remote just below the dash switches and rarely, if ever, have to access the head unit while driving. Worth the $200 bucks!

Yeah second or third, the bow filler cushion death. I've step on mine and almost fell overboard when it came out.

I know many of you guys & ladies don't have this problem, but for me center ballast? What were the thinking? I know cheap.

No swivel seat, That's a cool option.
My ice chests suck, fall through ???
The later models have corrected this and added a drain.
all and all for the $ good boat.
Just my .02
G.

Supra 21V
-Agree big time on the swivel seat. Love that on the Malibu
-gas fills on both sides of the boat

05 VLX
-icechest is ridiculous (as previously mentioned)
-not enough accessories for the the illusion tower (at least in my research)

Diggs you're boat does not have a swivel seat? My 99 has swivel. I don't know if it's factory though.

05 VLX

Poor location for stereo under the armrest.

Heater really needs to put out some heat!

Wish it came with an unlimited supply of fuel (and girls). I still have to pay for both!

05 LSV

- Like Buzz said: Poor location for stereo headunit

- Wedge electrolyte corrosion and rusty bolts

- Stronger base boards in trunks (to add bags and lead)

By Aaron Ware (99_slaunch):
"DKJ. I've seen the pic's of you're boat on the other board it's not as bad as you make it sound. I thought it was a sweet boat other than when you got T-BONED by a jetski."

Thanks Aaron. Don't get me wrong. I absolutely LOVE my boat. I could never sell it; i've got too much of a personal attachment to it. Even when i get enough cash to buy a new one, i'd still have to keep it. My parents bought it new in '92 and put a grand total of 25 hrs on it. The summer after I turned 17 (1997), dad gave me the keys. Its pretty much been my responsibility since then. I guess my payment for using it is taking care of it. It hasnt seen a dealer since 1999; i've done every bit of repair and maintenance since then(besides the jetski incident). Its old, but i still think she looks great. Something about the look of the older Supras just ages really well.

The bright paint and flashy graphics of today's boat just really arent my style. Not to say that there's anything wrong with them; they're pretty boats, they're just not for me.

OK, sorry guys, hijacked the thread. Just didnt want to leave the impression that i didnt like it. Oh yeah, one thing i really like: its still faster than most new inboards. 49.5 mph @4400RPM with a freshly balanced prop.

Cheers,
DKJ

I know this is an old thread but I like to ad to it.


I love my Supreme the wake is great fit and finish is awsome and I just love being on the thing. With that said here I go.

The transmission went out during our 4th of July 05 trip last summer well within the warranty period. Since then I have been treated like a Ping Pong Ball being bounced back and forth by the Dealer Supreme and as of late Bogg Wanner, all very simpothetic but 6 months and an expired warranty latter my boat is still not fixed.

So back to the original question "what do I not like about my boat?" The support from the Manufacture would be my answer.

For 06 they fixed #11 on my list

on my 06 LSV I would like:
a heater that chases me out
stereo location that is both logical and functional
real stereo choices
a bow walk through/tank delete option
free gas for life

2000 BU VLX

center ballast MLS bag is leaky
vinyl tears on hard edge of rear backrest
boards on racks drip onto the radio
big gauges on the dash obstruct view
combined tach perfect-pass gauge is flaky
rear hatch locks are knee breakers
vinyl around rear hatch locks is failing
gas tank of 33 gallons doesn't last a day
wake should be steeper and easier to build
boarder pulls the boat more than it should
heater core rusts out every two years
service options in NorCal suck

everything else is great.

wish my 02 super air had more factory ballast, automatic valves, and a swivel drivers seat...oh yeah and some more storage, but I guess I wouldn't need that if I had more factory ballast. All boats should come with 3000 pounds of ballast from the factory. You can always not fill it up all the way, but it would sure be nice to have.

The stock board racks on my 2004 Launch SS were crap. I'm looking to get Roswell swivels now. A petty complaint because all else is 100% quality.

05 VLX

the carpet is great...excpet when glue--or whatever it is--seeps up through the carpet in intense heat (usually happens when the temperature is over 100 degrees and the boat is in the driveway) and turns patches of the carpet yellow. it's easy to clean but can get frustrating with all the scorching days we get down here in texas.

i love the illusion tower, especially having the bimini on top and out of the way, but i REALLY wish malibu had made it just a few inches higher. i've yet to meet a tower i haven't bumped my head on, but when i run into an illusion, it hurts something fierce.

the locking rear storage was a joke before i had my service dealer fix the factory parts (props to WSA--best in the business). the beside the engine compartments both have latches with key locks, but the factory locking arms weren't long enough to secure the hatches properly. a firm pull on the handle could easily open a hatch, even when locked. luckily, i figured this out pretty quickly, or i might have gotten a board or two stolen



(Message edited by JcV on January 27, 2006)

Have absolutely no complaints of 04 LSV. Wish I could retrofit rear ballast tanks to under floor,and put in the new "better" perfect pass.

Hate that wakeboard boats don't have that low fuel level indicator or chime.

2002 Xstar/x2/x1

- swimplatform moves too much. As it is sitting just above the water it makes a bad noice when at anchor. Also the water is pressed through the gap between the platorm and the boat, making it shoot up on the sundeck.
- seats are had to keep clean.
- original (way to expensive) towerspeakers have the chrome blistering off.

Other than that... perfect after 620 hours.

Eddy, that's funny. I've noticed almost all the same stuff with my X2, except the tower speakers (I've got Fusion's).

Talked to Craig, heard you guys were going to look at the new X-star and the 220 this weekend. Post up what you think. Are both Justin and Birger going with you to check out the wakes?

03 VLX-
-Horrible stock Stereo Deck, (since been, has been replaced by myself and Malibu)
-wish heater would stay hot during down time, i.e. switching riders
-As mentioned before, horrible placement of deck
-Center MLS always has been leaky
-Weak Ballasts pumps
-side mounted tower constantly creates spider cracking
-The wedge when wakeboarding and it's gas consumption vs. just adding weight, but awsome for surfing
-And my biggest complaint -That the tower does not fold down to fit in a standard garage. I have to take the whole top off every time I go out and have already stripped two of the four bolts with the others probably not that far behind. This will be the reason I will get a SAN on my next boat purchase if either the new Titan or Illusion on the new VLX's won't fit.