am I alone when I say malibu makes an ulgy Tower

It's very eighties ( check the shades)

hey mike. beware of the malibu guys backlash. there tough and very loyal. making fun of a malibu is just as bad as making fun of there mothers. good luck man.

i'm not crazy about the appearance either... but functionality is wonderful-- even better is the visibility from the drivers perspective..

That's probably not even designed for towing...it's just probably a wing for looks and a light, you still see them on some boats manufactured today...

that is a miami vice edition scarab, are you making fun of miami vice

Icccckkkkkk, I'd agree

Don't feed the trolls.

I like my tower
and my boat
thanks

im with you

I love the Malibu towers

I like em, not as much as mine but similar concept.

Kind of like closed toes. At first its a "what the..." then they grow on you for both function and looks.

Mine looks GREAT ...




2007 Malibu LSV

Quit drinkin' the hater-ade!

^^ are you kiddin i just bought a whole case.

I like them, but the wife doesnt

most functional tower out there hands down.

didn't like it when it first came, then won over by visibility, strength and fold down ease.

malibu doesn't make it...but i love my METCRAFT illusion tower...

It's just you Mike!

Illusion looks ok w/o bimini.... but titan, yikes

I like the old illusions, the new ones stick straight up though.

(Message edited by malibuboarder75 on October 08, 2007)

Thanks. Now I have the Miami Vice song stuck in my head!

It's almost as ugly as the sanger swoop tower, now that's an ugly a$$ tower.

Yeah, this thing is scary ugly. I keep trying to get Malibu to use more modern looking hardware, like metal pipes, to build it with, but they don't listen. I also suggested that they attach it to the boat in more places so I can get more use out of my new Ryobi 18-volt drill. Of course, they've got some sort of problem with putting unnecessary holes in the gelcoat. I asked if they could at least get something in the way of my field of vision so that I know at all times that my tower is still attached, but for some reason they think that no blindspots is a good idea. Even the color is terrible. I prefer raw metal because then it would clash with my boat's color and I'm pretty sure that's the way the kids are rockin' it these days. Plus, I always feel like the black sheep on the lake because my boat looks so unique. I've begged them to just conform so that I can look like everyone else, but they just say I've got low self-esteem.

I finally got fed up and said that if they weren't going to listen to any of my great ideas, they might as well take out the adjustable spring-loaded design that allows you to lower your tower with just your pinky no matter how much weight is on it. After all, tower raising and lowering should be a team-building exercise and will bring you and your crew much closer!!

Hahaha! Good one Dave. BTW - color-matching to the boat looks great.

I was originally a fan of the Illusion, but when it came tome to buy my boat, I just did not want one. I opted for a Skylon tower, and love the look of it on my boat. You are not locked into an Illusion on a Bu. I had a choice of a Titan or Skylon, as well as the Illusion. The Skylon seemed much sturdier to me, comparing it and the Titan side by side. The Illusions age great for all the reasons Dave mentioned, and are rock-solid.

Dang Dave. Every time I see your boat, I get an itch for a new one!

ROFLMAO david.

I'd say you should get a new one with all the hours you've got on yours (is it 600 now?). But then again, it's hard to part with something that works so well for you. It really is a beautiful boat (especially with the WakeWorld sticker on the side)!!

While your coming up with ideas Dave you should have them figure out a way to attach the rope on top of the tower without having to stand on the windshield. I must say though your boat looks awesome. I love the color keyed tower. Makes the boat look rich.

When I folded the tower up and down on my Nautique the other day, the thing nearly killed me. A tower that folds down easier than that sounds like a good idea to me. The Malibu tower's look is starting to grow on me.

I am not a fan of the tower. Just my opinion.

Billy what are you 5'2"??? Unless you're joking you're crazy... I'm only 5' 10" and can easily hook the rope even with the bimini up. Don't knock it till you try it.

I am crazy, but I was joking. Have you ever known me to be serious?

My only problem is being 6'2". Have they made the towers any taller so I don't have to duck to get under it?


David, boat looks nice.

im 6'2" and can get under our illusion tower

I'm 6'4", but the tower height isn't the relevant factor when determining whether or not I'll be ducking when walking through my boat. To me, it's the height of the bimini, which I think should be under or right on top of the tower in order to maximize shade. I don't want to be able to walk under the bimini without ducking because if I can, that means the bimini isn't going to provide much shade to the boat's occupants. I think it's funny to see biminis up so high that people can walk under them or, even worse, they're located way above the tower itself! If the bimini is up that high, I might as well go without because if it isn't high noon, I'm going to get cooked. I'd rather do the occasional duck and have my bimini actually serve a purpose.

Buzz,

I think your tower choice is the cleanest best suited setup for the vlx. It follows the lines of the boat and doesn't look overdone. The Titan looks good if it's loaded up with goodies, but by itself it's too plain. I like the look of the Illusion, but hate where it's mounted in relation to side entry into the boat.

I must say I really like the white on white of Dave's new boat, but I agree with the bimini placement on the Illusions. Doesn't seem like you would get much shelter.

I'm 5'7" and I cant reach the top of the tower to attach a rope in my buddy's Malibu if the Bimini is up. I dont mind the looks either way, on some they look good on other colors, I dont care too much for them. Plus I havent heard about one breaking, so that's a good thing, lol...

For those having trouble looping the rope on the tower you need to learn to Rope! Lol. Make that slip knot nice and big, toss it up there, and pull tight.

Now, getting it off may be a whole other issue. Lol.

I've got the extended bimini on mine

provides plenty of shade
and we can walk under it

just attach the rope by reaching through the hole in the bimini
no big deal

we have the extended bimini as well and it has a zipper built in to be able to reach up and put the rope on

David, I agree w/u on the bimini up high, also on the MB boats not well thought out.Or maybe they thought about it too much?

Yea Bu obviously put more thought into securing the Tower than they did with the wedge. Maybe more Screw holes are needed hmmmmm.David?

Billy let's talk about afterthought with the death wobble on the MC towers and the 10 lb. piece of aluminum you have to buy to keep it from self destructing..

I think I need to get use the the jagged edge tower for 08. But I'm diggin the illusion X with the slight curve.

nu bu the fix is warrantied for the MC tower. Won't self destruct it just shakes.

Shaking violently is much better sorry.

shaking violently? where do you come up with this stuff?

Probably from someone who stated their tower speakers cracked from hitting the side of the tower while it was shaking. I would be a little unhappy if I spent the money on that boat in question, X-star, and had to bolt on a bar to the tower to prevent it from shaking.

I think the Illusion tower is ugly. sorry, but I just don't dig it. By the way, why ever fold it down anyway? Anyway, best tower ever was that on the 03-? X-Stars. Solid as S#!&, sturdy, not to tall, killer looking.

Yes, I fold it down every time I put it in the garage. It's folded down as we speak.

Have a friend with an 06 x2 that the tower broke on. MC overnighted their new tower and sent the new braces. you sacrifice a little headroom but the fix doesn't look bad. Personally I don't care for the look of the illusion tower because it looks backward and the earlier models had problems with ropes catching in the board racks when turning around. That all whit bu on here looks sick even with the illusion. Nice Boat Man

On many biminis there is a zipper'd hole at the back of the bimini that you can reach through to put the rope around the tow point.

Also, I've seen ropes get caught on the boards/board racks of plenty of boats that don't have an illusion tower.

Whoever doesn't like the illusion towers on malibus doesn't have one. I was skeptical of looks until I had one. By far the best and easiest tower out there. Its not the 80's when they turn the tower around.

The look of the Illusion tower has grown on me over the years too, but I have a problem with top mounted biminis being the only option. We go out a lot when there is rain in the forecast, because rainy day butter is the best! I have a Towerbiminis.com bimini on my 210 that's really large and sits low....so we can all hang out under the bimini during the showers and wait for the butter. It keeps us and our gear drier...

hell..with all the rain we've had in TX this year...there wouldn't have been a chance to ride unless we went out in the rain.

Can anyone comment on how well the Illusion mounted biminis do in the rain?

i don't mind the illusion tower, wouldn't be my fist choice on looks alone but it does seem like a very practical design. i would choose it over any other that has a huge cnc switchblade as the back upright, i don't think it can get any uglier than that, cough(MC).

Yo mark I get my info first hand from a buddy that has an X10 with the same tower you guys have(I've seen it with my own eyes). Decent looking but shakes like a mofo on anything other than butter, even then when turning it will shake witht the weight of the stock tower speakers with the built in lights in them. By the way the illusion is rock solid, weather you like the looks of it or not.

(Message edited by 05mobiuslsv on October 09, 2007)

David...kind of a thread jacking, but how do you adjust the tension on the illusion tower. We always figured you could adjust it, but it wasn't until you said you could lower yours with a pinky that I got interested in adjusting the tension. Thanks for any help.

Im with Justin, mine is adjusted full tension. and is heavy when letting down.

David, your bimini looks too small for me. We are out on the delta all day long and we need/want the shade.

Cliff, could you post a pic of this "extended" bimini?

BTW, I do like the look of the color matched tower.

To me its all about function with the tower. The visibility issue is not a big deal. I have never had a problem in this area with my Boss tower.

My list of key tower attributes in order are:

1) Pulling the rope without tangle
2) holding boards with spinning racks
3) holding a big ass bimini that covers driver and passengers
4) holding speakers without obstructing
5) folding with relative ease
6) beauty

nu bu says,
"Yo mark I get my info first hand from a buddy that has an X10 with the same tower you guys have(I've seen it with my own eyes)."

nubu the last X10 was made in 2006 the tower your referring to wasnt built/availible til 2007.
However it does shake like a coon in the sprinklers.

(Message edited by woreout on October 09, 2007)

That is the tower I was talking about. I wasn't talking about the new one, I know nothing about the brand new one..

Billy the tower on that X10 I was talking about looks exactly like the one in Mark's profile pic.

Mark mofreestyles boat? thats the new tower that shakes so bad they are putting braces on. The 06 towers and back like your buddies X10 does not have the " 10lb piece of metal you have to buy to keep it from self destructing" you speak of.

billy speaks the truth. 06 and older no problems. Only shaking problems with 07 and 08 towers. If he has an 06 tower that shakes then he needs it tightened and it is not due to how they were built.

(Message edited by waterfreak on October 09, 2007)

Looks like he's got some issues. He's getting a new tower anyways because the retard ripped the tower off his boat when he drove it under something that was to short. $15K in damage.

"Only shaking problems with 07 and 08 towers"

WTF? There's already problems with the 08 towers?

08 tower is the same as the 07 tower no changes so yes problem carries over to 08 same design. They are coming with the fix already installed however.

my buddy has an x-7 2004, with the zeroflex or w/e its called

and it shakes like a mofo, even after being tightened.

Aren't the 2006 and 2007 towers the same shape? Why does the 2007 shake more?

no 2006 don't have the cnc machined black switchblade. It is just round tube to the racks and up and all the way around. The tower was redesigned in 07 and continued into 08. I assume it shakes more because it isn't continuous tubing going all the way around the tower anymore. Instead they have the machined flat piece joining into the tube just below the bend. Not enough side to side support anymore because it isn't continous tubing, hence the shake.

(Message edited by waterfreak on October 09, 2007)

(Message edited by waterfreak on October 09, 2007)

2006 tower Billy's boat (sorry for using your pics as I transfered them from MC pride thread)



2007 tower Billy's boat

I had an 06 mc tower and did not like it. If you needed to put it in the garage, you were screwed. Some genius put star head aluminum screws in the racks with lock tight on them, can you say round off. Also, the tower is hard to lower by yourself. The illusion on the other hand is two pins and you are done. No rounding bolts, simple and easy.

way better then the sanger towers.. mike v..

no comment on the new tower sanger made for the 237 john, but i would put nothing other than a pro flight chubby on a sanger. that was one solid tower and for those of you that knew my sanger it was loaded up top.

as for you mike v. you get no love from here bro. metcraft makes a great tower, its solid, no shaking rattling or banging, the illusion tower imo has the sleekest sexiest look i have seen on a boat and functionally its far supperior to the rest. i.e. folding down, vision and rigging for after market products. they made the illusion tower for the wakeboarder, all you need to do is "bolt on" and go. and for the traditional look the titan tower can hold its own. but then the best tower i have owned was the monster on my 94 ski nauti, built like a rock.

We enjoy ours

can we put a few more speakers on that tower? how many amps you running?

(Message edited by seminolepride991 on October 10, 2007)