04 LSV…. I still got some ?’s

We took out an 04 LSV this weekend for a test ride. The boat is Plush! Thanks to Matt at Bakes for meeting us in the AM. We had 3 people in the boat, ½ a tank of gas, full ballast and the wedge down. Wake was decent but could be bigger for the size of the boat. Yeah I know all boats need more weight. I am Assuming 1100 in the back vs. the stock 500 will add a bit more vert.

Looking for some feedback on how much weight people are running in addition to stock ballast??

Anyone swap out the rear hard tanks for 550’s in the back?? Any feed back on wake difference. Yeah I know you can pack a ton of people in… but not when it gets cold and no one wants to ride in the winter. Any trouble with stock pumps staying primed for draining if the bags only have holes on the top?

Stock ballast in the front seems like enough. Props to BU for using all the space in the front for weight. IMO no lead or extra weigh will be needed in the front.

What engine size did you go with? Enough or needing more? The demo boat had 380hp and was more than enough.

For a titan tower… does the bimini get in the way when using spinner racks?

Stainless tower… any issues with fingerprints or water spots compared to powder coat?

What trailer did you opt for… and how do you get into the boat when it’s on the trailer. With the boat sitting higher on the trailer to make room for the tracking fins… the LSV is TALL! Note the extreme trailer fenders do not go back far enough to use it as a step to get on the platform. When lifting my daughter into the boat... I notice just how tall the boat sits on the trailer.

Not boat specific… but for those with Titan bullet speakers…. With 4 can you hear them on 75 feet back?

Hi Jeff. I helped my buddy Dave swap out the hard tanks in his WS VLX for two 550 pound Launch Pads. Those sacks have holes on the sides and the tops so it was pretty easy to make the switch. The system works great with no problems. I would recommend doing that if it turns out to be enough weight.

Dave runs 1100 in the rear and the 550 front MLS ballast. The wake is really clean and has a good rampy shape with this setup, but it's not extremely big. When we ride with four or five people in the boat, then it gets much steeper and bigger! At least with the VLX I think you need 2000+ pounds to get the wake as big as I like it. The addition of some lead and/or the wedge would probably do the trick for those winter sets when we only have a couple of people in the boat.

I haven't ridden behind the LSV yet, so I can't really comment on that. However, I would highly recommend weighting down every boat that you test drive to capacity and riding behind them. Just bring a few sacks and pumps along and weight the heck out of the boats. That way, you'll know what you are getting before you buy. If you need some extra sacks and pumps you could borrow some from Brent and I. Good luck!

Uh, have you looked at MBO lately? These, and every other question about the '04 LSV have already been answered.

In short, extra ballast in the back may not be necessary because of the changes made to the hull and the way it works with the Wedge. If you still want more you can pull out the tanks.

Get the Hammerhead.

Not at all.

Stainless is more durable and better looking.

Extreme or Boatmate are the only two you should be considering. Talk to either one, they can custom build what you want.

Depends on the power, but with our setup, yes you can hear loud and clear.

MBO would be a good place to get A LOT of feedback from people that have actually had their boats for the last two and a half months.

Oh, I should also mention that I rode behind the Open boat with full MLS, 2 400lb. sacks in the back, and 12 people and the wake was very nice.

Way more than most people will ever need (myself included).

Jeff, looks like you are getting closer to a decision! Might be a dumb question, but what about the Ryan trailers? Are they not making them for the LSV? I thought they pretty much used those trailers exclusively at Bake's.

Let me know when you get to the stereo process and Porter and I can give you a few tips if you want them and give you some great places to buy everything at a very good price.

Not to sway you at all, but you are more than welcome to come out on the 22V and demo the heck out of it. Not trying to make your decision more difficult!

Jason, Thanks for the feedback. I did look on the BU site… guess I am not proficient with the use of their search tool. Other than speaker stuff I did not get much about the 04 LSV other than some pics. I am sure with 12 people the wake would be sick. Getting a third around here in the winter is hard enough. The 04 LSV comes standard with the 340hp monsoon. Not sure if $2500 upgrade to 380hp is necessary for me. From our demo… IMO…more weigh in the back is necessary. My thought was lead vs. bigger bags.

Porter, I know. The idea was to bring extra bags for the demo. Talk to Cliff… he left them at home. Opps.

Brent, Yes they do have Ryan trailers over at Bakes. They are very nice. Part of the process was to see if I could save any cash with different trailers. Also not sure about torsion vs. spring trailers. The extreme trailers are a bit cheaper… just can’t use the rear of the fender to step up onto the platform. Not sure if they can extend the fenders or not.

I am sure stereo stuff will be next on the list. If you are planning on having your boat on the lake on the weekends… let me know. I should be out every Sat and Sunday morning as long as it’s not raining. I would like to check out the Tige too. Yes I know you are trying to complicate my shopping process.

I can't make it Saturday morning, but Porter is planning on being out there that morning, so I am sure you could go out with him, or at least hook up for a ride if you are bringing your boat. Email him and set it up!

Didn't know the Ryan trailers were more expensive than the Extreme's. I thought the Extreme trailers were some of the most expensive around. I have heard nothing but good things about the Ryan trailers. Heck, if you get a Tige, you can get a great trailer for thousands less AND it has a rear step!

The Ryan trailers are the best....if you look close you can see that they are cheeper you just get more options stock....you should check out the Calabria line in kirkland if you like it I know the Calabria dealer in oregon has Ryan trailers on everyone of his boats and they have the best prices around. I looking to buy my next boat there and I'm from Washington. The dealer is to very good to work with.

Tsunami is a calabria dealer.... Hey you don't see the Malibu dealers on the Calabria threads trying to weazel customers... do you.....
Try being Ethical and you might sell something!!!

Jeff,get the vlx!!!!!

who would get the VLX when you can have what feels like 2x the room with just as nice a wake? the new lsv has the VLX hull with upgrades... the only reason NOT to get the LSV is if you need a shorter boat to fit in your garage or somethin regardless if you have the 21 0r 23 you will probly want the 380 if you plan on adding alot of weight the motor is alot crisper and im darn sure its worth the 2500 for resale too..