Hello, advice please.

[Hopper]

Hi all,

Another newb just looking for a bit of advice. I'm in the market for a V-Drive. I've grown up skiing, tubing and wakeboarding but it was all behind I/O and Outboards. I'm ready toi start doing some serious wakeboarding and getting into wake surfing. As much as I'd like to to buy a '08-'10 Moomba, it looks like my budget is more in the '06-'08 range.

I've been looking for about a year now and currently have my eye on couple Outback Vs from '06 and '07. I've also seen a couple Mobius LSVs from '06 to '07 that might fit into my budget.

When contacting sellers is there anything in particular I should inquire about regarding these models and years? Any problem areas you have found? Other than general maintenance (oil changes, winterization), are there any other things mechanically that should have been performed on a 3-4 yr boat?

Thanks for your time.

Cheers,
Hopper

[DOCDRS]

3-4 yr old boat should look brand new. options are what you want. GIII ballast(easily upgraded), heater,340 mpfi engine,water strainer(almost a must),perfect pass, heater,stereo options.
Impeller change frequency, vdrive and tranny oil change frequency, has an alignment ever been done, was the 20 and 100 hr services performed.Is there anything that does not work on the boat.
You have to drive the boat look for vibrations on turning, what is wot rpm and speed, vs prop.Look at the piping on the upholstery closely for mold will say how well the boat has been stored
Dock rash and hull marks.
Trailer...how many miles single or dual axel.

this is just a start since no one responded

[Ian Brantford]

That's a great list!

A pre-purchase inspection by a marine mechanic of your choice and paid by you (so he's working for you) should be considered essential. Accept no excuses from the buyer about why this could not be done.

Make sure that you see at least one of each model under consideration. For example, the LSV got a deeper hull starting in... was it 2006? If you specifically want to do wakeboarding, I would recommend the LSV.

The boat should have any option that you want and cannot easily add yourself with minimal expertise. Lots of people can upgrade a stereo or wakeboard rack, but I wouldn't install my own tower or heater, nor would I fork over the labour for a professional to do them. So, get informed about what options (factory or aftermarket) can be had and check out what the boats have on them.

Colour choice is a bit more important than you might guess if you haven't had the displeasure of being on a dark-tinted boat in the hot summer sun. It should be a light colour.

Check the pitch of the prop. If it isn't what you want, you'll have to buy another one, which increases your "on the water" price by several hundred dollars. The original props might have a pitch of something like 17.5", whereas the "upgrade" props are typically 14.25", which loses a bit of top speed but greatly improves acceleration when the ballast is full.

The trailer choice, regarding single or double axle, should be based on your arrangement at home and the water. If you have a need to move the boat/trailer around by hand, single axle is easier. Otherwise, double axle is better for stable handling on the highway. For either one, brakes are mandatory. I am not sure if any were ever sold without brakes. The mechanic's inspection should include the trailer brakes. Check the trailer's tire condition. If any tires are replacements that aren't specifically for trailer use and with the right rating, that needs to be remedied.

Do you need to tow the boat around on the trailer? How is your tow vehicle? Is it prepared to tow 4000+ lbs and haul gear/people? If this is old hat to you, great. If not, you have an entirely different learning curve on towing, for which there are many threads on this forum.

Best wishes!

[dru1974]

Ian what is the problem with a darker color boat? you mean interior right?

[Razzman]

I'll say this, find a boat you like that fits your budget and have it surveyed if in doubt so your sure your getting your monies worth and not someone else's problem. 99% of LSV's in '06-07 had towers, most had other available options. Many owners upgrade or have dealers add-on options. The key is finding a boat within your budget that you like. The hull's on '06 & up are identical, as are the towers and many other features.

[skiyaker]

Ian what is the problem with a darker color boat? you mean interior right?

That's what I think- my dad's first boat (1978 arrowglass trihull) was yellow exterior with black vinyl seats- ouch! My black OBV with white seats is much less painful! I've never scorched myself on the exterior.

[Ian Brantford]

Ian what is the problem with a darker color boat? you mean interior right?

The interior certainly matters more. Mine is white with yellow and light grey. However, there is a dark band across the swim platform, and many people have yelped as they've touched it.

For contact heat, I expect that it's only the upper edges that matter. However, I'd be hard pressed to believe that a dark exterior colour doesn't create a solar oven effect, heating the entire boat in the sunlight.

When choosing the exterior colour using the Moomba Web site's tools, all of my friends chose yellow. I agreed. The problem is that now it is a fairly popular colour. When I first got it, I could count on it being the biggest eyesore on the lake. Now it's merely one of several nice boats. Oh well. We still get strange looks when we tow a hydrofoil.

[BSWAKE]

Hey Hopper the LSV would be a great choice if one would fit your budget. I agree with DOCDRS about the boat looking new, but one thing about gelcoat is that it can always be fixed. So going into the purchase if you have a couple scratches or minor gel coat cracking don't let be that the determining factor. If it looks really bad just walk away unless you can determine it to be a good boat outside of that and you can make the needed repairs fit within your budget. If it looks really bad though it means it wasn't taken care of and you will want to be cautious. The platinum interior is also a wise choice for keeping glare down.

Try to see any and all service records if possible. An inspection route is a good idea if it makes you more comfortable. Mechanically wise the boats are pretty bullet proof so you have that going for you. As long as its been winterized properly, had its oil changes, etc you should be good. If you find one that matches your budget and it doesn't have a tower no big deal. You can always can always put one on as long as your local shop is reputable. Blake @ Forest Lake Motorsports is a good guy and will take care of you. A 340 is nice, but don't get hung up on it. The 325 is just fine. You will want to make sure it has a ballast system though. This is a very labor intensive install, as is a heater.

Outback V is a good choice as well, just a bit smaller. The LSV is very similiar to the old Supra Launch 22SSV which is and was a fantastic boat from a wake perspective. Good luck...

[BSWAKE]

Make sure you have a wakeplate also...Familiarize yourself with standard features versus add on's...

[Hopper]

Thanks for all the replies guys. I appreciate all the advice and will take it all into account when looking at boats. It sounds like I should be looking at an '06 or newer.

Right now there are a couple LSVs in my area, an '05 and '06. The '05 is going for 28k, 150 hrs, wakeplate, tower, racks...but only has the one center ballast bag and no service records.

The '06 is going for 34k, 170 hrs, wakeplate, tower w/speakers, heaters, perfect pass...and has the Gravity III ballast system.

Of course the lakes up here are still frozen so any type of test drive is out of the question. I'm just getting excited about possibly purchasing this spring/summer. I'm not in a rush, just waiting to find something I like in my budget.

I'd really like stay around/under 30k and am not opposed to purchasing a Outback V (i actually like that it is a bit smaller) but I haven't seen many used ones for sale in the area. I've seen a couple nice ones on Only Inboards but all in other areas of the country and I am very hesitant to purchase any boat without being able to see it first.