Few thoughts from a week long trip towing our 24ve 6 hours to/fromOkoboji Iowa from our home base in Kansas City:
1. Trailer
My trailer has oil filled bearings--supposedly low maintenance. Checked and one was seriously low. PITA in that you have to take wheel off to get 50w oil in. I'll be switching back to Bearing Buddies... Better PITA before departing than along roadside.
2. Good Gallons per Hour burn experienced:
Usually have burn rate of about 3.5GPH for our family when we surf or wakeboard--we all know how and we're running/towing very consistently.
This week on vacation I averaged 2.5GPH, but here's why: Every morning took long slow "coffee cruise" around the lake with wife/Monther in law. Low speeds much less burning. 2nd reason is we tried to teach a bunch of kids how to wakeboard, surf and ski. Lots of 50-100 yard pulls with slow turn around and pick ups. Very few long pulls.
On the driving/towing mileage: Averaged about 8.5MPG headed north, 7ish MPG back south into a 15 mph head wind. OUch, but our 04 Ford Expedition rocks at towing. Don't even feel the boat back there.
3. Tige Owners are good folks: Shout out to Rensink & Spenchy
I met up with Spenchy (22v) and Rensink (RZ2) while at Okoboji. Rensink even came over and let me drive his RZ2 for a while with the 409. Niiiice boat. Powerful. Very different helm than our 24ve. Even invited my son and I to ride later but we had other plans. Later met a girl working the MauMarine gas dock whose family recently traded their 22v for a Rz2. Lots of talk about ACME propellers, ballast, surfing.
4. Surfing:
So cool, and people really don't understand it... like you mean no rope? When they see you do it becomes the must try. 2 people got up easily and almost free surfed, others were experienced waterskiiers and could not get the concept of standing on the board. My brother in law became a surf monster--he was never able to get up on a wakeboard and I'll post the vide of him surfing later.
5. Popping a tube is good...
We have a 4 person Great Big Mable and everyone loves it. Kids. Wife & pals. Teenagers. After 3 summers the innertube popped on our 2nd day. Blessing in disguise in that it forced everyone to try skiing, wakeboarding or surfing, and I burned a lot less fuel NOT pulling the tube with 4 kids at 23ish. The little kids (4 under the age of 10) were forced to try waterskiing.
6. Perfect Pass is AWESOME
Settting the speed to not go over 12.5 for the little kids first skiing attempt was real peace of mind for the semi=novice driver and the moms worried we'd go to fast as I was in water steadying the kids so they could get start properly. Once they got up twice, I told them I wasn't really holding on and they didn't need my help anymore. Talk about empowerment...seeing a 7 year old grinning about skiing later in the day is awesome.
7. Prop:
I have stock prop (1235?) and it's good until ballast is full and you go over 13mph...then you get cavitation. It's ok surfing at 10mph, but when you try to drive over to other part of lake to get out of wind, cavitation is annoying. Prop upgrade is probable over winter.
8. TAPS
How awesome to be able to trim the boat out of water for windy/choppy days, and also trim down for flat waterskiing wakes.
9. Water spots.....
I kept at it-wiping down the boat that I could get to(left in the water for 6 days)at the end of each day. Now have the Babes I just got from SFBFAN. Just cleaned up with the 3m Marine Cleaner/Wax and she's back to shiny gloss.
10. Snacks and Drinks:
Note to self--don't let my little 4 year old nephew bring an entire bag of GOldfish on board--or a big bag of potato chips the next day... Kept him quiet-and me picking up soggy bits off the carpet. I also have a 2gal water jug I keep on board to refill the water bottles to keep down the mess.
3rd summer with this boat and I can absolutely say that even though the RZ2s and 4's are cool, I am completely satisfied with our 24ve.
1. Trailer
My trailer has oil filled bearings--supposedly low maintenance. Checked and one was seriously low. PITA in that you have to take wheel off to get 50w oil in. I'll be switching back to Bearing Buddies... Better PITA before departing than along roadside.
2. Good Gallons per Hour burn experienced:
Usually have burn rate of about 3.5GPH for our family when we surf or wakeboard--we all know how and we're running/towing very consistently.
This week on vacation I averaged 2.5GPH, but here's why: Every morning took long slow "coffee cruise" around the lake with wife/Monther in law. Low speeds much less burning. 2nd reason is we tried to teach a bunch of kids how to wakeboard, surf and ski. Lots of 50-100 yard pulls with slow turn around and pick ups. Very few long pulls.
On the driving/towing mileage: Averaged about 8.5MPG headed north, 7ish MPG back south into a 15 mph head wind. OUch, but our 04 Ford Expedition rocks at towing. Don't even feel the boat back there.
3. Tige Owners are good folks: Shout out to Rensink & Spenchy
I met up with Spenchy (22v) and Rensink (RZ2) while at Okoboji. Rensink even came over and let me drive his RZ2 for a while with the 409. Niiiice boat. Powerful. Very different helm than our 24ve. Even invited my son and I to ride later but we had other plans. Later met a girl working the MauMarine gas dock whose family recently traded their 22v for a Rz2. Lots of talk about ACME propellers, ballast, surfing.
4. Surfing:
So cool, and people really don't understand it... like you mean no rope? When they see you do it becomes the must try. 2 people got up easily and almost free surfed, others were experienced waterskiiers and could not get the concept of standing on the board. My brother in law became a surf monster--he was never able to get up on a wakeboard and I'll post the vide of him surfing later.
5. Popping a tube is good...
We have a 4 person Great Big Mable and everyone loves it. Kids. Wife & pals. Teenagers. After 3 summers the innertube popped on our 2nd day. Blessing in disguise in that it forced everyone to try skiing, wakeboarding or surfing, and I burned a lot less fuel NOT pulling the tube with 4 kids at 23ish. The little kids (4 under the age of 10) were forced to try waterskiing.
6. Perfect Pass is AWESOME
Settting the speed to not go over 12.5 for the little kids first skiing attempt was real peace of mind for the semi=novice driver and the moms worried we'd go to fast as I was in water steadying the kids so they could get start properly. Once they got up twice, I told them I wasn't really holding on and they didn't need my help anymore. Talk about empowerment...seeing a 7 year old grinning about skiing later in the day is awesome.
7. Prop:
I have stock prop (1235?) and it's good until ballast is full and you go over 13mph...then you get cavitation. It's ok surfing at 10mph, but when you try to drive over to other part of lake to get out of wind, cavitation is annoying. Prop upgrade is probable over winter.
8. TAPS
How awesome to be able to trim the boat out of water for windy/choppy days, and also trim down for flat waterskiing wakes.
9. Water spots.....
I kept at it-wiping down the boat that I could get to(left in the water for 6 days)at the end of each day. Now have the Babes I just got from SFBFAN. Just cleaned up with the 3m Marine Cleaner/Wax and she's back to shiny gloss.
10. Snacks and Drinks:
Note to self--don't let my little 4 year old nephew bring an entire bag of GOldfish on board--or a big bag of potato chips the next day... Kept him quiet-and me picking up soggy bits off the carpet. I also have a 2gal water jug I keep on board to refill the water bottles to keep down the mess.
3rd summer with this boat and I can absolutely say that even though the RZ2s and 4's are cool, I am completely satisfied with our 24ve.
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