2004 22V

[Charris13]

Hey guys. I've been looking around this site for a while and the amount of feedback provided is awesome. I'm hoping to see the same results!!!

I am thinking about buying an 04 22V as a first wakeboard boat. My wife and I are just getting into the sport and are wanting to invest in a boat that will be sufficient for years to come. I have wake surfed once and loved it and I think we could end up enjoying that as well.

This particular boat comes with perfect pass (dealer says it needs ~300 in repairs to get it just right) tower with racks and speakers, ballast system, bimini cover and TAPS. And There are less than 150 hours on it.

My questions are what type of things should I look for on a test drive and were there any major deficiencies in this year/model that I should know about. Also, is this a good selection for a boat that will provide more ability than the two of us on a wakeboard for the next few years? In terms of wake surfing, are the TAPS and the ballast system (1 sack on either side of the motor) enough to out out a large enough wake?

Finally, I've read on here that there were years when the Tige towers had issues with durability. Were these issues corrected prior to 2004 or would I potentially need to replace the Factory tower?

Thanks for the time and hopefully all the advice!

[skippabcool]

Welcome to the site and good luck on your search. Several might say that only 150 hours for a '04 might be an issue since things have just sat. As far as the 22V it should be a great boat for both wakeboarding and surfing. We just about bought a '04 but the guy backed out, decided he wanted to use it for the summer then sell it. It is actually good that there is no ballast so you can do what you want and things aren't in the way. I would run 400# in each locker for boarding. For surfing I would get with Chpthril and get a custom sac. I started with manually filling then installed automation later. There is lots of help on here to help you do that.

Several dealers did not order the boast with factory towers and put aftermarket ones on. If you have a pic we can comment. IIRC the metacraft wasn't used in '04 but could be wrong.

If it is at the dealer I would have them run the diagnostic, it shows all the errors and issues with the boat.

I would demo it. In doing that I would check everything. It is the little things that add up in repair costs. If there is a switch or button test it. Check the steering as well. Check the prop and rudder. You will also want to check that the TAPS is working. The one that I just about got, it was not working.

[bryce2320]

horizontal seams in the vinyl crack out and come apart. your tower should be fine unless for some reason theyd have the metacraft tower. Whats the price on it? Id double check the hours thru the engine memory, instead of the gauge. Chances are it has been reset which would potentially be a good thing. Post pictures if you can!!!

[Charris13]

Man y'all are awesome! Thanks for the quick responses. I've attached a few pictures here. You can see the type of tower that was installed on this one. I think it's a factory tower but I could be mistaken.

If the dealer runs a full diagnostic, will that include checking the engine memory for hours?

[knochels]

Is that the stock tower? I have a 2003 22V and the tower is different. Anyway, the 22V is a great first boat.

[knochels]

This not my boat but this is the tower I have. Joe

[Nobody]

Nobody welcomes you to the site.

Your making a good decision seeking advice from the forum members before you buy.

[GUY_RPM]

I have an 04 24V and I love my boat, my wife would say more than her(Not true). But you can see my tower is different. I am going to guess that sometime mid 04 they switched towers.

[cpropes2005]

I just bought an 03 22V and so far I love just about everything about it. I have already added perfect pass and am mid way through a ballast system install. I havent been able to ride behind it yet but from all the research I did before purchasing I think this boat will be able to produce a good wakeboarding wake and a really good surf wave. Plus it rides great in rough water and the price relative to other V drives in similar condition was a great selling point.

[GUY_RPM]

Don't know how that happend but as u can see my boat floats upside down, I but yours don't do that! LOL

[cpropes2005]

I am not sure about the tower but yours looks like a sturdy option. My 03 has the same tower as Guy's 24V.

[GUY_RPM]

The only thing that I have found with the years of Tige boat you are looking at is the angle on the back of the boat makes the step from the sun deck to the ski platform a little tricky. You will have to step on the grab bar to make it back and forth from the swim deck.

[skippabcool]

If the dealer runs a full diagnostic, will that include checking the engine memory for hours?

Yes it should. It should show the hours of operation at different rpm's as well. At least all the ones that I have seen have shown this.

[kasey200]

The only thing that I have found with the years of Tige boat you are looking at is the angle on the back of the boat makes the step from the sun deck to the ski platform a little tricky. You will have to step on the grab bar to make it back and forth from the swim deck.

I agree. i watched my nephew almost break his leg stepping on the grab bar! Be careful with that step. Somebody on here made a platform that attached to the grab bar for a nice step!

Other than that i loved my 22V. Had it for 5 years and not problems. I put over 500hrs on it without any major issues. The Surf and wakeboard wakes are killer if you have it set up correctly.
I'm not sure on that tower either. My guess is aftermarket. Enjoy!!

[GUY_RPM]

The step is mine. It's just too expensive to market, no one wants to pay what it cost to manufacture.