Cost effective ballast setup- 2007 RZ2 (looking for opinions)

[retox1]

Recently bought a 07 RZ2 with the factory ballast and i want to upgrade for more weight. My budget is $5-600 so no enzo sacs for now . I'd like to keep it automated if possible, i hate manually filling sacs since we switch sides ALOT.

I have some sacs left over from my old boat:

1-integrated bow sac (w711)
2-400lb sacs (w713)
2-250lb sacs (w703)
1-750lb sac (w707)

If i can use these thats great but i can also sell them to add onto my budget a little.

What i was thinking so far is to replace the Tige bow sac with either the W711 (i think its bigger?) or with the 2 separate 400lb bags. There are separate fill and drains for the left and right so either option should work, though i may need to add vents (not sure about how its vented from factory).

I'm very stuck on what to do in the rear. I was thinking about moving the batteries, taps, and blower and pulling the factory tanks. Then using the existing pumps for a 750 or a 1100 in each locker. Then i can use the smaller 250 lb bags on or under the seats if i want to add a bit more sometimes and manually fill them. I'm not sure if this is the way to go or if there is something that will work better and not kill the bank account.

One problem i have is the boat is not actually here now but i want to get things straight in my mind so once its here i can get this installed ASAP and hit the water. So any help or input would be great.

[Ewok]

Check out this thread on my RZ2 ballast upgrade:

http://www.tigeowners.com/forum/show...lus&highlight=

I think I was able to keep the cost to below 800ish, but you can modify the design to scale it to your budget. Chpthrill is a great resource here and he can help take this idea, possibly include your existing sacs, and get you a good upgrade over the factory system on your budget.

[skippabcool]

Xs on going with Chpthril, Mike, he will be able to tell you what is most cost effective in using what you have and what you want to accomplish.

I can't recall from other RZ2's but in my 22Ve, which is the same hull as the RZ if I'm not mistaken, I don't run any weight up front. I put all my weight in the back and up the side. I have manually put sacs up front but never found that they did anything, at least for me.

[Ewok]

The trouble is, every boat is slightly different and needs a slightly different weight distribution to get the desired result. I run my bow sac (400lbs) full no matter what side is weighted for surfing, and I think TimmyB! says he doesn't use any weight up front with his 2007 RZ2, so there are certainly some minor differences out there. I run the bow sac full, the surf side factory tank and 1,100 sac on top of that full, and if it's just the wife, kids in the boat I also put a 150 on the seat in the surf side bow. I usually run TAPS around 3-5 and speed around 11.4-11.6. For me this gives me a sizeable wave with a nice shape but also a long pocket.

[Carter13]

The trouble is, every boat is slightly different and needs a slightly different weight distribution to get the desired result. I run my bow sac (400lbs) full no matter what side is weighted for surfing, and I think TimmyB! says he doesn't use any weight up front with his 2007 RZ2, so there are certainly some minor differences out there. I run the bow sac full, the surf side factory tank and 1,100 sac on top of that full, and if it's just the wife, kids in the boat I also put a 150 on the seat in the surf side bow. I usually run TAPS around 3-5 and speed around 11.4-11.6. For me this gives me a sizeable wave with a nice shape but also a long pocket.

Are you running any counter weight on the non surfing surfing side as well?

[Ewok]

No, I don't run any weight on the opposite side except for bow weight with the full horse shoe sac and people weight.

[retox1]

Check out this thread on my RZ2 ballast upgrade:

http://www.tigeowners.com/forum/show...lus&highlight=

I think I was able to keep the cost to below 800ish, but you can modify the design to scale it to your budget. Chpthrill is a great resource here and he can help take this idea, possibly include your existing sacs, and get you a good upgrade over the factory system on your budget.

Thats one of the installs i read through in the last few weeks. Mine will be slightly different cause of the above the floor tanks in mine. How full do the 1100 lb sacs get? The 1100s were what i was planning on going with. I should be able to plumb in 2 of them for a reasonable price. Not sure if the 750 will completely fill the locker.

I was planning on upping the front ballast because we wakeboard quite a bit too and i was under the impression the RZ2 likes bow ballast for wakeboarding. I could be wrong on that but i did find that mentioned in a few threads.

[Ewok]

The 1,100s completely fill up the locker, and I estimate based on the dimensions of the lockers that I'm getting about 900lbs there. The 750's would not take advatage of all the room in the lockers and I didn't want to use an Enzo sac because I use the room under the seats for family stuff storage. If I were you I'd pull out the factory hard tanks and just use the 1,100's, it would be a lot easier to plumb and give you more room to play with.

[retox1]

So where is the best place to move the batteries to? Seems like the two best options are under the observer seat or move them to where the hard tanks used to be (after they're pulled). Under the observer seat may be the best spot but adding that much cable may be on the expensive side.

Also, for the rear sacs, are the factory aerator pumps up to the task or should they be upgraded too? I have no issue with adding more or bigger pumps or even drilling more holes for thru-hulls.

I was really hoping Mike would chime in on this. I guess he may be busy with the long weekend.

[Ewok]

You can either make a battery tray aft of the rear locker door where the 2009 and forward are located or put then under the observer seat where many boats have the batteries. The factory pumps should be up to the job. Aerator pumps are relatively cheap and easy to upgrade if they don't fill the sacs as fast as you would like. You shouldn't need any additional thruhulls if they are already installed from the factory. It's great to bounce ideas off everyone here but if you want to get mikes complete attention send him an email. His email is on his website, here:
http://www.mikesliquidaudio.com/

[thtrog]

You can either make a battery tray aft of the rear locker door where the 2009 and forward are located or put then under the observer seat where many boats have the batteries. The factory pumps should be up to the job. Aerator pumps are relatively cheap and easy to upgrade if they don't fill the sacs as fast as you would like. You shouldn't need any additional thruhulls if they are already installed from the factory. It's great to bounce ideas off everyone here but if you want to get mikes complete attention send him an email. His email is on his website, here:
http://www.mikesliquidaudio.com/

WOW, look at the crazy MLA system on the MXZ video, custom ballast install on that one also!

[retox1]

Ewok, any chance you have a pic of the rear lockers and the battery trays in your 09? I'd be interested to see how it differs from the 07, 08 version. I did see a thread on here where a guy moved his batteries aft of the engine itself. I can't find it now, bu that would be a nice option. Battery cable can get expensive so if i don't have to move them so far that would be great.

[mls6722]

So where is the best place to move the batteries to? Seems like the two best options are under the observer seat or move them to where the hard tanks used to be (after they're pulled). Under the observer seat may be the best spot but adding that much cable may be on the expensive side.

Also, for the rear sacs, are the factory aerator pumps up to the task or should they be upgraded too? I have no issue with adding more or bigger pumps or even drilling more holes for thru-hulls.

I was really hoping Mike would chime in on this. I guess he may be busy with the long weekend.

Here is a link to my install -
http://www.tigeowners.com/forum/show...8-22Ve-mls6722

I have aft factory hard tanks and I kept them in place. I moved my batteries to under the observer's seat and I don't miss my cooler at all. I bought a spool of welding cable to make the battery cables, but the end fittings and charging cables added to the cost. Probably about $250 to move the batteries up there. If you mostly use the port side, the batteries in the back weigh 80# and the hard tank 250#, so you are only getting an extra 170# by keeping the tank. I think it is a toss up which way to go, but I am very happy with my setup.

[mls6722]

Ewok, any chance you have a pic of the rear lockers and the battery trays in your 09? I'd be interested to see how it differs from the 07, 08 version. I did see a thread on here where a guy moved his batteries aft of the engine itself. I can't find it now, bu that would be a nice option. Battery cable can get expensive so if i don't have to move them so far that would be great.

here is the aft battery writeup

http://www.tigeowners.com/forum/show...ight=batteries

[chpthril]

Rotex1,

That factory ballast configuration makes it tough to upgrade. There 3 basic routes you can go, from easy to most involved.

1) W705 Seat Bottom Sac in the locker floor stretching under the seat and will hold about 500 lbs. To keep it inexpensive, it will need to be manually filled/drain. Piggy-backing it into the factory plumbing will not work, so giving this sac its own drain and fill plumbing will put you into another price range.

2) Pull the hard tank, move the batteries (or TAPS motor) back against the transom as if the boat was not built with factory ballast. You can reuse the factory pumps and plumbing, but be prepared to replace the drain and fill pumps. They tend to get brittle with age and if you even look at them cross eyed, the outlet nipple will break off. The Attwood Tsunami T800 is the best replacement pump. Down side to this route is you loose that 250 lbs tank, but you gain room for a larger sac.

3) Relocate batteries and TAPS motor and retain the hard tanks. The end result is much like option 2, but its quite a bit more work involved in relocation the batteries and TAPS as opposed to just moving them back a few inches. The one huge plus here, is that you keep that 250 lb tank that all the way in the back against the transom.

A custom sac or an Enzo are going to get you the most weight, but a premium. The best weight to dollar value is going to the W719 Jumbo surf.