Should I pull the trigger on a leftover 2013 RZR?

[mschmidt33]

All,

Been researching an upgrade to a v-drive for over a year and think we want an RZR. Want to get into surfing as I have had too many injuries wakeboarding. We have a storage restriction so a 20ft boat is our limit. We were down to an A20 or RZR (wife said no to R20 due to tower), but I'm questioning everything now as I'm about to sign the papers. A20 demo is on our lake tomorrow and RZR this weekend.

The 13' RZR is loaded and from research we are getting a good deal. Money is really not the issue, I'm just questioning spending so much on a toy. We do use our boats a lot though.

We would be upgrading from an I/O that honestly did everything we wanted except allow us to surf. The wakeboard wake was really good with ballast and I have been behind my share of v-drives. I would have to say we are a little rough on our boats and push them to the limits (WOT, max ballast, stereo all the way up, etc). We fill them up, party quite a bit, get sand in the boat, spill drinks, etc. Though, we always have kept them clean and our I/O honestly looks like new after 4 years and I'm actually selling it for what I have into it if that says anything. I do all the maintnance and garage store all summer, and in heated storage all winter so we do take great care of them, but we use them too.

I guess I'm just getting a little scared (couldn't sleep much last night) and wondering if we are making the right decision. I have some questions that could help with our decision. Took me awhile to get our I/O dialed it but that boat has been an absolute champ for 4 years... maybe I'm just sad to see it go.

1) If you put these boats through the ringer and actaully use them hard are they durable?
2) Our I/O was simple and easy to work on and diagnose any issue. Are we going to have nagging issues and the boat is going to spend 1/4 of the summer at the dealer?
3) Does the boat run without the touch screen? Assuming there is some issue with the fancy electronics, can we still start the boat and use it?
4) How easy is it to fold the Alpha Z with one person?
5) How easy is it to remove the swim platform with one person?
6) Will I be able to move this boat around in the driveway/garage (both flat) by myself with a dual axle trailer. Our I/O was ~3000lbs and single axle so the RZR has a few pounds on it. I/O was easy to move.
7) How easy is it to keep the RZR clean. The bling interior seems to have quite a bit of nooks and crannys.
8) Does the vinyl stain easy? Any easy way to clean?
9) Do the front bow cushions come out completely?

Sorry for some of the noob/silly questions, just questioning some things last minute and don't want to have regrets if possible.

Mike

[Duncan]

First, surfing will change your life. Nuff said there.

1) Our 09 RZ2 looks new. We put about 100 hrs per season. With kids and toddlers. And a dog for a few seasons. Get religious about wiping in/out every time out.

4) Alpha Z is spring assisted and comes down easy. But if you load it up with four speakers it gets heavy -- still doable with one person but not effortless.

7) Wipe interior down every time and periodically do more deep cleans. Grime will not build up.

8) Our 09 vinyl has not stained much. Occasionally some color will transfer (e.g., a bright red new bikini), but scrubbing it later combined with some sun exposure takes care of it. Just use a vinyl cleaner and a conditioner EVERY TIME you use it.

[Bogdog]

Here's what I know as it pertains to my 2013 Z1,


2) Our I/O was simple and easy to work on and diagnose any issue. Are we going to have nagging issues and the boat is going to spend 1/4 of the summer at the dealer? I have had V drives for only 3 years now but find them easier to trouble shoot , not needed to with the Tige yet.

4) How easy is it to fold the Alpha Z with one person? I took my Rev 10's off to change colour, with the speakers on its hard, with the speakers off its easy, I would say the speaker choice you make will be what affects this the most.
5) How easy is it to remove the swim platform with one person? It's pretty cumbersome, once off it's easy for one person to handle.

7) How easy is it to keep the RZR clean. The bling interior seems to have quite a bit of nooks and crannys. Our Dog and Kids(who are messier than the dog) Go with us, I have a central Vac in the Garage so when we park it I lift all the seats to let it dry and then vacuum the interior, then in the week when I want to get away from the kids and wife I go sit in the boat and wipe stuff down

[mschmidt33]

This is a little scary as I would need to fold this up for garage storage. I pulled the pins on one yesterday but it looked like I then needed an hex to do the rest? I want it to be pins and flip like some of the teak ones I've seen. Hope this mod is possible.

Here's what I know as it pertains to my 2013 Z1,


5) How easy is it to remove the swim platform with one person? It's pretty cumbersome, once off it's easy for one person to handle.

[Bogdog]

I don't actually let mine hang down, in the summer I park it in a single garage that is long enough not to have to fold it down, in the winter I move it to the other side of my Garage so I have access to snow ploughs etc so the whole thing comes off and gets stored under the boat. I can say that its just the two pins out and off she comes.

[mschmidt33]

I was clearly doing it wrong then. I was looking at a Z1 though but it seemed to have the same bracket. If it is pull the pins and off, I'm good.

I don't actually let mine hang down, in the summer I park it in a single garage that is long enough not to have to fold it down, in the winter I move it to the other side of my Garage so I have access to snow ploughs etc so the whole thing comes off and gets stored under the boat. I can say that its just the two pins out and off she comes.

[myers]

2) Our I/O was simple and easy to work on and diagnose any issue. Are we going to have nagging issues and the boat is going to spend 1/4 of the summer at the dealer? So far boat has been really easy to work on.
3) Does the boat run without the touch screen? Assuming there is some issue with the fancy electronics, can we still start the boat and use it? Ballast will empty but not fill up
4) How easy is it to fold the Alpha Z with one person? I have a RZ2 with 10's and my 105 lb wife has no problem lowering the tower by herself.


7) How easy is it to keep the RZR clean. The bling interior seems to have quite a bit of nooks and crannys. Believe me if you pay this much for a boat you will find a easy way to keep it clean.
8) Does the vinyl stain easy? Any easy way to clean? So far easy to clean, but mine is only a year old.
9) Do the front bow cushions come out completely? you can take it out but you will not want to. That is a cooler. When we go out we hit the water before 9 and dont leave till after 5 and it has no problem keeping ice all day so it keeps you from having to put a cooler on the boat more room to store stuff. If you are wanting to get into surfing you are going to let yourself down if you go with the A20.

[mschmidt33]

Thanks for the info. I have read that about the A20. We will see tomorrow. This guy said the new swim platform helps.

2) Our I/O was simple and easy to work on and diagnose any issue. Are we going to have nagging issues and the boat is going to spend 1/4 of the summer at the dealer? So far boat has been really easy to work on.
3) Does the boat run without the touch screen? Assuming there is some issue with the fancy electronics, can we still start the boat and use it? Ballast will empty but not fill up
4) How easy is it to fold the Alpha Z with one person? I have a RZ2 with 10's and my 105 lb wife has no problem lowering the tower by herself.


7) How easy is it to keep the RZR clean. The bling interior seems to have quite a bit of nooks and crannys. Believe me if you pay this much for a boat you will find a easy way to keep it clean.
8) Does the vinyl stain easy? Any easy way to clean? So far easy to clean, but mine is only a year old.
9) Do the front bow cushions come out completely? you can take it out but you will not want to. That is a cooler. When we go out we hit the water before 9 and dont leave till after 5 and it has no problem keeping ice all day so it keeps you from having to put a cooler on the boat more room to store stuff. If you are wanting to get into surfing you are going to let yourself down if you go with the A20.

[sandm]

I would only comment on a few:

3) yes it runs and you can still manually do bilge/blower/ballast drain, but I thought you could also fill if you needed to.
4) piece of cake as mentioned. I have no issues with mine with 4 icon8's on it and boardracks.
5) swim platform removal installation is a 2person job. it's somewhat heavy. I can move by myself, but still use 2 to save the back
6) I cannot move my dual axle with 22ve at all. you can push it back a few and forward a few but it won't move like a single axle. you can get an rzr on a single that would be easier to move around, but if you tow any distance, stick with the dual.

[sa0303]

Mike,
I had a 2012 A20 for about a year. it was i nice boat. it was my first tow boat. I purchased it because of the price and availability of the boat at the time. My wife and i did enjoy it, got both surf waves dialed in pretty good. I found a used 2012 RZR and decided to trade the A20 for it. There hasn't been a day that we are on the RZR that i have wished I still had the A20. To me the boats don't even compare. The fit and finish on the Tige is hands down better than the A20. The biggest differance between the two boats is the way the Tige handles. I didn't realize how poor the A20 was with moderate chop until i drove the RZR. The RZR is much more comfortable to ride in as well. The tower on the A20 makes some noises, while the RZR doesn't make any at all. As for the tower, well the A20 isn't really possible to take down or put up with one person. you can do it but it might take you 20 min. The 4 screws that you take out must line up perfectly for them to thread properly, this doesn't sound that bad but trust me, it can get very frustrating at times. The RZR tower is very simple. The vinyl on the rzr doesn't stain like the A20 did. The A20 would clean up easily but you can definantly tell the differance in the quality of the vinyl. The regular surf wave on the RZR is very clean and easy to set up, the goofy side is much more tricky but can be set up to be very good. both sides are much better than the A20. plus you can adjust the wave on the RZR where the A20 is what it is. I wanted to respond since i have owned both boats. I think once you water test you will like the RZR better, at least I know my family does.

[IDBoating]

1) If you put these boats through the ringer and actaully use them hard are they durable?

I've generally found these boats to be quite rugged, with Tige near the top end of that scale. Like anything else: Take good care of your equipment and it will take good care of you.

2) Our I/O was simple and easy to work on and diagnose any issue. Are we going to have nagging issues and the boat is going to spend 1/4 of the summer at the dealer?

This was my #1 concern coming into an inboard too. I must say ours has been very reliable. We did have an infant mortality transmission problem in the first season, which was simply replaced instantly no questions asked. Otherwise no issues at all.

3) Does the boat run without the touch screen? Assuming there is some issue with the fancy electronics, can we still start the boat and use it?

My boat is 2009, pre-screen, so I can't comment.

4) How easy is it to fold the Alpha Z with one person?

Ours has the "Tower of Power" sound system complete with the big speakers and I can still lower and raise the tower easily by myself. I don't do it often, though... only to add wiring for new features once in a while.

5) How easy is it to remove the swim platform with one person?

In my opinion, impossible for one person to do safely. The pins are simply too far apart. You need a second person to at least hold up the center of the platform while you pull the pins, then have them help you lift it out of the brackets so nothing gets dinged. From there, though, the platform can be handled alone.

6) Will I be able to move this boat around in the driveway/garage (both flat) by myself with a dual axle trailer. Our I/O was ~3000lbs and single axle so the RZR has a few pounds on it. I/O was easy to move.

Admittedly this is a pain. I've found I can shift the tongue a bit side to side, or roll the trailer forward and backward, but spinning it is pretty much hopeless. There are lift handles you can get that supposedly help, and there are also little wheel caddies that you can put under the tires during long-term storage that allow it to move every which way. But the "multiple axle problem" is true for all trailers, not just boats.

7) How easy is it to keep the RZR clean. The bling interior seems to have quite a bit of nooks and crannys.

Can't speak for the latest RZR trim, but ours is easy.

8) Does the vinyl stain easy? Any easy way to clean?

I agree with the other response that said it can occasionally get dirty but chemicals, elbow grease, and sunlight seem to fix it. One BIG piece of advice: DO NOT PERMIT HAIRPINS ON YOUR BOAT. I found one that had fallen out of someone's hair and between two seat cushions, sat there for who knows how long, and the resulting rust marks are apparently permanent.

9) Do the front bow cushions come out completely?

This seems different on every model. Every cushion on my 24Ve comes out easily. On my friend's same-year RZ2, several are hinged in place and would require tools to remove.

Sorry for some of the noob/silly questions, just questioning some things last minute and don't want to have regrets if possible.

Not silly at all. You're thinking ahead and asking excellent questions. You'll be a very happy Tige owner, and I promise you will love the company and the group of people that hang out on this site. Far more supportive and less argumentative here than other sites. Keep us posted!

[Surf406]

Tiges are the best built boats and they stand behind there product. Period!

[kx250frider617]

With the axis in 2013 or 14, you can get the surf gate. The axis will have a way better wakeboard wake when loaded but that does't concern you. They only thing I would be nervous about is the interior on the tige. You said you will get sand in the boat, spill drinks, etc. All the fancy stitching on the RZR will make cleaning up spills and sand a nightmare. You can always throw towels down, but it sounds like you will use and abuse the boat. Too me, its easy to use and abuse a cheaper boat than an expensive one.

I run in salt and I'm planning on getting a axis next for sure. The reason is because it is simple. Salt would eat away on every single stitch in the diamond stitching of al the new high end boats. Also, I don't like the idea of touch screens and computer controlled systems on a wake boat. Toggle switches and ignitions can be hot wired pretty easily but a glitch in the computer can be a real PIA. It sounds like you want a boat that will just work with no problems every single time and I would think the more the simple the boat, the better. Have you looked into a powder coating the R20 tower black maybe?

Either way, it will be a huge improvement over you I/O.

[thtrog]

We would be upgrading from an I/O that honestly did everything we wanted except allow us to surf. The wakeboard wake was really good with ballast and I have been behind my share of v-drives. I would have to say we are a little rough on our boats and push them to the limits (WOT, max ballast, stereo all the way up, etc). We fill them up, party quite a bit, get sand in the boat, spill drinks, etc.

This MC may fit your style of boating better than a Tige or Axis, can't beat the price either.

[ChrisBarnes05-12-84]

To answer your question about the tige touch. If it fails for whatever reason there are manual switches underneath the dash for blower, bilge, lights and to empty all ballast. Those 4 switches will get you out of a bind if things start going south on you. I am on my 3rd tige and have had very few problems over the last 8 years. Most problems were something I did. A couple recalls here and there but nothing major. Good luck!