biggest mistakes and best investments

[breakawaydaze]

One real big mistake was buying a huge slalom ski for the rec. users on my boat.  It is a HO and I mean the tip is huge!  The theory was good, the more surface area there is the easier it is for beginning slalom skiers to get up.  But this ski will beat you to death once you are up.  You can turn a beginner off real quick once they quit having fun.  The thing was a big waste.  (although I will probably re-use the bindings sometime in the future)

Boat and lake wise, after committing to the Epic line, the best investment was Satellite Radio.  I had XM on the E21 I sold to wreck and now have Sirius on the S22.  Plenty of commercial free music, no more Cd's all over and no more CD skipping.  There is not a whole lot of good FM radio on lake Keowee but the satellite is crystal clear!  Plus you only pay for it when you use it, you pay for it monthly and turn it off when your season is over. 

The bungee style dock lines from overtons are great investments too.  Way more $$ than regular line but a huge convenience when tying up!

Next investment (for peace of mind) will be a spare tire!  I cannot believe I have been pulling boats for years and have not had 1 trailer tire failure!  This is really pushing my luck, it is the priority small project of the winter!

And finally, for those of you who have old cars, I converted my "Points Style" ignition on my Chevy 400 small block to a Pertronix "no points" ignition system.  It cost about $130 and totally eliminated the points.  The Petronix II system also automatically adjusts the dwell.  The difference was fantastic!  I am confident I picked up at least 10 horsepower, and the starting of the car is super quick.  Fuel economy has improved at least 2 mpg and I will never adjust points or replace them again!  A super easy install and off you go!  I wish they had this around when I had my 83 Nautique!  Points are a pain!  And for those of you who don't know what "points" are, I wish I was young enough to not know what points are!

[lesman01]

breakaway...I have a belly spare tire rack for a 2000 s22 for a tandem trailer. Ameritrail made the wrong one and sent it to me. It must be for a tandem traler because it is not wide enough to connect to the tabs on my single axle trailer. I ended up using a side mount and it works great.

The very same year I mounted the spare tire, my valve step blew out. The trailer Gods were with me.

You are welcome to it. I think i paid like $30 for it, but it's your's if you can pay shipping. We'll just need to take measurements to make sure it would fit. I posted a pic somewhere on here of it.

...also qualifies as a "worst investment" for me.

[breakawaydaze]

Lesman,

I was looking at the trailer the other day, and was trying to picture where the belly spare would go.  Does it go over the cross section or under?  Does it appear to be bolted on or does it need to be welded?   I read somewhere on this site that the belly spare was putting giant black marks on someones boat everytime he loaded or unloaded it.  (Maybe the tire was too big).  It looks like I have some pre-drilled mounting holes for a side mount spare carrier on the front right rail.  I guess I need to call Amera Trail with my trailer vin and see if they have any data.  Meanwhile, thanks a bunch for the offer, and I will get to looking on the site for your picture post!

[lesman01]

There are 3 tabs pointing inward on the inside of the frame with bolt holes towards the front of the trailer where it meets at the tongue. One on each side and one on the cross beam. The belly rack bolts on there(i also have all the bolts/nuts/hardware) and the tire sits in it. I read the same thing about the rubbing issue, and the close proximity of the gelcoat to the tire RIM, which could be a very bad thing when combined with a pothole at 50mph...One more reason i did not push the issue to have ameritrail remake the correct one.

Ameritrail told me when i originally called they were all out of those belly racks, but they agreed to make me one.

here's the thread...
http://www.cyclone-cj.com/forum4/index.php?topic=465.0

[festivus]

Breakaway- if you opt out of the belly bracket, I'm in.  My side mount has pieces everywhere that I can never find.  If we are going out of town, like to powell or something, I throw the spare on the top of the sikoya. 

[lesman01]

OK, sounds like we'll need to have a belly rack auction. 

[breakawaydaze]

It may be a mistake, but I think I will pass on the belly rack (thanks a bunch anyway!) and go with the side mount.  It will be less apt to hold water upright (instead of laying flat) and I will probably use an aftermarket one that holds it up a little and out a little.  I hate to risk the hull bouncing off of a steel rim.  Thanks again for offering!

[DENNIS]

best- for fun factor of course is my 01 s22 and I just bought a 05 Suzuki DRZ400s, is's a dirt bike that is licensed for street, great on those rainy days I can't take the boat out or have no one to go with.
On my boat, I'm glad I got the heater, did not think I would ever use it when I ordered the boat, but I use it all the time. ?Anchor Buddy, another great item, must have. ?Tower with lights and speakers, lights have come in handy a number of times, glad I got them.

worse- those damn towable tubes, take up way too much space, a bitch to inflate and deflate and the kids always want to go too slow for ME to have any fun.

When we bought our latest house, great investment, 5.5 acres with a view if the Cascade Range that is breathtaking. ?The worst think about this house is the inground pool. ?We thought it would be great to have a pool, but did not know how much work they are to maintain.

Dennis

[DENNIS]

 I have the belly mount for my spare tire and have had no problems with it marking the boat or even coming close to hitting the boat.  Moybe mine is mounted a little further forward than some others.

Dennis

[lesman01]

Festivus, PM me if you want that rack and I'll figure out how to get it to you. I think it weighs about 20lbs and I may still have the box it came in.

[h20proof]

Dawsonr;
   I disagree with the agent who told you that.  I am in real estate and live near a huge lake so I have some knowledge on the subject.  I think boat lifts DO increase the value of your home.  It's just another "plus" that buyers see when they are looking....and, if they are looking at your waterfront home, they must like water and maybe even like boats.  A boat lift is a great investment and it looks like you have a good one.  I wish waterfront was affordable in these parts....

Bitzco;
   Keep trying that wakesurfer!!  I just really got into it this summer.  I had a bad knee and so I surfed most of the time. It's low impact and pretty mellow compared to wakeboarding, so the doc gave me the "ok" to ride.  And friends of mine who dont like wakeboarding love the relaxed feel of surfing.  Once you take it to the next level, throw in the rope, ride for 10 minutes and spin some 360's it'll put a smile on your face. 

[festivus]

Lesman, sorry to be a retard, but is pm private mail?  I'll need your address.  Why don't I e-mail you my info and send you a check.

[lesman01]

my bad, pm stands for (Private message) through the forum...it's the little icon on the left next to my post. I'll send you one.... click on my username and ther's an option to send me an email or private message.

I'll see if i can get it boxed up and see how much shipping will be.

[Bitzco]

H20proof: thanks for the encouragement. I'll keep riding it, unfortunately, Cyclone drowned my old crew (and poor HCollado's too) and I'll have to use a different kind of water filled fat sack to get the wake big enough to drop the rope. I had 8 adults sitting on one side of the boat and the 700# ballast filled and it wasnt' enough to make a wake I could drop the rope on. Looks like I will need some major weight to get good at the surfer.

[h20proof]

Bitzco;
It took us about a dozen trips out on the water to get the wake just right.  Not only weight management, but speed control is a big factor.  You have to get just the right speed so keep trying.  We were surfing off a 2000 Calabria DDrive with the 600lb ballast tank filled and 3 adults on one side and we could ride just fine.  Then, we added another 500lb bag in the back corner and the wake was much improved.  It's tough with a DDrive though because the "sweet spot" is really small and there is little room for error.  I recently went on my friends 05 Malibu Wakesetter and his "sweet spot" is huge.  You could mess up and still pump back in.  Your post concerns me a little because I was thinking of buying a toyota, but I surf a lot and with 700lbs ballast, a vdrive, and 8 people you should be good to go.  Have you surfed behind other boats and thrown the rope in?   Just trying to see if it's the boat or if it's just you ....