2001 Malibu Wakesetter VLX Trailer - and value??

[SkipGundlach]

Hi,

 

Two Questions:

 

I'm considering this boat:  https://www.popsells.com/wake-ski-boats-for-sale/malibu-wakesetter-vlx-in-orlando-florida-r4-336633

 

It's never had a trailer and we'll want one permanently.  The questions:

Will it be a big deal or easy to find a trailer either specific or adaptable to this boat?

 

And, without having seen it, but seeing the various pictures, is a 600 hour engine with purported good service records, and a wonky platform  (likely will need replacement) equipped Wakesetter a good, average or poor deal at 19K?

 

Thanks for any experienced opinion 😁

 

L8R

 

Skip

[Horton]

600 hours. no big deal

what do you mean by wonky platform? you mean the swim platform needs replacement?

I think you just have to shop around for the trailer. new trailers can be super expensive. I don't know if it's hard to find trailers without boats or boats without trailers. they kind of go together.

anyway this thing is not a slalom boat. if you care at all about water ski wakes you should keep shopping. I've said it a million times before that crossover boats are neither good wake boats or good slalom boats. 

[S1Pitts]

@Hortonis correct about the slalom wakes. My friend bought this hull last year. You have to start at 32 off 34mph to get a wake that is crossable and by 35 off you are hitting spray. Recreation long line is ok but that's about it.

[RichardDoane]

The swim steps on those boats were not made of teak. They did not hold up well. One of my buddies had a boat very similar, add ballast and it was a good boat for wakeboarding. But after the kids grew up and scattered, he bought the 2015 CarbonPro from us in September, so now he has a great slalom boat. Used trailers are hard to find, and an adjustable galvanized tandem axle will cost you $7k. 

[DW]

The Malibu Crew website would be a great source of information for that model boat.  There are some subtle but significant differences across Wakesetter hulls that would be important to know depending on your planned usage.  The wakeboarding Crew members can probably give a better insight on value.

[Lieutenant Dan]

@SkipGundlach Being down with a sinus infection for the last couple of days I’ve spent some time looking around Facebook Marketplace for used Reponses or Nautique 196s. While doing that I have noticed quite a few Malibu VLXs of that vintage for sale. If that’s the boat you want  there are lots out there to choose from and certainly some have trailers. That being said, there is a 2021 Malibu trailer for sale up in Wisconsin or Minnesota that I saw as well. 

[Lieutenant Dan]

@SkipGundlachLink to trailer in Wisconsin below

📸 Look at this post on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/share/RH711oPbYCQt8wD4/?mibextid=79PoIi

[buechsr]

On 12/10/2023 at 6:25 PM, S1Pitts said:

@Hortonis correct about the slalom wakes. My friend bought this hull last year. You have to start at 32 off 34mph to get a wake that is crossable and by 35 off you are hitting spray. Recreation long line is ok but that's about it.

That could be the case, or it could not.  2001 was the first year that the VLX was available with the diamond hull.  While, no one is going to confuse even a diamond hull with any slalom specific tractor, if it is the diamond hull, it skis very well. There’s still one in my family. It is slightly firm, but at 32 and above it flattens out nicely. I’ve had multiple VTXs, and skied behind the so-called crossovers of the other big three, and no one can say that any of them ski any better than a 2001 two 2004 VLX with a diamond hull.  There could be individual preferences, but the boat listed is as good of a slaloming vdrive as has ever been built.

The hard part is determining whether it has the diamond hull, or not.  The giveaway is the angle of the downturn of the most lateral strakes.  I cannot see any pictures of the hull in that listing.  If you can post them here, I can tell you. However, the Malibu crew is a great resource for anything and everything Malibu. Personally, if that’s a diamond hull in decent condition, I think that’s an “OK” buy, given the unknown price of a trailer. I can tell you that a new boat mate will run around $9000.

[Sethro]

I agree with what @buechsr just typed.  Ask for a pic from the back straight on at platform level or below, and we can confirm if it's the diamond hull or not. Here’s what you’re looking for. 

[Octopus_Paxarbolis]

9K for a trailer?

[Ronny61]

Here is a nice one with the diamond hull and a trailer for a fair price

https://www.ebay.com/itm/364626744101

 

 

[buechsr]

2 hours ago, Octopus_Paxarbolis said:

9K for a trailer?

A new one, absolutely. I got a bro deal on a single axle very basic Ski Nautique trailer a year ago that was 7500.  A dual axle Wakeboat trailer could very easily crest 10.

[Ski_Dad]

that price is too high.  That boat would be worth 10k to me as it is - old Perfect Pass and obsolete gauges.    If it has the diamond hull then it will ski good - the 2001 Sunsetter VLX has that hull and this might as well.  

But a 99-04 Sunsetter LXI direct drive like I have will be many times better of a boat unless you have to have a V-Drive.   

[SkipGundlach]

Thanks for the many and varied responses.

Trailer - new EZLoad would be 5K, couple of specific-to-type folding tongues at 5K or just under...

Platform: damaged, missing one of the brackets, same bracket as shown in Sethro's pic, and with identical diamond hull shape.  Might need couple of boards or a start-over for the wood, in response to Horton's question.  Platform and hull shape all visible in pix in original link.

The ebay boat looks killer, but wrong side of the country (Atlanta/SE FL, permanent home NE GA). Still, at that price, assuming no killer bits about the engine, it might be worth an airplane ride there and back to looksee/test drive and a UShip to bring it here...