New Boat

[RockRig]

pigdog - our test drive was most of a day long. we ran speedset for all of our rides, and messed around with the ballast tanks to produce a surf wake. No problems on the test.

Thanks for the info.

[Tanner]

Grand Lake huh? Hmmm, not a REAL big lake... but about as rough as they come, until you get on mead or LOTO. I'll still never understand why anyone w/ a tow boat goes there...lol.

I think the Tige will stand head and shoulders above your current M/C. Which dealer are you talking to? Unfortunately all the dealers here in OK are fairly new, so still getting used to the product.

BUT, Tige has also changed soooo much in the last 3 years, it's the same way for even old Tige dealers.

One suggestion... do not be afraid to shop out of state and then beat your dealer up w/ the pricing. Our 2 OK dealers for some reason, seem to think they can pull $15K-$20K more for the same boat than anyone else in the country.

You won't need the heater here, b/c if your like me, my boat becomes winterized at the end of sept. Might be earlier this year, due to the weather. It won't help resale either.

[RockRig]

tanner - Hi Lift on the lake, or Grand Lake Boat Sales is the dealer. The service they provide is great. I priced them and they are in the park with the others.

Grand Lake on the weekends is something. This is my first summer boating on the lake, and it has been a blast.

I probably won't winterize until mid October. Then bring it back to Nebraska.

[Tanner]

I've heard their service is great as well.

Glad you enjoyed it. Grand is def. a washing machine once the go fast guys get going.... just watch out b/c they don't care about anyone else. All they care about is going 100+! LOL.

I stick to tenkiller.... bigger parties, and clearer water!

Make sure you drain your block.... we get our first week long freeze somewhere around the first or 2nd week of october. One night below freezing prob. won't hurt you... but multiple nights will. The way the weather is going this year... I have a feeling we're gonna get it sooner rather than later.

[Timmy!]

Go with the heater. I have a 2 vent on mine (dealer installed option) and wish I would have gone to a 3 vent. When it rains or is overcast and lower temps, the kids and women really love having that heater on board. My first year winterization didn't get all of the water out of the heater core for some reason so last year I put the pink stuff in and all was good. The good thing about those cores, they are out of 70's Ford Pickups so they are like $20 at the auto parts store if they do break.

Good luck on your purchase, we too bought a Tige because we were tired of being beat to death on our lake and now we couldn't be happier! FWIW, we started out going for the 24Ve because we figured that would be the best rough water ride but wound up with the RZ2 instead - rides really well and has the cool styling to boot!

[dingleberry]

FWIW, our '09 hasn't had any of quality issues that cropped up on ImaPigDog's boat (although we didn't get the ballast system...and I wish we had). So far, the only factory-related problems that I can recall are one small vinyl tear, the low pressure fuel pump died at 52 hours (PCM 343 engine), and a chip in the swim platform which seems to have occurred where there was a void between the gelcoat and the fiberglass. Overall, we've been happy with the quality of our boat.

[da.bell]

Welcome and you will be happy with the 24Ve in rough water.

I posted a response on WW also.

[dom w. forte]

1. There is a known bug/problem with the SpeedSet on 2009 models with the PCM engine. Monitor it closely and watch for it disengage unexpectedly and without warning, causing the boat to throttle past the locked in speed. This can happen with using the presets or manually locking in a speed. This problem will probably be difficult to create on a short test drive but will likely appear multiple times when out for a day. The screen and/or buttons may also randomly stop working without explanation.

2. Inspect the "fit & finish" from top to bottom, front to back, inside and out. Pay close attention to the vinyl stitching around the seams. Make sure all doors, hatches, windows, latches, etc. align and function properly.

3. Check if either of the rear ballasts auto-fill due to being below the water line (design was not tested).
- a. Drain the tanks.
- b. Sit for 5-10 minutes.
- c. Try to drain again. If water drains out, it is likely auto-filling (this may be listed as a feature in the marketing materials by now)
The fix is simple - running a longer hose between the pumps and the tank looped up above the water line to form a quasi P-trap. Ask the dealer if they have already put a fix in place for this or not.

4. Check for ballast leaks - when filling & draining.

5. Check mounting for all the parts around the engine and especially those that the serpentine belt traverses (e.g. - raw water pump).

6. Ask what quality control measures exist at the factory.

7. If you end up buying it, watch the color over the metal strip that goes around the swim platform. Our is black and color has washed away after some use in the water, exposing the bare metal.

Good Luck!

If you like I can give you a complete list of everything you need to check on every brand out there but I dont have enough room on the forum .
Also this list would include problems that will persist long after the warranty is over.
My sons are tournament skiiers and are dealership gets to work on and use all the big name brands out there, you will not find a more durable , better ride or performance than a Tige, our ski team boat has currently 900hrs pulling 7 barefooters at 5400rpm, 5 man jump team, 13 girl ballet line , sky ski , wakeboard and an ocassional pyramid.
Oh and I forgot to mention with half the ammount of fuel ussage as compared to the other brands with same power and weight.
A good source for info is on www. boattest.com.

[ragboy]

My Tige 24Ve is at 450hrs, and is a 2007. Just now, my steering cable is getting tight. Going to have to replace it. Other than regular service, haven't had a thing wrong. We work it hard, you won't be unhappy. We have tons of videos featuring our boat.

http://wake9.com/

[samw]

Would you recommend the heater? The dealer thinks it is a waste of money.

depending what he want so charge $$$$. But you can put one in for you self for around $400. I say its worth it. Running from now to mid Nov its starting to get cold

[ragboy]

I didn't get one, but then installed it last season. We use it ALL THE TIME. Even in the summer when it gets late in the afternoon. If you plan on putting a lot of hours, or live in a colder climate, its a great addition.

[spenchey2]

somebody - I don't think I want a first year touchscreen.

IMO i wouldn't want any year touchscreen. Touchscreen 3ft from the water at all times Scares me, i like the old fashion toggles on my 22V.

Back on topic, you'll love the boat, it will handle the water like a champ

[RockRig]

Thanks for the replies! I am going to get the boat tomorrow and hope that all goes well.

[murphini]

if you have lady guests or kids on the 24ve, the heater will be their favorite option. Taking our 24ve out at night (even in the summer) if it gets chilly, he heater is awesome. My mother in law cradles it like her favorite grandbaby...giggling the whole time.

On the rough water, it does work well, you can set Taps @ 6-8 effectively trimming the nose up in rough water.

24ve has been fantastic for us

[bk3104]

24VE has been fantastic in rough water. That was a major purchase concern I had. Boat is 2007, approx 100 hrs. Only issue has been a TAPs relay that burnt up.