Advice for New Z3 Owner

[gwhite94]

Also, has anyone gone with Dual Heaters?

We do a lot of surfing in the spring/fall and some extra in-boat heat would be nice.

We did add the hot water shower.

I did add dual heaters to my RZ4 you get a total of 6 vents. 4 pull out, 1 on the driver dash and 1 at the driver feet. The shower will be nice in cold weather.

[007]

Just thought I'd mention, I think the AVX blocks a lot of the light from the underwater lights. They don't seem as bright as on my last boat. I need some time to anchor out in the dark with a floating cooler when the weather warms up to do research!

[Duncan]

Upgrade your stock bilge pump to a 1200 gph pump (and think about adding 1-2 more).

Another problem with upgrading trailer tires is they stand taller and the boat gunwales will often then need to ride above rather than between the tires. So you need deeper water on the ramp to launch. If you have shallow ramps, your tow vehicle will be partially in the water.

At least on the former PCM motor, the hot water shower option sucks and is borderline useless. It cannot get hot enough when in cold water. Maybe new engine setup is better.

x10 re surf bimini. Absolute necessity.

x10 re mid-ship cleats.

[Dandy]

I forgot about the mid-ship cleats. This is a must to add and add it at build. The cost when we added 2 to each side after was ridiculous to say the least, but still worth it to protect the boat.

[whiteflash watersports]

mid ship cleats
PTM edge mirror
Z cline chair - I wish I had one of these so sweeeeet!

[Tomp]

Anyone not like the Z cline seat for any reason, looks a little bulky in comparison to the standard seat.
Would the battery charger be a plus if you run the stereo at your dock?

I have my 1235 acme from my 2014 will this work with the raptor motor? seemed almost overkill with the Chevy 350 if I wasn't slammed with ballast and passengers.
I will add the extra cleats, good also for hanging bumpers.

[chpthril]

Anyone not like the Z cline seat for any reason, looks a little bulky in comparison to the standard seat.

Its like the captains chain on a top tier pontoon or cruiser. It was comfy as hell!

Would the battery charger be a plus if you run the stereo at your dock?

Yes, but just know they are not power supplies, just chargers. Heavy draws on the batteries while the charger is plugged in, will keep it running wide open. They are not designed for this for long periods. A typical 12V power supply has a cooling fan.

I have my 1235 acme from my 2014 will this work with the raptor motor, seemed almost overkill with the Chevy 350 if I wasn't slammed with ballast and passengers.

When countering prop slip and cavitation, horse power is irrelevant. As long as the shaft angle, gear ratio and shaft size are the same, I see no reason the new boat would not benefit in the same way the previous did.

[duffymahoney]

Upgrade your stock bilge pump to a 1200 gph pump (and think about adding 1-2 more).

Another problem with upgrading trailer tires is they stand taller and the boat gunwales will often then need to ride above rather than between the tires. So you need deeper water on the ramp to launch. If you have shallow ramps, your tow vehicle will be partially in the water.

At least on the former PCM motor, the hot water shower option sucks and is borderline useless. It cannot get hot enough when in cold water. Maybe new engine setup is better.

x10 re surf bimini. Absolute necessity.

x10 re mid-ship cleats.

Try changing out your thermostat for a hotter one. Our lake is cold and I run a 180 degree thermostat. Keeps my heater hot.

[majestic]

Anyone not like the Z cline seat for any reason, looks a little bulky in comparison to the standard seat.
Would the battery charger be a plus if you run the stereo at your dock?

I have my 1235 acme from my 2014 will this work with the raptor motor? seemed almost overkill with the Chevy 350 if I wasn't slammed with ballast and passengers.
I will add the extra cleats, good also for hanging bumpers.

In the Z3 I prefer the standard over the Z-cline. The bolster is horrible for any length of time too.

[trace]

The new raptor motors are shipping with a acme 2419, you won't need any other prop on the 2015 boats for pulling.

[Tomp]

2419 I looked that one up it is a 15"dia x 12 pitch
1235 is 14.5"dia x 14.25 pitch

My 2014 ran about 45mph with the 537 stock prop and dropped to 39mph with the 1235, unless the gear ratio is changed with the 2015 I doubt it would hit 34mph with a 12" pitch.
I looked the prop specs up on the wavemakers site

[trace]

You aren't taking into account the difference in prop slip efficiency, it's not just a straight pitch for pitch behavior. The 2015 Z1 and Z3 top out at about 37-38 with the 2419.

[dilpickle]

That's interesting regarding the prop. I would imagine the Raptor probably has a higher redline than either the 350 or the L96 to give similar top end. This would also explain the difference in the perceived performance over the previous engines-I think the Raptor 400 would be similar to the L96 (have driven both in trucks & the difference is negligible at best), but have no doubt that the Raptor with a 12" prop would feel much more powerful than a L96 with a 14.25" prop (1235 or 1433)

[trace]

The raptor with 2419 prop tachs out at 5300 rpm wot.

[JLG]

My 15 z3 won't go above 35mph w the 2419 prop. Glass days I can get mid 34 possible 35.2 but that's it. Hole shot now that's another story! Thing is a monster coming out of the water!