Towers

[Okie Boarder]

So, over the winter (and part of my rebuild), I'd really like to get a tower. I'm kind of torn on what I want. Right now, here are my 3 choices (not necessarily in priority order)

1. Factory tower (Rad-A-Cage design) - Used or new
2. Monster (MT2) Tower - New
3. Krypt Tower - New

Any thoughts on others to consider?

Budget wise, I really need to stay as close to $1000 as I can. I'm noticing that the MT2 blems are running $1099 right now with free shipping. Any thoughts on others to look at?

[87SunSportMikeyD]

Where/how do you store your boat? Do you need it to collapse and if so how low? We are all biased. :)

Only things I dont like about my MT:
-Two bolts that need tightening every few times out (takes 1 min).
-When collapsed the arms rest on top the gunwale of the boat and also on the rear bench seat cushin and can cause some depressions in the foam/wood under the vinyl.
-Wish my MT1 was taller like the MT2.

[jet]

Okie, I would stick with the rad a cage tower. Monster is nice..but, they have always had that budget look to them. The rad has more of a factory swoop look to it. I looked at the Monster but wasn't all the way sold, so I had one custom built $1200 bucks and it folds down. I had a 4x4 shop that builds tube frames do mine. He was a wakeboarder also. Jet

[87SunSportMikeyD]

I beg to differ :)

[Okie Boarder]

Mikey...the boat is stored in my garage right now. We'll be moving in the late spring and that may change, but I'd probably plan for it to be able to be folded down pretty flat.

[87SunSportMikeyD]

As far as I know the radacage releases at the rear mounting points and folds over the bow. It is higher than the windshield. On the other hand it is nice to have the cabin area remain open to walking through and working on the engine without having to set up the tower to get it out of the way.

As shown here. :)

Dude I was on wakeboarder.com the other day and I saw you have like 2500 posts there I was like woah bro! ;) looks like someone is having fun in the nonwakeboarding/politics/etc huh? hehe not meaning to snoop...

[tg0824SSVGG]

I hear people with Samson towers (samsonsports.com) are VERY happy with them,
but I bet they are more $$ than the ones you list.

[87SunSportMikeyD]

Here is the MT collapsed. Why didn't u like the Titan? Just price?

[Okie Boarder]

mikey...yeah that is a bit of a disadvantage to the rad-a-cage, I would bet. And, yes, I definitely like to debate issues. Just ask my wife.

I'll double check the Samson. I seem to remember them being on the high side like NDT.

I saw the Aerial brand today kinda browsing a little on ebay. Their "Assault" (I think it was), looked pretty cool...similar to the MC tower with the billet cut style rear leg area. Their pricing is pretty good. Less than $1000 for a tower with two racks. Anyone know anything about the quality of these towers?

[jet]

I know Mikey, Its a great tower I just don't like the shape as much as I like others! I hope I haven't hurt your feelings? Jet

[87SunSportMikeyD]

A couple people on here just got the Krypts. dshaff I think, someone else too. I haven't really looked at the parts or construction of that model.

Haha no problem Jet! I see plenty of people who mount the MT's kinda funny and it can look pretty bad. I also don't especially like seeing MT's on I/O's all the time.. :) But I know they are looking on with envy.. :)

[iwakeboard]

I'd definitely check out the MT's, I'm bias, however. We build all of the factory towers for Supra/Moomba and Monster's our sister company. I'm not sure if Skiers sell the rad'a'cage for anyone to put on any boat or not? I know we only sell directly to Skiers, but I'm not sure what they do in regards to putting them on older boats than those which they were built for. Maybe they do? I don't know. I think most people you see with rad'a'cage towers on older boats are getting knock-off ones from other tower manufacturers.

[jet]

Forward fold, NICE! Looks stupid but nice. My tower folds to the rear and Its a MO FO to get back in the boat. I have to crawl on my hands and knees to move around or to get to the front..and I allways hit my damn head on the tower speaker. I can't tell you how many times I have done that, so Im giving a THUMBS UP! For the folding forward tower. 0.2 cents. Jet

[viking]

I always liked the New Dimensions Towers. They are built with the OEM design of the newer models for the older boats. I was about to buy one for my 90 Comp TS6M before I traded her off on a Moomba Outback last year. It has the rad-a-cage on it but the ND I was looking at was just like it. They follow the beautiful lines of the supras/moombas!!

Just my .02!

[snibbornairb]

nice thing about the Titan is that you can fold forward or back, or one leg forward, one back. Folding back is great for storage (you can put a factory cover over the top of it) or forward to work on the boat. It will rest on the windshield though, unless you support it otherwise.

[87SunSportMikeyD]

oooh that titan pic is nice. I like it because it is so minimal, even more so than the MT. I would like to see pics of one collapsing completly. :)

[dshaff24]

I personally went with the krypt tower because of i-m-o it updates the look of the boat and is user friendly, Seems tough, it doesn't rattle like I read on the net about some other towers, im not saying its the best but i can say I got a great deal on it and it was easy to install and it folds towards the back with ease

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1329/6245701/22345274/374120595.jpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1329/6245701/22345274/374120593.jpg[/QUOTE]

hope this helps

[Okie Boarder]

dshaff....thanks. It does look pretty darn good even with the squared windshield we have. How tall is your boat sitting on the trailer? How much higher does the tower or it's legs stick up above the windshield after folding it down?

[87SunSportMikeyD]

My MT never rattles at all under normal conditions. The only time it ever does is when it is heavy, fully loaded down with 4 boards, bimini, and tower speakers, AND if the water is really choppy or big rollers.

[dshaff24]

dshaff....thanks. It does look pretty darn good even with the squared windshield we have. How tall is your boat sitting on the trailer? How much higher does the tower or it's legs stick up above the windshield after folding it down?I wish I could offer this information but I got everything striped on the boat as I type! I do know we have a 10 ft door at the shop and I had to remove the tower to get the boat in the garage though! Hope this helps :cool:

[Okie Boarder]

I wish I could offer this information but I got everything striped on the boat as I type! I do know we have a 10 ft door at the shop and I had to remove the tower to get the boat in the garage though! Hope this helps :cool:

It folds down, right?

BTW, which model is yours?

[michael hunter]

Okie
I posted the info you requested on your WB post.

[dshaff24]

It folds down, right?

BTW, which model is yours?

Here is a copy of the auction description, And yes it folds but I was in the process of total rebuild so everything is being removed



Easy Step By Step Pictured Installation Instructions - View our feedback rating, and bid with confidence.


This auction is for 1 brand new Krypt Towers Universal Pro Air Tower in Polished or Black.

Krypt Pro Air Tower - Universal wakeboard tower that is designed to meet the rigorous demands of todays pro riders. If you want the latest look in custom fat tube towers, then this tower is for you. This is a solid wakeboard tower that is designed with the look of a custom tower; it will make virtually any boat look great. Our Pro Air Tower has the custom side bar design that follows the boats windshield, and has become very popular with the ski boat manufacturers. This tower folds down beneath the windshield in less than 2 minutes, is easy to install, and fits all boats with beams between 76" and 108". The deck mounts will swivel 360 degrees to fit all top deck, side deck, or angled deck installations. Bullet Lines Pro Air Tower is made with 2.25" (Can you say Fat Tube) 6061 polished aluminum, and includes all necessary hardware and instructions for installation.

Krypt Pro Air Towers are gauranteed to make your boat bling....

Features


Polished 2 1/4" tubing 6061 (Fat Tube)
Custom Side Bar Tower Look
Polished Aluminum Deck Mounts are 70" apart
Fits boats with 76" - 108" beams
Folds down beneath windshield in less than 2 minutes
Easy Step By Step Pictured Installation Instructions Easy to install and fold down
Universal/Adjustable
Collapsible

[csuggs]

My boat will be at Viper Customs over the winter getting "the treatment" that all Sunsports from the 80's need. I am considering having him build a custom tower that will compliment the lines of my 86 Sunsport Skier. Anybody here have a custom design? Any pictures?

[Jester]

Okie,
Take a look at the Aerial Towers on ebay. H2O Sports Warehouse is currently selling the Airborne model for a buy it now price of $639 with free shipping! We bought this tower from them earlier this year and installed it after our stringer rebuild. We have about 2 months of use on it and it seems to be holding up well. I think the $639 is a very good deal for that style of tower. They have the Assault model on ebay too, pricing for $949 plus $85 shipping.
You could also check out their website where they have a small video of how it folds down. ttp://www.h2osportswarehouse.com/aerial-wakeboard-wakeboarding-tower-boat-airborne-dealer-s/73.htm (http://www.h2osportswarehouse.com/aerial-wakeboard-wakeboarding-tower-boat-airborne-dealer-s/73.htm)
Here's a pic of our sunsport with the Aerial Airborne tower. http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/1289/sunsport.jpg

[csuggs]

Jester, that's a great looking boat. This is off subject, but I have a qusestion about your trailer. It looks a lot like mine (not a Supra trailer - the boat sits a little higher than a Supra trailer). Do you have one bunk on each side or two? Are you able to drive your boat onto the trailer?

[Jester]

Jester, that's a great looking boat. This is off subject, but I have a qusestion about your trailer. It looks a lot like mine (not a Supra trailer - the boat sits a little higher than a Supra trailer). Do you have one bunk on each side or two? Are you able to drive your boat onto the trailer?
csuggs,
Thanks, it's still a work in progress. We were able to finish the stringers and get it back in the water in 3 months. Started at the end of April and had it floating at the end of July. We gutted the whole interior so we still have that left to redo this winter. We weren't too worried about how it looked...we just wanted to get in the water and wakeboard!
The trailer has two bunks on each side. We have been able to drive it on but it still doesn't seem to be set up right. Not sure if it's the operator or equipment. :) We have talked about putting another V guide lower down and near the front of the trailer so that it guides the boat up to the front roller/winch better.

[csuggs]

My trailer only has one on each side and the problem comes when loading, the boat does not center itself on the trailer. If I had two on each side creating a "V" shape then I think that it would center better.

[Okie Boarder]

micheal, thanks so much for checking that out for me and providing the answer.

dshaff, thanks for the info. That's the one I'm looking at.

jester, thanks. I was wondering if that was the tower y'all put on when I was looking at your pictures this weekend.

The two I'm seriously considering right now are the Aerial Airborne and the Krypt Pro Air. I like how both of them look, how they fold and the price.

[tre]

You can rule out Titan. Malibu purchased the company and will only allow Titan towers on Malibu boats now.

[snibbornairb]

wow. maybe mine will be a collectors item now.

[Okie Boarder]

Well, I decided on the Aerial Airborne (polished). Here's a "stock" photo of it. Sometime in the spring I'll post a picture of it on my boat. I'm going to do some reinforcement to the top cap and mount the bottom section of the tower before I put the top cap back on.

http://marineservicesus.com/images/large/towers/arial_airborne_wakeboard_tower_anodized.jpg

[csuggs]

That's a great looking tower! Can't wait to see it on your boat.

[mapleleaf]

I'm thinking they're going to be getting my business through eBay........I've been eyeing those towers for a while, hopefully the quality is there....they're prices sure can't be beat...
Okie that's a great looking tower!!!!

[tallnfast]

FYI I was actually speaking to a malibu service rep who told that he recently put the aerial on a boat and it was one of the best and most secure he has ever seen. And yes I saw them on ebay for about 795 from H20 watersports I think. I think they look great, good luck

[docdrs]

Thats a nice retrofit looking tower. I really like it

[87SunSportMikeyD]

http://www.aerialwakeboarding.com/v/vspfiles/photos/BT-AIR225-BK-2.jpg

http://www.aerialwakeboarding.com/v/vspfiles/photos/BT-AIR225-BK-3.jpg

http://www.aerialwakeboarding.com/v/vspfiles/photos/BT-AIR225-BK-4.jpg

[87SunSportMikeyD]

Oakie I hope no one minds if I critique the tower, even though I have not seen it in person and I dont claim to be some sort of know-all pro, so for what it's worth...

From the first and second pics I posted you can see that the tower is actually screwed together on the top. It looks like they send you the legs in pieces that include the bends. Then you connect the pieces at the top and screw them together for rigidity.

With the Monster Tower, you are shipped the top piece complete and the legs complete, and you fix them together at the joint. The legs swivel in all directions (bow to stern and also toward middle of boat or towards the water).

Also when I look at those paw mounts for the tower legs. I must admit that I think the heim joint that Monster and Titan use should be superior for adjustability and stress on the hull.

Finally I DO like the look of the Airborne tower from the side, however, those cross bars are going to be RIGHT in your view ALL the time. Then when you look at the 2nd pic I posted, the head on view, it is REALLY square and wide at the top and the bars are not totally lines up, the rear legs are wider than the front legs.

Also note that Aerial does have a 5 year warranty but only against defects. Also 30 days to exchange IF you dont install it. Monster backs their no questions asked even if you install it and they say "if you dont like it we want it back".

All this is just IMHO of course.

[87SunSportMikeyD]

Oh and sorry to be a 'scrooge' here but I bought the tower mirror pictured above and it was an absolutly terrible design. Made me sick to my stomache. There is no plastic sleeve where the metal mirror bracket clamps onto the tower. Everything it moves it scratches DEEP into your tower. Terrible.

In addition to that, there is NO quick release. This means when you collapse your tower, you either have to unscrew the mirror (takes forever and will scratch tower more), or leave the mirror on when you lower the tower. When I lowered the tower, the vibration of the tower bumping the gunwales shattered the mirror pane in the first week.

Lastly and most pathetic is that the mirror hangs crooked, even in their ads. There is NO WAY to make this mirror hang straight if you have curved tower legs.

Sorry for my rant but please do not get this mirror. I returned it to the awesome seller for some fat sacs and got a Monster Tower mirror instead with a 5 year warranty.

[87SunSportMikeyD]

Here are the mounts on the MT and you can see here how the legs attach to the upright.

http://photos.wakeboarder.com/data/3486/medium/Picture_032.jpg

[Okie Boarder]

Thanks for the feedback all.

Mikey, I understand what you are saying and I would have loved to have gotten a MT. I just don't really care for how they look. Everyone I've talked to say the Aerial is very solid, even considering the design differences you pointed out. That's a good thing to know on the mirror. I'll keep that in mind when I get a mirror. I may not get one anytime soon. I have a good one the clamps to the windshield that does the job well. The mirror would be one of the last things I replace at the end of this build, if there is still money in the "pot".

I'm sure this tower will work well and hold up nicely.

I didn't get it from H20 Warehouse either. I worked with Ian over at onlyinboards.com.

[87SunSportMikeyD]

I wasn't trying to sell you on an MT per se - just commenting. I have purchased with Ian before and he is great to work with. Cant wait to see the pics!

[jzelt]

With those girls in the boat, I didn't notice any bad lines/curves till you pointed them out...Like the stare at the picture till you can see an image. Guess that is good marketing.

Good points. I would probably put some loc-tite on the screws to make sure they don't vibrate out.

[Okie Boarder]

Got the tower Friday...unboxed it to check it out Sunday. Looks good. I got the polished aluminum...man it's REALLY shiny. I'm looking forward to see what it looks like on the boat.