Tower decisions, decisions, decisions.....

[Dr.John]

I have a late model Sport (01) to which I would like to add a tower.
I really like the way the Monster Tower folds, seems less obtrusive, and it doesn't hurt that it costs $1k (or roughly 1/2 of the FCT). Of course the other option (imho, the only real option) is the FCT (at $2k)

The real question I have is..... Would an aftermarket tower hurt the resale value over the FCT? The dealer said that I could expect to get a lot of cost of the FCT back at resale time, partly because of the demand for wakeboard use, and the fact that it is a "factory tower", making it essentially an Air Nautique.

Nautique owners seem to be pretty particular, as I am, and therefore may not go for an aftermarket tower in the same way as a Tige or BU buyer.

Any ideas / opinion?

[NautiqueJeff]

Personally, I'd go with the FCT. They're expensive, but I think they're worth it.

Eric at Mid-Ohio had one for sale that would fit your boat. I think it was silver. You might send him an e-mail (eric@midohionautiques.com) and see if he still has it.

[skinautique]

Here is the big thing. If you need the tower quickly, you will get the monster tower alot quicker. If you can wait for a little while, get the FCT. Although the monster is pretty solid (especially for the money), the FCT is even better. I haven't paid a ton of attention to the monster tower to see if it requires tools to fold down or not but the FCT does not require any tools. You will have to get your cover modified with the FCT though. The monster will fold down flat.

Hope this helps out a little bit.

[Rock_Toy]

I still think that the best looking towers out there are the Boss Towers. Every time I see one on a Nuatique, I am impressed. Here's mine:

[Wakeslave]

Re: Tower decisions, decisions, decisions.....

Nautique owners seem to be pretty particular, as I am, and therefore may not go for an aftermarket tower in the same way as a Tige or BU buyer.


Malibu has many different offerings on towers, eliminating the need for aftermarket towers. The Titan tower is 10 times stronger than a Monster, and comes with a lifetime warranty. That said, your comment on 'Bu and Tige makes no sense. In 2005, Malibu offers 6 different choices as far as towers go. Know what you are saying before you say it .

WS

[Dr.John]

Re: Tower decisions, decisions, decisions.....

Nautique owners seem to be pretty particular, as I am, and therefore may not go for an aftermarket tower in the same way as a Tige or BU buyer.


Malibu has many different offerings on towers, eliminating the need for aftermarket towers. The Titan tower is 10 times stronger than a Monster, and comes with a lifetime warranty. That said, your comment on 'Bu and Tige makes no sense. In 2005, Malibu offers 6 different choices as far as towers go. Know what you are saying before you say it .

WS

I agree with what was said in that Bu and Tige don't have the brand loyalty with the towers as I suspect Nautique owners have. I don't believe that Tige and Bu hold patents for there supplied towers, and therefore offer a wide range.
Since there is essentially only one brand of factory tower for Nautique, the FCT, which is patented, my guess is that FCT holds more value than Titan ON a Nautique even though the Titan may or may not be superior.
I was simply trying to see if that theory was correct!
Thanks for you input!

[Wakeslave]

Patent or no patent...more choices=more sales..period. Kudos to CC for 'inventing' the WB tower. Kudo's to 'Bu for 'inventing' the Wedge. That said....different people need different towers. Whether it is for height issues, trailering, etc. I have seen a few Monster Towers on our lake here in Iowa, and I wouldn't give a plug nickel for one, regardless of how easy it folds dow. They are cheaply made, flex like a willow tree, and IMO are unattractive. If it were my $$$..I would go with th FCT, hands down. And thanks for your input also. Different strokes for different folks. .

[ag4ever]

There was that "Boss edition" Super air that was for sale here and at wakeworld for the lonest time. I forgot who's boat it was, but I thought that tower went really well with the lines of the boat.

Unfortunatly, I think that since it was a demo boat and had a Boss tower instead of a FCT it took a really long time to sell.

I do say that that tower looks a lot better on the boat than the FCT does.

[NautiqueJeff]

Have to agree with you guys on the looks of the Boss towers. They do flow with the lines of the boat MUCH better than the FCT. I seriously considered making an offer on the boat ag4ever is referring to before I bought my SAN. That was a cool looking boat. The person that bought that one got a great boat. Here's a shot of it.

[Nauty176]

I have a Monster tower on my boat and love it. However, being that your boat is an '01 I would be inclined to go with the FCT. I think like the dealer said, it will basically make it an Air Nautique. I think the Monster looks fine on older Nautiques like mine, but with a newer boat I think the FCT would look much better. My opinion is based soley on looks. If could have afforded an FCT I probably would have bought one. However, I do think the Monster may be of higher quality than the FCT.

I'm not sure if Wakeslave actually has any experience with a Monster tower, but they do not flex at all, much less like a willow tree. On the contrary, I have a friend who has a SAN with an FCT and his tower creaks and rattles with every pull. My Monster tower does not make a sound. It is rock solid! As I said, if I had the extra money to spend I might go with a FCT or a Sampson tower purely for the looks. I think I could put up with some creaking and rattling for a better look. Then again, the look of a tower is a personal preference. I personally think that the Monster doesn't look that bad on my Nautique.

[82tique]

FYI, Iowa "wakeslave", I recently installed a monster tower. It is completely quiet and is rock solid.

have a great weekend on the water!

[jefe]

Yeah, that was my Boss Edition. I loved the way the Belmont tower looked on that boat, to bad Boss can't make them anymore, maybe Murray can talk CC into putting another of his designs on their boat.

Regarding the resale, I had a few people who were going to purchase it that never followed through. I doubt it was because of the tower, I think it was just the timing of it all, my dealers demo didn't sell for a long time either (Regular FCT).

[darrel409]

has anyone seen or have a pic of the "short " tower by CC? I think its called a scorpion or something like that. Its shorter than an FCT looks like its purfect to bump your head into when standing up from the seat.

[1time17]

where did you guys get that monter tower at.

[Dr.John]

Nauty176...good informed info!

I have heard nothing but good things about the Monster (those w/ personal experience).
Like I said, it's (Monster) is the alternative to FCT, imho. For me (no speakers, lights, etc., the folding feature, price, & solid construction make the decision very hard.