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  • Storage Trays over additional ballast in rear compartments


    Dale974
    • Year: 2006 Brand: Malibu Model / Trim: Wakesetter VLX Cost: $0-$249 DIY or Professional Install: I installed it
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    When adding additional ballast to the rear compartments of my 06' VLX i didn't want to go so much to the extent that i lost all storage.  I had a set of 565# sacs as well as a pair of 400# sacs to chose from.  Although after filling both up, i opted for the 400# so that i still had some storage space left above them to hold the jackets that we use the most.  I figure if i need more back there i can always through a lead wake bag or two and then i'm up to 500# without sacrificing space.   I had planned on trying to make some sort of a shelf so i had ordered some 1/4" hdpe in 2' x 4' sheets which was more than i needed, but worked out well to have some left over to make a custom sub box in my kickplate to improve my sub.   Basically i got 4 J bolts and mounted them thru the divider panels and made sure i ran them thru the wakemakers divider panel reinforcement kit so that i was putting extra weight on the channel and not just on the poly.20180415_164626.jpg.b6188ff9fa69042eec331c92b474aa62.jpg

    I then took some strips of strap from the old winch strap that i had replaced last fall...  I cut them to length and punched holes and added grommets to them to go over the j-hooks and fasten to the gunnel.  The straps are there to hold the trays level whether the sacs are full 

    or empty.20180415_164621.jpg.da5a035bba5d4458c10e6dffcb87c494.jpg

    I then took the poly and cut it to fit inside the compartment area and added 1" holes where the j-hooks are so that the trays can hook into the hooks.  I then cut about 3-4" of poly strips to make the edges of the trays to help keep jackets, etc from sliding off the trays or sliding under the edges and then getting pinched if the bags would surge or whatnot.

    20180415_164551.jpg.d749f65fec6a5cc383258c94c1d0f49c.jpg

    Then as a final touch i borrowed a router and rounded the edges for a more finished look.  However i should have done this step before assembling the trays since it was harder to round edges where the router wouldn't fit.  I just finished those off with a pocket knife instead of taking the trays back apart.

    20180417_204040.jpg.0801250d509b80e7934469c2ae38b1da.jpg

    Finally because the trays would block the existing lights in the storage compartment, i added a set of 3/4" white LEDs to the gunnel to provide lighting for late surf sets, cleaning out the compartments, etc.  20180415_164657.jpg.a909489779ab4f0992714906c6eee49f.jpg20180415_164808.jpg.a069f3c8aef29c8581d59222256d65dc.jpg

    I added two because i had added green accent LEDs in the cabin area to go with regular white accents.  Instead of rigging up relays to run a single white off of two circuts i just hooked one to green, and the other to white, so i had storage lighting with either light option.

    After completing this project i did see a guy on another forum just tied cargo netting  across the opening.  That would have been an easier option, but i was hoping to maybe keep the compartment slightly drier.  I'll let ya know in a month whether this was a good option or not, but for now i'm pleased with the outcome...

     

     

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