48 DA Owners Club

Has anyone found 110v outlets in the bilge? All my other Sundancer's have had electric power outlets in the bilge for heaters etc... I cannot find any on this boat.
 
Has anyone found 110v outlets in the bilge? All my other Sundancer's have had electric power outlets in the bilge for heaters etc... I cannot find any on this boat.

On mine it's on the bulkhead just to port of the electrical panel.

-Tom
 
Has anyone found 110v outlets in the bilge? All my other Sundancer's have had electric power outlets in the bilge for heaters etc... I cannot find any on this boat.
I found a pic that shows the outlet. It's right there between the electrical panels behind the light grey cover. (sorry it's blurry)

-Tom
6362286_20170908121058871_1_XLARGE.jpg
 
Thanks, I do not think I have an outlet anywhere around that area I will check this weekend.
 
Also another question. To the lower left of my TV in salon is a recessed box that looks like it might change codes on remotes? What is that?
 
Can someone tell me how the satellite works on the 48? I have 2 satellite control boxes but 4 TVs?



The forward bedroom controls the TV independently and the salon unit controls the other 3 TV's. Whatever channel your main salon TV is on so will the cockpit and aft bedroom TV.
 
THanks JB. Was wondering how it worked. Brought boat home and was lucky that I was able o take one ride before I had her pulled for winter.
 
This is a much appreciated thread. I (think) we will be in the market for this model in the near future. I would appreciate others experience and guidance during their buying process. We are midwest lake boaters. Have had a Sea Ray 390 Express decades ago along with smaller Cobalts. We are looking at Florida. Will just be my wife and I with occasional visits from friends and adult children. I have kept up with comments from this site, the Hull Truth, and Yacht Forums. Lots of knowledge gained from others experiences. So; i will definitely utilize one or two surveyors prior to purchase. I'm leaning towards Vdrives, with or without bow thruster. We will be attending the Miami show again in February. i would be interested in anyone's experience in simply getting started. How far out from purchase did you start looking? What are your thoughts regarding engine hours. Age vs engine hours. Common issues with this model? surprises? 20-20 hindsight? location issues like Tampa vs miami vs Jax? All thoughts and ideas will be appreciated!
 
This is a much appreciated thread. I (think) we will be in the market for this model in the near future. I would appreciate others experience and guidance during their buying process. We are midwest lake boaters. Have had a Sea Ray 390 Express decades ago along with smaller Cobalts. We are looking at Florida. Will just be my wife and I with occasional visits from friends and adult children. I have kept up with comments from this site, the Hull Truth, and Yacht Forums. Lots of knowledge gained from others experiences. So; i will definitely utilize one or two surveyors prior to purchase. I'm leaning towards Vdrives, with or without bow thruster. We will be attending the Miami show again in February. i would be interested in anyone's experience in simply getting started. How far out from purchase did you start looking? What are your thoughts regarding engine hours. Age vs engine hours. Common issues with this model? surprises? 20-20 hindsight? location issues like Tampa vs miami vs Jax? All thoughts and ideas will be appreciated!

Bob, I just finished the 4th season on my 48DA. This has been a solid boat all around from build quality, Cummins motors, accommodations, etc. Outside general maintenance items my only issue was the rudder. The supporting hardware attached to the stringers came loose and caused water seepage from packing glands. Took some time to work out because it would only leak when making a hard turn on plane. Other than that issue some items to watch for in the 48DA:

1. Head Hoses corrode and become porous and don't hold vacuum, not easy to change. Completed on my boat.
2. Transmission Coupler failure has been documented on the QSC motors. This is a rubber puck which connects the engine crankshaft to the transmission. I don't have the issue on mine however I closely monitor.
3. Cummins Motors common issues - Turbo wastegate leakage, crank shaft seal leaks, fuel cooler failure. Also many owners defer the proper servicing of the after coolers and coolant systems, request records.
4. Not the easiest Engine room to work in.

V-Drive set up is all I know on this boat. 40 GPH will allow 2250 RPM and net you 23 knots all day long. I have been in 6-7 foot seas and she handled it no problem. Handling around the docks is very easy and you will only find with a thruster.

They started making this model with Zeus drives in 2009. I have not heard great things from my local Cummins service company on generation 1 version. 2009 and newer will get you a more modern interior and soft goods package. I think the sweet spot in this model is regards to price point is 2007-2008. Expect a well maintained vessel to sell around $380k - $430k depending upon options. I don't see these boats depreciating much as they are hard to beat and in demand. After I sold my 420 DA, I was lucky and found my boat local. Made an offer the first day it went on the market and closed in 2 weeks.

Good luck in your search let me know if you have any concerns.
 
Bob, I just finished the 4th season on my 48DA. This has been a solid boat all around from build quality, Cummins motors, accommodations, etc. Outside general maintenance items my only issue was the rudder. The supporting hardware attached to the stringers came loose and caused water seepage from packing glands. Took some time to work out because it would only leak when making a hard turn on plane. Other than that issue some items to watch for in the 48DA:

1. Head Hoses corrode and become porous and don't hold vacuum, not easy to change. Completed on my boat.
2. Transmission Coupler failure has been documented on the QSC motors. This is a rubber puck which connects the engine crankshaft to the transmission. I don't have the issue on mine however I closely monitor.
3. Cummins Motors common issues - Turbo wastegate leakage, crank shaft seal leaks, fuel cooler failure. Also many owners defer the proper servicing of the after coolers and coolant systems, request records.
4. Not the easiest Engine room to work in.

V-Drive set up is all I know on this boat. 40 GPH will allow 2250 RPM and net you 23 knots all day long. I have been in 6-7 foot seas and she handled it no problem. Handling around the docks is very easy and you will only find with a thruster.

They started making this model with Zeus drives in 2009. I have not heard great things from my local Cummins service company on generation 1 version. 2009 and newer will get you a more modern interior and soft goods package. I think the sweet spot in this model is regards to price point is 2007-2008. Expect a well maintained vessel to sell around $380k - $430k depending upon options. I don't see these boats depreciating much as they are hard to beat and in demand. After I sold my 420 DA, I was lucky and found my boat local. Made an offer the first day it went on the market and closed in 2 weeks.

Good luck in your search let me know if you have any concerns.
Great Info, Rocket. Just the kind of feedback Im looking for. If anything else comes to mind please let me know!
 
Great Info, Rocket. Just the kind of feedback Im looking for. If anything else comes to mind please let me know!
Hey Guys,

That's all great info as we very recently purchase our 48DA. In fact we took one ride, and put it away for winter. We too made an offer the same day our boat came on the market. Freshwater with only 375 hours, so we had to move quickly. Question for you Rocket: When not using your cockpit table, is there a dedicated storage area for it?

Thanks,

-Tom
 
Rocket, that was a very good description of the boat. I have found ours to be exactly what we have been looking for a very long time. I should have bought the 48 when I bought my 390 in 2008. In reality it would have saved me sales tax and broker fees on the 390 I bought. I agree that they are in high demand and the 2007 - 2008 models are in the sweet spot for price right now. Most people are shocked that ours is a 10 year old boat as they think it is a couple of years old.
 
Hey Guys,

That's all great info as we very recently purchase our 48DA. In fact we took one ride, and put it away for winter. We too made an offer the same day our boat came on the market. Freshwater with only 375 hours, so we had to move quickly. Question for you Rocket: When not using your cockpit table, is there a dedicated storage area for it?

Thanks,

-Tom
Tom, we always have the cockpit table on the deck and never store. There is always food or drink on it! There is no dedicated storage for this table.
 
Rocket, that was a very good description of the boat. I have found ours to be exactly what we have been looking for a very long time. I should have bought the 48 when I bought my 390 in 2008. In reality it would have saved me sales tax and broker fees on the 390 I bought. I agree that they are in high demand and the 2007 - 2008 models are in the sweet spot for price right now. Most people are shocked that ours is a 10 year old boat as they think it is a couple of years old.
Same here, the design is very modern and most people think the boat is 2-3 years old. We started to look for a new boat as we like to cycle our boats at the 10 Year old mark. We are looking at max 55 ft LOA and we are having a tough time replacing this boat. It seems I may commit to the boat another few years.
 
Tom, we always have the cockpit table on the deck and never store. There is always food or drink on it! There is no dedicated storage for this table.
Thanks Rocket. There are a couple of restaurants we visit in a town just North of us that are starboard tie on the wall, and it would make it easier to to get on/off without the table there. I rather not have anyone stepping on the seats, so maybe I can come up with a little portable step to place on the swim platform. It's not like there's not enough room on this thing to store one!

-Tom
 
I fabricated my own table with a free standing base, I can slide it to the side to gain access to the starboard seat step.
 
I fabricated my own table with a free standing base, I can slide it to the side to gain access to the starboard seat step.
Thanks Jon. Would you happen to have a pic of your set up? I'm gonna need to do something, and would like to see it if you don't mind.

Thanks,

-Tom
 

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