My Thoughts on the Vexus DVX22 After One Full Season of Use

As excited as I was to drive it for the first time, I'm still that way, every time I climb in the boat. It's just a fun boat to operate. The ride is very good and is dependable. She has the horsepower to go fast, and she likes to go fast, but I find that on a nice day, I prefer a nice cruising speed of 40-50mph, to get to a spot. 

On rougher days, the engine has enough low-end torque to help get up the waves, and a quick response time for throttle adjustments. The boat handles great, due to the design. And I think it's a real winner!

I like the design of the bow, because it feels higher, so when I'm driving in rough water, I never feel that water will be coming in over the bow at any moment. And, speaking of the bow...let's talk about the bow mount trolling motor next.

As many of you know, originally, I had a 112 Ulterra iPilot LINK on the bow, but, after two stow failures (with clients on board, of course), I called my local Minn Kota Service Tech (Matt Wieland), to have him find me a 112 Terrova iPilot LINK, to swap out.  He was able to find one that day.

I ran the Ulterras since they came out, and this is the first time I've ever had an issue with one...but, I couldn't give it a chance to do it three times, so I swapped it out. 

I sure miss just pushing a button and having the motor deploy and stow by itself, but I'm liking the dependability of the Terrova, too. It's been issue free all season.

So, that's the tip of the boat...so far so good. :)

Next, the bow storage, which consists of an 8' 10" center rod locker, 2 giant storage compartments, and a bait well.  The storage compartment on the port side is pleasantly gigantic. 

Seriously, a full-grown average adult could lay in there, and there would still be room for more stuff. The compartment on the starboard side is slightly smaller, but still holds a lot.

There are two retractable belts on the bow to hold rods in place, that are stored on the bow, but I don't keep any rods there, so I use it for holding the nets down, while on the road, or running long distances in rough water.

Moving on to the cockpit/dash area....

I have only one criticism, and that's about the trim buttons on the Merc 400's throttle (This is a digital control throttle...and the 400 Verado, before they replaced it with the new V10).  The buttons are SO tiny, and under a rubber sheath, so it's almost impossible to work them on the fly in any timely manner.

I opted to put a trim lever at the wheel, so I could adjust on the fly more easily, and without frustration.  

Other than that, I like just having one 12" Helix at the dash, because it leaves me the hole in the dash, to use as a "cubby-hole" for all the stuff that is used frequently. The Helix has enough screen to run it in split screen(s).  I run another Helix 12 in the rear of the boat, that is connected to the one on the dash, so they are both seeing the same thing.

I didn't put a stereo in this boat, because I just use my Bose speaker/Blue toothed to my phone, so I can play from my playlists. It's one less thing to suck any battery juice from the boat's batteries.

While the boat come standard with the "Air Wave" pedestal bases, I wasn't aware of that when I ordered this boat and opted to put in the suspension seating that I had been using for the last decade... "SmoothMove Seats".

The driver and passenger seats are both fitted with SmoothMove Seats. The passenger side has the "Air-Ride" (plug it in, press a button, and it inflates), and the driver's seat has the manual version (twist a knob). The manual version is set tight, though, because I like to feel what the boat feels, when it's rough out. 

Rick LaCourse, my mentor, friend, ex-husband, and the man who taught me how to "drive" a Ranger, always said, "If you can feel it in your ass, so can the boat"...meaning, don't beat up the boat!

The iTroll dial control for the kicker motor sits down, and back, of the big motor's throttle...I have no complaints about this product. It works like it's supposed to and hasn't failed me yet.

The full  windshield is the strongest windshield I know of. I never have to worry about a customer using it to support their weight as they are going up and down, and, to and from the bow seat.  It's still as solid as the day I first got in the boat.

It's easy to keep clean too, because my hand fits between the glass and the dash. 

The glove box is plenty big, and has an upper shelf for those items you want to keep more accessible.

The passenger dash also has a little cubby-hole of their own, (where a stereo would go), which is big enough to hold sunglasses, keys, etc. Then, there is also a nice indentation on top of the dash, to hold more stuff, that won't roll away, or get stuck down between the dash and the windshield. 

My antenna is mounted on the driver's side, just behind the Bennett Trim Tab control panel, and above the throttle. I like having it there, so when it must come down fast, (bridge), I have quick access to it.  Ask me, how I know... I've already written about in previous blogs, when I had the antenna on the passenger's side. Let's just say, O'Dark 30, a dark bridge in Vermilion, and an antenna standing at 8'....not pretty. I lost two that way. lol

Now, that it's on my side, it's down in a flash, if need be.

The Bennett Trim Tabs have been easy to use on the manual setting, and because of the location, easily operated. It has the automatic settings, but I like using it in manual mode.

The 8' rod storage on the port side holds rods, beautifully. I only keep 4 dipsey rods, and the rear navigation light there, and like the way they are held by what I call "The Claw". I don't know what they are called...it's Y shaped, and rubber coated, to protect your reels. Depending on the rod and reel combos one may run, it could hold a few more rods.

I have a Fish Hawk X2 behind the driver's seat on the starboard tracks. It's working great, and I am very happy with it.

Turning the seat around, to look at the back of the boat....

The storage compartments on the DVX22 hold a lot of tackle, on both sides. 

(For those that do not like the storage compartments in the back, the new DVX22S is coming, or might even be here by now, and does not have the storage compartments in the back.

I've talked about the boat's built-in cooler being in the stern port corner, and how I loved the accessibly of it in that position, and that feeling hasn't changed... I still love it!

Originally, I didn't think I would like the room that the built in storage, and access panel to the bilge, in front of the live well took up, but I've grown to really like it. It's perfect for sitting on, standing on, and kneeling on...and, netting fish has not been an issue, like I thought it would be.

And, originally, I was missing the MoDog Running Rod Rack, to hold rods when running from spot to spot, but when Cisco came out with the new Hybrid rod holders that are a cross between their tube and cradle rod holders, I swapped 6 of my 10 cradles out, and could run with the rods in the holders, instead.  The nice thing about these hybrids is, they keep the reel facing inside the boat...unlike the regular tubes.

I had all cradles, but they didn't have the ring to lock a rod in, so I would have had to use a bungie cord or something, to keep the rod from bouncing out of the holder, every time I wanted to move. I couldn't be happier with this new holder.

One nice thing about the DVX22 is the metal plate they install under the gunnel, to screw a Cisco Track to the gunnel. It allows the track to bend and follow the gunnel's contour, and solidly attach to it.  I haven't had any issues with screws coming loose, either. And, I don't have to worry about a customer who leans on one, to maintain his/her balance...(unless, they are "really leaning"). 

Having the access panel right there in front of the live well is actually very nice. There's so much more room to work with stuff under there, if need be.  

The storage compartments on either side of the access panel can hold 6 crank bait boxes, each. Or, in my case, one side holds all my dipsey stuff. A pool noodle with a dozen leads tied up, a few back up reels, extra size 1 dipsies, extra snubbers, and two crank bait boxes.  The other side holds 6 medium sized boxes....boxes that are slightly smaller than a Plano 3700 box.

The stern starboard compartment is where my two battery chargers are located. A 2-bank and a 3-bank charger hang on the walls of the compartment, so there's still plenty of room for all my Off Shore planer boards in there, too.

The 2 plug ins for the chargers, are right in that corner too, but on the splash well side. 

The boat power switch is also there, along with the open/close valve for the drain plug.

NOTE: In every boat I've owned with this type of open/close drain plug system...I've always had to go under the boat to push the drain plug closed that last 1/8th to a 1/4 inch. 

Will it leak without pushing it in? I don't know, but I would rather be safe than sorry. :)

The only thing left on the rear of the boat, that wasn't mentioned, is the 15 Merc kicker. I have the tiller model, so I can just lock it in straight. I just want it to push us, while the Terrova does all the steering. I use the iTroll to dial in the RPM speed, so I can dial in the speed needed to allow the Terrova's power level to stay at number 5.

I like power level 5, because it will give me enough speed to keep control of the bow on windy days, without using up all the batteries. I'd rather the power come from the kicker. 

That's the starting speed. It will get bumped up and down throughout a fishing trip, though, due to maneuvers, but you get my point. 

Well, this got long, pretty quick...lol  Sorry, for the long read...if you get through it all...thanks for reading it! :)