tsand

Vita Rendezvous worked great, then we see HiLi errors. I have read that HiLi only means that the tub is overheating. Since the tub is down to 70 degrees, I would assume something else is wrong. The spa is under warranty for another 12 days, but we could use your help in understanding how to fix this issue prior to the end of the warranty. Thanks

I think you can deal on the price Rendezvous. Search that name in the forum. I think I have seen some say the Rendezvous can be had for $8500 to $9000, but I am not sure. Unless you have some emergent need to purchase quickly, I would wait and see what you can negotiate. Good luck

Very glad you are getting positve signs from Vita. I look forward to seeing your picks. Thanks for kinds words. Lots of work on the deck and spa. We did get more deck completed. The Brown/scratch coat of the stucco is completed. The final coat will be completed soon. I will post more after the holidays. Happy Holidays to you. Thanks Tsand

Ivieisme, Medic posted that vita has decided to honor their warranty. He is cautiously optimistic that he will get his tub replaced.......Sooooooooo I don't have any experience with Caldera, so I can't say who is better, but I do love our tub. BTW there is a cool down seat in the Rendezvous. The best feature for us are the huge volcano floor/foot jets. I am not sure if you have wet tested the tubs, but give the Rendezvous a soak. Vita has a smaller tub, the Nuage, that is set up a bit like the Rendezvous. We were thinking of purchasing the Nuage new if we hadn't found our used Rendezvous. Good luck in your selection Thanks Tsand

Thanks, Don't relish moving the tub, my main concern may be installing the cover. Doesn't anyone have experience installing a Cover Valet on a Vita Rendezvous tubs? Is this a DIY project? Thanks Tsand

It takes a "special" type of person to drown an animal when other options may be available. Please no hunting analogies. I just think this is a bit cruel. In my state Game and Fish say: For the purposes of this section, any person, any member of such person's family, or any employee of the person may hunt, trap, or take black-billed magpies, common crows, starlings, English or house sparrows, common pigeons, coyotes, bobcats, red foxes, raccoons, jackrabbits, badgers, marmots, prairie dogs, pocket gophers, Richardson's ground squirrels, rock squirrels, thirteen-lined ground squirrels, porcupines, crayfish, tiger salamanders, muskrats, beavers, exotic wildlife, and common snapping turtles on lands owned or leased by the person without securing licenses to do so, but only when such wildlife is causing damage to crops, real or personal property, or livestock. Any person may kill skunks or rattlesnakes when necessary to protect life or property. The pelts or hides of any mammals taken under this subsection (9) may be transferred, possessed, traded, bartered, or sold by a person who holds an appropriate small game license.

Hi, I am looking for a new lift as well. I wonder if the Cover Valet is a possibility? We are looking at this unit The "Cover Genie" has about 12 inches of a cross bar sticking in from each side. I think this is pretty close to the ProLift. There are several good sites that compare the lifters. I don't know if I should post their websites as I don't want to appear to be promoting vendors? Try Googling spa lifters selection matrix Thanks Tsand

I think that Medic would disagree? Lets as him/her. Actually, if you would re-read my post, you will note that I did get a written 1 year warranty from the dealer. My issue is that, while its not yet known, my dealer may have dishonestly misrepresented the tub I purchased because he could not get Vita to honor their shell 10 year warranty. Time will tell. But you are correct on one point here, there are good and bad dealers and I MAY have gotten a bad one I am not saying that dealer sold tubs are bad. Let me quote myself from my post "I am working to inform others that working with a spa dealer can be as risky (or more risky as in Medic’s case) than purchasing a spa from Costco/SamsClub with their great return policy." I never said that dealer sold tubs are bad. You are correct that I was warned on this forum that some bubbles could be a problem. Looking back, maybe I should have walked away from the deal? I had no idea that the problem was a larger issue for Vita. I thought it was, just as the dealer said, a few cosmetic bubbles that should not get larger and will not affect the tub.... Bad timing? If I would have waited and read Medic's posts, then I would have definately walked away. Thanks for your kind words. I have some small amount of faith that things will work out. I love our tub, and I say this while admitting that I have never liked hot tubs much in the past (unless I had a date, of course). This tub has turned me into a spa "believer". We will see next week when we empty the spa. Thanks Tsand

Here is a mini review of the tub. It is a full foam insulated tub, so we will see how it does this winter with electricity. We are at 7000 feet and get a lot of snow The controller is complex but works well. Don't know the model number. You push a button and the lights come on, push again, then 1/2 of the pumps start. Push the main button and the other pumps start. This spa has misters, which we havent' used, too cold. This tub doesn't have a lounger seat. I don't float in any seat. The tub has 3 floor Volcano jets that are fantastic. This was our main motivation to look at this spa The Finger Massage and Colorado River (basically a rectangle shaped flow of water that hits the back of your neck) are also fantastic. The spa has a "Symphonic Wave Seat" that allows you to divert water to different combinations of jets to create different jet flows. You control the area, speed, duration and pressure. The spa has Stainless Steel Jets, Moodlights that can change color like a disco light, 1HP Air Pump, and Aromatherapy. My wife loves the air pump, I don't, it is too noisy and I don't like the feel of the jets. Haven't used the Aromatherapy We have an ozone system Vita calls BIOzone. It is not a UV ozone system Vita calls their heater "H.E.E.T.™ High Efficiency Energy Transfer" which claims to be "the world's most economical spa to operate". Time will tell. Here are some more features SenFlo™(Foot & Wrist Massage) Sounds funny, but I really like these smaller jets No Blame™ Heater. Vita claims that their isolation coating in the heater provides a system that regardless of whether pH is maintained or not, your heater will last longer? InsulFoam and Perma-Shied which are supposed to be high-density foam insulation and a bottom "cover" as a barrier to guard against wet and cold surfaces. Well, not overly technical, but this may give you an idea of what this tub is like. Thanks Tsand

So your review of the tub is good? It sure looks good! Please see my post On the NOV 20th for the whole story: http://www.poolspaforum.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=10024 We love the tub, but Vita is not honoring a very clear warranty issue for "Medic" a user on this forum and my dealer may have deceptively sold me a problem tub. Time will tell. Thanks Tsand

104 degrees, Not looking for you to feel bad for me (I know that is not in your DNA). I am working to inform others that working with a spa dealer can be as risky (or more risky as in Medic’s case) than purchasing a spa from Costco/SamsClub with their great return policy. Vita is not honoring their warranty for Medic. My dealer may have lied to me about my tub. They told me that the owner of the dealership wanted to get a new Rendezvous, they were trading up. I hope my dealer didn’t dump a $5000 spa on an unsuspecting customer because Vita wouldn't honor the shell warranty on a/his tub, that I ultimately purchased. As for buying a bad tub at a very deep discount, that is simply not true. We paid $5000 for a 2 year old tub that many on this forum said would cost about $8500 new. This depreciation was in line with other used tubs we found on Craigslist in our area. Also, we love the Rendezvous; it has all the features we wanted. As for telling us there were shell issues, it isn’t like I didn’t see them when we initially looked at the tub, as the tub was empty in the show room. They told me the bubbles were cosmetic only and that they would fix them by injecting an adhesive into the bubbles so they would not break or pop causing a sharp area or causing any other damage (very rare they said). They also told me more bubbles would be covered under a 1 year warranty with the dealership, not the manufacturer (Vita’s warranties are not transferrable to new spa owners). I hope Vita steps up to the plate for Medic. If you are looking for a tub I would recommend the Rendezvous, if you can get past what Vita is doing to Medic. It is really a great tub so far. In the end, a compay has to live up to their warranties or they will not exist in a competitive marketplace. Thanks to everyone else for your assistance and ideas. Tsand

Here are pics of the tub installation. Vita Rendezvous on our new Redwood deck. We love this tub. Long story, but we hope things work out for our purchase. So far, So good. Yes, composite decks are nice, but I like Con Heart Redwood. The rails are now stucco to match the house Yes, the tub is amost too big for the deck The spadolly is cool The 3 foot volcano jets are really awesome The spadolly will give you a heart attack on uneven surfaces This is only time I hope to ever see the bottom of the spa The PVC pipe trick works well The SpaJack is cool also. Does anyone remember this tool used for carpet or tile removal? The eagle has landed More pics later Thanks tsand

Well, talk about bad luck. After much research on this forum, listening to those that warned us of all the issues we would have, we decided not to purchase a spa from Costco. We thought we were lucky to find a used Vita Rendezvous at a local Vita dealer. They claimed the 2005 tub that was "the owners' tub" and he was just upgrading, the only reason he was selling the spa (ya right). If this blister issue (we only have 4-5 smaller blisters) is not just isolated to the 2004s?? Unfortunately we have the almond pearl acrylic tub See the full description here: http://www.poolspaforum.com/forum/index.ph...21&hl=tsand Unfortunately it wouldn't matter, since Vita Spas warranties are not transferable. We have only a 1 year warranty from the dealer and we are emptying the tub for the first time next week, so if we have more blisters, we may be in some unpleasant hot water with this spa. Wish we would have known about this issue, we would have never bought the Vita. Several people on this site spoke very highly of Vita. At this rate, Costco's return policy is looking better everyday. Looks like dealing with dealers and paying their high prices doesn't protect consumers in Vita's case. Wish us better luck! Thanks Tsand

Some changes to my railing (stucco) on my deck means that we don't have the clearance for the old lifting mechanism and cover. We have a 2005 Vita Rendezvous spa that has a traditional Light Duty full bar lifting mechanism. So we have a choice: we can either drain the tub and move it about 3 inches away from the railing or install the "Cover Valet" which claims to have a very small cover space requirement. Moving the tub will be a problem for a few reasons as the electrician drilled an access hole for the wiring that will need to change. I don't know how much he will charge. If I have the slack, I guess I might be able to move the wire myself (yes, turn it off at the breaker box) Since we are moving the spa only 3 inches I would guess we should be able to have 3-4 people to push/pull? Or shall we get an appliance hand truck, lift the tub and use the 4 inch PVC trick for the small move? Anyone have experience with a "Cover Valet" lifting mechanism for their spa cover? Adding the "Cover Valet" will cost about $200 (Internet cost plus shipping not including installation). I don't know if this mechanism will work with my Spa. Does anyone know if the "Cover Valet" is compatible with my Spa? Also is this a DIY project or should we get the dealer to install? The dealer wants $275 for the cover plus $100 for the install. Any thoughts? Thanks Tsand

As a newbie, what product (test strip brand) do you recommend to measure this and the other water conditions (PH, Alk, etc)? Thanks

Delivered the tub today, the electrician will be back on Sunday and the dealer agreed to return for the set up. I will post pics tomorrow.

Thanks to everyone that posted. We decided to go with this SPA. Here is what we got in print: Vita Rendezvous with misting option 220 Acrylic liner 1 year warranty to cover components, plumbing and labor Liner bubbles to be repaired but still cosmetically visible New cover old cover mechanism factor Ozone, (not UV ozone) New Steps to match SPA panels Start Up chemicals plus silver stick Delivery and Set up without Electrician. Dealer will 2nd trip without charge as soon as the electrician shows up $5000 plus tax My Questions: What should the bubble repair look like? On a 10x12 area how shall we orient the tub to give access appropriate access for cover, service and electrical power? If we use the filters as a reference. Note that the Back and Left side have House walls. The right and front will have deck railing. How would you run water to the misting system (summer only)? What chemicals would you use CL or BR with this tub?

We received a quote for $5000 plus 1 year warranty plus fix all 5 bubbles. This included steps, delivery, set up, first chemicals including the silver, plus brand new cover, old cover mechanism. thanks to all for your comments

Just returned from the local Vita Dealer. The Dealer/owner is selling his personal used Vita Rendezvous. The serial number, we were told, says the spa is 2 years old. It was on the sales floor without water. We found out about the spa via CraigsList. We were quoted about 12,000 for this spa new. This is what were were told: The owner just purchased a new Rendezvous with all the water effects and stereo to replace his old tub. The tub for sale has an acrylic liner, the fresh water misting system. ozone, silver purifier and Symphonic Wave seat. I did my best to inspect the tub as the dealer pointed out some shell bubbles in about 4-5 places. The largest bubble is about the size of a dime on the floor of the spa. One other bubble is near the large one half the size. The others are very small near one of the seat jets. Everything else looks very clean. We took off the side covers and all looks in order from what I can tell. The Dealer's service manager was working with us and the tub is offered with a 90 day warranty which we negotiated to 1 year component/labor warranty. All of this was necessary as we were told that Vita will not transfer their lifetime shell/plumbing, 5 year parts and labor warranty to a second party. The spa was not filled but we were offered that it be filled for wet testing if we wished. The service manager claims to stand behind his spa and offered to repair the bubbles free of charge prior to purchase. We were impressed with the gentlemen that assisted us. They seemed very knowledgable and interested in getting us into the spa. My questions: What do you consider a reasonable price for this used spa that will include delivery, setup, initial chemicals, steps, brand new ez-up cover? I am a bit hesitant because of the bubbles, but I think we should be covered by the initial fix and the 1 year warranty? Would you consider this spa and if so at what fair price?

Greetings, Here is a link to a new spa coupon sale at Costco, the Discovery Oasis. http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?...〈=en-US This spa is at the same sales price point as the Infinity Sun Peak $2999. Here are few questions to get the conversation going. Is this spa a Keys Backyard spa? Would anyone know the Keys model number or name? The Costco website doesn't show the seating plan, anyone care to make a guess or point to a picture on the web? Here is a summary of the spa: 6 person, 2 pump, Deluxe Aquamarine acrylic, hard cover, marine-grade vinyl, 40 jets with stainless steel accents, 23 adjustable, 16 pulsing, 1 Foot Massage, 6-button digital display, Temp up/down, Pump 2 on/off, Pump 1 low/high/off, Balboa control panel, Multi-Color LED Light, Vico Motor/pump, Pump 1: 4 HP/ Pump 2: 2 HP Factory-Installed ozonator with ozone jet, 4.0 kW flow through Heater Electrical: 240V / 60Hz / 50 amp breaker

Just logged into the Coast Spa web site and my Trend PCcillin antivirus said I got the JS_PSYME.ANT Trojan Horse virus for my troubles. I would use caution.....

Having sat in both Nautilus and Optima recently I would personally pick the Nautilus, I also rate D1 above Sundance in my personal opinion. Vita has a nice spa called the Nuage you may like, but I dont think any of those are better then the Nautilus. Thanks, Can you give a few details about the difference between D1 and Sundance? Is your preference more aesthetics or mechanical? The D1 dealer/sales person was a bit daft, but friendly. I like the colors of the Nautilus and the Nautilus shell in the spa wall seems "cool". And the seating lay out is very good. I have only seen pictures of the Optima, and the lesser series Chelsee model. Appreciate your assistance.

Thanks for the great post. This reply should be a "sticky" post for this forum so all can benefit. If you don't mind sharing, what used tub are you looking to purchase? Also, we have discovered that my wife likes the larger Volcano foot jet rather than several smaller foot jets. Again, thanks for the information, it is helping immensely.

Don't mind questions at all - I love talking about hot tubs now (as my wife is surely sick of) haha I got the Roxul at a RONA store - a Canadian building supply chain, I called 3 other places locally and they all had it, I'm not sure if HD in the US has it but I'd suggest visiting here: http://www.roxul.com/sw34444.asp or calling a HD store. It comes in 16" and 24" widths as well as 4" and 6" thicknesses (to fit in standard construction framing) - I went with 24" x 4". The insulation doesn't have a shiny face, I think you might be seeing the foil bubble insulation that Gulf Coast uses. I didn't insulate the floor because my rationale was that heat rises, the floor already had foam insulation (albeit rather thin), and I wanted to leave some air space to allow an air pocket to exist inside. Maybe your tub has more room inside? I actually didn't insulate the center of the front panel where the electronics are - the same as you have planned. There wasn't really much room to do it and I didn't feel right about placing insulation in the comparment right against all those electrical pieces that generate heat.... I insulated up to the hard plastic compartment that houses those parts, but not inside it - wish I had taken a photo of that. This looks like a very well thought out installation. Lots of work taking apart the deck, then reassembly so you definately has some serious carpentry skills. I don't want to appear to be criticizing your efforts, but since you have this experience under your belt, I thought I would ask did you consider open or closed cell "liquid" blown in insulation? I frequently watch "Holmes on Homes" and he uses a contractor of a blown in type of insulation sold in Canada as "Insta-Insulation" (please note that I have no commercial interests in this product or company). In the US there are several types and brands of similar products. Can anyone tell us if the blown in insulation is reasonable product or an alternative to the Roxul used in this installation. If so, what can and can't be sprayed (valves, electronics, pumps etc.) Thanks Tsand

I would suspect that it could be Spa/Pool dealer or a Division manager for a Spa manufacture. Or it might be someone who decided to start their own Spa/pool dealership. There certainly are industry people on this site but I think they're sharing their opinions based on what they feel is sound advice, not to steal a spa from Costco's sales. If you want to believe people have a vested interest that's fine. On the other hand NW was a major poster on this site (until recently coincidentally) pushing the Costco Platinum spa as the way to go but it seems to be pretty common knowledge that he worked for Hydrospa who made them. Soakerman (or is it Silverfish, I mix them up) is a big proponent of Costco who always has inside information relative to their inner workings and it's pretty much assumed he works for Costco. I guess there are people from both sides trying to pull you there way. They probably have your name on a list as part of their quota of people to recruit. You'll just have to fend them off and make your own decision. Interestingly, I almost typed in my last post "those who might own Costco/Walmart stock" (does Cost have stock?). I didn't post that because I wasn't sure if Costco is publicly traded and didn't have time to look it up. Anyway, the last sentence in your post above appears to be very wise and can be attributed to many on this forum. Thanks Tsand