I just had a New Dimension Tower mounted on our '94 Malibu echelon. Correct on approx $2k. There are tons of towers for less, but they just don't blend with the boat b/c they are universal mounts. I researched a ton on which tower to go with and decided to spend the extra money. I had my reservations of if the extra was worth it but Wayne and New Dimension tower mounted the tower and did all the things that I couldn't (reinforce the fiberglass, customize the height to be proportional to the boat, ect.) This tower is custom spec to the year and model of my boat. Check their website...they have the specs for any year/model boat. Any aftermarket will look like an afterthought and will not be as strong as a New Dimension.
On a separate note...2 days after picking the boat up and heading home from vacation I had a trailer axle weld break. Stuck 10 hours from home, Wayne, Red, and Don came to my rescue re-welding the axle PLUS treated me extremely fairly on costs. I am a fan for life and would advise ONLY going with the New Dimension.