By a new convertible, never put the top up (rain or shine), drive it wide open through the roughest field (not road) you can find and let me know how well it holds up.

I understand what you�re talking about, but we abuse these machines and they require additional maintenance.

Well said Chad!!!

al seaver,

The trolling motor is a Minn Kota 101. It is powerful, on high you could just about ski behind it. However it has broken down on me twice in the 1st year that I have owned it.

I was thinking the same thing on the way to work this morning.

take a vw beetle and go "off roading" it won't last very long at all.

we beat our boats to death going over 3 and 4 + rollers.

just gotta take care of and inspect our boats more often. tighten up those screws, etc. OFTEN.
get those props fixed when the are damaged, get that outboard serviced regularly. Run GOOD oil, the right fuel, etc.

Comparing cars to boats is a little off base, comparing an off road racing vehicle buggy or truck is more in line. If you have been around off road racing you will notice all components are built to take abuse. In the boating world the same bilge pump and most other accessories that go in a ski / runabout boat goes in a bass boat, why, abuse is different.

It comes down to the bottom line of each manufacturer, do they utilize specialized components or do they use commodity / low bid components.

Another factor to consider is the hydrodynamics of the hull, a flat sled is going to pound the rough water a lot more than a deeper vee hull. Than energy is going somewhere and it transferred to all components of the boat. Weak and poorly built components are going to break or come apart. Do we ever look at how the pumps are mounted in the boat, not really, we make sure their accessible. Do we look at how the inner-wiring is soldiered or crimped, no. Do we check if all the mounting bolts to our accessories are tight, no. For the high prices we pay for boats we expect the manufacturer to have figured it all out.

I know my 95 champion($17,000) was a better boat than my 04 Ranger($27,000) and hope my 08 basscat($38,000) is better than both.

And by the way "beetles" although modified did fairly well down in Baja.

When we talk boats being in for repairs, are they mechanical and if so, what Motor? Merc, Yam, Evin?????

There are certain things I fix, and certain things I want done professionally. I will not ever stick over sized screws to hold lids and such. I want them fixed properly the first time.

Upkeep and attention to details will eliminate problems becoming bigger $$$$$ down the road.

If I was to buy a new boat, I'd like to know what motors have had recalls, how many, why, and which motors are in the shop the most.

Hookem

'98 Chev Tahoe - 85,000k Repaired or replaced:

Intake manifold gasket

AC compressor

Idler pulley

CV boot

Windshield wiper control module

All four shocks

Fuel pump & sending unit

Driver's side door hinge pins

Instrument cluster

'01 BaccCat - Repaired or replaced:

MG trolling motor mosfet switch

Rod locker lid lift piston

Two bilge / aerator pumps

Batteries

Powerhead on Yamaha 200 V-Max

It's all relative!

That's my point exactly. I remember reading somewhere, that a bass pro took his "stock" boat completely apart. re did all the wiring, etc. strengthened all connections, and mounts. did away with screws and replace with bolts where possible.

now, why did he do this?? to make the boat stronger and more reliable, because he was going to beat the boat up in the rough water on the tourny trails.
He was willing to take the time to ensure a more reliable boat, just like someone going "off roading" in the beetle !!

how many of us are willing to take that kind of time? VERY FEW.

Great Topic though, i like this.

Steve,

I have a ruptured disc in my lower back and don't like the pounding that comes from rough rides. For that reason, I don't drive my boat like a bat out of hell as some professionals or serious tournament fisherman do. I have fished a few tournaments but for me it's about having fun, getting some relaxation and staying safe as I have a wife and 3 kids to take care of. Presently, I am a little grumpy as I have not been able to fish in my boat for my necessary "BRAIN THERAPY"

Also, isn't it sad that the bass pro you mentioned felt it necessary to have to go to those extremes to feel comfortable with his boat. I am sure he wasn't fishing with a "Ford Pinto" quality boat.

Steve,
I believe that was Zeil Rowland.

have had lots of problems with graphs also from lowrance but the worst problems are the small items on my ranger like live well control breaking , screws backing out and things coming a loose , you would think that these boats would be top notch for the money we pay just my two cents! oh yea biggest problem is dealer repair they only wanted to sell it not FIX IT !abm

yah, you'd think for the price you'd get better quality components & a bit more care in the building. Still, the way boats get used (sit around for long periods gathering dust & rust, then rode hard and put up wet) it's a wonder there's not more breakdowns. Electrical devices and connections are vulnerable to corrosion. Fasteners loosen with vibration and loose stuff breaks. Wet surfaces collect dust, dirty surfaces hold moisture, leads to corrosion and rot. Corrosion and rot spread. Put aside an afternoon every year or so, go through your boat & tighten screws, wash down inside compartments, inspect electrical connections, lubricate stuff that needs lubricating, fix what's broke.......

I think too many electric but wipers as my dad would call themare to blame. Our boat is simple, boat motor, simplie humingbird depthfinder and a 12 volt cigaret plug, and rinning lights. That is it, nothing on the boat has broke since 1985 when it was new with the exceptinon of a fuel line and we had to get the prop rehubled last year.

matt

Granted, we work hard on evaluating boat components, and some companies just buy a part and install it because it will help sell one, or offer a new feature.

Everything from the tires to the stern light should have thought about it. We think about it and a few others do. Though some have not the depth to do so, and others lack in the experience. There is a lot to a bass boat and without getting personal, the average bass angler will never think about most issues. They won't face them and the weekend warriors won't face them too much either.

There are some good points in this post, and just because is says resin brand XYZ-9999 does not mean it is a better product. From our experience the better products do not carry the advertising appeal.

On the Chevrolet reference, good points and on the Convertible reference you don't know how true you are. So we are going to break it down some.

Thanks for the positives here guys!

BCB
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>...........<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

98 Chev Tahoe - 85,000k Repaired or replaced:

Intake manifold gasket >>> Common GM Problem on the 350

AC compressor >>> Common GM service issue on a limited percentage.

Idler pulley >>> About all GM vehicles have this bearing issue.

CV boot >>> not a real common problem.

Windshield wiper control module >>> Isolated for most vehicles.

All four shocks >>> Common on all vehicles GM or OT(T=Toyota reference)her. (other)

Fuel pump & sending unit >>> Common on vehicles run on the lower quarter tank with GM products.

Driver's side door hinge pins >>> Not common, though familiar.

Instrument cluster >>> Not common >>> Danged you had one or two different issues from normal on this GM

'01 Bass Cat - Repaired or replaced:

MG trolling motor mosfet switch >>> Hate the digital stuff, though it does reduce amperage use.

Rod locker lid lift piston >>> Common, we still like the old springs that never fail. ('88 to '90's)

Two bilge / aerator pumps >>> Mayfair, though we do use 750 GPH and others did not then.

Batteries >>> You ust(m) have missed this on your Tahoe, as we know your Delco popped a terminal.

Powerhead on Yamaha 200 V-Max >>> 2 strokes - gotta' luv'em (We think 4 stroke will improve this and we need to get them here to reduce the long term maintenance for gusy like you!)

It's all relative!Edited by fishmagnet (01-05-2008 01:38 PM)

To some point we agree fishmagnet, though accessories still remain a major issue for all. We never were a fan of the onboard chargers, and we started that trend. In those '03 Cougar FTD models, we could add that we enhanced sales with those in dash larger depth finders, thus things have changed today. We think we will see more difficulties with LCR's and other similar components in the future, though that is the future on what we are using today! They are electronic, and will eventually let us down.

We do look forward to more improved 4 stroke engines, and that will be forthcoming soon. They will change the way we think about outboards, and thus change the maintenance that makes our wives scramble when we have to pay for a powerhead. In the long run we will loose some perf., though we will lower our costs and gain some durability.

Boats have come a long way since we all started seriously bass fishing in the early 70's. Now we will see another evolution.

Thanks for N'during this!

BCB



_________________________
They were biting good here.......yesterday!

I have a brand new 07 Champion with a 250 Yamaha HPDI. The engine flat died on me while I was miles from the ramp. Thank god for a trolling motor. It was slow but it got me back. Took it to a dealer and found the fuel pump went out. The motor had 2.8 hours on it. Fluke? I hope so.....