Buster Dobbs died several years ago.

Challenger boats were one of the lowest end boats on the water. I'm not trying to offend the Challenger owners. I call 'em like it is.

As long as the hull was never breached, then they were an ok boat. Dobbs used foam core and balsa core to build his boats, and this was one of the problems with them. If they ever got hit, it was extremely difficult to do a repair that would hold. Foam core crystalizes on impact, and once the balsa core gets wet, it will rot out in months.

So just look at the boat carefully.

Here is a pic of a Challenger. you can see the foam core and balsa core.

I had heard that they used Champion molds or vice versa. Of course I heard the same thing about Laser and Hydrosports. Hull looks very similar.

Shimano-Man, I didn't get your PM.

That is a little disappointing. I guess I got to make sure I am careful. I apprecite the info. Good or Bad, it is always helpful to know.

I am sorry. I did get your PM.

Nevermind....I see you're not interested and selling the Challenger.

Hello all! I just did a search and ran across this post. I wanted to pass along some information about the Challenger boat. This is what I was told many times by the locals here that knew him. Not sure of the guys name it may be Dobbs but the boats were built here in Huntsville, AL. Here is a link with the company information.

http://www.hoovers.com/company/Challenger_Boat_Inc/rfcrhtxcx-1.html

The story goes like this. The owner of Challenger boats and his 2 partners were going to have talks about expanding the company and teaming to make the Bubble bee line of boats. They had come to an arrangment and headed back home to Alabama. While driving down the interstate a Deer jumped the road and came through the windsheild killing the owner and causing him to wreck and kill the 2 passangers. This caused the end of Challenger boats. I have never owned one but I am looking at one right now. Hope this helps if you are still a member.

I had a friend that had one and I was not impressed it was a 19' with a 115 and it was terrible it couldn't pull a pacifier out of a babies mouth... Within less than a year the carpet was flapping and the boat was beat to s&%t! He got rid of it and bought a procraft and it held up much better. But he was an idiot that didnt know how to treat a boat so that needs to be factored into this story too...

I just bought a 98 Challenger. It runs good but when I hit the power button on the console and try to hit the horn, bilge pump, lights or fish finder, the power shuts off. Does anyone know why this is happening and how I can fix it?

I own a 1996 Challenger Radical with a 120 Force pushing it. I have been very happy with it. My boat has great hole shot and planes out very quickly. Plenty of fishing room and ample storage. My carpet is not flapping in the wind but it has also been taken care of very well, as a matter of fact I washed and waxed it today. It also trailers very well. The only draw back that I have is that it sits pretty low in the water and when using my trolling motor and some wakes from other boats come in I have had them come over the front. Nothing major though.

One of my fishing buds has one 19ft. with a 150 Merc.Fast hole shot,and it fishes ok.....but will pound you to death in rough water.

Fished in one once with a guy I knew, it was either 17 or 18 ft had a 135 Merc on it and would do 60mph. It was fast but kinda basic in the electronic dept (didn't even have a timer for the live wells), skinny hull so there wasn't alot of deck space. It was pretty rough in the waves but we were at Amistad so it's always rough. Decent boat but not the best boat out there.

I was thinking that Charger and Champion had similar hulls. I owned a Laser once. I had to go to the factory to get a windshield and I talked to the manager there. He told me the story about the molds. He told me that when Laser started out they bought some old molds from Hydrosport. Neither boat was any good in my opinion. My Laser could turn but construction wise it was a piece of carp.

Old post, but who would repair an 8 year old bass boat with that kind of damage? If it won't pull, what does that have to do with the boat? Sounds like a motor issue, and Challenger didn't make motors. I have a 93 with original carpet. No flapping yet. If you like it, enjoy it, chances of you hitting someting or needing carpet glue are slim, body damage hasn't happened to me in 32 years on the water.

I just bought a 98 390 with a mercury 150 and I dont see a thing wrong with it, all the other boat its age were beat. could be lack of use or proper care or quality of product