Anyone tried to trade in an RT yet?

[Bassman25]

On this same topic, I did some...phishing...called a couple dealers and asked trade value because I actually considered upgrading to a G2 and a tandem trailer option. The most I was offered was $24K for a boat I paid $38K for last july, thats a $14,000 cut off new in less than 8 months. That is a pretty hard hit and my RT198P is loaded up, it has more than everything, poles, you name it. I was quite surprised at the trade price, one dealer at least flat out told me there are no used ones on the market and they really have no idea how to price it but from NADA which doesnt help at all and doesnt give enough value for the electronics and power poles etc but that is what they have to go off of.

[tjsellsfords]

Buy exactly what you want so you don't have to worry about resale. Heck the only good investment is real estate. Easier to save up a few thousand more to get what you want than take an expensive bath on a trade in a year or two. just my 2 cents

[bbarras85]

Dealer offered me 17,500 for my 188 loaded yesterday. I’ll be selling mine outright.

[Boondock]

Rough fellas
Another reason to not buy new.

[n2ratfishin]

Buy exactly what you want so you don't have to worry about resale. Heck the only good investment is real estate. Easier to save up a few thousand more to get what you want than take an expensive bath on a trade in a year or two. just my 2 cents

Realestate isn’t safe anymore. That’s depending on where you live. We’ve owned this house since early 2007. It’s just now back to what we paid for it brand new. You can’t recoup closing costs and fees (about 22K) on our home even after 11 years much less any other monies spent. If it were an hour away in Nashville I’d be sitting on a hundred thousand or more in gains.

So, I agree with buy what you like the first time.

[Bassin08]

Boats are a worse investment than cars. When it comes to housing, we think we are making money selling our house for X amount more than we paid for it, but in reality we are just paying an inflated price for the new one. With houses it is all about location.

[n2ratfishin]

A boat, as far as an "investment" is a joke. About the only investment side of it, is it helps keep my sanity so I can earn enough to pay for the other things I need.

Lots of guys rag on the "promo staff" people. I looked at that as a PT job for a few decades. I got a nice boat for less than retail..sometimes WAY less than retail. In return I was expected to work and or the company expected to see than discount made up and then some. As years passed companies wanted more..some wanted written reports of activities. Another words to get the real deals you have to WORK! When you get those deals you can turn boats faster and pass along the savings. It doesn't help the person trying to sell in a year or two who payed retail. These days those kinds of promo deals are far and few. What you see on NADA and KBB or such is the average..think bell curve.

[BOATS]

All of the add on's do not add up to a hill of beans, just like the big conversion van boom of the late 80's and 90's. As soon as you dove off the lot you had a depreciating ford van and nothing more.

[Wil Holmes]

I agree with BOATS, if all the additional depth finders, JP, fancy TM, and PP is removed you have a basic aluminum boat that would sit on a dealers lot more than they would want. This is the reason for the low trade in offers. Personally I’ll be buying a Crestliner VT18 to save a little and add nice accessories I want to save some. The two hulls are quiet similar other than consoles and little things.

[contium]

All of the add on's do not add up to a hill of beans

This. I always remove all the electronics from a boat when I sell it. Seems like everyone selling a "loaded" boat with $15K worth of options expect to get $12K when they sell the boat. And chances are, I can get that $15K worth of stuff for $10K online and installing myself. Electronics, trolling motors, etc all drop by 50% the second they are used AFAIC.

[Bassin08]

I agree with BOATS, if all the additional depth finders, JP, fancy TM, and PP is removed you have a basic aluminum boat that would sit on a dealers lot more than they would want. This is the reason for the low trade in offers. Personally I’ll be buying a Crestliner VT18 to save a little and add nice accessories I want to save some. The two hulls are quiet similar other than consoles and little things.

I am looking at the Ranger RT178, but the dealer is three hours from my house. I have a Crestliner dealer fifteen minutes from my house. Maybe I should look at a VT17 there? It just seems there is something special about a Ranger though.

First I have to sell my Alumacraft. We still have a couple of feet of ice on our lakes here, so not too many people looking yet.

[King_Fish]

I am looking at the Ranger RT178, but the dealer is three hours from my house. I have a Crestliner dealer fifteen minutes from my house. Maybe I should look at a VT17 there? It just seems there is something special about a Ranger though.

First I have to sell my Alumacraft. We still have a couple of feet of ice on our lakes here, so not too many people looking yet.

I'd make darn sure that Crestliner has the hull issues resolved before buying one. There are a couple folks in the Tin Boats forums that can attest to their issues.

I seem to recall that TJsellsfords is one of the guys that has / had porpoising issues.

[Bassin08]

I'd make darn sure that Crestliner has the hull issues resolved before buying one. There are a couple folks in the Tin Boats forums that can attest to their issues.

I seem to recall that TJsellsfords is one of the guys that has / had porpoising issues.

Thank you! I wish I could get a Ranger RT178 with a F70 Yamaha on it, there aren’t any in the Midwest that I can find..

[Panama]

Thank you! I wish I could get a Ranger RT178 with a F70 Yamaha on it, there aren’t any in the Midwest that I can find..

I think there is a red 2018 with the Yamaha that recently arrived at Trader Bills in Hot Springs, AR...
TampaJim had that combo and absolutely loved it. Would make a sweet boat.

[Bassin08]

I think there is a red 2018 with the Yamaha that recently arrived at Trader Bills in Hot Springs, AR...
TampaJim had that combo and absolutely loved it. Would make a sweet boat.

Thank you for the information, however I would like white, or silver. It is also 800 miles away from me. Tampa Jim had a perfect RT178 in my opinion. There is one in Minnesota, but it has the 75 Yamaha and a Fortex on it, that makes it kind of pricey for me. I figure that I have maybe 5-6 years left to fish, Lord willing, so I think I would take quite a hit on it when selling.

[PolarKraft195]

I am looking at the Ranger RT178, but the dealer is three hours from my house. I have a Crestliner dealer fifteen minutes from my house. Maybe I should look at a VT17 there? It just seems there is something special about a Ranger though.

First I have to sell my Alumacraft. We still have a couple of feet of ice on our lakes here, so not too many people looking yet.

dealer I'm buying my new leftover 2017 Polar Kraft 195 off of is 15 hrs away! But well worth the drive for the $$$ I saved! Meeting in Savannah Ga.(12 hr drive) and spending a few days down there, where my brother lives, to fish some private lakes!

[gatorglenn]

dealer I'm buying my new leftover 2017 Polar Kraft 195 off of is 15 hrs away! But well worth the drive for the $$$ I saved! Meeting in Savannah Ga.(12 hr drive) and spending a few days down there, where my brother lives, to fish some private lakes!

Your going to Savannah. Go see the Botanical gardens there. An old girlfriend from high school runs it. It’s one of the better ones in the country. And go red fishing! From there down to Amelia Island where Iam from is also some of the best in the country

[tcesni]

Boats are a worse investment than cars. When it comes to housing, we think we are making money selling our house for X amount more than we paid for it, but in reality we are just paying an inflated price for the new one. With houses it is all about location.

Neither boats or cars are an investment, they are expenses that are either necessary (a car beats walking) or bring enjoyment (boat). So long as you keep a boat a reasonable length of time and take care of it the depreciation is minimized. It's all the additional stuff you add that kills your resale value, plus the dealer needs to make a margin on any trade in so if your 1 year old boat cost you $30,000 and you get $20,000 in trade in a year later the dealer will need to get $25,000 when they resell it to make it worth the bother. Boats are much easier to sell yourself and they bring so much enjoyment. I bought my first boat when I was 22 and I've owned one for almost 40 years - and I'm only on my 4th boat!

[Nova Kaw 650]

Neither boats or cars are an investment, they are expenses that are either necessary (a car beats walking) or bring enjoyment (boat). So long as you keep a boat a reasonable length of time and take care of it the depreciation is minimized. It's all the additional stuff you add that kills your resale value, plus the dealer needs to make a margin on any trade in so if your 1 year old boat cost you $30,000 and you get $20,000 in trade in a year later the dealer will need to get $25,000 when they resell it to make it worth the bother. Boats are much easier to sell yourself and they bring so much enjoyment. I bought my first boat when I was 22 and I've owned one for almost 40 years - and I'm only on my 4th boat!

This is the gospel right here ^^^^
Don't be insulted by a low trade-in value for your 2 month, 6 month, 1 year old boat. You want to trade it after absorbing the worst of the deprecation; and it's just business to a dealer.

[Wil Holmes]

I am looking at the Ranger RT178, but the dealer is three hours from my house. I have a Crestliner dealer fifteen minutes from my house. Maybe I should look at a VT17 there? It just seems there is something special about a Ranger though.

First I have to sell my Alumacraft. We still have a couple of feet of ice on our lakes here, so not too many people looking yet.

Personal opinion here, if you threw just the hull nothing else of the crestliner and ranger in the water with TM down fishing you would be about equal on design. That’s between the RT 188 and VT18. The main difference is the console, foam filled, and deck layout. I would buy a Crestliner VT18 an be Happy Happy. Believe the Crestliner issues with porpoising have been worked.