Boat Show – left with needing help/advice

Hello. So we went to the boat show today to possibly buy a family fish/ski boat. Looked at every brand and narrowed it down to the Alumacraft trophy 180 limited edition and the Lund crossover. Ranger Reatta was a very nice boat but price and a few other things brought me back to the Lund crossover. Alumacraft dealers said the trophy is a nicer boat all around. Of course Lund dealer pointed out why it’s much better than the Alumacraft. Here is the confusing part. The Lund dealer said the Mercury 4 stroke that was just re done last year I believe is a better motor than the Yamaha 150. Better hole shot was he main reason. This is not the verado. I always thought you can’t beat the Yamaha 150??? Does anyone run this Mercury engine and does anyone run a Lund Crossover or the Trophy? I thought the trophy was a great boat. Wife liked the carpet at the gunnels because of the non slipping issue if barefoot. Lund dealer said the carpet is cheaper on the gunnels and can get worn out, moldy etc. The Lund dealer also talked about the double rivots vs. Alumacraft single rivots. We left undecided and confused. I know both are good boats and don’t want to start a huge debate. We are just looking for pros and cons of both. One thing that surprised me is the Lund Crossover was only $3,200 more comparing apples to apples as far as electronics, trailer, etc. Main difference is the Lund had the Mercury and Alumacraft was the Suzuki 140 or Yamaha 150. Let’s hear your thoughts please. Thanks.

Chad

I have an Alumacraft TP 175 with carpet on the gunnels which I really really like. Never had a problem with mold at all, no mold on the boat at all and 9 years old. No wear on the gunnel carpet at all, carpet on the decking has worn some but none on the gunnel. Carpet makes the gunnel non slip and provides a soft spot for the cat to sleep.

I hope you brought brochures home for each boat and each motor. You and your wife need to write down how you intend to use the boat and how much time/how often you will use it. Then list the expectations you have of the boat ie. Storage space (for skis, rods, life vests, clothing, tackle), safety for small children, fishing with the guys, etc. Do this list without any particular boat in mind. Armed with this list, score the boats by comparing their specifications. Now, the real test: Gather all your gear that will be in the boat for family and fishing use, load it in the tow vehicle, and proceed to the dealerships. I know it will be strange loading your gear into the boat at the dealer, but it will pay big dividends and eliminate a costly mistake. If your gear fits and there is still boat space for passengers, great. You will probably find out that there isn’t, but loading the boat will tell you how you will have to make accommodations. This exercise will probably eliminate one boat. Then, make sure you can take it for a ride. I owned a Trophy and rode out some swells that standing up I could not see over the waves. The Trophy surprised me how well it crested the waves and came down over them like it was on a cushion of air.
If there is not a clear winner by this point, you have selected two comparable boats and you can let emotional reasoning win out.
Looking at the specs, there are clear differences that are favorable to both. The Alumacraft is wider and deeper, has two larger livewells, longer rod lockers, double plated hull vs only the bow, heavier gauge plating, wider choice of power. The Lund is longer, lighter, may have a better engine choice, and fits under a 7′ garage door. That last point is one you will want to investigate–you do plan to garage this investment, don’t you? Seriously, measure your garage door opening (or shed door).
Good luck deciding!

The merc 150 non-verado came out a few years ago, hopefully someone here has some experience with it. The merc 150 and Suzuki 140 are both 4 cylinder engines, the Yamaha is a 6 and is quite a bit heavier than the other 2. The Suzuki 140 is has been out for about 10 years and has excellent reviews as does the Yamaha.

This is a big purchase, wait until it warms up and spend a half day on the water in each boat to be sure it is right for you.

One thing to watch for on the Lund is that it has the double hull, but I’m pretty sure that model does, all Alumacrafts have the double hull. Both are good boats, just need to find the one that fits you.

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I hope you brought brochures home for each boat and each motor. You and your wife need to write down how you intend to use the boat and how much time/how often you will use it. Then list the expectations you have of the boat ie. Storage space (for skis, rods, life vests, clothing, tackle), safety for small children, fishing with the guys, etc. Do this list without any particular boat in mind. Armed with this list, score the boats by comparing their specifications. Now, the real test: Gather all your gear that will be in the boat for family and fishing use, load it in the tow vehicle, and proceed to the dealerships. I know it will be strange loading your gear into the boat at the dealer, but it will pay big dividends and eliminate a costly mistake. If your gear fits and there is still boat space for passengers, great. You will probably find out that there isn’t, but loading the boat will tell you how you will have to make accommodations. This exercise will probably eliminate one boat. Then, make sure you can take it for a ride. I owned a Trophy and rode out some swells that standing up I could not see over the waves. The Trophy surprised me how well it crested the waves and came down over them like it was on a cushion of air.
If there is not a clear winner by this point, you have selected two comparable boats and you can let emotional reasoning win out.
Looking at the specs, there are clear differences that are favorable to both. The Alumacraft is wider and deeper, has two larger livewells, longer rod lockers, double plated hull vs only the bow, heavier gauge plating, wider choice of power. The Lund is longer, lighter, may have a better engine choice, and fits under a 7′ garage door. That last point is one you will want to investigate–you do plan to garage this investment, don’t you? Seriously, measure your garage door opening (or shed door).
Good luck deciding!

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Thanks for the info. We live on a lake so it will be under a boat lift 99% of the time.

Chad

I have an 09 Alumacraft 185TP CS with a Yamaha 150 on it. No problems with the carpet, boat or motor. Love the boat. Don’t know what dealer you talked to but I drove 185 miles to buy my boat at LaCanne Marine in Faribault MN. Cory went out of his way during the purchase and they installed all my electronics and trolling motor. Family owned business and have 5 Star Service.

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I have an 09 Alumacraft 185TP CS with a Yamaha 150 on it. No problems with the carpet, boat or motor. Love the boat. Don’t know what dealer you talked to but I drove 185 miles to buy my boat at LaCanne Marine in Faribault MN. Cory went out of his way during the purchase and they installed all my electronics and trolling motor. Family owned business and have 5 Star Service.

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x2 on LaCanne Marine best dealer around IMHO, I have not bought a boat from them yet, I did buy a T8 from them a few years ago best price and best service around by far very nice to deal with. I live in Rochester and my next boat will be from LaCanne Marine.

pm sent!

Can’t tell you which is best – previous Lund Yamaha 200 4stroke, currently have a Lund with 200 Vrod. Both are great motors and I would suggest that you see which one has an extended warranty (up to 5 years). Boat floats – it works…motor quits I’m dead in the water. One suggestion is that if you decide on the Lund, find another salesman…Maybe I’m out of line, but it sounds like that person was selling by cutting down the competition rather than showing the positive benefits of his products.

One other thing that may come into play is resale value. The Lund will hold it’s value better than a Alumacraft. I have owned a couple of Pro-V’s and pushed them hard and never had an issue with them.

If you have any questions on the Alumacraft, Bay city Hardware
& Marine can answer any questions you might have ,

http://baycityhardware.com/

715-594-3118

All 3 motors will be good motors. You are buying a new rig so you will have the warranties to fall back on. If in fact it’s apples to apples and only $3,200 difference I would buy the Lund. The resale will return the added cost up front.

Don’t let the Lund dealers force you to take a Mercury motor. Since Lund and Mercury are owned by Brunswick, they package those two brands together as much as possible. Check with the dealer and see what the difference will be with getting a Yammy or Suzuki. If they want your business, they will do whatever they can to put together a package you feel comfortable with.
Personally, I wouldn’t put a Mercury on my boat unless it was free. I own a Yammy on my ProV, and I have a couple good fishing buddies that love their Suzukis. both would be much better choies IMO. I would got with an Etec long before I put a Merc on a brand new boat.

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Don’t know what dealer you talked to but I drove 185 miles to buy my boat at LaCanne Marine in Faribault MN. Cory went out of his way during the purchase and they installed all my electronics and trolling motor. Family owned business and have 5 Star Service.

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If you haven’t talked to LaCannes about the Alumacraft it is worth while doing so. They don’t carry Lund though. The comments about service and honest folks to deal with are accurate. I drove 75 miles to deal with them twice and will do it again when I am back in the market.

I just ordered a crossover 1875 and was looking at the trophy as we’ll. the finish on the lund seemed a little nicer, the crossover only has one livewell but has tons of storage. The snap in carpet is a great option, the ladder is nice for skiers and the ski package is great. The crossover resale will be better than the trophy also, I went to a neighboring state and saved 30% compared to five dealers throughout MN PM me if you have ?”s

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Wife liked the carpet at the gunnels because of the non slipping issue if barefoot. Lund dealer said the carpet is cheaper on the gunnels and can get worn out, moldy etc.

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I have an 89 Smokercraft with the carpet on the gunnels. Boat has seen a lot of hard use, stored outside most winters, covered, seen all sorts of weather and the carpet on the gunnels is still in good shape. Sounds like the Lund dealer is giving you a line of B.S.

I think the Trophy will provide a smoother ride (and be a little slower at top end) as it is a heavier, deeper boat. The Lunds ride higher on the water giving them a little more speed but not as smooth. Just my 2 cents.

Also – LaCannes is great, I drove 5hrs to buy a used boat from them. They sold it new originally and had all of the history on it – 2008 Alumacrat Dominator. It has the wider carpeted gunnels and I like it, no problems with mold or cheaper carpet (sounds like a line of crap to me)

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The merc 150 non-verado came out a few years ago, hopefully someone here has some experience with it. The merc 150 and Suzuki 140 are both 4 cylinder engines, the Yamaha is a 6 and is quite a bit heavier than the other 2.

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Actually, the Yamaha is an in-line 4 cylinder, 2.67 liter, and weighing in at 491# dry.