I am considering a Crestliner VT17, Tracker TX17 or custom 1760. I am in Little Rock and will be fishing the Arkansas River, some small local lakes and some larger lakes on non-windy days. I am more concerned with quality than speed. There are Crestliner and Tracker dealers here and a few custom builders (F&F, Legend Craft, Weldbilt). Crestliner and Tracker are currently offering some decent deals with a 60hp four stroke. I have heard the occasional horror story about Tracker customer service and I know Crestliner has gone through some recent changes. Just looking for experiences or opinions so that I can make a little more informed decision. Thanks in advance for any advice.
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Opinions on Crestliner vs. Tracker vs. custom?
- Thread starter Jfish
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something to consider during your "lookin" stage, will the boat be stored outside in the weather or inside a relative dry environment. If outside in the weather, look for one that has no wood, or minimal wood, if it will be stored inside, then whatever you like. Several comments about wood rotting in trackers, but I store my 04 PT175 60 2 stroke inside,(bought it new) so its not been a problem for me. I have not had a single problem with my 175, boat/hull wise. The 60 needed some adjustments when I bought it as did the trailer. I had to work on the bearings/hubs a bit as well as they slug grease (well, one did, not both). Still have some of the original light bulbs in the trailer lights as well. One side marker light blinks on/off sometimes as well. Overall, I would consider another tracker if I was in the market. My dealer did all of the adjustments, etc., w/o a word other than "anything else,bring it back".
Quackrstackr
Well-known member
Crestliners are built at the same location as Lund, Lowe, Triton aluminum and others now.
reedjj
Well-known member
I was at the Jacksonville boat show a few weeks ago and they had all the G3's, Alumacraft's, Tracker's, Lowe's all in one area. While looking at them I was paying attention to the transoms, seams, welds, etc. They all seemed pretty good good to me. Maybe not a sturdy as an Alweld, Blazer, or legend. But not many of the major manufacturers are built like that. And for the price you cant beat a tracker IMHO.
There are alot of trackers in my area, and until I became a member on here I have never heard anything bad about them. I know a few guys that own them and they are very happy with them.
I don't own one but I would definately consider it. If I was to purchase one it would be from a dealer. NOT from a BPS, Cabelas, Gander mtn or from a catalog.
With that said, Crestliner makes a good boat too. My suggestion would be to shop around and find which one has the best deal as far as options, and quality of components like trolling motor, latches, pumps, trailer, fishfinder,etc. And go with which one fits your needs best. Avialability of service and a local dealer that you like and trust is something to consider too.
There are alot of trackers in my area, and until I became a member on here I have never heard anything bad about them. I know a few guys that own them and they are very happy with them.
I don't own one but I would definately consider it. If I was to purchase one it would be from a dealer. NOT from a BPS, Cabelas, Gander mtn or from a catalog.
With that said, Crestliner makes a good boat too. My suggestion would be to shop around and find which one has the best deal as far as options, and quality of components like trolling motor, latches, pumps, trailer, fishfinder,etc. And go with which one fits your needs best. Avialability of service and a local dealer that you like and trust is something to consider too.
Fays Marina Boatshop.com was a Tracker dealer for 17 years and sold alot of Tracker Pro Team 175 TXW mod-v boats. We were swung over to Lower Stinger 175 for 2011 as it has +9ft side rod box for muskee fishing, and forward and aft livewells instead of just one, and it has three fishing seat pin locations in the bow instead of just one or two, so you can fish alone in the bow or two across. The boat is very well made and has polyurethane paint all around instead of enamel, so believe you'd like it really well. NO WOOD IN BOAT CONSTRUCTION WHATSOEVER and Lowe has won 16 CSI awards and is the first ISO9001 Aluminum boat builder. Think you'd like it really well, as we sell 6 to 1 against Tracker with this boat now that we have switched over. Tracker's beam is a distortion of true floor space as they use a "cheater gunnel" that overhangs the hull but no one can fish it, so it makes the boat appear wider than it really is, but unlike Lowe, Tracker runs boxes on the side to hide cables and wiring, so even more casting space is lost in the stern particularly. If you get a chance, take a 2nd look one-on-one or go to https://www.loweboats.com/pdf/tec-check/s175.pdf and check differences. They also make the Stinger 170 for those with desire for one livewell and center rod box storage! My two-cents!
harleyhf said:
I was at cabelas looking at the lowes, those stingers are nice, and the price point is not out of reach. I am trying to conivince the wife.....she is being tough right now.
Hello Jim, Ed from FAYS. We are a former Tracker Dealer and we are matching Tracker's 60hp $13,995 + frt & prep price on Stinger 170 and 175 models, so if you can make the trip to 50 miles each of Chicago, we can get the job done. Stingers have a $3000 rebate ending 3/31/2011, so time is expiring (we have asked for an extension for the 4/14/2011 through 4/17/2011 Brunswick approved Boat Show at WalMart, but are awaiting an answer.) So if I can be of any help, let me know - Ed Fay
harleyhf said:
Ed,
Thanks for the FYI!
But I am from Boston, just a little too far away for me. :lol:
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