Boat purchase

[thecap]

A couple questions about purchasing a boat. My plan(s) are to buy an aluminum boat purely for fishing the lakes. There will mainly only be two people. I’ve  narrowed it down to either a Lowe or a tracker.

New or used? 

Has anyone ever weighed tongue weight, and can offer an idea as to how much these weights are?

Trying to get an idea since I will also be hauling a slide-in camper on a 3/4 ton GMC.
 

Thanks!

[Terrierman]

Tongue weight on an aluminum boat will be less than 200 lbs. unless it is some kind of monster.  

New or used?  How much do you want to spend?  One of my goals in life that I doubt I will ever achieve is actually wearing out a decent boat/motor/trailer combo that's reasonably well taken care of.

[aarchdale@coresleep.com]

Its pretty easy to find tracker a couple years old in real good shape for way less than they cost new.  Used Lowes are a little harder to come by. i had a Tracker 175 TXW and it was a great boat as long as its just two people.  It was pretty light weight, i towed it with a 2 door under powered wrangler for years. Mine rode great for an aluminum, that hull design cuts through waves very well.  Not sure what the tongue weight was but i could lift it off the hitch without a whole lot of effort. Mine was pretty rear heavy though

[liphunter]

I bought a 2012 Proteam 190 Tracker with a 115 merc (finest outboard in the world according to wrench) used in 2015 at a greatly reduced price. No regrets. It suits me pretty well. I haven't weighed the tongue but when I lift it. I get about 1/8th inch eye bulge and two small veins on my forehead. So I would somewhere around 200 pounds is a good estimate. 

[snagged in outlet 3]

2 hours ago, thecap said:

A couple questions about purchasing a boat. My plan(s) are to buy an aluminum boat purely for fishing the lakes. There will mainly only be two people. I’ve  narrowed it down to either a Lowe or a tracker.

New or used? 

Has anyone ever weighed tongue weight, and can offer an idea as to how much these weights are?

Trying to get an idea since I will also be hauling a slide-in camper on a 3/4 ton GMC.
 

Thanks!

You’ll have no problem towing that even with a camper.  Unless my mother in-law is sleeping in it.  😂

[MOPanfisher]

The only cheat about a used tracker is expect to replace hoses and pumps and possibly some carpet.  If price is right that is not a problem.  Lots of good used aluminum boats, lowe, crestliner, seaark, alumacraft, etc.  Your rig will never know its there uneed you up size to 19 feet or more.  Then there are some really good boats to be had but will take more searching for an Express etc, and more money.  

[Dutch]

I’ve owned both.  If I were choosing it would be the Lowe.

[MrGiggles]

With the camper I'm guessing that your primary weight consideration will be tongue weight, at most you're looking at ~200lbs, shouldn't be a big deal. Generally tin boats are rear heavy, with the outboard being nearly half of the total weight. 

You can save a bundle by going used. Let someone else take that depreciation hit. 

Given the opportunity, I'd take just about anything over a Tracker. They're a fine boat, but the low price comes at a cost. Others are built better. I wouldn't pass up a real good deal on one, but probably wouldn't buy another at market price.

I have a 17' Tracker Deep V, has two group 29 batteries up front and a 24v Terrova, tongue weight is probably about 150.

[Gumboot]

Never is a long time...with that being said...I would NEVER buy a new boat.

[dave potts]

I'd go used, especially given the current bad economy.  I imagine there are, and will be, a lot of good buys.  In 1986 I bought a 3 year old Charger bass boat and got it for 40% less than it sold for new.  I used it every year for 34 years and had very little problems with it.  It had the old 115 Mercury on it.  New boats are like new cars-they depreciate like crazy in the first year or two.