boat cover

[Mike Zechman]

Get this......I did not order a boat cover origonally from my dealer on my 189 Sport, I asked them how much one would be, so I could set some money aside for when it comes in, anyway, they told me $350.00. I was at Bass Pro yesterday and they had one on the shelf for 319.99..........anyway, out of curiousity, I called the dealer and asked what the difference is between the cover they were gonna order me and the one on the shelf at Bass Pro, and he said, there is no difference........my question is why would I buy one from them then? I did not tell them what the price was at BP, I just wanted to hear if they were givin me a different cover........I just don't understand why he can sell me the same cover for 30 bones more, when he could have checked Bass pro which is 5 minutes away??????



Any thoughts? Just wanted to post this so someone does not make a mistake when buying from a dealer.........

 

[Texas Transplant]

Dealers set prices on items such as this, and then sell them accordingly. They typically don't spend their time doing price comparisons on what is 'in stock' down at BPS.



I really wouldn't think too much about it. Either you like buying from your dealer, or from BPS.



Kinda like competing grocery stores. Mostly, they buy from the same suppliers and get things at very similar prices (wholesale). They choose which to discount/mark down and when. Sometimes the pork chops are the same price, sometimes they are .50 a pound more.



Tex

 

[C C]

Thats a good catch and savings for you and a good price for a cover. Good thing you shopped around. I agree with Tex, they aren't going to spend time comparison pricing their competitors, even if it is just down the road.



Ranger cover cost $700+ the difference is that these are custom cut to fit your boat based on how the boat is rigged, ya can't get one off the shelf.



Cass

 

[TOMMY RICH]

The cover I got with my boat is wore out already...4 years that's it.

 

[Dave Gerdes]

I was going to look into a new cover this year, one that would keep the rain out. With this info, I may be cautious on how much I spend. Any advice for a cover for a 95 Tracker 17' .

 

[Mike Zechman]

Well I had a 450 dollar custom cover on my Champ and that lasted 4 years.........so if the 300 dollar one lasts about the same, I'll stick with that.

 

[Greg J.]

I've saw some covers made to fit specific boats at the Cabela's website. Prices didn't look too bad either. I know they had covers for Tracker aluminum rigs, and fairly sure thay had some for Nitros also. Might be worth a look

 

[mike chip]

the only difference in the one i got and the aftermarket one was that it said tracker on it, of course that was a while ago, but it was the exact same cover.

 

[Greg Brown]

Just spent 5-Bills for the 882 as the cover boasted a 5-Year Warranty.

 

[TOMMY RICH]

Yeah...exactly one year after I had mine, the Tracker letters fell of one by one.

It was ironed on by some 4 year old:lol:

 

[Tony Payne]

If you're in Ky... or near enough to the Ashland Ky area... I can tell you where to get the best custom cover you're likely to see....



Pat, this cover makes the Aurora look like a Dowco in comparison, and for my 911, was cheaper than the 'premium' Dowco.



I'll try to snap a picture later.

 

[TOMMY RICH]

Sounds good Simmy...I'll be ready for a new one soon.

 

[Paul P]

I got a Dowco cover free with my boat 5 years ago. I don't use it a whole lot but has survived fine over 5 years. A buckle broke and Dowco shipped a half dozen replacement straps and buckles free.

 

[TrepMan]

Mike - On the prices, I agree with Tex. Heck a local dealer on a standard Motor Guide 2 blade Ninja prop is $15 more then Bass Pro. Its like a Ford Dealer you NEVER buy parts from a dealer unless you have too!! LOL



Luckily I have a garage and only need a cover if I travel or at the dealer.

 

[Dan J.]

Trep - Depending on the quality (read: $$$), think long and hard before you do any extensive towing with a cover on your rig without making sure it doesn't buffet (as in buff-it, not pig out at the Golden Corral! LOL!) while in tow. I've seen some covers whack some wicked haze into gel that can be a nightmare to remove/buff. Particularly the hard plastic feeling type covers. (ex: standard gray Dowco, not to knock them at all) Not all covers will or do, but some will no matter what, while others only need to loosen a bit on the road or stretch over time. A dark hull will really accentuate it. Towels, pipe insulation, blankets...will all help, but some covers just will and most will if attached incorrectly or loosely. When I was towing 30K miles plus a year, I did it with the cover stowed, hit a car wash when I made town, then covered it up at rest. The tourney covers were much better, but still no guarantee. An insulated/padded cover is nice (Ranger offers them, just to name one mfg./type) and creates a nice barrier between the flapping and the gel. Just a heads up!

 

[Mike Zechman]

Thanx guys..................

 

[TrepMan]

Dan - Thanks for the thoughts, i had no issues obviously with the Tracker and the cover as there was nothing to "scuff". I know at the 2004 Rally Rich towed MY Nitro w/out the cover. MAN this glass stuff is WAY more difficult then Tin!!! LOL



Not that in 5.5 years did I ever take the Tracker out of town but ONCE, but want to get the Nitro to more lakes w/in 2-4 hours of my place this year, and maybe a few overnighters just for fun!!



So for traveling, unless its a HUGE hail storm, just leave the cover off, and hose down the deck/boat if it gets muddy/dirty - got it!!