Nitros Built by "old" Champion Folks....

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Greg Meyer

Greg Meyer

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I hope I am not going senile... (faster than expected, anyway)... But, I believe I read here about Nitros now being designed/built by some of the former Champion folks... As I recall... one or more engineers/designers from Champion's Arkansas (?) operation have been hired by Nitro and are making an impact on design and build quality... Anybody have any more or better info? If Tracker raises the quality/engineering levels and gets the customer service bit right... Everybody better lookout because they will be the 900 lb gorilla of the bass boat game...
 
The need to improve the quality of the interior. The dash, the locks, the carpet, etc. I have had my boat for one summer and stuff is already falling apart.
 
Dang Teri...my Tracker is holdin' up good so far...of course I modified about everything on it.

TEE
 
The Nitro logo on the steering wheel is held on with a tiny strip of velcro. Cheap!!! The trim under the dash is coming off and the carpet is starting to unravel (sp?) at the corners. I still like my boat but I wish it was a little better quality.



 
Teri..I replaced my cheap Tracker logo on the steering wheel with an "SS" emblem I bought at a car show(they're the same size) or just about any other emblem for cars will fit(round). I also glued my carpet down in a few spots that weren't tacked down good from the factory. I used a large syringe to apply the glue under the carpet.....

TEE
 
Teri, one thing you must remember here is that Nitro doesn't MAKE those parts, they job them out. That's no excuse, since they should have quality components, but still has some impact. You cannot control that which you don't make yourself. The locks are most likely made by Perko, the industry standard and used on most every boat in that class.
 
Teri, just think how you would feel if you paid the extra 10 grand for a Ranger or Triton and it was doing the same thing. Cause they do.



TOXIC
 
Hey Mike...how did you like all that Tracker bashin' out there on the "other" boards? Man those guys show NO MERCY!

I guess there's more dissatisfied people than I origanlly thought...:(

TEE
 
I'll will put a Ranger up against a NITRO or a TRITON for ANY "performance" "quality", "fit and finish", "Customer Service" or "carpeting and logo insert" or any other issue you want to compare!



Those 5's and 2's on the JDP ratings are there for a reason!!!



Now i'll be quiet,...sorry,...but that comment struck a nerve!! "YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!!!"



 
He,He,He,

I thought that would get your dander up MAC!! But in all honesty, Ranger has it's share of problems also. It's how you handle those problems that makes a company stand out. My 929 has been flawless and the only real problems are from clients jumping up and down on the seats. My boat is used hard from all of the folks that are in it and it has held up well. Now am I the exception or the rule?



TOXIC
 
Based on what we read, hear, and see here everyday,...I'd say you're the "exception"....and also based on my past experience with owning SEVERAL of them,....you're DEFFINITELY the exception!!..LOL.....Let's hope that pmgoffjr is correct and they're making long overdue enhancements, but it's exactly like you stated...."It's how t he problems are handled" that makes the difference,...and Ranger far and away blows EVERYBODY away in that category!!!



Now I'll go back to sleep......sorry....I just hate rude awakenings!! LOL
 
I have to admit I bought the Nitro because of the price compared to the others and because the Nitro would fit in my garage. Overall I am happy with the boat so far so don't get the wrong idea. I just think Nitro could improve as we all can.



Mac, you're a peach!
 
Let's all listen to Mac, since he's sponsored by Ranger now instead of Tracker. Let's see if Bayliner paid his bills would they be the best!! LOL



Couldn't Resist Big Dog!!!
 
Ranger DOESN'T pay my bills and neither did Nitro,.....I just got sick and tired of being nickled and dimed to death, after every outing!!.....decided it was cheaper to pay once vs. all the time!! So far I'm exactly right!!



Oh,......and you'd see me in a Bayliner(god forbid) before you'd see me in a little tin boat LOL



Sorry,...couldn't resist
 
Ouch!! Man that hurt....i felt that one in KY..sorry Trepper!



Donnie
 
LOL......I keep forgetting this is a brand specific board...I'll keep my mouth shut from now on,....sorrry...



I'm out!
 
Mac, I can't help to think if someone were to offer each of us the choice between a Ranger and a Nitro (and we didn't have to pay for it), I can't think that too many people here would pick the Nitro. If you had the same group and told them they had to pay for the boat, it would be a different story. I don't mind admitting I am a Ranger-wanna-be but $$$$ limited. Actually Ranger doesn't make a fish and ski small enough to fit in my garage but if it was free I'd extend my garage. Ha!
 
Mac - Oh come on now, you didn't pay full retail for that Ranger or in that fact your past Nitros, we know better, it's part of the marketing you provide for them and vice-versa! So there is $$ comming your way in one way or another.



I'm not slamming you Dog, just pointing out who you're aligned with incase folks new to the board don't know that you were a Nitro and now Ranger team member.







 
I don't get a free boat,....never did,....probably never will!! VERY VERY few people get Free boats!! That's the biggest misconception in the industry! You'd be sirprised what the biggest names in the sport say about that,...most of them say, "Give me what I want for appearances and endorsement, and I'll PAY for my boat!"...LOL!!! They'll take "cash" over "discount" every time!!! I owned 9 Nitro's before I switched brands,..and that was purely because of an "opportunity" that was extended to me thru Ranger. I made a promotional proposal to Tracker first, that I thought they'd jump on,...obviousley they didn't agree with me,...so I decided it was time to look around. Opportunities presented themselves....offers were made and I made a decision to switch brands,...for a multitude of reasons.....NONE of which was "spite"....I don't operate that way. If I make a move for any reason..it's for a BETTER opportunity or the chance to use and promote a better product...but I've said before and I'll say it again,...I'm not going to shove Ranger down anybody's throat...but I'll defend them in a heartbeat!! They are an AWESOME company and they build a world class product....I just happen to hang out here because I like the members and I was a Nitro owner long before I was lured to the dark side!!! LOL!!! so far,.....no regrets,..no complaints!!



I've walked on BOTH sides of the hull...and I like where I'm at now!!



Now,...how deep is your garage??? LOL

 
I second Teri...If I could afford Ranger then I would buy Ranger. Heck I cant even afford a used Ranger but I can a Nitro comfortably. That goes to show you relase value of the Ranger holds up, not to mention the condition of the boat.
 
Okay Mac... you say you'll put a Ranger up against a Triton on performance? Danco will take your bet :)
 
Hey Mac - garage 40 ft deep 25ft wide!!! If I didn't mind my car outside again, and could afford the $$ i'd like a 20ft Tundra Sport with the front livewell removed and pads on the front of the walkthru consoles as a bow rider. But the perfect 175 is just what I need now. Oh and ALL that BEka will let me own!!!LOL!!



 
Who cares, glass is glass...
 
I for one dont fall into that catagory of pople who want to own a Ranger. Really there are two reasons. One I dont like the ride. I have ridden in plenty of them and have yet to be impressed. One of the worst beatings and soakings I ever took in a bass boat was on champlain in a 21' Ranger. Dont get me wrong Ranger builds a fine product. The features and quality are second to none, you really cant argue that. They just arent the right boat for me. Also in my area the local ranger owners have attitides about thier boats and if you are in another brand you are a second class citizen or something, I dont want to be lumped into that group.



I like my Nitro just fine, it fits my budget and does the job and those two things are the most important to me. If I had the cash to get just about any boat I wanted it would be a Champion no doubt. The ride is superb, soooth and dry, and fit and finsh as good as a Ranger if not better. I owned a 16' Champ as my last boat and it was great, sometimes I wish I still had it but for now ill stick with my Nitro because I just cant afford a $40k bassboat.
 
I owned one Champ...a 1996 202 Elite..awesome boat.....best ride I've EVER owned, bar none!! But make no mistake,..the driver's experience level and over all ability can make or break a good or bad ride!!!

I've been beaten to death as a "rider" in other Champs and I've had absolutely awesome rides in normally "rough riding" boats. A Driver's skill has EVERYTHING to do with it,...they can make a bad hull design seem like a cadillac or they can make a caddy feel like a skateboard on railroad tracks!! Hull design is very important in creating smooth rides, no arguing there...but there's no better "enhancement" to a hulls design than the driver's ability to maximize it's strengths and minimize it's flaws....IMHO!!



and that "Ranger attitude" is an "individuals choice"...certainly not something that is required!! I know plenty of owners' of several other brands (including Nitro's) who are just as arrogant as some Ranger owners,....it has to do with their individual personality more than their boat!! Some folks are just better at being an idiot than others'..LOL Not really a skill I plan on honing!!ahahaaha

 
i personally like the arrogant guys in the ranger boats. the give me something to laugh at at the boat dock.



big bad boat all decked out=little sausage disease



ha! sorry JR. :)
 
Well,

I go hunting for a week and this thread is here. Good reading!!!!! Lets see. If I was given a Ranger would I take it. YES, if I was given ANY boat would I take it. YES!!! You are crazy if you do not!!!

I have had no problems at all on the Nitro I bought from JR. At least no problems from the factory. It has a few scratches now (Sorry JR)

As I tend to hang around a 901, a 929 and another 826 and do not really see any big problems in their boats, I think I would go with Nitro again. But also that is all that I can afford. (the "new" Nitro would be new to me; read used)



Mac, the attitude thing is not boat inherent. It is driver specific. You have buttheads that drive everything from a little dinghy to the biggest one at the dock down the street. So, you may even fit in!! You need to hone your wit a bit is all :)

Carlos
 
.....oh.....this thread is getting nasty.....







(And I LOVE IT!!!!!!)
 
Carlos,...the only things I hone now are my hooks,..and even they don't need it all the time since I switched to using Ultra-Points!!! That leaves me more time to "attempt" to educate all the knuckleheads on this board!!! LOL
 
Just like our first cars Dave!! LOL.....I thought I died and went to heaven when I got my first car,...a 1973 Plymouth Duster with mag wheels,..a jammin' stereo and a shoe box full of 8-tracks!! I couldn't have asked for more,....didn't NEED anything better,..I had WHEELS man!!! LOL.....Oh how the times have changed....and for the better!!! ahahaahha.....you'll have that dream boat someday,....until then, enjoy yours for all it's worth!!

I put 3 trannies and atleast 5 starters and 2 sets of tires into that old duster before I finally euthanised it!! I paid $400 for that car and I put over 50,000 miles on it and it got me through 3 1/2 years of college.....THAT was a good investment, even if I spent 1 day a week under the hood or chassis keeping the damn thing runnin'!!! LOL

Ranger's and Champs are not your typical "starter boat",..just like most 16yr olds don't go out and buy a new 'vette for their 1st car,....but sooner or later ya just "gotta do what ya gotta do!"....bite the bullet and go for the gusto!! LOL

 
Teri, you're very funny!!! I like your style!



Mac, My first car was a '74 Plymouth Duster with a 198cid slant six and a 3 on the tree shifter. Got me through high school, college and drove it to CA for my first job (I'm suprisingly working for the same company 22 years later). I couldn't kill the motor, but the body rusted away around it. Gave the car away when I was done with it. Looking back, the car wasn't much but it got us to the parties!



Bob G.
 
Oh Boy! Lest I sound "with it"... My "FIRST" car was a 1949 Mercury 2dr... Fender skirts and side pipes...button tufted (Fake, vunyl) "leather" seats... How I wish I had that car back... I had the hair cut to go with the car!!! I could have been a stand in for John Travolta in Grease...
 
My first car was a 1966 Chevy II Nova, Super Sport Model. Man I have some great memories with that car. It was also the same year I was born. When I purchased the car it was already set up for racing. Someone had already change the original engine and two speed powerglide to a 350 engine and a turbo 400 transmission. That baby would fly with that light body. I personnally rebuilt the engine once and had the tranny rebuilt twice. Lost count on the tires replaced. lol. I sold it only 2 years ago to pay off my boat and new truck so I could afford to put Laura in private school. I really miss that car, but nothing, and I mean nothing is more important to me than my children. Robert
 
Its 2 in the morning and I come to the terminal for some late night reading and I find all this !!

(

Why can't we just all get along)



First off I love my 901 and I loved 170TF and my Fisher before that even though it was tin. But I'm going to really love my Ranger when (not if )I get one .

With six kids I'll never buy a brand new boat but I'll buy a slightly used one that I know were its been and how its been with.And thats the way I want it. Everyone knows that a used piano plays better than a new one.lol



In having to be honest with myself I know that I want a Ranger someday. I have always wanted a Ranger since I first first saw one in 1972. That doesn't make MY 901 any think less than what it is ,a truly good boat.



Mac has put himself in the position he is in right know because he works hard at developing his god given talent.And know he's starting to injoy some of the fruits of his labor,and one of those fruits just happens to be a Ranger. Lets be realistic here. Ranger doesn't go around giving away 45,000.00 boats HAHAHAHA They didn't get to be number one buy giving boats away. nor do they have to.



Since when have we started using this board to bash any Bass boats (Bayliner not included) We all work hard to get,keep and maintain whatever kind of boats we have.

I personally am happy to know that there are people out there that can and do afford boats that cost more than whatever I might have at any given time! Its the american way!



RELAX BE HAPPY
 
O.K. guys...this is beginning to look like "some" other boards. Take a chill pill and drink a coldun'...:)

TEE
 
Ok, I'll make you feel old. My first car was a bright yellow 1979 Trans Am (nickname...the banana). I took my entire savings from working at Dairy Queen (man can I put a mean curl on a cone) and put in a stereo that cost more than the car. We were liven large drinkin' our Pabst Blue Ribbon.



JR, if I could have your boat, I would and I wouldn't care what people said about my sausage (bun I guess in my case). As a matter of fact, I will have your boat one day. I have a cabin to pay for right now.



I hope I don't offend anyone here. Almost always what I say is all in fun.
 
OK you guys had some realy GREAT first cars and FAST too!



Mine was a 1975 Honda Civic 2 door. Poop brown with a 1100cc 4 cyclinder 5 speed engine. Great gas mileage and I got her to hit 80mph down hill with the wind behind me!!! LOL
 
First car bought in 1968 at age 18: red 1963 VW Bug.



Second car bought in 1970: red 1963 Corvette convertible!



Third car bought 1 year later after the Corvette was stolen and I only had minimum liability insurance 'cuz I couldn't afford full coverage: red 1961 Triumph TR-3!



I fell in love with British sports cars! For the next few years, I had a succession of Triumph's, MG's and even one of the original Mini Cooper's!
 
Let's get one thing straight....nobody's bashing. That doesn't mean we can't have a "spirited" conversation on why we own what we do. To clarify,



Mac- Nobody said you got your boat for free. I think we all ought to know that by now. Discounts (some bigger than others) aside, everybody pays...even the pro's. As far as this being a "brand specific" site, I think that there are a lot of other boat owners here besides NITRO/Tracker and they are here because we are open minded about every maker.



Trep- Mac is not a "hired gun" like Roland or some of the more commercial pro's out there who will endorse any product for a paycheck. Ranger stepped up to the plate and "won" Mac's loyality, they didn't buy it. I personally don't have any sponsors who I don't use and believe in their product. I am lobbying extremely hard right now for GYCB because I use and like their product.



We can debate as long as we don't get personal about it. There are a lot of misconceptions out there about a lot of boats and manufacturers. Some true some not. The fact that NITROS are junk is one that is just not true. The fact that every Ranger is a flawless piece of art is also not true. The truth is somewhere in between for both.



TOXIC
 
TMI, Jr. !!!! It is cold today!!! I hate winter !!!
 
all right every one. my turn

i do a lot of reading on this board and it is by far the best fishing board i have seen, so much help and everyone is super friendly. i ussually don't chime in unless i have somthing to solid to add. so here it goes.

Mac chill man, of all the post you do, i have never seen you go off. i am sure you payed a pretty penny for your ride.

Teri you are a screem, the hole sausage thing had me laughing at my desk and people looking at me funny.



i find that most ranger owners are pretty stuck up group, if i laid out 45k for my boat i might have a differant attitude as well.

the nitro fits a budgate better then most. i am very happy with my 882, the dealer is key and i learned that from you guys on this board.

now that has been said. if i had 45k to blow on a boat it would be a basscat w/225 opti. sweet boat. but for now i will keep loving my 20k boat.
 
I've had too many boats to list and either drove or been in just about every other bass boat out there. None of them have given me a single reason to second guess any of my Nitros. My best reason was proven in 12 footers at the mouth of the St. Lawrence Seaway on Lake Ontario, in (2) 896's, (2) 929's, and (1) 911, without spearing waves or taking the beatings I've seen dealt up there. I've been able to cross water where similar hulls have had spines broken and stringers snapped, transoms and motors ripped off, trolling motors and electronics dumped over, all while I safely competed/completed each day behind the wheel of a Nitro. They are one of several good boat makers offering a durable series of boats, yet at an extremely competetive price. (I don't need heated seats, built in trash cans, CD storage, etc...)



As with anybody's boat, the dealer is the critical link to an enjoyable boat ownership or a dismal one. Most situations I've witnessed have been communication related between customers and the dealer. Shop dealers as much or more than the boat you are interested in. IMHO
 
Dang.....

Don'tcha just hate it.....

Someone trying to bring "reason" into an arguement!
 
Who's arguing and who's bashing?? For cryin' out loud,..we can't even rag on each other anymore without gettin' flack from someone,....this place USE to be fun!!ahahahhhaa!!



Fire in the hole!!! LOL!!!
 
Storm does make a nice boat...BassCat is also built really well.



As for the rest of the thread....I am still laughing! lol



Get what you can afford, and for a lot of people Nitro/Tracker is the way to go. Ranger/Skeeter/Triton/Champions are nice too.....



Personally I like the one that floats and they all do!



Mini
 
Mini,

I totally agree with your last statement!!!!!!!!! Next we need to start a thread that says Chevy is the best truck out there!!! Maybe we can get 50 or more posts to that one too.



Carlos
 
I've been driving Jeep Cherokees for the past 10 years. Put about 360,000 miles on two trucks. Never replaced a motor or transmission. (I-6, automatic, 4x4's.)



They're better'n any of your other stinkin' trucks!



:)
 
Scott,



I agree that Jeep Cherokees and Grand Cherokees can be a very reliable SUV. I know, because I had a JGC a few years ago and it was THE best winter vehicle that I have ever had. The 4.0L I-6 is a great motor. But, they are not a truck and are a little cramped for a family of full sized people like mine.



Bob G.
 
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