I am poss looking at buying a Lund pro v fiberglass 197 model with a 225 Verado ,looking for some feedback from owners who have this fiberglass model ,not int in a Ranger ,but want to do my home work before i buy one any input on this model app

no body know anything about this boat

If I had the money one would be in my garage.I have sat in one and gave it a good going over.Lund did their homework and made a great boat.

it is made by Triton, if thats any help.

it is made by Triton, if thats any help.

As T -Mac has said, for the millionth time-- Lund Glass boats are LUND engineered, designed and all LUND, they are just being built at the Triton factory. I guess if Brunswick had decided to have them built at the SeaRay factory- everyone one would mistakenly assume they were SeaRay boats.

So Lund engineers, who make aluminum boats, trump the seasoned triton folks? I think the all have the same boss.

Chevy and Pontiac can say the same thing, but there is TONS of overlap.

So far, ranger or yarcraft get my nod.

It is interesting to note that several people have asked about these new glass Lunds throughout the year and not a whole lot of response. I know it is the first year and I am interested to hear about how well they do function. It was a smart move on Lund's part to expand, but it is still a first year boat. I would want to do my homework also before investing that kind of money. From what I have seen the 197 is pretty limited. There were quite a few of the 18 footers and some of the 20's out there, but has anyone been out in a 197 yet???

Take a look at the NEW SKEETER 1950 !!!! any ?s 218-820-5906

If the 197 is what you are interested in, you really, really should look at the Reata 2050!!! I have had mine all season.....9 tanks of gas.... in my opinion the best fishing/family boat on the market! Great for trolling, skiing.....big water and Ranger proven.

Just my 2 cents!


Lou

I thought I would leave this to others, as I don't 'own' a 197, but I have been on the water in all of Lunds glass boats, including the 197 and 208 pro V's.

So, my experience is limited with them, and to put it very mildly, I'm extremely impressed by what Lund has done with their glass line. So far, the first year hesitations have not reared an ugly head, and I'd say it's safely time to be over that concern. These are good boats, period.

The 208 felt a little 'big'. Hard to explain, it you fish the Great Lakes fisheries, it may be a very nice match for ya. While I like a larger boat to allow me to fish any day I happen to have available in the North Dakota winds, the 197 seemed like it would be a better choice for me. Both boats were extremely dry, fast, solid, tracked well, and stable. I sat in on the VOC meetings when the Pro V glass boats were being designed. In a nutshell, the message I heard was to look at the aluminum Pro V - and make it out of glass. When I look at the 197 GL, drive it, ride in it, and observe the layout, there is a heavy dose of Pro V flavor in the 197 and 208 GL's. If you like the Pro V layout, you'll like the layout of the 197 and 208. If you don't like the Pro V layout, well... IMO, the front deck height is right, the side compartment storage is right, the livewell size and location is right. It back trolls right, it sits at the right height from the water. The one thing I've always thought Lund did very well, and the 197 appears to fill that role, is having great fishability, regardless of presentation selection.

I wanted to stay out in the 197, it felt really good, really good.

:cheers:

I'm not sure if that helped answer any questions you have, just my thoughts on experiencing one. If you want more info, pm me and I can send you the email address of a Lund employee that is / was assigned a 197 this year.

Oh, and if it matters, I'm not on Lund's pro staff in any way, there's no affiliated responsibility with my comments.

Guys,

Just some of my thoughts regarding Lund fiberglass.

A little about my background. I used to work for Lund and as a result, I was in a unique position to see the fiberglass models come together. I can honestly say that Triton had absolutely nothing to do with the design of these boats. As T-mac and several others have pointed out, the boats are put together at Brunswick's Triton plant...as they are their leading freshwater fiberglass boat manufacturer. I suppose it may come as a surprise to you that some of Triton's aluminum models are built at Brunswick facilities in Little Falls aluminum plant (Crestliner). In the world we live in today, it is irrelevant where the product is made. Plants are being eliminated, downsizing is occurring as the difficult ecomonic conditions play out in America.

I will tell you that Lund engineers such as Paul Zarn and Rory Weibe carefully engineered their design after the Lund aluminum IPS Hull, something you will not see in the Triton line-up. Triton's hulls, I dare say, are about speed whereas Lund's hulls are about boat control. This was a very important part of Lund's design process and they painfully delayed the product until they were assured that this product had the "Lund DNA." In fact, they refused to bring out a product that was not Lund, much to the chagrin of the upper management of Brunswick who pressed for a quicker launch. The president of Lund has Lund employees in the Triton plant...working on and looking after the fit and finish of the product.

But as much as those of us who know the process and the time and expense of putting these boats together, I realize we won't change everyone's mind or perception of the Lund/Triton manufacturing relationship.

Yes, Ranger is by the far the premiere freshwater fiberglass manufacturer. I won't disagree with that. Lund also realizes that it has an uphill battle to win over loyal Ranger owners. But if you are familiar with Lund's aluminum product, or you have had an aluminum Lund in the past and switched to fiberglass, then you can't go wrong with at least looking at Lund's fiberglass models. All this being said, I know price comes into play and I have no idea how the Lunds compare to the Rangers or any other manufacturer.

The original poster asked if anyone had any real experience with the 197. I just don't think there are alot of them out there yet. The 197 was the last fiberglass model to be launched by Lund...and it didn't come out until the March boat shows. Production quantities may not have come out until May. And with the overall economy, I would bet there are some still sitting on the dealer's lots.

I believe the 197 is the same hull as the 208, only a foot shorter. Getting comments from the pros or customers who have purchased the 208 might be your best bet.

Good Luck!

Thank you T-mac, Burr & SC-1. Your summary is perfect.

The DSM for MN, ND, SD, WY, NB & CO is running one this year as his demo. I'm quite sure if you contacted him through Lund a test drive could be arranged. All of the GL sereies of boats are second to none is glass is what you want. His boat is the one that's featured in the 2009 GL catalog.

I have had a 197 with a Pro XS since April and am very happy
with it. If you have specific questions, please feel free to
contact me at L-Conn@sbcglobal.net.

So Lund engineers, who make aluminum boats, trump the seasoned triton folks? I think the all have the same boss.

Chevy and Pontiac can say the same thing, but there is TONS of overlap.

So far, ranger or yarcraft get my nod.


OVERLAP... it takes about the same amount of time to build a CHEV as it does a PONTIAC... but they do not come out of molds... it takes 4 weeks for a dealer to order-recieve a triton up here but 10 weeks to order-recive a lund HMMMMMM...

What is not said, but what I beleive TMAC was saying, the triton and the lund have ZERO overlap.... They come from completely different fiberglass molds, that is why the lund hull is IPS and the triton hull is not. Why it takes so long to get a lund fiberglass vs a tiron glass... there a way fewer lund molds at the triton facility than there are triton molds.... but different molds mean different boats... fewer molds mean slower production, however the lund IPS hull is definitely worth the wait.