Buying from out of state dealer

[Rburtoncpa]

I’m new to freshwater fishing and have been looking for a boat to use on the lakes in Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska. I’m a long-time saltwater fisherman and I’ve recently relocated to Colorado. After much research, I’ve decided on a Yar-Craft 219, but all the dealers are 6-12 hours drive from me. The best dealer in my area is mostly a Ranger dealer for glass boats.

Would it be a mistake to buy a new boat from a dealer so far away? The boat will have Merc motors, so local engine service won’t be an issue.

Thanks for the advice.

[bbheli]

Originally Posted by Rburtoncpa

I’m new to freshwater fishing and have been looking for a boat to use on the lakes in Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska. I’m a long-time saltwater fisherman and I’ve recently relocated to Colorado. After much research, I’ve decided on a Yar-Craft 219, but all the dealers are 6-12 hours drive from me. The best dealer in my area is mostly a Ranger dealer for glass boats.

Would it be a mistake to buy a new boat from a dealer so far away? The boat will have Merc motors, so local engine service won’t be an issue.

Thanks for the advice.

Not so long as you find a shop qualified for repairs and certified for whatever engine you have but that being said could still be some hassles. I got jerked over by an instate dealer that refused to stand by what he sold and it created trouble for me in the short term. I found another dealer not to terribly far away but I found a boat shop nearby that is certified for Merc and the guy is a gem and goes out of his way. Took it upon himself to fix something I was not even aware of and said no charge. So do your research and make sure you have a plan or buy a local brand.

[grizzlyone]

I am from Nebr. and bought my last 3 boats new from dealers in Mn.

[320bull]

I've done the long distance boat purchase 2 times now and would not hesitate to do it again. I would much rather deal long distance than settle for less than what i wanted

[jdavis]

I live in Colorado. I considered getting a Lund from the same Ranger dealer you checked out. I wound up getting mine from Nebraska. I ended up saving around 8K. I would 100% do it again. As others have mentioned, you will need to find a good shop for warranty work...and other stuff. I have had good luck with Great Lakes in Littleton and Colorado Boat Center in Loveland.

My only concern would be Yar-Craft specific warranty work. I dont think thats a big worry though. You can find a lot of shops qualified to do warranty work on your motor, so no worries there.

[DW]

Colorado is not a boat title state. For registration it is best if you obtain a manufacturer’s certificate of origin from your selling dealer. A law enforcement officer will need to inspect your trailer to validate VIN to obtain title and registration.

You’ll save a lot if you buy out of state.

[kswalleyer]

It's likely most of your issues, if you have any, will not involve the boat or trailer as much as set up, electronics, motors, etc...what you hang on or in the boat.

If you have a way of taking care of those things close you should be set. That being said, I like to buy local as I feel like I get preferred service on those items and I probably dont fish any worse out of my locally bought boats than I would a brand that is not local.

But thats just me. Im quite terrible with my hands and fixing anything on my own. I'd just as soon have someone do it.

[muskyed]

As was just mentioned, rare for an issue to come up with the 4 stroke engines now. You can do your own oil changes and lower unit changes. Just keep your reciepts for the oil and filters, and you are covered. The problems that arise will most always be in the boat, trailer, and its rigging. Think long and hard about that, when you purchase so far away from home. After purchasing from out of state, you could always tell the local dealer you just moved into the area. If purchasing a boat a long way from home, for sure insist on a test ride, and have dealer agree to imidatly fix any issues before signing the paperwork. Sadly talk is cheap with some dealers, but if you hold back part of the purchase price until after the test ride, they will be much more inclined to fix it before you leave. Do not ever take the dealers word that they checked the boat out, and there is no need for a test ride, when purchasing a long way from home.

[srj]

Talk to your local license office to determine the paper work needed for license/title/sales tax requirements. It's different in every state it seems and it can be a pain if you don't have the right stuff. I had an issue with an adjacent state and it took 3 months to get resolved.

Good luck and enjoy your new boat.

[Rburtoncpa]

Thanks, everybody. This is all very helpful advice. I think I’ll do the deal and arrange all my service locally. I’m going to call Yar-Craft tomorrow to get their thoughts about options if I have to have warranty work done on the boat.