The TRUTH about HOURS

[h20proof]

How hard is it to fudge the numbers on the Epic hour meter?  Hopefully it's very hard to do (or impossible) because I take into consideration the number of hours when I look at a boat to buy.

This subject came to mind after looking on the onlyinboards site and finding an Epic SX with only 75 hours.  75!  How can that be?  I could use my boat that much in one summer.  Almost seems too good to be true.  Does anyone know this boat? It's from Salem, OR.

On a side note, I've been a member of the site for a while, but have not yet been a lucky member of the Toyota boat owners community.  Well, I've found a couple SX's that I'm interested in, now I just have to sell my current boat and I'll have my very own Toyota.  Can any of you help me out?  Maybe you have a friend or relative who's looking for a nice boat.  I'm in the real estate biz so I know that sometimes word of mouth is the best way to get things sold.
Here are the specs:

2004 Glastron GX 205  (20')
5.0 GXi Fuel Injected Volvo = 270 hp
Samson Wakeboard Tower (Custom for THIS boat)
Open Bow and U Shape seating for 10.  Comes with middle cushion to make a comfy bed in back.
Only 350 well cared for hours - dealer maintained w/reciepts
VEC Hull - smooth ride
Swivel captain seats w/ flip up bolsters
CD w/ Sirius
Snap out carpet
Full canvas cover
Depth guage
Wood grain w/ gold trim package
Trailer included

$19,000

THANKS FOR ANY HELP!

[h20proof]

pardon the typos.....

[wakejunky]

I would think it would be hard to "fudge" hours. Depends where and how the information is stored. If the info is in the guages only,  then you could theortically just unplug your guages. It may or may not be that simple. Look at the condition of the boat if it does not match the hours then I probably wouldn't buy that boat. If the boat is in excellent or mint condition I would say its accurate.

Two years ago I bought my SX and it had 124 hours on it. About 25 hours a year. It was in mint condition. when they took the cover off and I just drooled I did even ask them to start it. It was obvious it was well taken care of. Not to mention the customer had a service history with the dealer that was perfect. The first year I owned it I put on at least 150 hours. We all have different priorities in life, mine just happens to be the lake. So I tend to put alot of hours on a boat. Its not uncommon to find a boat with extremely low hours. Some people just dont use them. Or only use them a couple times a year, or even for one week a year. It a lot like travel trailers and toy haulers when you buy it your excited and your going to use it every weekend, but after 6 months it sits on the side of your house taking up space. You finally come to the realization your not going to use it and you sell it. I had a toy hauler for 4 years and used it 8 times. talk about useless.

[sailtl]

 hours. that the condition of the boat says a lot about the hours. My boat says hours but it actually has over 900 hours. A bad tach was replaced under warrsnty once and somehow once the hour meter just reset itself to 000 hours. The ECM on the boat does not store hours in its memory. So it is actually buyer beware.

[sailtl]

Boy did that message screww up when it posted. I agree the condition of the boat says a lot about how it has been maintained and the hours. My boat hour meter says 400 but actually has over 900 hours, Bad gauges and sofware issues has caused the hour meter to be wrong. The hours are NOT stored in the ECM either. So ask for receipts for maintainece items. That will tell alot.

[phenom_1819]

Be sure to ask if the computer (MDCC or something like that?) was ever replaced.  With the millenium dash, if the computer was ever replaced, so were the hours -- back to 0.  Capt. Rick, is there a fix to add these hours back on?  I had it documented with the installation of the computer.

[masonlk]

I might also add that those of us living in the NW don't typically get to use our boats as much as the gentlemen residing in the southern states. I only average about 40 hours a year and I've got the boat on a lake. Wakejunky had a good point about owning toys. The Oregon boat was listed on Craigslist a while back and all the pictures were taken at a storage facility.

[ScarabEpic22]

I have to agree with masonlk, my parents bought our 99 E22 in Dec 99 with <20hrs on it from test drives/etc.  We've used it every summer and I think we have maybe 260hr on it now, I know we just rolled 250 but I dont know if its 260 yet.  Part of the problem is that it stay at our cabin on a lake 330mi from Seattle where we live.

[sailtl]

So how many hours did everybody put on their boats in 2008?

We did 120.8 hours in 2008. Total on the 1999 Epic 21 is now 1062.8

Just tucked the Epic away for the winter! Sorry to say the season is winding down in Northwest OH., but I have a die hard friend who I still ski with until Thanksgiving behind his MaterCraft.

[curtis]

A friend of mine as 41 hours on his 01 S-22...He bought it with 4 hours on it in late 02. Not even close to being broken-in.

[ScarabEpic22]

So how many hours did everybody put on their boats in 2008?

We did 120.8 hours in 2008. Total on the 1999 Epic 21 is now 1062.8

Just tucked the Epic away for the winter! Sorry to say the season is winding down in Northwest OH., but I have a die hard friend who I still ski with until Thanksgiving behind his MaterCraft.

Jealous man, my dad skis in Seattle 3-4x a week with our long time buddy with a 98 Ski Nautique.  His boat usually stays in until around this time of year, dont know if its out yet or not.  I think our Epic got around 30 hours this summer and I drove it to work about 3-4 times a week for most of the summer.  Had to pull the E22 out 2 weekends ago because the rudder was sitting in the mud at my dock (lake gets dropped after Labor Day), didnt want to push it any farther than I already had.

[bullet1w]

We put about 80 hours on the S-22 this year (total of about 300).  It's still warm enough to ski down here for at least a few more weeks. 

[flyn2001]

I put somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 hrs this year.  Will probably squeak out another 6-8 hrs while the weather is still warm enough.  I guess that depends though....the weather/water is warm, but the winds are always howling!!  I think this puts me at around 350ish, but I would have to check.