By Steve Graf

Thank the good Lord above…2020 is behind us and once again we have hope! Hope for a new year and that 2021 will be our celebration year as we conquer Covid 19. While we’re not out of the woods yet, there’s optimism that we will take control of this awful virus that has literally crippled our country. But while so many suffered financially, physically and mentally, there were some who benefited greatly especially in relation to the great outdoors. Boat manufactures, RV and ATV dealers absolutely flourished. They achieved record numbers in sales, numbers that have never been seen before. So many people headed for the outdoors in order to get away and escape the grind and mental strain Covid 19 brought to our world.

But with all the success within the outdoors industry in 2020, that means there will probably be a crash in 2021. Dealers are a little nervous about this year and the fact that so many people bought boats, RV’s and ATV’s, that sales will fall off for 2021. Dealers will have to rely on the one thing that truly makes all outdoor dealers successful….service! Service in most cases is the number one reason people buy from a particular dealer. Just like anyone in the car business will tell you, service carries sales. A great service department with quality mechanics who know how to fix and maintain their products, will trump other dealers who can’t offer that. Nothing frustrates me more when I take my boat, vehicle or ATV into the dealer (where I bought them) and they can’t fix my issues. Especially when it comes to your outboard engine. Not all mechanics are created equal, just like any other field, good mechanics can be hard to find. Today’s outboards are so technical and computer driven, that the day of the shade tree mechanic is over. Without the proper equipment to evaluate your motor, no mechanic can really diagnose your problems.

Just like in last week’s article, the word trust come into play once again. I want to deal with a service department and people I trust. I want to know that when I drop off my boat, car, RV or ATV, that someone is not going to try and fix things that don’t need fixing or charging me for things they did not really service. This has happened to me a couple of times. A mechanic told me that he greased my boat trailer bearings on my annual service, only to find out two weeks later as a bearing went out, that this was not the case. But yet they charged me for it! I’ve also discovered before, that my batteries were not serviced properly (water added. ) When a week later, one went out and as I checked them myself, I discovered all my batteries were low on water!  But once again, I was charged for a service that was not performed!  Burn me once shame on you, burn me twice , shame on me!

So be careful and make sure to hold your dealer responsible for doing a good job with all your service work. Boats, ATV’s and RV’s are very expensive and require proper maintenance. Don’t allow your dealer to cut corners on service work. Hold their feet to the fire and accountable for everything you request on service work. Make sure to keep a log book of all the service work done to your unit. This comes in handy when you decide to sell your boat, RV or ATV. A maintenance log can go a long way in making a sell as it shows proof that you took good care of and performed routine maintenance on your unit. Till next time, best wishes for 2021 and as always, don’t forget to set the hook. Make sure to tune into the Hook’N Up & Track’N Down Show every Wednesday live from 11:00 till 1:00 and Saturday mornings from 6:00 till 8:00 on AM 1130 The Tiger KWKH or go to our Facebook page or YouTube Channel.

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