What a shame!

[dac244]

I guess champion boats are a thing of the past that is a shame cause I always thought they was one of the best built boats out there. I know genmar owned champion and sratos but it is funny looking at the elite stratos it is just a champion with the stratos name on it. seems to me should have been the other way around.

[walkeraviator]

Regardless, it is still the same boat made the same way by the same people. And Stratos may not be the name the elistist Champion owners are used to, but they still make **** good boats, and are a more know name than Champion. I for one am a die hard Stratos fan and resent teh fact that some think the boat is a lesser boat because of the name.

[dac244]

Regardless, it is still the same boat made the same way by the same people. And Stratos may not be the name the elistist Champion owners are used to, but they still make **** good boats, and are a more know name than Champion. I for one am a die hard Stratos fan and resent teh fact that some think the boat is a lesser boat because of the name.

I never said stratos wasn't a good boat I came close to buying one back years ago when they was part of the OMC group with hydra sport and javelin. But for me if it come down to the two I wish they would have kept the champion line instead. I like champions you like stratos no big deal don't take it to heart. As for stratos being known more then champion that depends on what part of the country you are fishing in. They are not a fast boat and they are heavy but as for as a rough water boat I think they are second to none.

[CTFSHWHISKER]

I never said stratos wasn't a good boat I came close to buying one back years ago when they was part of the OMC group with hydra sport and javelin. But for me if it come down to the two I wish they would have kept the champion line instead. I like champions you like stratos no big deal don't take it to heart. As for stratos being known more then champion that depends on what part of the country you are fishing in. They are not a fast boat and they are heavy but as for as a rough water boat I think they are second to none.

you still get the same champion boat,from the same champion mold,they just put stratos stickers on it.

[dac244]

you still get the same champion boat,from the same champion mold,they just put stratos stickers on it.

Thats true and I dont have a problem with that but I just hope they don't phase the elite line out and stop using the champion molds alltogether.

[R19]

Regardless, it is still the same boat made the same way by the same people.

Same boat hull lay out and design as always. Made the same way;probabbly true. Made by same people no. For years Champion was made at a Champion plant in a state other than Tn (I cant remember where). When Champion was bought buy Genmar they closed the Champion plant and moved all Champion production to Murfessrboro Tn Startos plant. That lasted for a couple years then Platimun Equity bought Stratos and Champion and closed the TN plant.

Platimun Equity moved Startos and Champion to the Arkansas plant where Ranger is made. When the move was made Platinumn Equity made some changes. They no longer make a Startos 200 (which in my opinion was the best Stratos hull even though most say the 201). They cut Champion even harder because there is only 3 Champion hulls now avaliable and they were renamed Stratos Champion Elite. Other than the name Stratos everything is still a Champion design.

Platinum Equity made the descision to cut boats out of the traditional line up because they make so many different boats. It will be less costly to market 1 brand verses 2.There is nothing wrong with a Stratos Champion Elite because it is the same hull and design that it has been for years just a new name. Then Platinum Equity buys Triton and closed their plant and moved them to Aarkansas...if they keep buying boat companies soon they will be able to yell Monopoly I win. Hopefully in the long run it will be good business for all brands to be under one roof and produced buy the same company. As for me I just dont like the business descisions that PE made...cutting boat lines and combining names; I guess that is how business goes though.

Berfore the merger of Ranger,Stratos,Champion and Triton I would not hesitate to buy any one of them new because they all made good quality boats. Today if I were to buy new I would look into a company that is what I call more family structured like Phoenix or Basscat plus maybe a couple others. I suppose it is time for me to come down off my soap box and quit complaning lol. To address the orginal posters comment Yes there is 3 Champion modles left. They are 100% Champion design with the added name Stratos Champion Elite.

[walkeraviator]

I hear what you guys are saying. It does **** to see good names disappear, but i would much rather PE buy a company out and move production and names, then to see a good hull design go the way of the DODO. Im not much on teh superlight rocket bass boats, but to see Phoenix keep the bumble bee around was just awesome.

An added bonus for Stratos fans is that the Phoenix boats were designed by Stratos engineers and the company is run by an ex Stratos CEO... and thus teh boats hull design is VERY similar to Stratos XL series boats.

I know guys love their Rangers in rough water, but if i were buying a new rig for KY Lake or the great lakes... Stratos 210 Elite is the way I would go.

I am a brand loyal kind of guy. And with as well as they have treated me I will always try my best to own Stratos/Evinrude setup.

[kiddrock]

Same boat hull lay out and design as always. Made the same way;probabbly true. Made by same people no. For years Champion was made at a Champion plant in a state other than Tn (I cant remember where). When Champion was bought buy Genmar they closed the Champion plant and moved all Champion production to Murfessrboro Tn Startos plant. That lasted for a couple years then Platimun Equity bought Stratos and Champion and closed the TN plant.

Befiore moving to Tenn., Champion was made in Mountain Home, Arkansas.

The hull design did change when they moved to Tenn. in 04 or 05 if my memory serves me correctly. my dad has a 223 that i think is an 04 model, and i believe the 223 was one of the last models to move out of the Arkansas plant the next year. when they moved to Tenn, thats when they started the Elite series hull.

I got the chance to look at one of the Stratos Champion series boats or whatever it is called at the Cinci show a couple weeks ago. It was a 21' boat (a 210 or whatever they are calling it), and the only difference was the sticker on the back of it. The model stickers are still champion stickers, and the seats even still had the champion boats logo embroidered on the back of them. I too had heard the rumors that they were going to do away with this hull design to eliminate competition between the other premium brands at platinum equities, When i asked the salesman about this, his exact response was..." i would not ever look for this hull design to go away. with the loyal following that Champion has, if they did away with this hull, there would be a civil war."

LOL. Dont know if the guy knew what he was talkin about or not, but i guess time will tell.

[dac244]

Befiore moving to Tenn., Champion was made in Mountain Home, Arkansas.

The hull design did change when they moved to Tenn. in 04 or 05 if my memory serves me correctly. my dad has a 223 that i think is an 04 model, and i believe the 223 was one of the last models to move out of the Arkansas plant the next year. when they moved to Tenn, thats when they started the Elite series hull.

I got the chance to look at one of the Stratos Champion series boats or whatever it is called at the Cinci show a couple weeks ago. It was a 21' boat (a 210 or whatever they are calling it), and the only difference was the sticker on the back of it. The model stickers are still champion stickers, and the seats even still had the champion boats logo embroidered on the back of them. I too had heard the rumors that they were going to do away with this hull design to eliminate competition between the other premium brands at platinum equities, When i asked the salesman about this, his exact response was..." i would not ever look for this hull design to go away. with the loyal following that Champion has, if they did away with this hull, there would be a civil war."

LOL. Dont know if the guy knew what he was talkin about or not, but i guess time will tell.

Why do away with something that works and works well. but with that being said when it comes to business it's anybodys guess.

[dac244]

I wonder how the dealer thing is going to work out lets say you sold champions but didn't sell stratos are they going to let them sell the stratos champion elite?

[kiddrock]

I wonder how the dealer thing is going to work out lets say you sold champions but didn't sell stratos are they going to let them sell the stratos champion elite?

Dont know for sure how it will work, but the particular dealer that had this boat at the cinci show had the Champion, 2 Stratos, and 2 Tritons all sitting side by side.


Kinda off subject, but i also looked at a new Ranger there that had the Black lights and navigation lights built into the rub rail that goes around the outside of the boat (LED's). I know some guys that have done this to their boats, but this was the first one I had seen that came from the factory like this. Not sure how durable it is in that location, but a neat idea just the same.

[Issy1]

That's why I bought a BasCat. They are owned by the Pierce family and have been building boats since 1973. Their customer service has won the JD Power award for customer service for last 5 years and they build IMO the best boat bar none.