Why buy a Triumph 191FS

Hello all! I have joined this site and have been reading posts regarding Triumph boats because I am purchasing my first boat within the next few months. I really like the features of the 191FS and, in fact, have whittled the choices down to two boats (one Triumph and one "Other").

However, after reading posts on this site and some others, I have to say that I am having second thoughts about whether the Triumph product is a vessel that will in fact be the "world's toughest boat" and have "less maintenance" as advertised. Either people are passionate about bad experiences with their Triumph boat or there are some deficiencies in the the boat's manufacture that need to be addressed. I understand that no boat is without problems, but there seem to be a lot of problems with this boat that owners are solving on their own.

Since all of you are owners, please explain to me why Triumph is my BEST choice for a boat that will:
Provide fun and fishing with less maintenance time than another brand.
That the hull won't deform, bend and bow.
That the wiring is done in a professional manner.
That the hull doesn't leak and soak the foam for a water logged hull.
The screws won't fall out each time I'm on the water.
That I won't be more friendly with my dealer than with my wife.
That the boat won't be in for repairs more than it's in the water.

I plan to use the boat for fishing on Lake Erie and for cruises with the grown kids when they come home for a visit. I have contemplated driving to North Carolina just to look at one, since my local dealer has said he probably won't have one until next year. Any help or advice, whether good, bad or constructive would sure be a help for me to decide if I become a permanent member of your forum or head over to Brand X .

[OspreyVic]

ErieFisher, may I suggest that you continue reading the “Forums” and the “Articles” on this site.

Also please keep in mind that there is no such thing as a perfect boat, and if there was, most of us could not afford it.

There has also been improvements each year the boat has been manufactured. Most of the problems that owners of the older boats have encountered have been fixed or improved on in later years.

For example, some early dealers did not understand how a plastic boat needed to be supported, so they put the boat on a trailer that was not designed for it. I still believe that in the early years the boat manufacturer did not specify trailer set up very well, and that caused some problems.

Most of us on this site love our boats and do not want a glass boat.

Please read all you can on this site. There is a lot of information here and not one simple answer for your concerns.

We are very happy with our boat and after talking to other owners of glass boats, I am just thankful ours is plastic. Life is too short to spend it waxing the gel coat or paying to have the gel coat repaired just because I hit the dock a little hard.

Good luck with your search. My only complaint is that we are not on the water enough.

[Procon]

Probably not possible for anyone to guarantee that the Triumph you buy wont have one if not all the concerns you have above other than Triumph.
Your best bet is to find a not only good, but great dealer and unfortunately you'll have to forge a relationship with them. Up to you whether or not to be friendly or more friendly with dealer versus your spouse.
Only Triumph can guarantee or promise what you mentioned above will or will not happen.

[k9reno]

I to fish Erie. I fish the west basin launching east of Toledo. I think you will find as you examine the posts you will find that the concerns you list tend to be more model oriented and less likely the newer the boat is. They also dont occure on all of the boats of a particular model. I have never had a screw back out while on the water. I do have ONE that like to work loose, but I do tend to drive kinda hard. I have an 03 210 cc. The 191fs is a neat looking boat but I like the 210 better and it can do most all the 191 can. The new 195 should be able to do it all too, and hold up drier when Erie kicks up like it can do.

[marc50]

I have a 2004 190 Bay w/115 yamaha and fish at least 35 weekends a year. I have had my tach and Speedo stick after sitting up last winter and two screws back out of a helm jump seat. Not too bad for 500 engine hours of fishing and 15,000 miles of trailering from lake Texoma,Texas to Destin, Florida. I love the easy maintenance and durability of the "plastic" hull. I have made a few sudden stops on stumps and rocks with nothing but a scratch. The rig is fuel efficient, fast enough (39mph -GPS), and rides well in rough water. I have had 3 figerglass rigs and the triumph is the most durable and problem free I have had. Have you looked at the 195, on lake Erie it may perform better than the 191FS.

Well, it's great to hear that you folks are having good things to say about your rigs. I am excited about Triumph because it seems like it should be one tough boat. I would much rather do like k9reno and spend weekends hunting walleye and perch on the lake instead of waxing gel coat! Also, glad to hear a 115hp can push 39 mph.
Seems like the general opinion is that the newer the boat, the better they are at eliminating the problems. Thanks to all for responding!

[paginnett]

I have a 2004 191FS. In my opinion it boils down to this. All of the other Fish/Ski combos out there are RUNABOUTAS with a cheap trolling motor bolted on the bow. Whola! a "Fish/Ski". The Triumph is a true FISHING BOAT that can do limited double duty towing the kids around on a tube or wakeboard. It certainly is not a high end ski boat. So if skiing is more important to you than fishing I would opt for a traditional fiberglass boat. If, however, fishing is more important and you (like me) need a boat you don't have to treat with kid gloves then go for the Triumph. You can plop a slimey 20 lbs salmon on the floor, blood, slime and guts and not worry about the fancy carpet getting dirty. It is truly a utilitarian machine. The ride in the Triumph is incredible. I can run 40 mph over hard white caps and not get a drop of water in the boat. You can (within reason) beach the boat, bang against docks and not worry about the finish. Is the fit and finish as detailed as other glass boats? No its not. Is it as comfortable? No. But if you are looking for a boat you don't have to treat like a china tea cup then the triumph is it. Also, if you are going in salt water, you would be crazy to consider a traditional fish ski. The Triumph is made for it. So bottom line, if looks, comfort and a shiny boat are what you want then there are plenty of brands to chose from. If you want a boat that you can, well, treat like a boat then get the Triumph. It won't impress the neighbors like some other brands and you won't have bikini clad nubiles waving to you from shore. Another thing to consider. Very few other Fish/SKis come configured for an outboard. The outboard is a better way to go for a lot of reasons, but it does make the skiing a little more of a nuisance. One quick story: I was recently getting ready to load the boat onto the trailer at a launch ramp. All of a sudden my dog goes beserk, leaps out of the boat, and attacks another dog. After attending to that emergency my boat had drifted against a rock wall and was getting pounded by whitecaps. When I got home all I had to do was sand about 5 or 6 small dents smooth and the boat was as good as new. If this had been a glass hull it would have been big bucks to repair.

Anyway let us know what you decide.

Paul

[MolarBoater]

I bought a Triumph and didn't even know it was plastic, haha. I consider it pure luck since I could have bought any boat I wanted but the Triumph had just what I wanted and was thousands less than comperable fiberglass boats.

Triumph doesn't make speedometers, tachometers, bolts, trailers, bilge pumps, motors, batteries etc etc etc. So you need to be an educated purchaser and be a little more involved than I was (I did have 2 old "salts" handling the purchase and inspection for me).

Mechanical things will need maintenance and repair. With a lifetime warranty and a responsive warranty department, you should feel confident you will be taken care of. Triumph "cleaned house" a few years ago of dealers who where either uneducated about the boats or just not financially motivated to do what they needed to do to take care of Triumph owners.

This website is for owners to talk about modifications, repair and all aspects of our boats and boating in general. Our "feelings" for our boats is a given, otherwise, we wouldn't own the boats that we do. Many of us are backyard mechanics and like to see what project we can do to improve our boats so we are pretty open and outfront with our discussions. Don't necessarily take them as "complaining".

We are not here to try to "sell" the Triumph brand or try to convince "visitors" to buy boats like ours, we choose to own our boats and we enjoy the comraderie of being in "the family" and the experience in having our boats, they are different but have advantages and disadvantages just like your $100,000 Evergaldes or the $5k Polar skiff.

If you buy a Triumph, you have the factory lifetime warranty, your dealer and your "brotherhood" whom should have answers to just about any question or issue you could possibly come up with. Good luck on your boat shopping, and keep looking thru those owner websites but take factory websites with owner message boards with a grain of salt since most are slectively "cleaned up" of comments which don't always "advertise" their product.

[ILLOGICAL GGC]

Brand X Is Not An Option-----nuff Said

Ggc

[NCangler]

Well said Molarboater.