If you are on this forum and considering a Rinker to buy....DONT!!!!!

Boatman

I have owned several brands and a "Rinker" dink boat company that builds second hand products is a waste of money.  I can't unload this fast enough. I wish I had known the lack of quality prior to purchase....RUN!

Cableguy Greg

Why?

bry1429

My Marina neighbor bought a pricey newer four winns and is stating the same thing (DON'T BUY). I owned a four winns for 6 years and Loved it ! I owned a new Monterey and had nothing but problems, Monterey corrected all the problems but I sold soon after.  I owned a 1993 Bayliner for 23 years and loved it till the day I sold it. I own a Rinker now and LOVE IT! I Itruly feel bad for anyone having problems with any brand boat. If anyone has issues with their engine, lower unit, gauges, pumps, things other than the structure/build of the boat. Its not the boat builders fault for all the components failures especially over many years in use.

Just my opinion

Liberty44140

If you have facts and examples as to why your issues are related to the boat (not mechanical and electrical brands put in all boats) please post them. This looks like an uneducated rant.

howardrams

I have had 3 Rinkers each purchased new over the past 30 years, each in the water every year, none of which had any quality issues or breakdowns.  Only routine maintenance.

69fastback

All the overwhelming details you've given are definitely convincing me to not buy a Rinker. Thanks 

trip_n

omg====will some body please buy ours be4 the word gets out

Liberty44140

If you look at his previous posts they are all engine/drive/mechanical issues on a 20 year old boat....no actual boat/brand issues 

Black_Diamond

I think the Mods should delete this posting/discussion.  Nothing but a rant and as @Liberty noted drive issues on an old boat.  For all the boats OP claims to have owned, a lot of newbie questions.

Handymans342

The Mods cant delete a post, only close it. Raybo loves doing this LOL

rasbury

I say if you don't have something today nice, keep your yap shut and move along. Maybe you bought or saw a boat someone else trashed or did not take care of- not a rinker issue. I've had sr owners fawn over the look, design and quality..

MarkB

I had very few issues with my rinker, and everything was simple to fix, mainly related to components. For the money, I'd say it is an excellent boat. 

Handymans342

Yeah and I dont know many manufactures that install diesels in a 34 EC

Handymans342

Guess this guy is a scared p**sy who can't speak

Lake_Bum

I've owned many boats over the years, and I absolutely love my Rinker. I put it tied with Chaparral on my favorite brand of boats. I plan on keeping my Rinker for years to come! 

If the motor/drive/gauges/trim all took a dump tomorrow, that would NOT be Rinker's fault! Any moving part CAN and WILL break eventually 

Handymans342

There has been a few others

Liberty44140

One of the guys who ranted here had some major issues with leaking at the rub rail on a newer boat which he had a right to be upset about. At the time the response from the factory was bad. The rest of the rants were mainly mercruiser issues, not Rinker. 

Boatman

Ok, I admit I ranted and maybe should not have. I'm sorry. And agree that this is not the place. I appreciate forums and the value they provide. I have been a boat owner over 30 years and after purchasing this boat and granted has a few years on it you expect certain issues. The craftsmanship, attention to details and many other issues are not to the standards of other brands that I have owned. Yes, I recently had to have the B2 outdrive rebuilt and Not Ranker's fault. However, it was a challenge on parts because the serial numbers were not legible (again not Rinker fault) but the original paper work listed a B3 with duo prop so became a mystery in the rebuild (yes, Rinker error not documenting properly). Cabin leaks, bolts and screws not tight, rattles, and the list goes on. TRUE, you get what you pay for and really appreciate the support of a forum. Boat for sale, going back to a quality build. My 1967 Aristocraft, Chaparral boats that I have owned, Sea Ray (multiple), and all others are tighter than this boat. Please accept my apologies for any one that I may have offended. Just explains why every dealer that I called looking for support no longer sells the brand.

Black_Diamond

Sounds like you got an abused / poorly maintained boat. Someone could have swapped over to a Bravo II easily somewhere along the line to save $ on a B-3 overhaul too. 14 years on my 342 and satisfied. 

raybo3

Handymans342 said:

The Mods cant delete a post, only close it. Raybo loves doing this LOL

Handy your wrong again......... Of course I could delete this post but regardless of what you think I do not censer the forum. Members are entitled to their opinions. I do find it amazing what Boatman lists as quality boats. Chaparral??????? Really my friends Chap fell apart in a storm with 3 foot seas. Sea Ray the most overrated and overpriced boat on the market........ Everyone on this forum knows what Rinker is all about so why delete this post? Its only one persons opinion.....  

Cableguy Greg

Boatman said:

Just explains why every dealer that I called looking for support no longer sells the brand.

It has nothing to do with the brand. It has everything to do with the way Nautic Global Group ran the brand, and the others that they had, into the ground. The new owners are doing everything to restore the name to what it was before Nautic Global ruined it. They are getting back dealers that dropped them. Not sure where you are located, but if you call a dealer that stuck with the brand thru the rough patch, they would probably support you. Happy Days in Ohio and Hideaway in Michigan come to mind.

As far as your drive goes, the original owner might not have wanted the B3 drive at delivery, so the dealer swapped it to a B2. Or they could have had corrosion issues and didn't want to deal with it, so they swapped it to a B2. The only two people that know are the original owner and the dealer that sold the boat. As far as serial numbers go, Merc does a poor job of stamping the drives and transom. By dumb luck I stumbled across my numbers in the original warranty paperwork that the original owner of my 280EC NEVER sent in. It was all filled out and all he had to do was drop it in the mail. Grr...

randy56

BOAT

Handymans342

There are several items that Rinker could really improve on starting with records, parts, customer service etc.... But then it would be priced like a SeaRay

Stodge

I think any used boat can have a laundry list of issues.  If you were talking about wet stringers (didn't SeaRay have a problem with them?) or hull issues (I suspect a few other brands ran into these) then I'd say sure, the maker of the boat make a poor product.  But lack of maintenance or care will ruin any boat IMO.

Ian

I agree there could be improvements like this but some of the issues I expect are from the Nautic Global Group days. Mismanagement, poor accountability etc drive product issues just like the issues Harley experienced in the AMF days of bad decisions in design and parts providers/selection. Not everything goes towards a higher price either although it's obvious some will. The reality is no matter what product it is there will always be the opportunity for a perceived lesser quality that doesn't meet someone's expectations and design decisions that you ask "WTF, why they do it like that?" and then the next model comes out and it's as you'd expect it. Plus as others have said, preowned is always a gamble on how the last owner cared for things.

ruggerole

So you will buy a Bayliner before a Rinker???

Ian

Me? Had one, was a nice boat, would I get another, likely not after the Rinker. Different class and market. I was simply adding to other comments about the reality of the real issue - not necessarily the manufacturer but components and poor management decisions as well as someone's own perceptions and expectations.

There are a number of high end vehicles as well as budget level suffering the Tanaka airbag debacle. Doesn't mean the high end guys are now the same as the lower end.

LaRea

Boatman said:

... Just explains why every dealer that I called looking for support no longer sells the brand. 

After a decade of abysmally low sales, NOBODY in the boat industry has as many dealerships as they used to.  How many great brands didn't even survive the recession?  Remember Doral?  Fantastic boats, but the company folded.  Rinker is still alive because the company builds high-quality boats that people can afford.  

Dream_Inn

Geez, I go away boating for a long weekend and look at this!  But all looks good and I fully agree with Raybo.  Nothing wrong with having this type of topic and let it work itself out.  (& yes, we can delete your entire post Handy!! )

And LaRea said it perfectly.  I was thinking the same thing as far as why there are new dealers now, and lots of them!

wm61356

No brand is immune to issues that can arise due to neglect, poor or non existent maintenance or abuse. Regardless of the care given, nothing lasts forever. I had a Chaparral that the swim ladder bolts were not sealed  properly when the boat was built at the factory causing the transom to absorb water and rot. A good friend of mine just paid $7K to have a section of his 34 Sundancer's bow deck cut out and reglassed due to water intrusion from an improperly sealed deck hatch.

One of the things I like about this forum, and the Rinker company, is that the information shared here (lets face it we've all had problems with our boats of some sort from time to time) gets back to the manufacturer so it can be acted upon. This in turn drives continuous improvement of Rinker products that everyone who purchases those products will benefit from. I've owned several brands over the years and My Rinkers (2) have been the better ones.

Every one is entitled to their opinion, however labeling a product as second rate without providing data to back up the rating does nothing constructive because no one can learn anything from it...I hope it made him feel better at least.

I wouldn't take down the post however. Everyone is entitled to state their viewpoint, even if it isn't shared by the majority of the users. Once one starts trying to decide what to post and what not to post where do you draw the line?

Dude_Himself

I chose Rinker for a few reasons: headroom (I'm 6'3"), build quality, and options. I'd say Stingray is the entry-level Express Cruiser (250CS). No AC, no shore power, it's just a really big cuddy cabin. My 280EC is trailerable, but solid. For coastal waters it's hull handles very well. The layout could be improved (see the 290 for examples) but for a family of 5 we can all have our own space and also sit together for meals. That would be tougher on the Stingray. I looked at more expensive boats, but what I found was the same quality fiberglass finish, the same drivetrain, the same OEM parts suppliers, etc. The manufacturer designs the boat, and architects the systems, but the ABYC specifies how they're connected together and at the end of the day: you're paying less for Rinker with a very similar product as a Regal or a SeaRay or a Chapparal. They have a more popular name - it might just be because the price makes them more of a status symbol.

In the car world it's similar to buying a Toyota vs a Lexus. You pay more for the Lexus, but I'd argue the fully loaded Toyota is the better deal.