Smokercraft hull?

[311Hemi]

Looking around for deal on boats with the possibility of buying if I find the right deal....found a 2001 17' Smokercraft. I have read a few thing about hulls collapsing or rivets coming loose on some of them. Any ideas if the 2001 has a reinforced hull....or thoughts in general on this hull?

[boatfixer]

I think anything you may have read about them collapsing may have been over exagerated. If it happened I'm sure it was an isolated incident. Rivets coming loose? I think most manufactures have some leak or come loose at some point and time, some more often than others maybe. I know that Smokers have boasted a thicker hull than most other manufactures. One dealer I worked for, who did not sell Smokers at the time, ordered one from another dealer for a jet powered river boat to run in the rivers in Wyoming. I would look closely at the condition of the hull. Has it hit rocks?, beached alot? Paint wore off? IMO nothing wrong with most boats if they have been properly maintained, cared for and the price is right, including Smokers.

[GRH]

I know they had a problem around that time, but I cant remember what year for sure. My brother and cousin both had bad boats. They were collapsing and loosing rivets. Smokercraft redisinged the boats and they both got new boats the following year. Maybe call a dealer to see what year was bad. I'll see if I can find out what year they had that was bad.