How many DIY winterizing, oil change & maintenance

[Ryan]

Just curious.
How many of us do their own winterization, oil changes & maintenance?
And why?

[CantRepeat]

You left out the "I like cheese" response.

[Ryan]

You left out the "I like cheese" response.

What was I thinking?

[Ryan]

Anyone work on their boat but not on your car(s)?

You guys are helping me with a little work project, it's much appreciated. I'll do some random giveaways for some stuff relevant to this topic and send IMs over the next couple of weeks. Stay tuned!

[MIskiboat]

I’ll play. Do everything possible for boat.
Why:
Way cheaper.
Know it’s done right (I think …. Ha)
Easier than dropping off at dealer.
Faster than dealer.
I like to do it.
This includes all fluids and detailing. And will include shaft coupling check this season.

Also do same on autos. For same reasons. Although I like working on boat better than vehicles. Exception is engine oil may not be cheaper than bulk oil at a quick lube place. Who knows. It used to be but I haven’t checked, as it’s really easy at home. Trans fluid changes way cheaper at home.

[Ryan]

I’ll play. Do everything possible for boat.
Why:
Way cheaper.
Know it’s done right (I think …. Ha)
....

Although I like working on boat better than vehicles.

What about working on your boat do you find more appealing than your other vehicles?

There's a bunch of emotional drivers for me (Zen & the art of boat maintenance) but I've also identified that preparedness & capability as compelling so I can take care of situations that might come up when on the water.

[dvsone79]

I do my own basic things: oil change, winterizing, changed water pump. It’s cheaper, I learn about the boat, and I know it’s done right. Then it trickled down to my truck. Started doing the oil changes on it. Don’t save as much money on it (markup for work on vehicles isn’t nearly as high as boats!), but I still know it’s done right!

[GoneSkiing]

I do the basics on the boat, nothing on the cars. The boat is less intimidating to work on and the savings of doing an oil change and winterization on the boat is huge compared to doing on the car.

[Diesel]

My local dealer at the lake is horrendous and my good dealer is 7hrs away. So unless it is major, I do the work myself.

[MIskiboat]

What about working on your boat do you find more appealing than your other vehicles?

There's a bunch of emotional drivers for me (Zen & the art of boat maintenance) but I've also identified that preparedness & capability as compelling so I can take care of situations that might come up when on the water.

Boat is just better. One takes me skiing and the other takes me to work. Skiing is better than work. Ha.

Plan to have boat a LONG time.

[jewbacca]

I do both car and boat maintenance. There are very few repairs I won't attempt myself, and I've prided myself on almost never needing outside mechanic help (the exception being a cylinder head that needed some machine work).

It's more satisfying than fun. I've saved myself tens of thousands of dollars over the years. I'm not the type to rebuild engines for fun, although if I had unlimited time I would be all over it.

I also have trust issues. Mechanical work is way too easy to half ***, and yet the profession doesn't reward the guys who are top notch. It can be hard to find the good ones.

[neil.anderson63]

I enjoy doing the basics on the boat and vehicles. I think of it as a bit of much needed therapy. Throw some tunes on, have some cheese and "tinker." Plus, these simple tasks bring a bit of tangible satisfaction to my life. I enjoyed pulling the interior out of it and driving it to Tennessee for a refresh; putting it all back together was very rewarding. "mental jewelry"
I have a great dealer, Table Rock Boats who is a couple miles from where I keep the boat. Fortunately, I've only had the boat in there once since 2012 because I didn't have time to perform a simple repair.

[Exotic_Matter]

I do everything I can. The worst part for me is trying to keep the interior of the boat clean while working on anything. Grey carpet, white interior with an LTR in the center of everything is painful, and my boat is pretty damn clean to begin with!

[tmothy07]

I always do the basic preventative maintenance. Oil, impeller, winterization, belt, plugs, wires, cap, etc.

Just doesn't seem worth it to hook the boat up and pay someone else a bunch of money for something that takes a ratchet and screwdriver to knock out.

[MIskiboat]

I do everything I can. The worst part for me is trying to keep the interior of the boat clean while working on anything. Grey carpet, white interior with an LTR in the center of everything is painful, and my boat is pretty damn clean to begin with!

Go to Big lots or ollies and get some cheap bathroom / rubber backed floor mats.
Only use once or twice a year but invaluable for risk prevention…..