With the high cost of snowmobile ownership & lack of snow in northern WI & parts of the UPMI do we get out or stay in? The economics of snowmobile ownership seems to be screaming at me to sell out & rent. No worries just show up whenever & ride a rental then trun around & walk away & do it all over again when I get the itch. I never thought I would feel this way but I'm starting to wonder?
Are You Staying In Or Getting Out?
- Thread starter whitedust
- Start date
I'm Staying In. Though with the price of gasoline I may be more selective as to when and where I ride. We do the same with the boat during the summer months, usually only take it out when the conditions are ideal.
Renting is always an option but a lot of people enjoy wrenching, tweeking, tinkering, etc. You can't do that with a rental. (and get your deposit back)
Renting is always an option but a lot of people enjoy wrenching, tweeking, tinkering, etc. You can't do that with a rental. (and get your deposit back)
I was and am starting to think very hard about dumping at off trail sled and just having a sled to run around the house and flying out west and renting.with the cost of gas time off work driving time dinking with sleds geting ready to go west is prob a wash with flying out and renting and having a few high quality rides.was just out at storage and looking at 11g just sitting colecting dust and thinking to my self this is crazy for what? if lucky 2 good weekends out of 4 in the up and a trip west.but my tune will change come November. what I realy want is to move full time to FL and buy a heavy mod stand up ski and a fishing boat pro line or somthing like that ,and try to forget about snow unless flying back for xmass and riding a buds sled for for the afternoon or somthing
Firecatguy
New member
930$ in the truck last trip out west in April!!!!OUCH!!!!!!
I got out last year after 34 yrs off being in a club and doing the U.P. almost every year since 83. It was tough. We live on the water down here so we put more money into a better boat. Seemed to make more cense. I missed it more than I thought, but it got easier has winter went by. Didn't miss the idiots who some how go out and screw up on the trails though. The last sled I had was a 2008 Apex ltx gt. Best sled I ever owned. We did save alot and I didn't feel like doppler Dad anymore always checking snow conditions. Maybe someday, we'll get back in it. Still thinking SNOW, Jake
I did the math and with breakage and fuel each ride cost me an average of about $150. VERY hard to justify with two kids at home. I could take the kids to wisconsin dells for a weekend at an indoor waterpark for the price of 2 or 3 rides. That thought hits home a little more every day. That and i have $500 worth of damage that i have to fix on my sled before day 1 next year makes it hard to be excited...
WOW ezra seems we are very much alike! I just returned back to Phelps from FL with my Ranger in tow. I had a blast fishing, crabing & cruising the Atlantic intracoastal enjoying the warm sun with a nice dark tan & wind in my hair. I just checked on my Apex Attak & trailer yesterday making it mouse proof & the $15Gs sitting until December & my mind started to question??? Why the heck do I freeze my arse in Phelps for marginal snow conditions when I can fish in the sun & warm temps in FL? I can buy a saltwater canal condo with boat lift & pool for $100K around Coca Beach area & only be idle when it rains & it does rain hard in FL. Anywhoo got me thinking of moving to FL or buying a condo in FL back to Phelps in summer or if I get the the snow itch rent a sled & come & go in winter split time in FL & here. I do think if we had good snow December thru March owning a snowmobile makes sense but the snow cover has been bad since 2005 & the cost of sleddin has skyrocketed. Just starting to think the snomo money might be better spent on other fun stuff. The thought of $15Gs for a new sled does not seem like the best thing to do with left or right side of my brain so I started thinking of getting out while I can. Snowmobile ownership & the sport may end up only for the elite few that can afford the high price with so little use. To me the snowmobile market peaked years ago & may not be sustainable in as little time as 5 years from now. PWCs took a tumble & never came back & I'm fearing the same outcome for snowmobiles as well.
G
G
Guest
A Pro Line in Fla is looking better to me also. Can't quite decide which side of the coast I would choose. The best days of sledding are long gone. The 50 mph speed limit is also a factor in MN. A lot of my old sledding buddies quit long ago. Only a few hard cores left. Maybe that is why I ride alone more and more and have to have a heavy dependable Yami. I am pretty sure I will never be buying a new sled again.
polarisrider1
New member
Hate to see some of you go. 40th yr. Of riding and only getting better. Snow checked RMK was a little over$ 11,000. Priceless. You only live once. The memories are worth much more than the sled price. I like to trick out my sled, cannot do that with a rental. I tend to total out rentals much faster than the sleds I own. Sounds as if some are having the summer time blues. Rule #1 Do not have a sled that requires payments. Nothing sucks like paying on a sled for 6-8 months as it sits in the garage.
polarisrider1
New member
Oh, staying.
mrsrunningbear
Active member
In forever
If you look at sledding from an economic standpoint, it doesn't make much sense. Unfortunately for me, it is a disease not a pastime. I'll be in till I can no longer physically ride, no matter what it costs me. I"m trying to figure out how I can move closer to where I ride so maybe I can lessen the financial burden!
Cost ???? Doesn't everything we do that is fun cost a ton of money? With this springs weather the cabin and boats up north haven't seen much use yet either. Ya can't take it with you, so you might as well enjoy it. If it wasn't for our toys what the heck kind of stories are we gonna have at the home when we get there...........................IN
In it till I die.
Right there with ya brother, !!!! And summer dose suck........