Am I the right owner for an Epic??

[dboats33]

I have been in the market for a vdrive boat for the past couple of months and keep coming back to the epics. I love the more classic look, and they really sound like they would fit what I am looking for: (great family boat that can produce a good wakeboard and surf wake that is reliable and likely fits in my price range). Ive found some malibus and tiges in the same price range, but I really like the looks of the epics better. The one concern I have and can't seem to find an answer for on the forum is if I am the right owner for one of these boats. Unfortunately, I do not have a mechanic's brain, and most maintenance would have to be done by nearby shops.  Most of the forum information seems great for people who already know about their boats and are comfortable working on them. Being that the parts seem to be ordered from this site, do you guys (and gals) see any issues when trying to have your boat mechanics actually do the work, or is this a boat that really needs an owner who is comfortable doing the majority of his own maintenance?  And Yes, I realize all boats will require maintenance regularly, but relatively speaking, is this more of a DIY boat than other makes? Thanks for any insight.

[Sammamish Skier]

IMO our boats require the least amount of maintenance of nearly all boats out there. I've owned mercruiser I/O boats and outboard boats and the epic hands down has needed less maintenance. Being willing to do the winterization procedure will save you $$$ but you should be able to have a boat shop do it provided you give them the guide. For the big jobs like the timing belt you should be able to use a car mechanic that knows Toyotas.

[ryan.n]

I am by no means mechanically inclined. I change wheels and tires on my cars but always have a shop change the oil, do brakes and rotors, etc. My tool collection is bleak and my experience with working on anything other than bicycles is minimal. But, this forum exists.

In the past year on my Epic I have learned to winterize it (despite both block drains being completely stripped), replaced the impeller, taken apart the entire seawater intake system to chase down issues, changed the oil, changed spark plugs, replaced the serpentine belt, replaced the battery, and most recently replaced the rubber exhaust hoses.

I am now in the process of replacing all of the gauges with analog gauges and re-wiring the dash and stereo. I also found some cracks in the fiberglass mufflers and am going to attempt to repair them, working with fiberglass for the first time.

With all of that being said, this was all deferred maintenance from the prior owner. I got a pretty good deal on the boat, and despite missing some time on the water I'm learning A TON by just digging into the boat and figuring things out. I'm relatively confident that I have a good understanding of how everything works. I honestly wouldn't trade this entire experience for a more expensive boat that was turn-key ready.

Its all right in front of you when you take off the cover and floorboards. None of this is insanely complicated stuff. Somebody might have to convince me that trying to do the timing belt and water pump might be a bit ambitious, the DIY write-ups make me think I can tackle it.