7 Most-Common Problems With Lund Boats

Lund boats have been around for over 70 years, and there are many advantages to buying a Lund boat.

They are well respected for their aluminum boat construction, although they have also been building some fiberglass boats since the 1960’s.

This being said, there are some problems with Lund boats that you might want to consider before you make a Lund boat purchase.

Note that the following issues apply to the majority of Lund boats made of aluminum.

Here are seven problems you should know before buying a Lund boat:

Lund Boats are Riveted

Aluminum boats are either riveted together, or they are welded together.

Riveting is easier and cheaper than welding, and it helps boat manufacturers create boats quicker and cheaper.

The downside is that a riveted boat is more likely to leak.  I know this from personal experience.

My small fishing boat has rivets, and it leaks.  The leaking isn’t severe, but the bottom of the boat definitely has water in it when I’m done.

While this might not be a big deal on a small fishing boat made entirely of aluminum, it is a big deal on larger boats with wooden flooring.

These boats could develop small leaks around the rivets, and your floors can end up rotting out over time.  Unfortunately, I also know this from personal experience, but we’ll talk more about this further on in this post.

Fixing a riveted boat can also be a hassle.  In order to properly repair the rivet, it will need to be drilled out, and a new rivet will need to be put in place of it.  The rivet then needs to be sealed up so that it won’t leak.

If the boat has become misshapen in any way, getting a new rivet to sit in it properly can be difficult.  On a more complex hull, rivet repair becomes a professional repair rather than a DIY repair.

Lund’s Aluminum Hulls Aren’t as Thick

Not all aluminum boats are equal.

Aluminum sheets come in a wide variety of thicknesses, and some aluminum boats use thicker sheets than others.  This is especially true around the hull, where a thicker structure is often needed.

According to Lund’s own literature, the above the water line thickness of their aluminum is .063.  The area of the hull below the waterline is at .080.

They do this using an aluminum construction of H34.  For the uninitiated, this is the “hardness” of the aluminum.

Other boat manufacturers tend to use H34 for their aluminum as well.  However, many competitors go with an aluminum thickness that is twice that of Lund.  For example, G3 boats use a thickness of .16 below the waterline.

As you can imagine, the thickness of the aluminum matters a great deal.  This is especially true if you’ll be boating in shallow areas where you’ll be running over fallen trees and large rocks.

Of course, the thickness and the hardness of the aluminum used will vary from boat to boat and from year to year, so it’s best to make a direct comparison between the boats you’re considering.

A Lund Boat is An Expensive Boat

Lund boats tend to run 20% to 30% more than their competitors.

For example, a 19’ Pro-V will start out at $43,000.00.  A 19’ Tracker Targa will start out at a price of only $36,000.00.

This makes the Lund Pro-V $7,000.00 more expensive than the Tracker Targa.  That additional $7,000.00 will be amplified even more if you finance the boat.

On top of this, your insurance premiums will be higher on the more expensive boat, and the taxes will be higher as well.  In the end, you could easily pay more than $10,000.00 for the Pro-V.

Lund Boats Have Wooden Floors

Wood is often the bane of a boat owner’s existence.

I spent a lot of my summers on an aluminum Crestliner boat with a wooden floor.  In case you didn’t know, the same company that owns Lund also owns Crestliner.

The wooden floor on the Crestliner was carpeted, and it was comfortable.  That is until the wooden floor started to rot.

Even though the Crestliner is welded so that it doesn’t leak underneath, it still got wet on top. It eventually became soft, and we had to carefully tear it out so that we could use the pieces as a template for a new wood floor.

In the end, my father sold the boat and bought a fiberglass one instead.

Lund Boats are Regional

Often, the answer to this question will depend on where you ask it.

Lund boats were first built out in the Midwest, and the dealer networks are strong there.  As a result, you’ll see a lot of Lund boats in that area.

In other areas of the country, Lund boats just aren’t as popular.  As a result, loyalty to the brand isn’t as strong, and you won’t find as many positive reviews from these areas.

This doesn’t mean Lund boats aren’t good, and it just means that opinions will vary based on what region of the country you’re living in.

Your Transom Might Rot

I’ve seen a lot of reviews from owners of older Lund boats that have had issues with their transoms.

The transoms ended up rotting out, and while most people spotted them before they could cause any real trouble, some people suffered catastrophic consequences.

You may have never considered this, but a rotten transom could lead to your engine literally falling off the back of your boat.

This is a serious problem, and if you’re buying a used boat, the transom is an area that you’ll want to thoroughly inspect before you bring the boat out onto the water.

To be fair to Lund, many used boats will suffer from rotten transoms.  This could be the result of a manufacturing defect, or it could be a simple example of poor maintenance by one of the previous owners.

Transoms are wood after all, and if they take in enough water, they will rot.

Another thought you might want to keep in mind is that many of Lund’s newer boats are built with a composite transom.

This means rot will not be an issue on a newer Lund boat transom.

Your Lund Could be Underpowered

Many people have cautioned new buyers on going with the minimum recommended boat motor.

This is because they feel the boat just doesn’t have enough power with the smaller motors. Knowing this, if you were to buy a new Lund boat, you’d probably want to consider buying one with a larger engine.

Unfortunately, this means you’ll probably end up having to spend a bit more money on your new Lund boat.

Quote Reviews

It’s hard to find any direct Lund reviews on boat magazines, but as always, the owners of these boats have a lot to say about them.

Mark from The Hull Truth Forums says that,

“In the long run, you’re better off with a welded boat.  My boat ended up leaking over time, and I never was able to fix it properly.”

Source: Thehulltruth.com

A builder from I Fish says,

“Lund makes fine boats for the type of fishing they do out in the Midwest, and you can’t go wrong with buying one when you’re angling for bass, walleye, and other warm-water species.”

Source: IFish.net

General Pros and Cons of Lund Boats:

Here are the benefits of Lund boats:

• Lund boats have fantastic layouts
• Lund’s customer service is said to be outstanding
• Lund boats have high resale values

Here are the disadvantages of Lund boats:

• They’re riveted
• The aluminum isn’t always as thick as their competitor’s aluminum
• They are usually more expensive than their competitors
• They have wooden floors
• Their popularity seems to be more regional in nature
• The transoms may rot
• Your boat may be underpowered

Resale Prices

The resale value of a Lund boat is generally higher than the resale value of other boats in the same category.

However, one should note that Lund boats start out at a higher price, so the rate of depreciation may be just as high with a Lund as it is with many other boats.

Here is a quick look at some Lund boats and their resale values versus their original prices:

Model	Original List Price	Price 3 Years Later	Price 5 years later
19′ Lund Pro-V	$41,000.00	$30,000.00	$26,000.00
21′ Lund Alaskan	$32,000.00	$24,000.00	$20,000.00
22′ Lund Pro-V	$74,000.00	$56,000.00	$45,000.00

As you can see, the depreciation during the first three years is higher than that of the following two years.

This is pretty typical on boats, and you’re often better off buying a well-cared-for boat from ten years ago than you are buying a boat that is three to five years old.

The data above was collected from Nada.com.

Final Thoughts

Lund makes good bass fishing boats, and you’ll find many of them on the water out in the Midwest.

You’ll also find that their support network is strong, and you won’t have any trouble finding replacement parts when you need them.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for a durable boat that can stand up to the rigors of rough water, you may want to consider other boat manufacturers. 

Also, be prepared to eventually replace your wooden floors as they simply aren’t meant to last forever.