Complete popup blind installation instruction can be found here.
Frequently Asked Questions
When you are ready, give us a call or come see us. We will sit down and put your ideas on paper and actually draw your boat out. If you are at a loss for the best design, we will ask you a myriad of questions to help determine the layout of the boat that suits you best. After you decide on every detail you are ready to order. If you are ordering a boat/trailer combo only, your deposit is $1250. If you are ordering an entire boat/motor/trailer, your deposit is $2500. You can pay this by either sending us a check or paying right then over the phone with a credit card. Once we receive your deposit, your order goes next in line to the fabrication shop as it was received. At that time, we will give you an estimated date of completion, and fax you a detailed copy of your order that shows line items with costs. It will also reflect your deposit paid and balance due. You may also order your boat through our dealer network. Some of those dealers have packaged boats ready for sale on location, offer to finance, and take trade-ins. Pricing is exactly the same whether you order factory direct or from a dealer.
You are more than welcome to pay us a visit and pick the boat up from the factory. However, today’s busy schedules will not permit some of you to take that much time, and we understand that. We will deliver our boats and motors anywhere. The cost of delivery is $1.34 per mile one way. (Subject to change without notice). We can deliver it to your door, meet you half way, or wherever you choose to meet us. You just tell us where you want the ticket to stop. I understand that this may seem steep, but keep this in mind. We do not make any money on shipping your boat. The cost per mile is what we are charged by the delivery service. It is the most cost-effective service we have ever heard of.
Gator Trax Boats are custom built therefore, custom pricing applies. The best way to get a price for a boat you want to design and build is to contact us for a custom quote. Quotes are valid for 30 days. If you wish to get an estimate you can add hulls, motors, and options to your online cart. Prices shown in the online cart are not official quotes and are used for estimate purposes only.
The airboat style rake is different from conventional flat boat rakes for a very specific reason. Most conventional flat boats don't have much of a true rake to speak of. Most flat boats have a rake that is short and rises quickly. The problem is when you load that hull down in the front with 2 sacks of decoys and a Labrador, the rake sinks and you wind up pushing a wall of water that won't get out of its' own way. Our rake is a long, slow rising rake. It allows you to load your hull heavily in the front and still get on a proper plane. Let's face it, as duck hunters, all your gear and passengers go up front. They can't sit in the back with you while you drive your mud motor, so they are placed midship to the bow and, consequently, weigh down the bow. Not a problem in a Gator Trax boat!
If you do not find a boat package at any of our dealers to suit your specific needs, we can custom build your hull on an as ordered basis. They are built one at a time, to fit the needs of each customer. If you can imagine it, we can usually build it so as it is within safe boating practices. Custom orders are often made at our dealer locations. However, if you need factory direct expertise in designing your hull, that is a service we gladly offer, even if you are dealing with one of our dealers. Contact us anytime.
Extruding a piece of metal simply means it was pushed through and extracted out of a die to form a specific shape. In our case, we buy extruded aluminum that forms shapes specific to our build process that enhances strength as well as fit and finish.
The huntdeck came about as a place to put the rear portion of the total boat’s flotation foam. Our foam goes under the original front deck, under the floor, and inside the hunt deck for full level flotation, which is required by the USCG for a recreational rating. Without the hunt deck, the rear portion of the foam would have to be just inside the transom in two port and starboard boxes. Thus losing valuable space. In addition to the flotation, there are other advantages of the hunt deck.
- Adds 20” of length to whatever model you purchase. (example - a 17x50 with a huntdeck is actually 18’6” in overall length.)
- Pushes the motor back 20” out of the way so that a hunter or fisherman can utilize the entire back end of the boat without sharing that space with the motor and tiller handle.
- Makes a great place for entering the boat from shallow water or in a man overboard situation it is much easier to climb onto the hunt deck than over 21” sides.
- Totally eliminates a backwash from sudden stops.
We have the largest selection of motor options in the shallow water boat industry. Our prices are the same as offered by authorized dealers. We do not mark up the motor prices, and we do not charge for installation of the motor when mounted on one of our hulls. In short, no hidden fees.
To properly answer, you must ask yourself a few questions. First, how many hunters will I realistically hunt with on an average trip? Two, three, more? The heaviest part of your load will be hunters so this is important to answer honestly. If you will have two in the boat, 16' is fine, three in the boat, you need 17' minimum. More? You need 18' minimum. Length is the key if you stay narrow. If you go with a wider hull, length is not as critical as you will still be displacing an acceptable amount of water for performance.
Second, how far do I run from the landing to my hunting spot on average? This, combined with the first answer, will dictate your motor choice. If you run with a heavy load or your runs are long, say more than 5 or 6 miles, you will need one of the higher horsepower motors being a 35HP minimum. Anything less will not give you the performance you need. If you have a light load or your run is short, 1-3 miles or so, you can scale back a bit to a smaller motor. Remember, we never recommend smaller than the 23HP for any application with our hulls. A good rule of thumb is to purchase the largest mud motor you can afford because that will be the one you wish you had purchased at the beginning.
Thirdly, will I use this hull to hunt out of with a blind or as a transport vessel from the landing to a permanent blind? If you are going to hunt from the boat or even fish from this boat, you will want an open floor plan of some kind. Our open hull, walk through bench, or a combo of the two will be best. If you will use the boat to transport hunters to a permanent blind then get out to hunt, the center bench will work great as a seat for your passengers while underway. And, since you are not hunting or fishing out of the boat, the bench will not be in the way for your application. If you will answer the above 3 questions honestly as they pertain to your real situations, you will have a great starting point on boat size, hull design, and motor choice. We offer this suggestion; build this hull for what you will be doing 90% of the time, then live with the other 10%.
Second, how far do I run from the landing to my hunting spot on average? This, combined with the first answer, will dictate your motor choice. If you run with a heavy load or your runs are long, say more than 5 or 6 miles, you will need one of the higher horsepower motors being a 35HP minimum. Anything less will not give you the performance you need. If you have a light load or your run is short, 1-3 miles or so, you can scale back a bit to a smaller motor. Remember, we never recommend smaller than the 23HP for any application with our hulls. A good rule of thumb is to purchase the largest mud motor you can afford because that will be the one you wish you had purchased at the beginning.
Thirdly, will I use this hull to hunt out of with a blind or as a transport vessel from the landing to a permanent blind? If you are going to hunt from the boat or even fish from this boat, you will want an open floor plan of some kind. Our open hull, walk through bench, or a combo of the two will be best. If you will use the boat to transport hunters to a permanent blind then get out to hunt, the center bench will work great as a seat for your passengers while underway. And, since you are not hunting or fishing out of the boat, the bench will not be in the way for your application. If you will answer the above 3 questions honestly as they pertain to your real situations, you will have a great starting point on boat size, hull design, and motor choice. We offer this suggestion; build this hull for what you will be doing 90% of the time, then live with the other 10%.