Anyone here with Chaparral 203 VRX 250 HP?

[Sugarcharged]

Hello folks. I am shopping for a Yamaha AR210 and just saw a Chaparral 203 Vortex VRX with 250 HP Rotax engine. Anyone here with reliability and experience with these boats? This one I saw it's a 2017. I'm curious now and starting to compare it with the AR210. Thanks for any feedback especially from owners of a Chaparral jetboat.

 

[Luc Lafreniere]

Well, the Rotax 250HP engine is shared with Scarab. So any thread in the Scarab section about those drive trains applies the same to your boat. With regular maintenance, the drive train has been rock solid in my experience after over 180 hours of use now. But of course, for any brand and engine type, you'll find random problems, systemic problems, maintenance problems, etc. Overall, I'd say the drive train is pretty darn amazing and super easy to maintain, even yourself.

I can't speak to the boat build itself though being a Scarab owner. But if you have any Rotax questions, feel free to ask here, in the Scarab section where more Rotax owners pay attention or even feel free to PM me on that topic.

Hope you find yourself a great boat!

 

[Sugarcharged]

Well, the Rotax 250HP engine is shared with Scarab. So any thread in the Scarab section about those drive trains applies the same to your boat. With regular maintenance, the drive train has been rock solid in my experience after over 180 hours of use now. But of course, for any brand and engine type, you'll find random problems, systemic problems, maintenance problems, etc. Overall, I'd say the drive train is pretty darn amazing and super easy to maintain, even yourself.

I can't speak to the boat build itself though being a Scarab owner. But if you have any Rotax questions, feel free to ask here, in the Scarab section where more Rotax owners pay attention or even feel free to PM me on that topic.

Hope you find yourself a great boat!

Thank you for your comments, I may send you a PM later to talk further. Appreciate it.

 

[Dean P]

Hello folks. I am shopping for a Yamaha AR210 and just saw a Chaparral 203 Vortex VRX with 250 HP Rotax engine. Anyone here with reliability and experience with these boats? This one I saw it's a 2017. I'm curious now and starting to compare it with the AR210. Thanks for any feedback especially from owners of a Chaparral jetboat.

I own the 2017 223 VRX with twin 250s. Engine and drivetrain are exceptional. With general maintenance and regular flushing (if used in saltwater) you should not have any issues. Keep in mind these engines have their own cooling system similar to a car (not EV cause...you know...) so if used in salt you're only flushing the exhaust. Yamaha relies on water you're in to cool the engine. Quality in Chaparral boats is top notch and better than all other jetboats. You pay more but I feel it's worth it. You'll like the power and handling from the Rotax drivetrain system. I get on plain in 2 seconds and can literally toss people overboard with it's crazy turning abilities. Docking is super simple and worry free. I could go on but I think you get my drift. Good luck in you're decision. Either boat will provide high levels of enjoyment.