Hey Rob, I just read your article on your Champ purchase experience and like you I had a line on a memo boat. You wanted to go from a jon boat to a more comfortable glass rig and I wanted to go from a terrific 18' Champ that I had for 22 years to a Ranger Z20 here in Cal. I was excited about getting a good deal on a year old Z but the guy that I was dealing with let me down and the deal fell through. Frustrated, I decided to gather up a few more bucks and trade the Champ in on a new 520 in 08. Like you I had some exposure to different brands in the club and the tournaments and came to same conclusion as you. As for a out of state purchase, before the Champ I had a couple of aluminum boats and one was a new BassChamp (from Ray Scott in Montgomery Alabama believe it or not) that was a precursor to the Tracker that BPS sells. I took a couple of weeks off from work and fished lakes I always wanted to try ie: Eufaula, Toledo Bend and Rayburn. I settled up with DMV on registration and taxes when I got back to Cal.