J-Doc

Don't you have an old motor to rebuild or something?? Lol!!

I just saw this. Hate I missed it.

I wish I could. This weekend was our wedding anniversary. I was on lockdown yesterday. Lol!! Today, I thought about going hunting but now I have a sick kid, wife is having to go in to work, etc. Viscious cycle.

Lucky dog!

As the minions on the movie Despicable Me say.. "Oh poop" Well yeah, that would have worked. I way over thought it. The hose I have was the original and stiffer than an overdose of Viagra. I would have had to replace the entire hose (which I did anyway). I didn't like having the port below or right at the water line anyway. Harder to tell when it was flushing out. NOW I know for sure. lol I still like my idea better so there!! Smarty pants!

Impressive manufacturing. This also shows the extruded aluminum keel I was referencing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYbWXP7pHNs

SO ready for the early spring. Give me 50-55 degree water temps. PLEASE!!! There are fish to be caught!!

For 2yrs, I wondered why my boat drained a little bit of water every trip when I pulled the plug. I checked all possible spots, applied silicone around any ports, etc. After further exploring, I noticed that the boat took on water if my bud fished from the back. I checked the bumper rail to see if water was getting in between the top cap of the hull, etc. Finally, i figured out that my bilge pump discharge was the source. When he stood on that particular corner of the rear deck, the port dipped below the water line allowing water to drain into the pump hose and the bilge pump evidently does not have a backflow preventer or check valve of any type. Solution? I found a bilge pump discharge port online, purchased one for about $6, drilled a new hole in the washover well(?) and relocated the discharge point. Now the discharge is completely above the water level and I'll never have that problem. Now when I pull the plug, it's bone dry. Unless I drain the live well...........LOL! Here's a video showing the relocated port. It better describes my solution. Hope this helps out someone. Drove me nuts for 2yrs!! I thought I had major problems. Turns out it was nothing. http://youtu.be/F27sSpyBdpM

Here are the photos I mentioned above. This is the Lowe 18HP which uses a pad hull. It uses a "smoth hull". The hull striations shown on thier other models and Ranger's models are not used on the HP model. When you look at the transom, you'll see a flatter section in the middle just below the motor. That's the "pad". Ranger maintains a V shape without the pad. The pad helps reduce drag (friction) which gives you more speed but less control. Again...with a 115, control is not that major of an issue. Hull with striations on left which is modified V hull Pad hull on right (red boat). Both are same shape and hull form up front, only difference is back 1/2 of boat at the keel. This is how Lowe builds their storage lockers. NO ridge stamped in the alum. or a least a rubber gasket to prevent water from getting inside the storage compartment. The inside was wet. I like my stuff dry. This is the storage compartment below the seats. Notice the amount of ice? That's a lot of water intrusion for a storage compartment. I'm still not sure how that much water got in there. Probably from the snow we had a few weeks ago. Has not drained out (again, no way for water to drain out???) Here is the big deal breaker for me on the Lowe Stinger lineup. If your console is so thin and the composite material is so flexible that you have to have a goofy designed brace for the console........what else did you cheap out on? Here is another look at the hull. There were so many things about the Lowe I did not like, they made the Ranger which was sitting next to it look like a Lexus sitting next to a Kia. (no offense to any Kia owners out there) :-) I didn't snap any photos of the Ranger RT188 but I should have. It was inside so I guess it's unfair to say their storage is waterproof since it was in the dry climate controlled store. But for the record, ALL of the Lowe boat designs are built this way including the deep V. That and the hinges on their lids seem flimsy and thin gauge. One was even "wobbly". Again, these are ONLY MY OBSERVATIONS AND OPINIONS. Some will completely disagree with me and that's fine. I've been "boat shopping" for about 6yrs now. As soon as the funds are ready, I'll be purchasing a new one. I've looked at many different manufactures, styles, etc. I've gone all over the map saying "I'll buy this boat". My style of fishing and preferences have changed. That and my son will need his first vehicle in a few years so keeping a lower payment is far more important to me than having a big 20ft bass boat. I like the alum. option of being able to fish skinnier water too. I have found I have many places I have not yet fished that I would like to try. Most of them fit the Ranger Rt188 perfectly. Oh.......Lowe did have one option I liked over the Ranger. The bilge pump was easier to get too. LOL!! Hey........can't win them all I guess. Also both manufacturers put the bilge pump discharge on the side of the hull which is terrible. It allows water to go into the bildge well because the bilge pump does not have a backflow preventer. If they would locate it above the hull or at the over-wash well which is well above the water line, it would be a better design. I think they all do this though (mounting on side). My current boat was like that. Took me 2yrs to figure out where the water was coming from. LOL!!

kjackson I spent an hour at Cabelas in Rogers today comparing the Lowe Stinger 18 and the Ranger 188. The quality difference is so far from different, I had to take some photos for proof and explanation. I'll try and upload them shortly. I also did some more research on Rangers alum hull designs. They are .100" which is what everyone else is using. The hull IS NOT a pad hull as I thought. Although, I don't think it matters with only a 115hp outboard as the max hp. The 115 will push it to low 50's with a load or without a load. Plenty fast enough and with that length of boat and hp ratio, pad hull doesn't matter that much. The Stinger 18HP (HP for high performance) is Lowe's PAD HULL option for their 18ft alum boat. They have a no pad hull option too. My research turned up the Lowe 18HP with a max speed of lower 50's. Same as the Ranger RT188. Pad or no pad, I think both will run same speed and ride will be about the same. If you look up pad hull vs V hull design, V hull will actually ride smoother in choppy waters. Smooth is a relative term here at only 115hp. Choppy water won't beat your kidney at 50mph. Water that has 16"-3ft rollers, well that's not choppy. That's rougher water. They will both ride rough in those condistions. Any boat will unless it's a deeper V design. Think knife blade again. Deep v, cuts better. Pad (no V) doesn't cut. Now after looking into the Ranger, the Cabelas sales rep is offering a test ride. He has my name and number. I told him you would be interested as well. I'm looking pretty heavily towards the Ranger camp myself now. I'm totally eating my words early about the hull design. Their options, quality, deck space layout, etc is really good. I also like the fiberglass console which is stronger and doesn't require a brace to strengthen it like the Lowe. The trailer design and internal self lubing hubs that doesn't require grease or packing bearings is also nice. And yes, the Road Armor is bullet proof. They tested it with a sandblaster. It stays on. Much harder to be removed than just paint. Galvanized finish can also be worn off whereas this stuff is much like a bedliner protectant but on steroids. Lol! I am definately interested in the Ranger lineup now. No....you're not paying for a name. You're paying for material costs. Look at the details, the specs of materials used and such compared to others and you will see why they cost more.

Hahaha. Hammer to fit? Sorry. That was funny. :-) Glass or alum? Glass production uses precise molds for top and bottom hulls. The Ranger plant (makes Ranger, Stratos, Triton, Champion) even uses a gigantic computer operated water jet that cuts all the openings into the top hull. It's so smart, it recognizes if they programmed the wrong hull selection for the boat inside the cutting chamber. It rolls the entire boat and cuts out openings as needed. Hardly beat to fit, paint to match. Glass boats have been using molds for decades. It's precise, controlled, and consistent. They spray in the gelcoat first, then lay the glass in multiple layer applications. Ranger uses a higher strength and higher quality resin than most manufactures which is one of the reasons they are higher than others. There use and quality of materials is why they are higher. Not the name as so many say. Aluminum hulls are composed of aluminum extrusions and rolled panels. Ranger has an extruded keel with notches that allow the rolled panels to be inserted and then they are welded on both the inside and outside of the hull. The hull panels are also stamped with a machine press to get the shape you see on the bottom. Those striations (?) allow the boat to maintain grip and control. I walked the entire Ranger plant. I never saw one hammer. But I did see a lot of fiberglass guns and expoy resin being applied. Ahh.....the smell of fresh fiberglass. Lol!! Not trying to be a jerk here. Just stating that they are far more technical and even automated than ever before.

Hard to say because weather has been so odd this year. Not any time soon. Lol If it warms up soon so water temps start rising, it will be a bit easier to predict. That's not much help in answering your question but I would say at least one to two months.

There are a lot of mixed thoughts/reviews on the older Ranger aluminum line. Some folks love theirs. I'm glad you have had such good luck with yours Rolan. I think there were some manufacturing issues on a few boats years ago and word spread quickly. The old saying "one bad apple ruins the bunch" applies here. One a rep spreads, it grows like kudzu vines. The newer boats compared to the older boats is a pretty big contrast I think although I'm not familiar with the older Cherokee line. F&F's concern about being a new production line is a valid point. This is the 2nd year of production and there are simply not that many owners out there with the new lineup yet however, that would not stop me from looking into buying one if that's the one I was wanting. Oh and as for bow rise... (my opinion here after exploring this myself) Prop and weight distribution has much more to do with how much bow lift is achievable. I can get decent on my boat but only after changing to a prop that creates more bow lift. The test boat shown in the video I posted could have had an alum. prop or a factory prop and not a Lazer, Tempest, or Fury prop. All three have different characteristics. If you want bow lift, you have to change the prop and setup. In the end, you'll only get a little more than the factory setup.

Rigging any boat will change things. Especially a Nitro. To me, their base price is pretty bare bones. By the time I rig one out, I've added $5-8k easily and once, I added $10 due to hydraulic steering, jack plate, hot foot, etc. I found a photo of a Lowe Stinger which uses basically the same shape on the hull of the Ranger. It had a lot of bow lift and looked more like an Xpress on pad. All 3 boats are pad hull designs which surprised me. I must have been looking at a 2013 model or one of the smaller boats because the one I saw did not look like a mod v pad hull. I'm growing more and more interested in the Ranger. I don't believe in "paying for a name". After digging into boats for years, you pay for materials. Fiberglass resin is why glass boats are so high. The better the resin, the higher the markup due to the investment on the materials. The better the carpet, seats, etc. It all adds up. Ranger has a lot of finish upgrades compared to the Tracker. (no offense F&F - talking about the newer ones) The finish on the Ranger trailers does look bullet proof, nicer wheels, fiberglass console and not a composite material, rubber mat lining below the seats, more foam per sq. inch, etc. etc. There are a few "upgrades" that the Ranger has that others like Lowe, Crestliner, Xpress, Alumacraft, do not have standard on their boat. As for ride, I think they are all going to ride pretty comparable to each other. Depending on driver and load distribution, one could outshine the other in a controlled test. Which one? I don't know. Weight has something to do with that too and I believe the Ranger is slightly heaver than the others (I haven't compared the specs yet). In the end............it doesn't matter which brand, how much you paid, how you rigged it.... What matters is what did you "REALLY" want and are you happiest with one brand vs. the other. Whichever that one is....that's the one for you. Never look back with regret!! Buy what you need and what you feel the most confident with. That's my advice.

Just remember.....you started this and opened a can of worms..... (I'm probably eating my words here about ride quality) Fast forward to end of video for 188 on the water. About as decent a ride as you can get. There are probably some with a slightly better ride but their quality is not matching the Ranger from what I have seen first hand. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5wKw1CtYA0 Really interesting read from B.A.S.S. about the new Ranger line and the fight for aluminum boats. http://www.bassmaster.com/blog/argument-aluminum Found this on another forum. New Ranger owner with a 188. Here's a collection of his feedback after his first initial trips. You can follow the entire thread if you like. I cut and pasted some quotes from the user (mrmyers) http://www.bbcboards.net/tin-boats/330245-ranger-aluminum-boats-web-site-6.html ."Took the boat out on a few different lakes around Indy this weekend. 20mph winds Saturday the 115 is a must if you want to run across some rollers. Boat rode smooth and dry all day long. Sunday fairly calm 3 people, full fuel and tackle she ran 50 mph with no problem still had some throttle left. Ended up fishing a small river channel, don't have to worry about the skinny water boat easily maneuvered in less than a foot of water. Stability: 2 people very comparable to my buddies Ranger Z118. Front deck fishing: fished with my girlfriend behind me all day Sunday without incident and you know how that goes. Expected that it would be a little unsteady like most aluminums but I have no complaints to mention

Dang if you don't have me looking at them now.... LOL! They are a really nice looking boat. Here's a decent video walk thru of one. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBY6FHZE8a4 Whoever setup this boat has about 8 out of 10 things I would get. They even have the T&H marine trolling motor pull chord already. I could easily see this boat setup as a primary bass boat, crappie boat, walleye drifter/troller, striper chaser, and that 115 should be able to troll with reasonably slow speeds down to 1.8-2.25 mph easy depending on how you have motor trimmed and load. Mounting quality downriggers on the deck with removable mounts.....well that's a problem. They would probably have to be mounted behind you towards the transom. I don't see how there is enough mounting space in the front unless you mounted them all the way up on the bow. You can swing the booms in when moving from place to place and easily watch your rod that way. Not ideal......but could work. If I were to get one, I like this setup. Good colors, really nice wheel and trailer package, quality details, etc. Definately need bow rollers on the trailer. F&F added some to his and it's a big time plus and time saver. Worth every penny.

I've been reading up on the new Rangers. Not much info available as the info I'm getting leads back to the older line of boats they used to sell severay years ago that were produced by Crestliner and another manuf. From some of the info I have found, they say the new Rangers ride pretty well so.........if you take a test ride, let me know. I'd like to test ride one myself when I get in the market for one. I will say that the Ranger is completely foam filled at every square inch of the boat just like their glass boats. That's something Ranger takes very seriously. You also got me looking into the deep V vs. bass boat thing again. A lot of guys on another forum (BassBoatCentral) love their deep V boats but do not like bass fishing from them. The higher sides catch more wind when fishing windy points, pitching jigs is really ackward and you cannot really lip land a bass or belly land. Must use a net on everything due to high sides. If the new Ranger alum. rigs ride really well, I could be happy in one. I LOVE that they have an alum. deck which will never rot or warp. That's a nice feature and they are REALLY strong decks too. Oh and the seats can be lifted for a lot of storage beneath the seats. Several models have that but Ranger's storage is finished out nicely and not just alum. and such. As for 4 stroke or 2-stroke, your call. I will say, a 4-stroke is hard to beat for economy and quiet operation. Each has their own advantage over the other for particular things.

Exactly. There is no winning a comparison. No matter what anyone advises, it's your call and you need to get what works for you. Hands on experience cannot be beat!!

Oh and if you're going to troll EVER...........do not get the E-Tec. They don't like low rpms over a long time period. That's how the E-tec functions, its setup for higher RPM fuel economy. I think I have that right........Fishinwrench knows a lot about them and loves Evinrudes! One might say......."he's a RUDE guy". LOL!

The one I looked at was not the hunting version, it was the bass version. The RT188 with a 115 Yamaha 4-stroke. http://www.rangeraluminum.com/model.cfm?sid=7040 Look in the photo gallery and you can see how the front of the hull is a minor mod-v vs. the pronounced mod v like the Trackers utilize. I'm no marine architect but it seems to be pretty obvious to me that the Tracker will cut a wake better than the Ranger. I would LOVE to own a Ranger boat.........alum or glass. Awesome company and great product. As for the Lowe.......I looked at those. I wasn't that impressed. The lids leak like crazy because there is no drain rake on the boxes or seal to prevent water intrusion. Not only does that get your stuff wet, it will also harbor mildew in your stuff and it's not good for the mildew resistant marine carpet (notice I said "resistant"). If I were to get a deep V console, I would take a serious look at used Crestliner or Lunds. Even a nice used Tracker. Like it's been said many times before.......get what fits you're needs. Just be sure to look at the details on how things are put together, keeping water out of storage compartments, storage capacity, is the deck spongy? on a used boat (means it needs new deck flooring and could be worse). Also, you shouldn't need to weld on an alum. boat. Even so, paying someone to run a quick weld is cheaper than glass repair.

I would test drive the 115. I'm curious to see if it would be worth the extra over the 90. I doubt it. I wish it could have a 150!! Lol

I would be very interested to hear how the new Rangers ride. I try to keep an "open mind" but after seeing other manufacturer's hull designs, I just don't see how they could cut through wakes like some can. I used to want an Xpress boat years ago. BAD! In recent years, I've seen the quality go down on fit and finish. I looked at one this weekend and I don't think they could have given me that boat. They are supposedly the fastest tin boats but at what cost? Everything else? LOL I think you're spot on and for what you are needing, a good stable alum. boat fits the bill. Due to the retirement thing, a deep V is probably not best (harder to get in and out of) and for hunting.....well they are not a good match either. I do like Fin's rig. It completely shocked me the first trip as I had never been in one. Stable, doesn't rock like some folks told me, plenty of room, SUPER quiet motor, pretty good ride, and it does as he says.......fits him to like a glove. So much that I started looking at getting one myself vs. a $40k bass boat.

Leave my coffee alone!!! Lol

I agree. What do you need a boat to do and what species type are you targeting the most? Build from there....

I second the idea for decals. Just individual letters for a back window, boat console, etc. I'd get several. I'm with Old Plug on stinky shirts. Lol! I look like a Florida salt flats snook or bonefish angler in the summer with long sleeve wicking shirt, Columbia dry wick convertible shorts/pants with a big ole sun shade hat and face mask! Lol! Hey, I hardly break a sweat now. A hoodie!! I'd buy several of those straight away. Just some ideas.