Ranger Aluminum?

[J-Doc]

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.

[Feathers and Fins]

I dont take offense, Im looking at it as if i was going to buy one. First concern is though ranger is a well know well respected maker will their venture in to the alum market be a good one? I have seen other makers try getting into new markets and not succeed and the product wasnt that great in the end. Aluminum I think of Tracker, Lowe, Lund and War Eagle they know how to built them from years of doing it.

When it comes to building your own boat if you do it through the factory it will always be more thats just a fact of anything factory. If a guy is handy and somewhat mechanically inclined he can do it cheaper and same quality or better. Doc using you as an example the modifications you just did through a factory would probably have been a couple grand easy and you did it for how much? lol

I am more interested in the "bones" of the boat than the cosmetics, I can put the pretty make-up on myself but i cant build the bones ( ok i could ) but im not going to lol.

[Rolan Duffield]

I have a 17' Ranger Cherokee #207 which I bought new in 1997. I can tell you a little about this boat though don't know how it compares to their current listings. I believe this was the last Aluminum boat made by Ranger until now. I visited the factory back before I bought it and was impressed by the care and workmanship put into making the boat.

It's a great boat for Taney. All seams are welded, no rivets and most of the lower interior is foam filled.The original boat came with a 115 Evinrude that threw a wrist pin in 2006. I replaced that engine with a 115 Yamaha. This Yahama 2 cycle is heavier than the original Evinrude and the back end sets a little lower in the water. It will put the boat on plane in less than 5 seconds.

This is not a deep hull boat and I don't normally use it on big lakes.

I don't have any complaints about this boat which I primarily use on Taney. It's still a very good boat and I do take good care of it.

[J-Doc]

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.

[Mitch f]

I've been in many boat factories in the last 20 years. Almost every one still builds boat the old fashioned way, which is basically hammer to fit. They have been notoriously reluctant to upgrade the manufacturing processes until recently. I think in 10 years the boats will be vastly superior than the boats produced today.

[J-Doc]

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.

[J-Doc]

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.

[J-Doc]

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!!

[J-Doc]

Impressive manufacturing. This also shows the extruded aluminum keel I was referencing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYbWXP7pHNs

[Mitch f]

J-Doc, all this makes for a good show but if they can hold 1/4" they are still lucky, I have been in and still go into the factories as late as last week......What do you hear in the background of the video?..........,,Hammer to fit.