This is a great video. I have a Ranger 2018 RT 198p aluminum boat. I have recently noticed also the bilge filling with water. When I pull up the ramp after a few hours of fishing, I remove the drain plug to find a lot of water draining out. I bet I have a crack in the hull also.
Its one of 3 things.... drain plug, livewell fittings, or a crack. After you pull it home look under the front of the hull and see if you can find a drop of water. Thats how I found both of mine
@@GunnFishTV hello, thanks for the reply. That is my plan when I go fishing tomorrow. I usually pull the boat out of the water at the ramp and pull the drain plug while I am securing the motor and straps. I use the angle of the ramp to help the water run towards the back. But, I will wait til I get home on a level surface. If I find a crack, I will report it back to this tread. Thanks.
I had the same issue. Same crack in the same place twice also. I spoke to Triton about it and they told me to kick rocks. Got the boat patched and sold it and went with a REAL boat manufacturer that has a TRANSFERABLE life time hull warranty. A company who cares for their customer and backs their product!! Triton can kick rocks now, #FEELTHERUSH
@@adamw6271 Don’t do it, do not recommend. I had the Triton 18TX which was discontinued in 2021 but was made in the same factory and practically same boat as the Ranger RT 188. White River Marine Group acquired Ranger and is now a bass pro brand. In order to have any warranty work done you will have to bring the boat to a Bass Pro or Cabelas. I hear the technicians are very Inexperienced and do pretty shady work and is not uncommon for them to take upwards of a month to get to you. Save your money and disappointment!!
My 2021 Vexus is at the factory getting a new hull because it cracked twice and I have a life time warranty on the hull. Matt is the man and I am sure it will last for ever.
Dang that sucks!! My hull has a lifetime warranty as well, but this crack was minimal so Iet Matt work his magic!! I was thinking they had fixed the Vexus issues?
Not sure if I'm just lucky or if this is something that happens with later year Rangers. It could also be the buy out issue. Not sure when exactly that happened. I've heard from a lot of people that once Johnny Morris bought Ranger. The quality went straight to the crapper. Mines a 2015 and never had an issue with it. My only complaint has always been that it gets blown around in the wind. Hoping the spot lock trolling motor I upgraded to will help with that this year. As crazy as it sounds, I've actually purposely poured water into the boat to help it sit lower in the water to combat wind. Which believe it or not helps.
Can you tell me if you may have run hard aground or underway up on something like a rock because it looks like the keel of your boat has some damage around the crack and towords the stern, I have a 2017 rt188 are fish a very stump ridden lake in Northwest Florida often running up on large underwater obstacles I also fish intercoastal waters and haven't have had any issues or cracks so far knock on wood,I really like this model for my style of fishing and would buy again.
I fish rivers, so I bump logs sometimes but we dont have any rock really. The bottom scratches very easily on these boats for some reason. I had a 2005 Bass Tracker that I used for 15 years and put through absolute hell. The bottom on that didnt look like the underside of my Ranger and this is 3 years old. I used to literally just drive that right up on concrete ramps and it never leaked a drop
I have a crack in my aluminum hull, and I was told by a couple of local welders in my area that if the boat is insulated, it could catch the insulation on fire? Isn't all Ranger boats insulated as well?
They are but I guess it depends on the welder. He welds boat hulls all the time and never had an issue. Once that stuff gets wet it stays waterlogged anyway, so its doubtful it would catch on fire anyway. Its also supposed to be flame retardent I believe
It sucks to have that happen but looks like you got it fixed up good. I had a 2010 Tracker 175 that I bought used and ran for years without a single issue. I wanted something bigger with more room and I looked at a few used Ranger 198P boats with 150s on them but after seeing videos and reading several places about the hulls cracking at the bottom I decided to go with a fiberglass instead. Picked up a 2012 model Triton with a 2017 225hp motor on it in great shape for less than what I could get a used 198P for. As far as aluminum boats go I think the Tracker 195 with a 150 on it may be a better option than the Ranger, the componets, console, fit and finish isn't as good as the Rangers but I havent heard of the bottoms of the Tracker hulls cracking like the Rangers do. Some crack at the transom supports but every brand of alumunim boat has that issue on some of them. The transom is much easier to fix and renforce than the bottom of the hull.
Yep i had my Tracker 175 for 15 years and put that thing through hell. Never had a leak at all. I think the keels on the Rangers arent as sharp as they need to be, so overall, I think they take alot more punishment than the Trackers resulting in cracks
@@GunnFishTV You might be right, the Trackers have a much deeper V in the front. The Rangers up front are shaped more like the old 80s and 90s Trackers, I still have one of those too.
@Lray4x4 yep and they freakin kill your back in decent sized wakes. Definitely a down fall of the Rangers. Overall its a good boat but the hulls Definitely have a few issues
In my experience, the worst part of getting an aluminum boat welded is the removal of the foam on the back side of the surface to be welded to avoid a fire or weld contamination. Was that something that was necessary here or is there no foam behind that part of the hull?
There was no foam we could see in this spot. Its foam down both sides but this was right under my rod storage area. They usually dont apray foam right in the middle of the keel because it prevents drainage to the back of the boat
@@GunnFishTV Makes sense. My aluminum rig had to be welded on the seam from the bottom hull to the sidewall in front of my console. I had to dig out foam from that area.
@@GunnFishTV I got it repaired. It had 1 crack at the bow and a smaller one at the transom that I didn’t see at first. I got it fixed and then sold the boat. I didn’t want to deal with that anymore. It was a 07 Triton VT19. I’ve got a 02 Tracker TV18 now and that thing is rock solid.
Yeah the one I have now is the second of the same model I’ve had. After I sold the first one, I bought that Triton, sold that and bought a G3. Hated that and drove all the way from VA to New Hampshire and got another TV18. Love this boat
This was a brand new hull when I bought it, so it carried a lifetime warranty.....i think they are 5 years though but mine was kind of a unique circumstance
Glad I bought a glass boat. My rt developed a crack too. I got it fixed , sold the boat and bought a used glass boat. Don’t get me wrong they can have issues too but I’m just not a fan of these welded aluminum hulls. Maybe I should have bought a Lund renegade.
The problem is welding aluminum. Look up the NUSC white paper on welding aluminum and the need to reduce the allowable stresses. Basically 5xxx and 6xxx need to be reduced from 32,000 psi to 8000 psi and for 7XXX series from 50,000 psi to 12000 psi. Each series is affected in a different way but all are affected.
This is the 2nd hull already and its now on its 4th crack. Since Ranger has been bought out by White Marine their warranty has went to crap.....also I make a living out of this boat so I cant go 6 months without it
Im very fortunate to have Matt right here near me. Customer service everywhere now is terrible...i plan to have this boat quite a while but my next boat will probably be glass
@Fishin_Carolina correct. The hull has a lifetime warranty. This is actually the 2nd hull for this boat already. Fishing the way I do, I cant let my boat be gone for an extended period of time. That means Im not making $$, so luckily I have a good welder. Recently I have heard some major horror stories regarding the warranty though. I've also had to buy a new trailer for this boat as well because the original trailer failed. The cross members collapsed and the trailer folded in to the point that the trailer frame nearly rubbed a hole in my boat. I like the boat overall but it definitely has had its fair share of issues!
Since white water marine bought ranger there junk it’s not just aluminum there glass boats suck my buddy has had nothing but issues out of his z518 I had a Forrest Wood ranger no problem big company equals poor craftsmanship
I guess that one at a time building process only applies to their fiberglass line of boats, cause I keep hearing this same issue about the Ranger brand tin boats, I know 3 friends who have all sold their boats within a year after buying them for the same reason.my Triton is a 2006 (168) model tin can and it still looks brand new with 60 Hp Merc, 17 year old boat worth more than a Ranger !
Matt is the man behind that welding stick! Watch him all the time. Good to know he’s fixed you twice!
Great video Kevin!
You’re the man Matt!
Thanks brotha
This is a great video. I have a Ranger 2018 RT 198p aluminum boat. I have recently noticed also the bilge filling with water. When I pull up the ramp after a few hours of fishing, I remove the drain plug to find a lot of water draining out. I bet I have a crack in the hull also.
Its one of 3 things.... drain plug, livewell fittings, or a crack. After you pull it home look under the front of the hull and see if you can find a drop of water. Thats how I found both of mine
@@GunnFishTV hello, thanks for the reply. That is my plan when I go fishing tomorrow. I usually pull the boat out of the water at the ramp and pull the drain plug while I am securing the motor and straps. I use the angle of the ramp to help the water run towards the back. But, I will wait til I get home on a level surface. If I find a crack, I will report it back to this tread. Thanks.
I had the same issue. Same crack in the same place twice also. I spoke to Triton about it and they told me to kick rocks. Got the boat patched and sold it and went with a REAL boat manufacturer that has a TRANSFERABLE life time hull warranty. A company who cares for their customer and backs their product!! Triton can kick rocks now, #FEELTHERUSH
Was looking at getting a boat like this, but now I'm having second thoughts. Which boat did you go with?
@@adamw6271 Don’t do it, do not recommend. I had the Triton 18TX which was discontinued in 2021 but was made in the same factory and practically same boat as the Ranger RT 188. White River Marine Group acquired Ranger and is now a bass pro brand. In order to have any warranty work done you will have to bring the boat to a Bass Pro or Cabelas. I hear the technicians are very Inexperienced and do pretty shady work and is not uncommon for them to take upwards of a month to get to you. Save your money and disappointment!!
Great video. Gland you got it fixed
Matt's the man!
No doubt!
Great stuff as usual....
My 2021 Vexus is at the factory getting a new hull because it cracked twice and I have a life time warranty on the hull. Matt is the man and I am sure it will last for ever.
Dang that sucks!! My hull has a lifetime warranty as well, but this crack was minimal so Iet Matt work his magic!! I was thinking they had fixed the Vexus issues?
@@GunnFishTV Vexus changed up the hulls in 2022. .125 Aluminum and changed the stringer system.
@bobbarnhill8557 gotcha. Yea the Vexus are super nice boats
I have a vexus 1880 2021 where have you seen the cracks you have. Has vexus been good to work with
Not sure if I'm just lucky or if this is something that happens with later year Rangers. It could also be the buy out issue. Not sure when exactly that happened. I've heard from a lot of people that once Johnny Morris bought Ranger. The quality went straight to the crapper. Mines a 2015 and never had an issue with it. My only complaint has always been that it gets blown around in the wind. Hoping the spot lock trolling motor I upgraded to will help with that this year. As crazy as it sounds, I've actually purposely poured water into the boat to help it sit lower in the water to combat wind. Which believe it or not helps.
I think it just depends on what day of the week it was built lol. The quality of everything now mass produced is so low
Can you tell me if you may have run hard aground or underway
up on something like a rock because it looks like the keel of your boat has some
damage around the crack and towords the stern, I have a 2017 rt188 are fish a very stump ridden lake in Northwest Florida often running up on large underwater obstacles I also fish intercoastal waters and haven't have had any issues or cracks so far knock on wood,I really like this model for my style of fishing and would buy again.
I fish rivers, so I bump logs sometimes but we dont have any rock really. The bottom scratches very easily on these boats for some reason. I had a 2005 Bass Tracker that I used for 15 years and put through absolute hell. The bottom on that didnt look like the underside of my Ranger and this is 3 years old. I used to literally just drive that right up on concrete ramps and it never leaked a drop
I need this dude to build a storage organization deal in my Xpress H17.
He most definitely can. Reach out to him
Hmu brotha
@@TRICKEDTINS will do.
I have a crack in my aluminum hull, and I was told by a couple of local welders in my area that if the boat is insulated, it could catch the insulation on fire? Isn't all Ranger boats insulated as well?
They are but I guess it depends on the welder. He welds boat hulls all the time and never had an issue. Once that stuff gets wet it stays waterlogged anyway, so its doubtful it would catch on fire anyway. Its also supposed to be flame retardent I believe
Where did you get the touch up paint you mentioned? Had the same issue and want to paint it.
Let me check so I can give you the exact name of it. I know its Krylon and it matches darn near perfect
It sucks to have that happen but looks like you got it fixed up good. I had a 2010 Tracker 175 that I bought used and ran for years without a single issue. I wanted something bigger with more room and I looked at a few used Ranger 198P boats with 150s on them but after seeing videos and reading several places about the hulls cracking at the bottom I decided to go with a fiberglass instead. Picked up a 2012 model Triton with a 2017 225hp motor on it in great shape for less than what I could get a used 198P for. As far as aluminum boats go I think the Tracker 195 with a 150 on it may be a better option than the Ranger, the componets, console, fit and finish isn't as good as the Rangers but I havent heard of the bottoms of the Tracker hulls cracking like the Rangers do. Some crack at the transom supports but every brand of alumunim boat has that issue on some of them. The transom is much easier to fix and renforce than the bottom of the hull.
Yep i had my Tracker 175 for 15 years and put that thing through hell. Never had a leak at all. I think the keels on the Rangers arent as sharp as they need to be, so overall, I think they take alot more punishment than the Trackers resulting in cracks
@@GunnFishTV You might be right, the Trackers have a much deeper V in the front. The Rangers up front are shaped more like the old 80s and 90s Trackers, I still have one of those too.
@Lray4x4 yep and they freakin kill your back in decent sized wakes. Definitely a down fall of the Rangers. Overall its a good boat but the hulls Definitely have a few issues
In my experience, the worst part of getting an aluminum boat welded is the removal of the foam on the back side of the surface to be welded to avoid a fire or weld contamination. Was that something that was necessary here or is there no foam behind that part of the hull?
There was no foam we could see in this spot. Its foam down both sides but this was right under my rod storage area. They usually dont apray foam right in the middle of the keel because it prevents drainage to the back of the boat
@@GunnFishTV Makes sense. My aluminum rig had to be welded on the seam from the bottom hull to the sidewall in front of my console. I had to dig out foam from that area.
Well known issue with these Rangers and Triton aluminum rigs. I had one that split at the seams and had a 1 1/2 foot crack.
Yep...very unfortunate. This is actually the 2nd hull for this boat. Did you get yours repaired or a new hull?
@@GunnFishTV I got it repaired. It had 1 crack at the bow and a smaller one at the transom that I didn’t see at first. I got it fixed and then sold the boat. I didn’t want to deal with that anymore. It was a 07 Triton VT19. I’ve got a 02 Tracker TV18 now and that thing is rock solid.
@VEEZY_FISHING the old Trackers were solid. I had an 05 and I never had an issue with it for 15 years
Yeah the one I have now is the second of the same model I’ve had. After I sold the first one, I bought that Triton, sold that and bought a G3. Hated that and drove all the way from VA to New Hampshire and got another TV18. Love this boat
@VEEZY_FISHING my buddy has 1 and its a solid boat
Great video Kevin. Is this guy in Virginia??
Yes...he is in Norfolk
Interesting. What year ranger?
2020
Hate to hear about the crack. I’m gonna hit Matt up to do some custom storage in my Xpress H18 when I get home from deployment.
He can do it!! Absolutely amazing welder and fabricator!
Had the same thing happen to my ranger twice to but mine was about. 3 ft long
Yikes!!
I’m in the market to buy one, what is the best aluminum brand to buy?
This is a hard question honestly but I would say Lund, Xpress or Vexus
@@GunnFishTV thank you
That is my hold up about aluminum boats. Trying to find a brand that the hull is not known for cracking
Truthfully they all have issues
Yours does have a lifetime warranty ? I bought a 2019 and they told me its only 5 year warranty
This was a brand new hull when I bought it, so it carried a lifetime warranty.....i think they are 5 years though but mine was kind of a unique circumstance
I think now I remember it was only 5 years because I was 2nd buyer.
@@danielcarroll6010 thats correct
Sadly your likely to get more cracks in the future. Having a local who can quickly fix them is a huge benefit.
No doubt!
I got a 2006 190tx with a 115 optimax i thinking about going with a ranger 198p but im scared because i heard the hull are cracking so idk
I just wish they was a little thicker
They need to definitely use thicker aluminum
Glad I bought a glass boat. My rt developed a crack too. I got it fixed , sold the boat and bought a used glass boat. Don’t get me wrong they can have issues too but I’m just not a fan of these welded aluminum hulls. Maybe I should have bought a Lund renegade.
All of the factory aluminum hulls are too thin gauged
Was thinking of a 188 p but don’t think so anymore
Mines a 2020. They may have corrected the aluminum issue but Im not sure
I haven't had this problem with my xpress.
Do you live in Texas
Virginia
The problem is welding aluminum. Look up the NUSC white paper on welding aluminum and the need to reduce the allowable stresses. Basically 5xxx and 6xxx need to be reduced from 32,000 psi to 8000 psi and for 7XXX series from 50,000 psi to 12000 psi. Each series is affected in a different way but all are affected.
Tricked Tins is the guy who built Rob Terklas boat.
Yep! He sure did
Why not have Ranger fix it? 2024 Ranger RT198P says lifetime hull warranty I believe.
This is the 2nd hull already and its now on its 4th crack. Since Ranger has been bought out by White Marine their warranty has went to crap.....also I make a living out of this boat so I cant go 6 months without it
So far no issues on my 188p ranger
Hoping it stays that way!! They arent bad boats at all, they just have some hull issues here and there
They're just not a big water boat
I know a guy here with same issue. Ranger and dealer would do nothing for him. Pretty sad customer service
Im very fortunate to have Matt right here near me. Customer service everywhere now is terrible...i plan to have this boat quite a while but my next boat will probably be glass
Ranger warrantees the hull of their RTs if a weld fails. Not sure why they wouldn’t make it right 😮
@Fishin_Carolina correct. The hull has a lifetime warranty. This is actually the 2nd hull for this boat already. Fishing the way I do, I cant let my boat be gone for an extended period of time. That means Im not making $$, so luckily I have a good welder. Recently I have heard some major horror stories regarding the warranty though. I've also had to buy a new trailer for this boat as well because the original trailer failed. The cross members collapsed and the trailer folded in to the point that the trailer frame nearly rubbed a hole in my boat. I like the boat overall but it definitely has had its fair share of issues!
@@GunnFishTV well that sucks bad. Fingers crossed my 198 stays together
@@Fishin_Carolina you will probably be fine. I use mine pretty hard
Dang, first the trailer now second weld, thats three strikes.
Maybe do like Ben Milliken and get on with Bass Cat😊
I was wondering who he was with now. I saw he had posted a video a few days ago
Oh no, that's terrible! Hope it doesn't happen again!
Ive heard DONT but a ranger alum boat heard that for years I guess I know what now lol
They definitely have some hull issues
So Ranger don’t stand by their product the hull is a manufacture issue unless you hit something
I fish rivers and my boat gets abused more than most peoples. So things like this will happen occasionally
And if you went to this guy already and it’s doing it again I would find someone else and besides you can’t even find the place
This crack was at another location on the hull, not the same area. Where he welds will not crack again. He is one of the best out there
Different spot brotha. My weld is solid
Since white water marine bought ranger there junk it’s not just aluminum there glass boats suck my buddy has had nothing but issues out of his z518 I had a Forrest Wood ranger no problem big company equals poor craftsmanship
I agree
It is a big deal if they can’t stand by their product (Ranger) then they shouldn’t be in business
I personally haven't dealt with them (I just opted to get mine done locally) but Ive heard some horror stories since the buy out
Such BS! You don't know where your buddy's shop is? Give me a break. Good information if you can put up with the BS.
Im confused about what you're saying. What is BS? My hull cracking?
I guess that one at a time building process only applies to their fiberglass line of boats, cause I keep hearing this same issue about the Ranger brand tin boats, I know 3 friends who have all sold their boats within a year after buying them for the same reason.my Triton is a 2006 (168) model tin can and it still looks brand new with 60 Hp Merc, 17 year old boat worth more than a Ranger !
Those aluminum Tritons are beast mode!! Great boats!! My buddy has a 178 with a 115hp