triton tx18 vs ranger rt188 anybody out there?

So I made a mistake this weekend…

I just happen to be walking through the crappy cabala’s in woodbury and I stumble into the boat area and I notice they had a ranger rt188 an aluminum bass boat style. I have to admit I was looking for big fiberglass boat but man that thing was freaking wide deck and a good size. Price wasn’t actually bad mid 20’s for a new boat and the wife actually kind of liked it to.

So my question anybody have either one of the models (pro’s con’s)?

I am kind of leaning towards a Triton but either way they are the same boat.

The one thing that kinda scares me away from the Ranger(haven’t looked at the triton) is they look very similar and are the same hull thickness as a Tracker, yet almost $10k more. If the hull thickness were better I’d probably be all over one, but why not just buy a tracker, and not just a tracker with a big name.

Ranger and Tracker, have a .100 thickness.

I have heard many many horror stories about the tracker boats, so I would rather pay for the up charge on something that would last longer.

I think Munchy’s point is that they do have the same thickness, so why does the ranger cost another 10K over the tracker. I believe its because its says “ranger” on the side. Not worth 10K extra in my mind.

Yup! I’ve heard horror stories of thin hulls like that peeling open like an aluminum can. NOT JUST TRACKERS. What’s to say the Ranger won’t do the same? My older Lund has like a .150 thick hull because that thing takes a beating, and the previous owner even sideswiped a school bus. It has dents, but no cuts or holes.

Jeepers creepers, what I was meaning I have heard there were some issues with the 150hp in the beginning with the transom’s cracking I am sure that problem is resolved. I was meaning more with the fit and finish of the boat and something that is going to last 10 – 15 years and that would hold up to the abuse.

Didn’t mean to ruffle any feathers.

BTW alumacraft have the thickest hulls.

Who’s feathers are ruffled?! All I was pointing out was the thickness (or thinness) of the hull compared to Tracker. And mentioning experiences and similarities to Tracker. Go ahead and buy one if you like. I just believe, beside maybe a little more fit and finish in the Ranger, it is lacking in one of the most important areas.

But IMO you are mostly paying for the name in that extra $10k.

Congrats on getting close to buying a new boat!! I don’t know anything about these boats but apparently there is fear that you will end up on the bottom of the lake with either one of them.. With that said,, IT’S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!! What,, 1 out of 100,000 boats “peal” open? C’mon. Stay excited and get the boat you want to get..,,Regardless of name.

I read several posts on the BBC boards and in general people are pretty high on the RT188. A lot of comments like “best riding aluminum bass boat.” “More injected foam in the hull for a more solid ride than competitors.”

The other nugget I gleaned from those boards is that if you want a slightly better ride, for approx the same price – and you are open to fiberglass – another great option is the Triton 179 TRX. It is actually 18′-6″ and a 91 inch beam for $24k.

Worth the comparison anyway —

walleyebuster5 wrote:

Congrats on getting close to buying a new boat!! I don’t know anything about these boats but apparently there is fear that you will end up on the bottom of the lake with either one of them.. With that said,, IT’S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!! What,, 1 out of 100,000 boats “peal” open? C’mon. Stay excited and get the boat you want to get..,,Regardless of name.

I’m not worried they will end up on the bottom of a lake, there is so much Coast Gaurd required foam in them, unless they get swamped they can’t sink. However he is asking if they will hold up to 15 years of ABUSE. Hitting an object like a beam on your trailer or bouncing off a submerged rock with a thin hull will definitely mean more dents and potentially mean costly repairs down the road though.

But sorry for asserting my concerns with thin hulls. I didn’t realize he was just looking for warm fuzzies. Who cares if it’s one of the biggest purchases of his life, right? Just buy it already! Heck it’s a Ranger!

FryDog62 wrote:

I read several posts on the BBC boards and in general people are pretty high on the RT188. A lot of comments like “best riding aluminum <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>bass boat.” “More injected foam in the hull for a more solid ride than competitors.”

The other nugget I gleaned from those boards is that if you want a slightly better ride, for approx the same price – and you are open to fiberglass – another great option is the Triton 179 TRX. It is actually 18′-6″ and a 91 inch beam for $24k.

Worth the comparison anyway —

I have found some really nice triton’s that are fiberglass and cheaper. But yeah..

Not really worry about ripping a tin boat open, I don’t think you really could do that, can you? Just did a quick check tracker is 20K, Triton 23k and Ranger 24K. So the prices aren’t all to bad, until you start pimping them out then yeah can get expensive.

Charles wrote:

Not really worry about ripping a tin boat open, I don’t think you really could do that, can you?

Yes, don’t ask how I know….

-J.

I was also drooling over that boat at Cabelas. One other added cost to that particular boat is the mossy oat camo paint. Additional $756. I think you are getting a better trailer under that boat too. For the extra cash up front, you have a much higher potential resale IMO.

-J.

Jon Jordan wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Charles wrote:</div>
Not really worry about ripping a tin boat open, I don’t think you really could do that, can you?

Yes, don’t ask how I know….

-J.

Yup, just google image search “aluminum boat tear”, or “rip”, or “damage”, or “puncture”, or “crack”. Plenty of images to be seen.

Another reason I like the 18 foot fiberglass Triton… In general glass is harder to puncture and easier to fix…

Don’t ask me how I know

Good lord you guys!

Charles wrote:

Good lord you guys!

I guess the saying, “if you don’t want the honest truth then don’t ask” rings true. We’re not saying don’t buy anything, but just being aware of and being able to weigh the potential issues that could arise is key in any big purchase. It’s your money, you know your budget and and style better than us, so do as you please. I like both Ranger and Triton myself as well, they make decent boats. Do I think they made a good decision going with a .100 hull? For the current pocketbook probably, for the long haul, probably not.

Just for comparison the Lund aluminum bass boat has .160 double plated hull (2 .08 plates sandwiched together) in the areas that they believe are more susceptible to damage. And .100 everywhere else. But I believe those come with a higher price tag as well, though not positive.

But I’ll bow out of this thread now since some are taking my posts a little too personal, which wasn’t my intention.

Good luck with whatever your decision is, a new boat would be fun.

Dude those lunds are freaking nice, I wish I had the coin for them.

I heard from one of the pro-staffers last weekend that Lund is going to be announcing a new “Comanche” or “Commando” boat soon. It will be a mod V bass boat I assume similar to the Ranger, Tracker, Alumacraft.. Another option to consider anyway.