Ranger Aluminum Boats RT 198 P One Year Boat Review
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- Опубликовано: 7 сен 2024
- This is my one-year boat review on my Ranger RT 198 P. I go over the good the bad and the ugly of this boat in a real review. I am not paid by Ranger, my dealer or anyone for my views on this boat.
#RangerAluminum # BoatReview #RangerBoats
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Angler's Choice plastics: www.anglerschoice.ca
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Rose Marine: www.rosemarineservice.com
Nice video and boat. Just a couple of questions , how do you think this compares to the vexus? , any wishes that I had a 200 capable speed ok in tournaments? would , if you had to do it again , go without the carpet? Thanks
I haven’t ran or seen the Vexus in person so can’t comment there. No do not wish it had a 200 on it. When it was new and empty I got it up to 62mph with load in it and proped the way I have it for the Great Lakes I am seeing 56 to 58 mph and is plenty of speed for me. I fish a lot of smaller bodies of water so no real chance to go all out often at those tournaments and on the Great Lakes you don’t get to hammer down to often and go wide open. This boat does really well on gas at 38 to 45 mph that seems to be its sweet spot for being gas friendly. Lol No I want the carpet. I like to fish barefoot in the summer and vinyl gets way too hot too quick. If I could do a sea deck option on the boat I would in a heartbeat tho.
mike dove Hey Mike. If this helps you out great. If not, i tried. I owned for 12 years a Ranger 520dvx FLW tourney boat, and just recently sold. Moved and nowhere to keep out of sun. Also to busy to use. With that its easy to say im a diehard Ranger fanboy. All others are junk(haha).
Ok. Heres my thoughts. I am buying aluminum. (Tired of glass upkeep) I have done a ton of research on Ranger, Tracker, Lund, G3, and Vexus. Although i have not been hands on with Vexus yet, i’ll be blown away if thats NOT what i buy. The design elements are far superior to anything i have seen. 5 supports for transom which allows jackplates. Tilt wheel. Sliding seat. Hotfoot option. Compression dry lids. In dash room for up to 12” display. Remote drain plug. Truer glass look IMO. Many more options as well, all for same or even less price than Ranger depending on your wants and needs.
Again just my opinion but i think Vexus is gonna start to take over alumnum bass rigs over the next few years. For their first models its beyond impressive to me what they have done.
My order as of today with research:
Vexus
Ranger/tracker
Lund
G3 way way way back there. Looked at 2 and was disgusted at what you get for price. Horrible.
Good luck and great fishing.
Joe I really want to see a Vexus in person and drive it. On paper no doubt it looks like a stand out boat.who know maybe future will hold a new vexus in my driveway. 😃
JC Dropshot me as well my friend. For an aluminum boat they are stunning, at least in vids. Haha. Going to show this month in the cities where i can drool on them. Cities being MN. So many options for alum is amazing. 😮😮
I am hoping one shows up at Cobo boat show in Detroit.
Great video! Like how you didn’t drag it out too long. I will film on that boat one day!
Great video! I pause at the lag bolt: I am amazed at some of the things manufacturers do that are so sloppy. I've been around boats over 65 years now, never owned anything but runabouts and small aluminum boats, but lately been in some high dollar ($73,000-$85,000) bass boats. So I kind of see these things through new eyes. Wow, opened a lid on one to put gear inside, holes in the side bottom of compartment, all kinds of wiring problems, things breaking. It also seems to me that EVERY storage bin should be absolutely waterproof. Water getting on foam isn't good. A 2018 Skeeter. And right now because of the sloppy wiring through trailer tongue where it folds, we are dealing with cut wire caused by folding tongue! Really? Conduit would have stopped that. I'm not impressed.
Love these boats. Saw one at my local dealer gently used for $19,000. I wan't it so bad, but since I'm in college I can't afford it. It would be a big set up from my 1999 bass tracker 175 with a 40hp mercury. It surprised me a lot how wide these boats are which is what I like the best in addition to all the storage options.
Cool, I have a 1999 Pro Team 175.
I almost got that boat but I decided to go back to fiberglass instead, I'm happy with my Z19 but I do wish I still had a tin boat for some of these shallow water lakes here in Indiana.
Great review 👍👍
Weight was one of the deciding factors for me. There are many gravel ramps here in Michigan and I needed something light for those
You absolutely cannot beat those shallow Indiana lakes for bass and walleye! Grew up fishing there and Florida
I own the same boat and the best upgrade I’ve done is add an 80 pound Ultrex. You wouldn’t believe how it takes the fishability to a whole new level. Our boats do blow around in the wind a fair amount more than a fiberglass rig, but that Ultrex remedies that in a hurry. Great review!
That is on my list of upgrades
definately love my 198P, super easy to do your own maintenance and winterizing as well****
Bill reid What is your top speed on your ranger 198
Thanks for an honest opinion on your Ranger. I bought a 'like new' '17 RT178 this Summer. It's been great so far. One thing you didn't mention that the trailer is quality, but the hubcap clips are flimsy and break easily. I added a dab of clear silicone to secure them better. The silicone is easily removable when I service the hubs.
glad you like the vide. Never had that issue. I will have another update on the boat in the near future. I have owned it for three years now.
I can’t believe that ranger built that thing like a tracker with the seats , gunnel high.
Coulda been a great boat. Nothing close to a xpress x19
Thanks for doing a "year later review". I like your frank opinion on features. Considering the deep v models myself but still love you pointing out the features on this model. I have been researching construction methods on aluminum boats and also wonder about the foam in hull longevity issue with holding water. I don't think yours has any wood in it to worry about.
Yeah zero wood anywhere in the boat. I recently need to anchor this boat in the heavy current and wasn’t happy with it. But at the same this was at a base of rapids so may not have been the best place to try anchoring in heavy current for the 1st time lol
The video turned out great! Great job on the drone footage and the edit!
Thanks man
Damn that is one hell of a boat. I particularly love how it has so much storage. I feel like some boats lack that but this definitely does not! I would love to see your follow up video where you answer all these amazing important questions. So I'll keep in touch! Awesome review!👍
Be sure to sub and hit the bell so you get notified every time I post a video
I have the 2018 red rt198p. I absolutely agree about the paint that’s got to be my biggest complaint. It scratches and chips so easily. My buddy has the new tracker and the paint job is night and day compared to are rangers. But that’s all they got on us lol. Good video thanks for sharing I should have some video up soon on mine of all the upgrades I’ve done and how.
I have a new Lund aluminum. Paint on aluminum boat s just doesn't hang on for whatever reason. I have a couple small chips from gravel I guess. Just part of it. Can't keep em new forever
Buoy s can of paint.
Nice review, like the plus and minus views. Keep it honest.
Maybe could put some spray on bed liner on the gunners. I would.
Not a bad idea but I don’t think I would want a rough surface there
Johnny Morris owns ranger company so expect to see ranger name to be a little smaller every year and eventually say tracker on the side, because that's what it is. Johnny Morris makes it no secret that his plan is to buy out every major boat manufacturer luer manufacturer and anything to do with the fishing industry until he owns all of it why do you think he bought out legend boats just to keep his son from having the company and blocked him at the bank somehow or another legend was an awesome boat now that factory and those workers are nowhere to be found
Great review... Musack not so good
Great review video I’m currently looking in to a new rig. Wondered if your running a jack plate or not? If not what would you suggest for a jack plate on that boat I would be looking to add talons not power poles so I could use the tilt brackets to be able to store the boat in my garage. Btw your tackle storage tip with the clips was great my partner installed them on his Z18 👍🏻
I am not running a jack plate but I have been at some lakes where it would have been nice to have one.
Glad to hear the storage clip idea was helpful!
JC did the ranger/dealer help you resolve the paint issue? Im look at these and have heard the paint is a problem but have also come to the conclusion that i’m not buying the boat for paint, i’m buying it to get out there and rip some lips! Great video brother!
Thanks!
To be honest I dropped the ball on this and never went after it over the winter. I still have one more year on the warranty. May look at that this winter.
I was given touch up paint and that's it.
like the boat review Justin and I was just at rose today with my dad again getting more oil for our etec’s lol and do you know some pretty decent spot for walleye and pike after the flies has started up and the weeds are getting tall and I also remember that day I met and talked to you at rose when your battery blew up and we had kicker problems lol and that is running great now
The channels edges on the ski and Baltimore Highway are good for pike in the summer. Glad they got your kicker working good for you
JC Dropshot ok thank you we were fishing the north channel for walleye the other morning and got one rock bass all morning and we were looking around and no one was getting fishing and people were asking us if we even got any bites and stuff and the we trolled spoons for pike up the channel edge out by deckers and I pulled a spoon right over top of a bedded musky about 4-4.5 feet long and it just kinda looked at it and didn’t even move and I also pulled it right inform of a couple pike on the same spot that I could see from the front of the boat and they just weren’t interested they we just like out of it yesterday so next time we’re out we’re going to go try the south channel but it’s kind of a hike lol
I have the same boat/color but with a 150HP 4 stroke. Mine is a 2019 model. I hate the windshield on mine, and like yours a lot. My shields end at the top of the console, allowing wind to blow right into your face. Wondering if the console is the same and I could replace it with shields like yours? (I get the same performance, even with the addition of a 6" jack plate)
I realize that this video is not current but my question is in the video when you are running on plane? Wre you wide open fully trimmed? Because it seemed like the boat needed much more lift? Is there a Jack plate on the boat? Is it maxed out as far as horsepower? And last but not least have you tried different props? After reading some of your other responses to questions the optimum speed isn't the most important thing to you which I totally understand. I was just wondering because it seems like the boat isn't fully up on pad in the video.
I wasn’t running wide open in the drone shots because I would have been going faster then the drone. And no I don’t have a jack plate on it just yet. Could I get more top end out of it with one Yup. That was thought about 38 mph in the video
Awesome Video. Thanks. Thinking really hard about this boat. I'm out here in the California delta and I'm wondering how does the 198P handle chop and rough waters? I know st. clair can get pretty tough probably similar to the CA Delta. It also gets windy here. I'd really appreciate your input on this.
So somehow I missed this comment truly sorry about that. It has handled the chop for me.
Great review. I’ve been wondering about something. I know that Ranger and Triton aluminum boats are almost the spitting image of one another. They were both made in the same factory at one time. The thing that puzzles me is that the RT198P Ranger recommended max hp is 150 but the Triton 19 TXP recommended max hp is 175. How are the Transoms different?
I haven't seen the TXP in person so I wouldn't know
Both owned under the White River Marine Group which is owned by Bass Pro Shops which in turn is owned by none other than Jonny Morris, Just as the Nitro ZV models look like a Ranger 600 series FS clone. Don't be surprised when the Triton, Ranger Aluminum boats start looking like the Trackers.
@@jwar2163 It would really surprise me if they started making Ranger and Tritons look like Trackers. That would totally destroy the name of Ranger and Triton aluminum boats. In my personal opinion, I think Triton and Rangers will remain with their looks and build. It would just be bad business of Johnny Morris to make the Rangers and Tritons look like Trackers and Johnny Morris didn’t become a billionaire by doing bad business. Now it wouldn’t surprise me if they stopped building Triton aluminum boats. Trackers are very good selling boats. They might not be the best, but they’re good enough and Bass Pro sells tons of them because of their price. Ranger aluminum boats are good selling boats also but Triton is at the very bottom of the list of aluminum boats made by Bass Pro. I don’t think it is profiting Bass Pro to continue building Triton aluminum boats.
Also, why would you say that Nitro ZV models are Ranger 600FS model clones? The boats look nothing alike. The back of the Rangers turn downward where as the Tritons don’t. The Rangers are much better looking boats than the Tritons. They have far better shape to them. Plus, the smallest Ranger 600FS model is longer than the longest Nitro ZV model.
Is it me or does it look really skinny and small for a almost 20ft boat? Please someone tell me why that is
The new version of this boat is wider up front compared to the version I had.
@@JCDropshot ah I see makes sense
Hey can you mount talons on this boat...new to the whole boat thing. Trying to learn, I love this boat..looked at alot of others....this one keeps pulling ahead. Would love if you did more vids on your boat
The year I have you can only mount 1. My understanding is that the newer year models you are able to mount two. But it would be best to check with Ranger to confirm.
@@JCDropshot thanks for your time....tight lines
No problem man that’s why do those to help people
The newer models I believe 2020 and newer have a stronger transom and more floor bracing to help from cracking the hull in rough water, the new models allow talons
How would 188p do speed wise if you are hitting 60+
I don't think you can get a 188 to that speed and still have the correct size motor on it.
Great footage! New sub for sure
Great video. How fast does it run?
loaded down I get 55 to 58 out of it the way mine is setup.
It’s closed-cell foam and won’t retain moisture because it’s waterproof like styrofoam, unless you are saying water will puddle somewhere on the foam.
I don’t know wish I had a dry weight before it hit the water so I can compare
Hey brother I just subscribed to your channel.I have same boat and love it.I do have a terrible time with it sweating in rod boxes.I do get water in hull bilge area not sure it's from condensation or what.Working on figuring it out.Do you have any water in your hull after day of fishing?
I do not have an issue like you are having. If I have taken water over the front of the boat I will prop my hatches open when it's under the cover to let air flow around in them and dry things out. Sound like that is all you may need to do.
Can you put a 200 or 250 on the back?
No 150 is the max .
Have you seen the new Vexus line up? Are you interested in checking out the AVX1980 since it would compete with the RT198P. I like the shape of them, more traditional.
Yes very aware of them I have talked to the rep a few times trying to setup a test drive
Yes very aware of them I have talked to the rep a few times trying to setup a test drive
@@JCDropshot very cool. I live in Cali so it will take a while to make it to me, but I signed up online. Crazy part was Keith Daffron called me the next day. I just noticed that the vexus addresses your complaints pretty well, rear storage, paint, etc.
Are you going to make a video of first impressions and test drive? I would be interested in seeing that.
That is the goal we will see if that happen
Live next to the Vexus and Ranger plant, all the problems you have with the 198p have been addressed on the Vexus for sure. Come down and take a plant tour you’ll be amazed
Go get a Gator Trax custom built the way you want it
Great video! Is the front deck stable and large enough for you and another grown man to comfortably fish off it together?
Don’t have someone else in the boat with me often but when I do I have no issues
I really like the clip system. Will be installing those for sure
If I would do it over again I would space them out more and have a few less
JC Dropshot I like to pretend I’m an engineer so I draw things out on paper first. So would you cut the clip amount in half roughly? Keeping in mind the boat is geared towards sportsman use, not super tournament minded.
Maybe a 1.5 inch further spacing
Enjoyed video. Am seriously considering the 198p, when I sell my Bay Boat. My brother runs the big fiberglass Rangers for years, and loves them. I have fished with him many times on Lake Okeechobee in Fl., and the boat handles great and rides good. You mention big water, how does this boat ride in “rough “ water, say 1-2 ft. Chop. In a light ripple or chop, does the boat actually get up on the “pad” of the hull. I know it will not ride as well as my Key West Bay Reef, 20ft, buy we do get wind on the Harris Chain and 1-2ft waves, just hate to have to idle 5 miles back to the ramp if it gets a little rough ? I keep looking at the 18ft Crestliner because of the Huge front deck, is the 198p wide enough for two people to fish from ? Appreciate any assistance you can give.
I have heard the crest liner need trim tabs to run good and I have seen one on the FLW tour that need them to run right. That doesn’t sit well with me.
To answer your question on the ride short answer is yes. How good of a ride will depend on the driver. I grew up in the Great Lakes so 1-2 ft waves are normal life for us.
I can run on pad in a light ripple chop at full speed.
Appreciate your quick reply Justin, and the attached video. We get storms pop up fast in the summer, and can experience water like you showed in that video. Looks like boat does pretty well . Thanks again.
Robert Knorr same here on Lake St Clair and Erie. And the boat traffic in the summer can only be described has a washing machine ride from hell at times lol
I have a 2018 like yours and would like to know what prop. you are running? Thanks very much.
I would love to Crappie fish out of it at this price point.
How does the frontier handle that boat my friend. I got a frontier an am looking at a 19ft aluminum. Should be good yea?
Handles it great might be selling my boat this fall/winter.
Hi Justin, Saw in your comments a couple of years Agno you were considering selling. Did yo? If so why, if you don’t mind, and what did you replace it with?
I haven’t sold it yet been busy with the day job.
Nice 👍
How fast is the boat
The one in this video, I got up to 65mph, but it was the wrong prop for the engine's RPM range it needed when I got it there. Once the correct prop was put on I was seeing 55mph with full load and two people with one person I was seeing 58.
The newer hull is slower then the one in this video but you will see low 50s. I am selling my 2022 currently
My question is how does the Nissan handle the ranger backing down a steep boat ramp? I just bought a new ranger rt198p last week and pull it with a toytoa tacoma
Mine handles it great. The frontier I have and tow a little more then 6200lbs. I towed this boat with a ram big horn and I can honestly say it moves it just has well other then it just being a lighter truck then then ram. Longest tow in one day was about 700 miles no issues
Do you know the total tow weight of the boat and trailer rough guess?
I know the boat is 1350 dry so my best guess is 3,000 to 3,500
But there is no sun roof,
On the truck or the boat lol
You do know tracker builds that boat for ranger.
Mine was built by ranger it is a pre Johnny Morris
Thats why its leaking now
Hey man love your videos. Did they get right on the chipping paint?
Life got in the way man. Wasn’t able to get the boat over to the dealer to have them look at it yet.
Thanks picking my 198 up this Friday. Can’t wait to get it
Congrats what color did you get?
Charcoal metallic dual console. I wanted camo and wasn’t sure how long it would last before it faded like most camo boats do. Ranger didn’t warranty fading at the time I contacted. So I opted for my 2nd choice
Is that the lime green trim one?
Does it come rigged for crappie, and what is the transom rated for hp wise, and last but not least, does it come with a extra spot for a battery for the electronics
There is a crappie model, 198 is good up 150hp . There is a ton of room for batteries. I have two for trolling motor and one that I use for cranking and electronics. If you wanted to add a 4 th in you could
Rt188c is a ranger crappie fishing boat.
It’s a bass boat also
Hey man, how does the frontier tow the 198? I have the 188 and it pulls it good except when I pull for long distances up hill, good video, subscribed too!
Yeah up very long hills every truck will see a drop in mpg. But overall it does a fine job. I am getting 13 to 17 while towing
Culling clips? What brand? Thanks
TH marine
I know it can handle the chop when running but how does it do when fishing in high wind and lots of boat traffic? Do you ever spear waves when trying to hold on top of a spot?
I have never speared a wave in this boat. It does well.
How much has the speed dropped off. New vs now?
Thanks
I haven’t run it empty at all since I got it. So don’t know how much I have lose. Loaded I am still getting 55 to 58 top end depending on the conditions. My gut is telling about 1 mph.
I'm from Arkansas I fish a lot of areas with a lot of stumps do you have a problem with the aluminum boat not wanting to slide off as easy as a fiberglass boat
I have been able to get it off a few stumps fairly easily.
I’m from Arkansas as well and fish out of a 198p, fished millwood this year and it did great!
Cost please? Need a comparison
Check with your dealership
Cool thanks for the review! Also what are some other details about this model i.e. length and price for a package like that? And perhaps why you decided to go with ranger as opposed to say tracker, nitro, or lund in a comparable size? Really enjoy the videos and always look forward to them!
Looks like I will need to do a follow up video answering some question. Keep them comjng
I was more curious so of the finer details about what drove you to ranger....I know like tracker welds and lund uses rivets so some people decide that way...I know ranger has an amazing reputation so maybe that was 1 reason. Also you mentioned either rose marine/ranger being willing to touch up your paint so that would mean to me amazing customer service to me over a cosmetic issue where other brands might not fix that. Also when you mentioned a different type of fastener to the console what something like that entails.
JC Dropshot I'm just really interested in stuff like that but being fishing has so many choices for what some people might see as so similar but hearing the subtle differences of 1 manufacturer's highlights to another are very informative. In a market where every brand has die hard followings it's cool to me to know why I should pay more for certain products or why I shouldnt for others. 1 of the reasons I like your videos so much are for the honest reviews from a regular guy and not shameless paid product plugging.
Amazing to me how ranger is such a good brand name even in aluminum boats...yet people bad mouth tracker...same company...same factory!
It is now
How’s that boat handle bigger water? Especially when it gets choppy and rollers?
The driver plays a major role in that. But it handles it very well for me.
ruclips.net/video/FzXDUIFTvpc/видео.html
Good to hear. I fishing a lot of the big Minnesota lakes and I’ve been looking at these and the ranger 1660 and a other deep Vs as well.
Well this isn’t a deep V. I spend a lot of time out on Lake St. Clair and I have had it out on Lake Superior this past fall.
Oh I know that’s why I’m trying to weigh out options thanks for the video
What’s your price point?
Good Job! Is there room to make it 36v ?
Yes
Tons of room in the bilge. Having the fuel tank under the seats open up the back compartment tremendously.
Hey man nice vid. Quick question I noticed there is no seals (unless I didnt see them) around the compartments does your stuff get wet if you get stuck in a down poor?
Thanks! There are no seals on the back two. Front two have seals. I do talk about that briefly in the video. Are they as good as what is on the glass boats no. Do they do the job 90% of the time yes! If I get the deck super wet or it rains really hard I do open the compartments and let every thing air out.
You know your a real fisherman when your boat cost more then your truck 🅿️
The truck in this vide cost a little more then the boat but not by much
Speed?
My best was 62 but 55 to 58 on the gps most of the time
Cool boat but i need room for trolling :)
O I think I figured out how to troll out of these thing if I ever need to. Lol
There re several fiberglass boats that are actually the same price or cheaper than this boat!
Not at this length
Is your tow vehicle a Nissan Frontier? If so, how do you like it? How does it do towing the boat?
Yes it is. I have a 2018 pro4x tows it great. Plenty of power. It’s got the power towing capacity of all mid size trucks with and unleaded gas motor. Very happy with it.
@@JCDropshot Good to hear! I have an SV, otherwise same as yours. Only towed 2000# with it so far, was curious as to how it does with more weight.
Thank you for the prompt reply.
fishing is my drug I have towed the rig and camping gear to the UP and back down here to Metro Detroit area of Michigan. It handled it well. Mileage could be a bit better. But that is the trade off for the high displacement motor and a truck geared for off road duty more then city living.
Who makes those cull clips?
T-H Marine Supplies
TH Marine
That music! argh
How does it handle on big water and wind?
It has handled Lake St., Clair, really well for me. I have yet to feel unsafe in the boat.
you didnt mention nothing about the engine
Runs good gets me to where I need to go
I hate people laughing at me in the tournaments.
Really nice toy, now its time to buy a real ranger boat for big water...
What was the cost
I will do a follow up video answering question
Update: welds broke lol
Wasn’t the weld but it is close to the weld update will be coming once I find out what ranger will do.
Let me know when your selling it ;P
Well I think you need come over here for a test drive this fall maybe sometime in September. You know you need another lake st Clair fix. Lol
if not this fall, im making the trip down in the spring!
Too bad White River Marine owns the Ranger brand now. The new ones are trash!!!!!!!! Old man Wood would be rolling in his grave.
Great video, bad music.
Dude.. that music! 👎🏻