2019 Ranger RT198P Cracked Hull

[dkeppler1087]

Fixed, delete

[n2ratfishin]

I’d imagine Ranger is going to make that right, it seems all brands are having these issues.

[dkeppler1087]

I’d imagine Ranger is going to make that right, it seems all brands are having these issues.

Thats’s what I’m hoping for. I’m sure I’m going to be without a boat for quite some time. I do love to fish this time of year and would probably have another 6 weeks or more of fishing left, but with that said it’s not the worst time to have this happen, as long as I have my rig back by March I will be happy.

[06 SB]

I hope for your sake they fix it but the bottom looks like it has been beached a lot. They could turn around and say that you abused it through that beaching and say, “No.”

[dkeppler1087]

I hope for your sake they fix it but the bottom looks like it has been beached a lot. They could turn around and say that you abused it through that beaching and say, “No.”

Yeah that’s why I’m worried, although that has nothing to do with that weld failing. The paint on these boats is horrible. I have paint that has chipped on the weld well above the water line that has never contacted anything.

[SWbass]

that little bit of paint scraped off the bottom shouldn't have any bearing on a structural weld as long as there are no dents, Ranger should take care of this

[Highcentered]

I’d imagine Ranger is going to make that right, it seems all brands are having these issues.

Why are so many brands having this issue? You would think a company would want a quality product to keep from tarnishing their good name.

[tcesni]

The challenge you might have is if they choose to have it welded locally where a welder will not be able to reach both sides of the hull. That probably just delays the crack from re-appearing. Best result is if they take it back to the factory where they can disassemble as needed to weld on both sides or to simply replace the hull. The latter option is a long process just due to shipping, etc. Good luck and keep us posted. Beaching a boat is not abuse.

[figueira]

welders are no good
should happen specially if you using tig welding

[figueira]

The challenge you might have is if they choose to have it welded locally where a welder will not be able to reach both sides of the hull. That probably just delays the crack from re-appearing. Best result is if they take it back to the factory where they can disassemble as needed to weld on both sides or to simply replace the hull. The latter option is a long process just due to shipping, etc. Good luck and keep us posted. Beaching a boat is not abuse.

TCESNI
they cant repair that welds the bottom of the RT198P are foam filled
the boat will catch fire and will just go to s.....ts

[dkeppler1087]

The challenge you might have is if they choose to have it welded locally where a welder will not be able to reach both sides of the hull. That probably just delays the crack from re-appearing. Best result is if they take it back to the factory where they can disassemble as needed to weld on both sides or to simply replace the hull. The latter option is a long process just due to shipping, etc. Good luck and keep us posted. Beaching a boat is not abuse.

Yeah I don’t know I’ve heard some have had theirs repaired others have had their hull replaced. I think I would prefer the latter. I agree I haven’t babied this boat but I haven’t been reckless either. I love this boat but the paint finish isn’t great but that never concerned me that much because that’s why I went with aluminum over glass.

I think I will be able to get to my dealer tomorrow, so I’ll keep everyone posted here.

[PolarKraft195]

hope Ranger handles it for you!

[TritonTRXV8]

Why are so many brands having this issue? You would think a company would want a quality product to keep from tarnishing their good name.

Because higher hp and higher speeds with .100” aluminum is not a good thing. Other factors can be how the pieces fit together when they assemble them. If panels are pressured into fitting and something is stressed it can cause welds to pop like that i never beat mine and it held up but every time you pound a big wave in rough conditions or a boat wake catches you by surprise it was always in the back of my mind. I like not worrying about that anymore. To the OP be a good time to check over every weld on that boat. Hope they get it fixed.

[Highcentered]

Because higher hp and higher speeds with .100” aluminum is not a good thing. Other factors can be how the pieces fit together when they assemble them. If panels are pressured into fitting and something is stressed it can cause welds to pop like that i never beat mine and it held up but every time you pound a big wave in rough conditions or a boat wake catches you by surprise it was always in the back of my mind. I like not worrying about that anymore. To the OP be a good time to check over every weld on that boat. Hope they get it fixed.

Makes one think they should start using .125" so the hull will hold up to the extra hp. You rarely if ever hear of the lower hp .100 hulls cracking. I know I keep mine riding soft and in the rough stuff slow down. Not worried one bit about it and will never go back to fiberglass.

[n2ratfishin]

IMO anything rated for over a 115 should be thicker than .100.

I've had a few riveted boats in the past, including a Lund. Every single one of them has leaked. My RT188 is going on four years old and knock on wood has been solid. There never has been, nor ever will be a boat brand that won't give you problems.

[fishingram24]

My buddy sent his 2019 198P back about 7 weeks ago for a hook in the hull and a leak. Its been repaired for 2 weeks now and still waiting on it to be shipped back. All done through his dealer but they are taking their time shipping it back.

[FloridaFlyer]

My buddy sent his 2019 198P back about 7 weeks ago for a hook in the hull and a leak. Its been repaired for 2 weeks now and still waiting on it to be shipped back. All done through his dealer they are taking their time shipping it back.

You used the word repaired. Did you mean that or did you mean to say they replaced the hull. Ranger was replacing any problem hulls with a new hull if it was a serious problem. Now that JM and Tracker have their hands in the mix, who knows. It is especially relevant to ask since they moved the Ranger manufacturing up there.

I hope everything gets fixed to the poster's satisfaction. It will be interesting to see how it is handled now. My confidence with Ranger could not be higher. My confidence with the Tracker customer service and management....not so much. Since they moved the plant, it is concerning who actually makes decisions like this. I doubt the Ranger people in Flippin actually handle aluminum warranty anymore....but I don't know.

[dkeppler1087]

Update : so the boat has been dropped off at the dealer, he’s going to take pictures and get in touch with ranger. I’ll update this when I know more.

[PolarKraft195]

Because higher hp and higher speeds with .100” aluminum is not a good thing. Other factors can be how the pieces fit together when they assemble them. If panels are pressured into fitting and something is stressed it can cause welds to pop like that i never beat mine and it held up but every time you pound a big wave in rough conditions or a boat wake catches you by surprise it was always in the back of my mind. I like not worrying about that anymore. To the OP be a good time to check over every weld on that boat. Hope they get it fixed.

The 2017 Polarkraft 195 I bought has a 150hp hp limit. In 2018, they raised it to 200hp, without doing anything different to hull or transom. I guess they decided it can handle it. The boat is not a "pad" hull, so I really see no need for a 200hp on the back. Guys are getting only 5-6 mph more than mine with a 140hp on it. Also, like you say, putting huge outboards on these aluminum boats can lead to trouble.

[FloridaFlyer]

The 2017 Polarkraft 195 I bought has a 150hp hp limit. In 2018, they raised it to 200hp, without doing anything different to hull or transom. I guess they decided it can handle it. The boat is not a "pad" hull, so I really see no need for a 200hp on the back. Guys are getting only 5-6 mph more than mine with a 140hp on it. Also, like you say, putting huge outboards on these aluminum boats can lead to trouble.

What thickness of aluminum does Polarkraft use in their boats?

Also, I agree with TRXV8 in that when you hang anything bigger than a 115 on these aluminum boats, bump the aluminum thickness up. Xpress has been making these aluminum boats s with higher HP outboards for a long time and they learned this.

You don't see many issues with the 115 on them when you consider the tens of thousands of them out there. But like TRX was saying, when you start hanging anything over a 115 on there the speed increases, the WEIGHT on the transom increases, the force of impact when hitting big waves increases, etc. etc. Xpress learned to increase the thickness of the aluminum and add extra bracing for motors over 115. It seems you hear of trouble in the boats with the HP over 115 and .100 aluminum when you consider there are not many of them compared to the .100 with 115 HP and under.

If I was going over 115 HP, it would be a deal breaker for me and it was when I purchased my RT188. One reason I did not bump up was that I knew .100 aluminum with over 115HP was risky.