I am boat shopping for fall or winter. Never owning an aluminum boat.....how does a riveted boat NOT LEAK? I know they have been around forever and like Lund, etc having a doggone good history. I understand well that aluminum can stress and cracks welds, rivets has a little give. Please " 'Splain It" to me
The rivet will fill the hole when properly installed. The paint will fill any micro cracks. Additionally the "Rims" of the rivet will seal against the skin of the aluminum panel. (They are not using POP Rivets!)
2019 RT 198P
2018 Mercury Pro XS 150 HP 4 Stroke #2B610068
Twin 12' BT Talons
4" Atlas Jack Plate
Riptide Instinct Quest
Some of them do leak. All you have to do is Google it.... Google...how to fix leaking rivets in a boat... you will find a lot of information on leaking rivets. Sometimes they have to.be replaced and cannot be fixed. Do some research. It is easy to find and read aboutOriginally Posted by SkidMark
RT188
I LIKE boats...BUT I LOVE PLANES
Oh yeah.... I love the RT188 too.
Not to say a rivet can't leak... but done properly, especially in products where light weight is a goal... It is a superior method of connecting sheet aluminum. It excels in applications that encounter considerable flexing and vibration. However. as with any products, please be aware that not all riveted boats are designed and built equally ...nor to the same specs..
The structural design is key.
at the end of the day on the water, you may well find a small amount of water in the rear compartment, probably not enough to fill up a pop can though. Ill take that any day over the worry of broken welds from crossing boat wakes or running hard through the chop. I believe if you run an all welded boat HARD in rough chop or boat wakes, its just a matter of time before something gives. Thread after thread about broken welds, from all brands.
I have an old 87 Tracker V-17 that is riveted, doesn't leak a drop
Rivets are like using wood to make boat decks. It is old outdated technology. Sure, some welds will crack and leak....there are HUNDREDS of welded aluminum boats represented here on this forum. You always hear of the problems, the 7 or 8 that have leaked. And then the thread goes on and on and on and somebody revives it months later and it gets a new life - on and on and on again. I doubt very much if even 1 percent of the boats have a problem with a weld.
Everything can have a problem...fiberglass blisters or scratches, aluminum welds, rivets...whatever... nobody uses rivets much anymore ..... if they were so great, manufacturers would have kept using them. They are like televisions with tubes in them or record players.
Don't take my word for it....Google it...see how people have trouble and how hard they are to fix... and Google the main brand using them and Google rivet leaks in that brand...all you gotta do is read. It ain't that hard to look and read..you will find a LOT of leaking rivet information. The warranty claims are probably why they quit using rivets.
RT188
I LIKE boats...BUT I LOVE PLANES
Oh yeah.... I love the RT188 too.
I've been fishing out of a 35 year old riveted boat this week, a mere 15' V-bottom rated for 35 hp. I only have a 9.9 on it but it still does 16 mph so its pretty light weight. And this boat does not leak a single drop of water, really quite amazing. But I wish I'd brought the Ranger welded hull with me for this trip to Canada, I will have it with me for the next trip. The bottom line is that riveted hulls can last a long time but so can welded hulls.
I appreciate the replies. I have looked around the net and watched alot of videos. If I go tin it will probably be an Xpress but the thought of speed + welds = cracks sometimes, not much I am sure. I take care of my stuff but do like to go wide open alot. Never owned an aluminum boat and where I live, a shallow drafting boat makes me smile alot, but when I fish bigger water I just hope it rides pretty smooth and dry when rough. Trying to find that 20+ year ownership boat since I am creeping up on 60 yrs old very fast. Riveted boats, the connections rub against each other all the time. I probably would rather have welded .125 at least.
Xpress ever redesigns their front decks on the X19 that will most definitely be my next boat !
I actually like their front deck. I guess I am old school. LOL.
Me too... I like the deck and the boat. I had a buddy with one that would come down and fish when weather was cold up north. It is the best riding aluminum I have ever been in and his was fast. The front deck and storage design was very usable and the roomy. Good boat. I did not see anything wrong with the deck. I loved the boat.
RT188
I LIKE boats...BUT I LOVE PLANES
Oh yeah.... I love the RT188 too.
Growing up my Dad had, and still has a small 14' Starcraft v hull aluminum boat with rivets. He ran it so fast on Leech Lake muskie fishing (with a 15 horse Johnson) in the 80's that he literally lost rivets about 2/3rds of the way back from the front of the boat. He ended up re-riveting it himself and then eventually getting those areas welded. I personally think aluminum boats are pretty bullet proof, welded or rivited. He still uses that good old boat.
2019 Nitro Z19 Sport with 150 Four stroke
Swinging bass in the front
and wake boards and tubes off the back
For Bass fisherman I can see where front deck seat mounting position is no big deal however for crappie fishing side by side seating is a must ( at least for most crappie fisherman I know ) In the X19 and many other boat models even the millennial side kick system won't work as the seat braces are on the storage lids ! With advent of Livescopes it's pretty hard to tell your fishing partner or Wife there is no room in the front for them and they have to sit in the back ! To most Crappie guys the front deck seating arrangement is everything !!! Try to get your wife to sign off on a 50 k boat and 5 K of live scope when she has to sit in the back .
I really like the boat but front deck seating is a deal breaker as it is on many other boat models .... Everyone want to be able to watch the scope
I bought a lund 1775 pro guide new, never has a drop of water leak in the bildge due to a leak, I've had it in some pretty rough water, , no complaints here,
This boat is 28 years old, riveted, and has never leaked a drop. I have another one exactly like it that was beaten to sh#t by it's previous owner. I'm converting it into a duck/river/swamp boat. It DID have leaking rivets, but, surprisingly not too many....and it had been BIG time abused. No worries....JB Weld, Dremel, and paint. My main rig is welded and is 18 years old.....zero broken welds.
Btw, all 3 are partially wooden decks. The one that had been abused had rotten wood, the other 2 have original wood that's in perfect condition. I've had all 3 stripped to the frames and its EASY to tell which 2 of the 3 were properly run and cared for.
IMOP, it's ALL in how you utilize and take care of your boat. Lunds have been around a long time and are run in the absolute roughest of h20. Their longevity and durability are testament to their riveted construction. The same thing can be said for many welded hulls by certain manufacturer's. No matter which boat you choose, just use common sense in it's use and care.....
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Main rig.....
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Last edited by Slicefixer; 08-25-2021 at 11:50 AM.
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