1 year old Ranger RT 178 with gunnel damage on the right rear of the boat. Does anyone have any recommendations on how to fix this? Bondo and paint?
1 year old Ranger RT 178 with gunnel damage on the right rear of the boat. Does anyone have any recommendations on how to fix this? Bondo and paint?
2022 Tracker PT 195 TXW
Mercury Pro XS 150hp Four stroke
Minn Kota Terrova 55 TM 12 volt
Garmin Echomap 73sv on Console
Garmin Echomap UHD 93sv on bow
Garmin Livescope GLS 10
Ouch. I'm guessing it was a concrete dock???
A large file and some Bondo...sand smooth then paint. Good as new...well almost.
metal fabricator/welder that work with aluminum...sand then paint...I personally wouldn't use bondo. Check with a body shop...being that Ford truck now have aluminum, I would think these shops might be able to correct it. Good luck and sorry to hear about your issue.
2018 Ranger RT198P
Mercury 150 4-Stroke
Yeah...looks like it damaged a weld...Originally Posted by tobin01
You probably want to get a good welder to look at it...might need more than a superficial repair.
Ouch that sucks!
i now feel like an idiot for freakin about my first scratch on my boat that happened last week. It was a dock also, a scratch about an 1/8” in diameter on the rear edge gunnel!
Looks like a tear to me. Straighten it out as much as possible then get it welded and painted. Or just fill the hole with black silicone and get over it.
If it's a tear... after straightening it you'll want to drill a small hole at each end of the tear to stop it from spreading.
Seriously...think it's best if you take it to a professional for a proper assessment.
A tear along a weld could become a serious problem especially on the transom.
I think with this method you would always "know" it was there .... and with the stress back there I bet it would crack at the Bondo....and with a fairly new boat too...
A large file and some Bondo...sand smooth then paint. Good as new...well almost.
If it was my boat personally I would take it to an aluminum repair shop. There are aluminum welding shops that could fix it so you would never know. The paint is easy....there are a lot of auto paint supply places that match auto paint that would match and mix some for you. At the auto paint places, they sell for about $20 a little one time use pressure cartridge sprayer to use with the mix and you could do it yourself and never know. I personally did this on a RV... I just don't like Bondo especially on a boat....but that's my opinion.
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The bitterness of poor quality is remembered
long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten - Benjamin Franklin
2013 RANGER RT188 - YAMAHA F115 - ULTREX - LOWRANCE GRAPHS
LOCK-N-HAUL Transom Saver, ALL ABOARD Emergency Ladder
1996 RANGER CHEROKEE - 40 YAMAHA
Fixed that for you.
Never ever use bondo on a boat. Just my 2 cents.
oops just realized its not fiberglass.
Get it welded and repaint. Then invest in several good boat bumpers if you are going to leave it tied to a dock for long.
Should buff right out.
I too vote for taking it to a pro. That aluminum has stretched and it's going to take some work to get it right.
Listen to this guy... ^^^^^^ He had it right from the get.
Seek professional help...a welder or body repair guy should be your next step. IMO
Listen to this guy... ^^^^^^ He had it right from the get.
Seek professional help...a welder or body repair guy should be your next step. IMOsure,.... Mr Bondo Man!
That hurts to look at....
You didn't even try to help...just posted to tell the OP thanks for making you feel better bout your damage...
You basically told him... better you than me!!
At least I tried to offer help...and to be fair...Bondo will fix most superficial holes on a tin hull... Must be above the waterline and non structural.
This damage is in a higher stress area and involves a weld... I would NOT use body filler...my file and sandpaper comment was meant to be sarcastic...
And my initial question was never answered... Was this a concrete dock??
Kbeasley62 - Best of luck w/ your repair! That is a sickening feeling...
A couple questions if you don't mind:
> Are there any lessons learned that you can share, hopefully to help someone else prevent that type of damage?
> Did you have fenders out? If not would they have helped?
2018 Ranger RT198p
Charcoal Metallic
Etec 150HP G2 HO
24p Raker Stainless prop
82# MotorGuide Tour Pro TM
Fishes as good as anything out there, with the TM down...
What about insurance, is this covered? Also have a question regarding the repaint. I thought aluminum was difficult or impossible to paint, is this true. If not what kind of paint is used and what is the process?
Light sanding, clean well (degreaser) and spray with lacquer...first 2 coats spray REAL light.
I don't even use a primer...just lacquer straight on the aluminum.
That's how I been doing it for over 30 years...no problems.
I've painted hulls, lower units, props and even hydrofoils this way.
Hardest part is matching the color...
Dupli-Color (think it's an Enamel blend) comes in every color and works well on aluminum too.
I don't think it'll cost all that much to repair...
Probably not worth involving the insurance company till you know you need them.
Take it to a trusted welder/body guy and get an estimate. That's the best thing to do.
Last edited by Original Tin; 04-18-2018 at 04:54 PM.
Body shops don't touch aluminum especially the f150. I have an aluminum one so I know. They replace the entire panel, door, bed, hood whatever. It's cheaper then fixing but more then repairing metal. I had some minor front end damage with my last f150 and a $2000 repair was a $5000 repair cause it was the tin model.
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