Thread: 30k for any tin

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  1. #1
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    30k for any tin

    I have $30,000 to spend on a tin boat. I live in rural Oregon and am 3 hours from any bass boat dealer. I’ve done a bunch of research on my own, but I’d love your perspective/advice.

    I fish the Columbia River. I fish either alone or with my brother. I don’t care at all about speed or pad vs modified v. I’d like a boat with a great front deck. Wide is the key. I’d like to get as much from my money as I can. I’m happy to buy used. Here is what I think I know. Please help?

    Crestliner PT18 is affordable used and wide. Scary stories about cracks.
    Crestliner xf189 is barely in the price range. Seems more reliable than PT. Also a bit of budget construction.
    Vexus 1880 is NICE but the front deck seems really narrow.
    Vexus 189 I know nothing about but looks good.
    AVID cannot find anywhere near here.
    Xpress X18 looks good. Are there iterations where the deck is wider? What years?
    Xpress H18 I know nothing about this model.
    Tracker I’m biased against this brand. Doesn’t seem like a quality product.
    Ranger The Rangers all seem narrow. Are there models that have a wide deck?
    Lowe? Which ones have the wide deck?

    That’s it, I think. If you had 30k on a quality boat with a nice wide deck, what would you buy?

    Thank you so much for the perspective.

  2. Tin Boats Moderator Pokie Pa's Avatar
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    #2
    Ranger RT188 is in your price range.
    I love mine…..

    THE END result is what you LOVE and want to meet your needs.
    Tim Messer ~ Lake Ariel, Pa.
    US Army 1968 ~ 1971

    2019 Ranger RT188 ~ Merc PRO XS ~ MK Ultrex

  3. Member
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    #3
    The Ranger RT188 is DEFINITELY not narrow. It has a very roomy front deck. The front deck is one reason I bought the boat. It is a great all around boat.

    There is a guy on here that has two RT188 boats. He had a tree fall on one. He got the insurance money and went back out and bought another RT188. THAT is testimony as to the boat and the design.

    I would look at used RT188 boats with a 115 HP motor. Buy used at a good price then upgrade the electronics or the trolling motor. That's what I would do.

    I have had two RT188 boats. I love them. If I was shopping now, I would buy another one. The front deck is huge.
    RT188
    I LIKE boats...BUT I LOVE PLANES
    Oh yeah.... I love the RT188 too.

  4. Member
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    #4
    Thank you! This is exactly the kind of information I need. Do you know if there are years/generations that had a smaller deck, or does any model designated with RT188 have the same deck?

    Thanks a ton, gentlemen.

  5. Member
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    #5
    Gabe, IMO, the layout on the Rangers is generally better, however, the Xpress is built like a tank. Shoot "Highcentered" a message, I think he just purchased an 18' Xpress.

  6. Member
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    #6
    I love my RT198 and it has plenty of room and wide front deck.

  7. Member
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    #7
    Thank you Jfish. I'll try to find him.

  8. Member
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    #8
    I'll expand my search to include some Rangers. :)

  9. Member Bill Reynolds's Avatar
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    #9
    Quote Originally Posted by GabeJ View Post
    Thank you! This is exactly the kind of information I need. Do you know if there are years/generations that had a smaller deck, or does any model designated with RT188 have the same deck?

    Thanks a ton, gentlemen.
    I prefer the 2016 - 2019 year models. The first 2 years of production lacked some preferred options but by 2016 they were were more fully featured. Equally important is they redesigned and significantly strengthened the trailer in 2015.
    When JM started producing the boats in MO, (about 2020) he redesigned the hull to match his production processes and eliminated the thick extruded aluminum center keel. I think this thick keel is important for pulling up on gravel banks or running in shallow rivers.
    If It were me, I would look for a good low hour garage kept used RT188 in those model years with a 115 Yamaha or Mercury 4 stroke. Both are great engines. I would not consider an Optimax.

    In my part of the world, I would expect a really good one to be $18,000 to $22,000 but don’t know if that applies in your vicinity.

    Concerning the deck size: I drove BassCats prior to downsizing to Tin and this deck is 4 inches wider at the seat post than my Panterra.

    I try to drive as if my 16 year old Grandson is following me
    Speak as if he is listening and act as if he is watching

  10. Member
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    #10
    My 198Ps deck is huge. It’s bigger than most pointy fiberglass boats.

  11. Member tcesni's Avatar
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    #11
    Quote Originally Posted by GabeJ View Post
    Thank you! This is exactly the kind of information I need. Do you know if there are years/generations that had a smaller deck, or does any model designated with RT188 have the same deck?

    Thanks a ton, gentlemen.
    Hi Gabe:

    I'm the guy who owns two RT188's after having one crushed by a tree, and yes I love the layout of the boat as it fits my needs very well. Why two boats? I live on a lake in VA and have a cabin in Ontario and wanted to have a boat in each location without having to tow a boat on the 1500 mile round trip. Basically the boat hull was unchanged from 2013 until either 2021 or 2022. The latter years are two inches more narrow up front so you'd want one that is prior to those years. It is easy to tell the new models because there is an extra strip of metal along the seam where the side meets the bottom from the very front of the boat back to about the console, so mid boat. So right now I own two 2018 models, both have 115 hp motors and had less than 40 hours on them when purchased. And I paid less than 30k for each. There is a Facebook page "Ranger Aluminum Boats for Sale" that I used to find both of them. Otherwise the differences are single console versus dual console, step box to the upper deck, coin box or third seat in the middle. I've driven the Columbia River basin many times and that is one imposing river so where exactly is the stretch you like to fish? A RT188 with a 115 is a 45 mph +or- boat.
    2018 Ranger RT188 SC Black/115 hp Yamaha SHO 4-stroke; Garmin LVS34 - north
    2018 Ranger RT188 DC Black/115 hp Merc Pro XS 4-stroke; Garmin LVS34 - south
    14' Mirrorcraft tin boat (ancient) with a 9.9 Mercury 4-stroke, no electronics; catches fish anyway

  12. Member
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    #12
    Wow. This is incredibly informative. Thank you, tcesni.

    I have found a 2019 in my neck of the woods. It's a 2019 with a Merc ProXs with 60 hours. He's asking $33,000. It does have a Lowrance Ghost TM and a 12 and 9 inch Lowrance Live graphs. But that $33,000 is a lot more than 18-22k that people in other parts of the country see. I think if he had it for $27,000 I might be driving to him this weekend. I will do some thinking.

    I love the info on the trailer and the deck width. My current boat is a 1996 Skeeter ZX185c. It's beat up, and I bought it that way. I want something reliable and efficient. I feel confident that a Ranger would be about as reliable as I can get.

  13. Member
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    #13
    I am a RT188 fan. The front deck is huge, and with an Ultrex, it's the ultimate aluminum boat. Mine is a 2015, so it's a Real Ranger. The new models are Trackerized.
    2015 Ranger RT188 DC; BassCat Storage Box; Mercury Optimax 115ProXS;
    19" Spitfire X7; Vessel View Mobile; Minn Kota Ultrex 80; GForce Handle;
    TM Eliminator; Helix 7 G2N SI Combo F/R; HydroWave KVD; BBT 4" Angled Bow Mount; Durasafe Locks for Electronics and Ultrex;
    Twist Step Boarding Ladder; EZEE Step ES1; BAC RAC Rod Storage; Motor Mate Transom Saver

  14. Member
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    #14
    The trailer is my only concern with the RT’s. My 2017 has held up well, but I wish I’d gone aluminum so I could use it in salt water bays.

    My loaded 2017 RT 188 was right at 30K OTD including the longest platinum warranty available at the time.

  15. Member Panama's Avatar
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    #15
    Two or three things...

    I have had a RT188 for about 10 years now. They are very wide stable boats with a huge front deck and a good storage design.

    I would just retype pretty much what Bill Reynolds said above. We both bought early RTs about the same time and he knows them well.

    I would buy a used one from about 2016 to 18 or 19. Around 2016 or so Ranger redesigned the interior bracing under the decks and strengthened the design
    I have been to the factory and I have seen this myself. I am not sure about the exact date they added bracing but it was around this time period.

    Also, recently they did another redesign which eliminated the heavy duty extruded thick V shaped aluminum down the center of the boat. I think that was a mistake to eliminate that piece and redesign that bow area. I bet the Tracker people played a big hand in it to conform to their manufacturing when they moved the plant.

    It is a great boat to fish from. I could buy another boat if I wanted to very easily.....but I really like the older used RT. I am not sure I would buy a new one though since they moved the plant to the Tracker area. I think you would be very happy with an older one and save some money too.
    ----------------------------
    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

  16. Member
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    #16
    Check out Polar Kraft boats

    https://www.polarkraft.com/

  17. Member
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    #17
    I am really liking what I see and learn about the rt188. Only real knock is that it isn't nearly as wide as the xf189. It's even narrower than the 189 Vexus. But pretty much everything else seems ideal.

    Width.jpg

    XF on left, Vexus middle, ranger right. The XF has a full 10 inches of extra deck space at the front seat post. It's insane. It's also a boat that has had a handful of issues. Leaning towards the Ranger. The Vexus has an extra 3 inches at the seat post, and it's a super nice boat. But finding one near 30k is impossible over here.

  18. Member
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    #18
    When I looked at the manufacturer's site and checked both boats specs....
    They listed the Crestliner beam at 90 inches.
    They listed the RT188 beam at 92 inches.

    I am not seeing the difference you talk about. I looked at the Crestliner website. Maybe I made a mistake somewhere. Not sure. But they show the RT 2 inches wider I think.
    RT188
    I LIKE boats...BUT I LOVE PLANES
    Oh yeah.... I love the RT188 too.

  19. Member
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    #19
    I believe he is talking about how the Crestliner carries its width forward of the console making the front deck wider whereas the Vexus and Ranger start to taper at or aft of the console even though they are wider at the widest point (beam).
    USMC (Ret) 1988-2008
    2014 Lowe Stinger ST175
    Mercury 75 HP four stroke

  20. Member
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    #20
    Don't worry about stories of cracks, all brands of welded aluminum boats can have that problem. Some crack and some don't because no 2 welds are alike.

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