Ranger Boats finally came out with the perfect Trolling Motor Foot Pedal Compartment

[tcbass]

I use a Minn Kota Ulterra so I’ve never liked built-in trolling motor foot pedal boxes like most guys who use cable driven trolling motors like. I even built a custom box riser so my foot pedal would be level with the rest of the boat’s deck. 

 

Well, I see that the new 2020 Rangers have an integrated foot pedal box with lid which is so nice. I like it because: 

 

1.)  Makes the foot pedal level with the rest of the boat deck. 

 

2.)  Keep excess cable inside so it’s not strewn all over the deck when the foot pedal is in use. 

 

3.)  Can store the foot pedal inside it when not in use such as transport across the lake or on the road (mine flew out when flying down a lake once). 

 

4.)  Can store stuff in the empty compartment area when the foot pedal is in use. 

 

Also, according to the video you can still get the standard no-lid shallow foot pedal compartment for your boat that bass boats have historically came with if you so choose. 

 

Wow, great job Ranger!!! I suppose enough people are switching to Electric trolling motors vs. cable driven this finally became an issue worth addressing.  

 

 

 

 

[MassYak85]

Not to nitpick but does the lid have to stay open like that when in use or is it detachable? For me at least it would be a huge pain to have a wall next to my foot like that. 

[tcbass]

37 minutes ago, MassYak85 said:

Not to nitpick but does the lid have to stay open like that when in use or is it detachable? For me at least it would be a huge pain to have a wall next to my foot like that. 

 

 

This appears to actually be more for electric TMs where you take it out, close the lid, and then put the foot pedal on top of the lid. 

 

You can still order your boat with the standard cutout. 

[Scott F]

If you use a regular tall pedal, you can remove the screws that hold the cover on.

[Sam]

Friend installed a foot pedal box on my Ranger many years ago and it makes fishing so much easier as you do not have to be concerned with tripping over or trying to locate the pedal as you fish.

 

Glad to read that Ranger has done the same thing.

 

You will really enjoy the foot pedal box.

[Fishing Rhino]

It occurs to me that if you take it out of the compartment and set it on top, it's no longer flush with the level of the deck.

[looking45]

Depending on the make of trolling motor, the foot pedal looks like it can be below the deck. This is a poor design if the lid isn't easily detachable. Even then, where do you store it? 

[tcbass]

1 hour ago, looking45 said:

Depending on the make of trolling motor, the foot pedal looks like it can be below the deck. This is a poor design if the lid isn't easily detachable. Even then, where do you store it? 

 

I believe you are only supposed to use this style above deck. 

 

If if you want the standard below deck style you can order that too. 

 

So so many people are switching to electric driven TMs over cable I can see why this has been invented. 

[WRB]

So Ranger has added a storage compartment with a lid for the TM foot peddle that isn't functional when opened with cable operated units.

Why?

[tcbass]

1 hour ago, WRB said:

So Ranger has added a storage compartment with a lid for the TM foot peddle that isn't functional when opened with cable operated units.

Why?

 

Because they still make the standard model that will work with cable operated units?

 

The standard model that has been around for decades doesn’t work well for electric models. So they came up with this. 

[Jim Wrigley]

And to think you only have to drop $80k for this “revolutionary” recess or box or whatever it is.  

[WRB]

9 hours ago, tcbass said:

 

Because they still make the standard model that will work with cable operated units?

 

The standard model that has been around for decades doesn’t work well for electric models. So they came up with this. 

Recess trays was introduced by Triton around 2005, Ranger followed a few years later.

What you are saying is the covered recess is an option.

Tom

[looking45]

13 minutes ago, WRB said:

Recess trays was introduced by Triton around 2005, Ranger followed a few years later.

What you are saying is the covered recess is an option.

Tom

If that's the case, wouldn't you still need a place to store the lid when you're using it?  You sure can't use it when it's sticking up

[WRB]

It looks like the cover is hinged like any other compartment lid. My guess is you take out the remote peddle, close the cover and set the peddle on top of it? If that is how it's used the see the the peddle blow past your ear at 70 mph.

Tom

[tcbass]

3 hours ago, WRB said:

It looks like the cover is hinged like any other compartment lid. My guess is you take out the remote peddle, close the cover and set the peddle on top of it? If that is how it's used the see the the peddle blow past your ear at 70 mph.

Tom

 

I think that’s how it’s supposed to be used but you close the lid with the pedal inside when transporting at high speeds. 

[WRB]

If you remember to put the peddle away! For decades we stowed the TM , secured the rods, picked up whatever we noticed and off we went. I lost my cell because I forgot it was set down and about 70 mph it went whizzing by my head.

Tom

[tcbass]

16 hours ago, WRB said:

If you remember to put the peddle away! For decades we stowed the TM , secured the rods, picked up whatever we noticed and off we went. I lost my cell because I forgot it was set down and about 70 mph it went whizzing by my head.

Tom

 

Yeah, always that. lol

[Russ E]

I can see how it could help some people. If you have to pull the pedal out an put it on top of the deck, it seems to defeat the purpose of the recessed pedal box. This is just another storage compartment.

As a lifelong cable drive user, I don't understand why anyone would want to use a trolling motor without the pedal feedback. I  currently use an Ultrex.

Everyone has their own opinion, but watching the trolling motor constantly to see which direction it is pointing seems counter productive.

[tcbass]

1 minute ago, Russ E said:

I can see how it could help some people. If you have to pull the pedal out an put it on top of the deck, it seems to defeat the purpose of the recessed pedal box. This is just another storage compartment.

As a lifelong cable drive user, I don't understand why anyone would want to use a trolling motor without the pedal feedback. I  currently use an Ultrex.

Everyone has their own opinion, but watching the trolling motor constantly to see which direction it is pointing seems counter productive.

 

Because Cable Driven trolling motor's foot pedal's are extremely tall and if you don't have it inside a recessed compartment it is so high that it is hard to use especially standing, so having it lowered makes it work.

 

Because Electric Driven trolling motor's foot pedal's are considerably shorter than cable driven's when they are put in a recessed box they are basically level with the boat deck and wouldn't work. Being right on top of the deck is perfect height for electric driven foot pedals.

 

Which is why in the new Ranger the foot pedal is stored in the compartment for travel but put on top of the deck for use.

[fishnkamp]

WRB that sounds like operator stupidity. I guess you did not learn from when the first cell phone went whizzing by your head!  As for a persons preference between electric steer or cable drive sometimes it is just personal preference, sometimes it is about physical issues. Same as choosing to sit on a chair, leaning on a bicycle seat, or no seat really depends on your physical condition. See what works for you if have had feet issues or back issues.  

 

[Big Rick]

15 hours ago, fishnkamp said:

WRB that sounds like operator stupidity. I guess you did not learn from when the first cell phone went whizzing by your head!  As for a persons preference between electric steer or cable drive sometimes it is just personal preference, sometimes it is about physical issues. Same as choosing to sit on a chair, leaning on a bicycle seat, or no seat really depends on your physical condition. See what works for you if have had feet issues or back issues.  

 

I have read many of the over 17,000 posts @WRB has posted and NONE of them exhibited operator STUPIDITY. Sometimes humans get in a hurry and are distracted to the point we forget. Consider yourself blessed to be operating at such a higher level of intelligence......

[WRB]

16 hours ago, fishnkamp said:

WRB that sounds like operator stupidity. I guess you did not learn from when the first cell phone went whizzing by your head!  As for a persons preference between electric steer or cable drive sometimes it is just personal preference, sometimes it is about physical issues. Same as choosing to sit on a chair, leaning on a bicycle seat, or no seat really depends on your physical condition. See what works for you if have had feet issues or back issues.  

 

We are all creatures of habit and anything outside the normal routine requires complete concentration not to get distracted. 

If I owned a new Ranger with a foot control compartment that had to be opened to stow the TM peddle after not doing this the past 50 years the foot control may get over looked, never had to stow one before.

If this is your first Ranger the routine would become the norm, no problem.

The fact I set down my cell phone instead of putting back in my pocket was I recieved a call and got distracted set it down instead of putting it where I always do. I made that mistake 1 time. A digital TM foot control could kill someone at 70 mph if forgotten 1 time. Absent minded has nothing to do with stupidity.

Tom

[gim]

So I have been trying to figure this one out for a while after reading this thread several times. And I still can’t figure it out. There is a compartment that Ranger has on some new models designed to actually stow away the foot pedal of an electric steer bow mount, is that correct? I guess if it’s soley for storage purposes that’s fine but it’s clearly not for use while fishing because the storage lid is not detachable, is it? I realize these electric steer models have a lower profile pedal but it still sticks above the floor when in use. If the idea is have it sitting recessed so it’s flush with the floor, then there shouldn’t be a lid.

[fishnkamp]

The idea is simple. The typical cable driven foot pedal are really tall and for decades anglers using them had to do the"captain Morgan" stance trying to stand firm on one leg. In response, most boat builders started offering the foot pedal recess area, thus the foot pedal was almost level with the deck and the angler can stand almost flat footed, or at least a whole lot more balanced using that setup. Now the electric steer trolling motors have become more popular than they had been, mostly because the technology has become better in them.  The foot pedals for these are really low, so now the opposite problem exists. If all the boats come with a recess and you installed your low profile electric steer pedal in the recess now your foot is below the deck level and you are again off balance. To answer this issue many boat builders offered a matching carpeted plate to screw down on the deck top eliminate the recess area.  Apparently now they decided to make this a hinged lid, you stow the pedal when not in use and put it on top the lid when it is in use. 

[gim]

But it’s still not flush with the floor when in use, so storage is really the only point of it. 

?