Ranger RT178 review

[gim]

I thought I'd do a detailed review of my boat since I've had several individuals message me about it this spring, as there seems to be interest in this particular make/model.

 

Here are the specs:

2015 Ranger RT178

Mercury 75 HP 4-stroke (max HP permitted on this model)

Ranger Trailer (single axle)

Minnkota 12 foot Talon on sandwich bracket

Minnkota 70 pound thrust Maxxum bow mount

Lowrance Elite 5 HDI at bow

Lowrance HDS 7 Carbon at console

 

I have a 21 foot garage and the overall length with the motor tilted and folded tongue is 20 feet, 10 inches.  I generally angle park it to save space.  I have had this boat for 5 full seasons now, in addition to a month and a half this spring.  I used Ford Escape to tow for one season; now I have an F-150.  75% of my fishing is bass fishing while the other 25% is a combination of walleye, panfish, and muskie fishing.

 

Here are some of the pros and cons.  I've attached photos as well (disregard the background in my garage).

 

Pros:

- Quality components.  There is no wood or cheap components built into this boat.  It is a welded aluminum modified V-hull made prior to when BPS acquired Ranger.  All the lids and flooring is aluminum.

- The outboard sips fuel, is very quiet, and reliable.  I have never had an issue with the outboard.  I get it professionally winterized every October.

- The polymer-vinyl non-skid interior coating is fantastic.  I previously always had marine carpet in boats before this one and the salesman talked me into this instead of carpet at no charge.  I'm so glad I did this.  Its so much easier to maintain and clean than carpet, it isn't slippery when wet, and it doesn't get hot in the direct sunlight.  I often take my yellow labrador with (who sheds hair) and if I had carpet, it would be full of dog hair.  If I get blood or slime or spill coffee on it, I simply hose it down later on.  The only downside is that its tougher on your knees than carpet but I'm young and can live with that.

- The layout is well thought out and maximizes space for only being a boat that is 17 feet, 8 inches long and having a console.  Storage is adequate.  Both the front and rear casting decks are quite large for a boat this size.  It is also a very wide boat for its length which provides maximum stability.

- The trailer is sturdy and designed with a "u-frame" so there is easy access to all the wiring.  It also allows for moisture to dry quicker than a standard enclosed frame trailer.

- The talon is a nice add on feature.  It has never failed in 5+ seasons and I have found that I use it more at the dock when I'm unloading/loading sometimes than when I am out fishing.

- The maxxum bow mount (24 volt, 70 pound thrust) is ideal for a boat of this size/weight.  I wish I had a spot lock, but when I bought this boat it wasn't available yet on a cable drive electric motor.

 

Cons:

- I don't care for the rod locker.  I wish it had a larger, center style rod locker but I think I would have to upgrade to a larger boat to get that.

- The belly-mounted spare tire is attached with a specialized wing nut.  I have never had a flat tire but I realized that I would need to carry a specific size ratchet wrench to remove it if I needed to use it.  Additionally, the lug nuts on the tires and the spare aren't the same as the lug nuts on my truck tires.  So I carry a 4-prong tire wrench in the truck in case I have to change a tire.  No one told me this when I bought the boat either and luckily I didn't have to find out the hard way with a flat tire on the road.

- It is not great in rough water.  Mod V hulls don't knife through waves very well compared to standard V hulls.  Realize that I didn't buy this boat to fish the Great Lakes either though, as most of my fishing is on small to mid size lakes.  I do fish a couple of larger lakes a few times of year but I have to go when the wind is minimal or from the ideal direction.

 

So there you have it.  I maintain my boat well, and take a lot of pride in taking care of all my stuff, including this.  Last season I had 5 people ask me if the boat was brand new.  I also feel that it would demand very high resale value should I decide to upgrade (someday, I hope).

 

- Happy Ranger Boat Owner since 2015

[Tim Kelly]

Great review. What speed are you getting and which prop are you running?

[gim]

47 minutes ago, Tim Kelly said:

Great review. What speed are you getting and which prop are you running?

 

I use a 4-blade aluminum prop and get 34 mph with 1 passenger.  I recently tried 3 blade props in aluminum and SS and didn't get the performance I hoped for, so I am sticking with the current 4 blade.  The talon has some weight and it may have some air resistance too.

[Deephaven]

How is the single talon for holding?  Most of what I would use a talon for is anchoring in shallow water for a short period of time while I fan cast/change lures to dissect an area and move  on.  I have a kicker so I can only have one.

 

Curious on how many 3700's the front compartment would hold, what length and number of rods in the locker.  I obviously just bought, but have a couple friends that I think would be really well served by one.  

[DogBone_384]

I found a ‘17 RT178 for a bargain last year. I’ve got a Yammy 70 on it, Elite ti2 7 on console & ti2 9 on the bow.  I just installed a Ghost and so far love it.

 

Overall I think it’s a great first boat for smaller waters, which I fish.

 

I’ll have to give thought to a 4 blade prop.

 

Thanks for the review and enjoy your boat.

[GaryH]

1 hour ago, gimruis said:

I thought I'd do a detailed review of my boat since I've had several individuals message me about it this spring, as there seems to be interest in this particular make/model.

 

Here are the specs:

2015 Ranger RT178

Mercury 75 HP 4-stroke (max HP permitted on this model)

Ranger Trailer (single axle)

Minnkota 12 foot Talon on sandwich bracket

Minnkota 70 pound thrust Maxxum bow mount

Lowrance Elite 5 HDI at bow

Lowrance HDS 7 Carbon at console

 

I have a 21 foot garage and the overall length with the motor tilted and folded tongue is 20 feet, 10 inches.  I generally angle park it to save space.  I have had this boat for 5 full seasons now, in addition to a month and a half this spring.  I used Ford Escape to tow for one season; now I have an F-150.  75% of my fishing is bass fishing while the other 25% is a combination of walleye, panfish, and muskie fishing.

 

Here are some of the pros and cons.  I've attached photos as well (disregard the background in my garage).

 

Pros:

- Quality components.  There is no wood or cheap components built into this boat.  It is a welded aluminum modified V-hull made prior to when BPS acquired Ranger.  All the lids and flooring is aluminum.

- The outboard sips fuel, is very quiet, and reliable.  I have never had an issue with the outboard.  I get it professionally winterized every October.

- The polymer-vinyl non-skid interior coating is fantastic.  I previously always had marine carpet in boats before this one and the salesman talked me into this instead of carpet at no charge.  I'm so glad I did this.  Its so much easier to maintain and clean than carpet, it isn't slippery when wet, and it doesn't get hot in the direct sunlight.  I often take my yellow labrador with (who sheds hair) and if I had carpet, it would be full of dog hair.  If I get blood or slime or spill coffee on it, I simply hose it down later on.  The only downside is that its tougher on your knees than carpet but I'm young and can live with that.

- The layout is well thought out and maximizes space for only being a boat that is 17 feet, 8 inches long and having a console.  Storage is adequate.  Both the front and rear casting decks are quite large for a boat this size.  It is also a very wide boat for its length which provides maximum stability.

- The trailer is sturdy and designed with a "u-frame" so there is easy access to all the wiring.  It also allows for moisture to dry quicker than a standard enclosed frame trailer.

- The talon is a nice add on feature.  It has never failed in 5+ seasons and I have found that I use it more at the dock when I'm unloading/loading sometimes than when I am out fishing.

- The maxxum bow mount (24 volt, 70 pound thrust) is ideal for a boat of this size/weight.  I wish I had a spot lock, but when I bought this boat it wasn't available yet on a cable drive electric motor.

 

Cons:

- I don't care for the rod locker.  I wish it had a larger, center style rod locker but I think I would have to upgrade to a larger boat to get that.

- The belly-mounted spare tire is attached with a specialized wing nut.  I have never had a flat tire but I realized that I would need to carry a specific size ratchet wrench to remove it if I needed to use it.  Additionally, the lug nuts on the tires and the spare aren't the same as the lug nuts on my truck tires.  So I carry a 4-prong tire wrench in the truck in case I have to change a tire.  No one told me this when I bought the boat either and luckily I didn't have to find out the hard way with a flat tire on the road.

- It is not great in rough water.  Mod V hulls don't knife through waves very well compared to standard V hulls.  Realize that I didn't buy this boat to fish the Great Lakes either though, as most of my fishing is on small to mid size lakes.  I do fish a couple of larger lakes a few times of year but I have to go when the wind is minimal or from the ideal direction.

 

So there you have it.  I maintain my boat well, and take a lot of pride in taking care of all my stuff, including this.  Last season I had 5 people ask me if the boat was brand new.  I also feel that it would demand very high resale value should I decide to upgrade (someday, I hope).

 

- Happy Ranger Boat Owner since 2015

Great write up and very informative. ? She still looks new..

[gim]

5 minutes ago, Deephaven said:

How is the single talon for holding? 

 

One does not hold me in a true position.  Two would be needed for that.  But the cost is significant and it also adds double the weight.  One is more of a pivot point in conjunction with the bow mount.  I would probably have just gone with an Ultrex and spot lock instead had that been an option at the time.

 

Rod locker has 7 tubes in it.  I still use them.  You could probably take them out and fit more if you wanted to though.  I can comfortably tie down 3 on the front deck with the strap.

 

I will check on the storage in the compartments and report back.

[Boomstick]

Nice review. This boat was high on my shopping list a few years back before I went with kayaks although I was really looking for a RT188 for the extra room (with three people, the extra foot really goes a long way). This basically sums up my thoughts and impressions I had from it very nicely as well.

 

How does the single power pole work out? One of the biggest complaints I've seen is that they won't let you mount two without at least voiding the warranty.

[gim]

17 hours ago, Boomstick said:

How does the single power pole work out? One of the biggest complaints I've seen is that they won't let you mount two without at least voiding the warranty.

One talon is more of a pivot point that works in conjunction with the bow mount. To hold in a true position, 2 would be required.

 

At the time, the dealer said the only way to mount it was using the sandwich bracket. I only recently found out that the Mercury outboard 2 year warranty is voided when you use this bracket. It’s a moot point now because my outboard is 5 years old.

 

I would like the RT188 too but it won’t fit in my garage.

[Boomstick]

@gimruis I didn't even know you could mount two. At one point I read that it could be done, but would void the warranty.

[12poundbass]

Nice write up. I’ve looked at this boat is on my short list for my next boat, along with the RT188, and a Vexus AVX. 
 

edit: forgot to add the Lund Renegade to the short list ?

[gim]

11 hours ago, 12poundbass said:

forgot to add the Lund Renegade to the short list

 

The renegade series came out a year after I bought this bought otherwise I would have considered that model because it is available at a nearby dealer.  The advantage of the similar size renegade is that it can handle a 90 hp outboard instead of a 75.  Eventually, when I upgrade (not sure when that will be), I will consider the renegade series.  Ranger also now makes an RT188 with a pad hull which intrigues me too.

 

I also looked at a crestliner and bass tracker in similar sizes back in 2015.  The bass tracker was about 4 grand less but had very few customizable options, plus the dealer was twice as far away from my house.  The crestliner was about a grand less but wasn't available as soon as the ranger.  I feel like I made the best decision based on all the options available at the time.

 

13 hours ago, Boomstick said:

At one point I read that it could be done, but would void the warranty.

 

When you mount them using a sandwich bracket, it doesn't void the Ranger hull warranty.  The reason I had to use that bracket was because the transom doesn't really have a big enough flat surface to attach it directly.  However, as I previously mentioned, when you use that bracket, it voids the Mercury outboard warranty, which I wasn't aware of until last year.

[12poundbass]

37 minutes ago, gimruis said:

 

The renegade series came out a year after I bought this bought otherwise I would have considered that model because it is available at a nearby dealer.  The advantage of the similar size renegade is that it can handle a 90 hp outboard instead of a 75.  Eventually, when I upgrade (not sure when that will be), I will consider the renegade series.  Ranger also now makes an RT188 with a pad hull which intrigues me too.

 

I also looked at a crestliner and bass tracker in similar sizes back in 2015.  The bass tracker was about 4 grand less but had very few customizable options, plus the dealer was twice as far away from my house.  The crestliner was about a grand less but wasn't available as soon as the ranger.  I feel like I made the best decision based on all the options available at the time

The Trackers are nice but they’re a no go for me too because they’re basically a cookie cutter boat.

 

I have a G3 175 and they’re nice boats and I’m happy with it, but I’m wanting something a bit bigger and the storage is lacking. It gets the jobs done, and it’ll be a few years before I upgrade. 

[newbiedmv]

Nice write up thanks. I bought a 2005 Crest liner new instead of the ranger. The Crest liner is great but all the accessories are pure trash including the trailer. The boat and 50 hp 2 stroke merc are great. Ranger and crest liner were the only two I could find with the storage space. I sill have two mostly empty compartments.

[TnRiver46]

I’ve got the same trolling motor, it’s a beast