Another Ranger Question

[Will]

Do Rangers have wood floors, or wood encased in glass or are they completly composite boats. Do they have any wood from tree in them? I like these boats, boat am leary of any wood, because over time as we all know, wood rots.

[Quicksilver]

My 1998 692 has a glass-encased wood floor and glass-encased wood in the dash and in several other areas above the floor. I have a friend who has a 1975 Ranger, original owner, and he does not baby the boat....it has been used hard. The only structural repair he has ever had to do was replace the lids on storage compartments.

Personally, I believe it is more a matter of how well a boat is designed and built and less a matter of wood vs. other materials.

Good fishing.

[ETT]

At the plant tour 6 weeks ago, we were told that they were in the process of eliminating all wood. There were a few models that still have glass encapsilated plywood floors (3 if memory serves me right). I believe my 620 is one of them.

This is my opinion only and is subject to corection by anyone who knows.

Good luck and come-on spring!!!

[geo]

I would think the 619 would to then

[Paul Neumann]

The 617 I believe is the only one with wood in the floor. Everything else has pultuded fiberglass in the floor. Although I could be wrong also.

[Big Sky]

ETT, how does one get to have a tour at Ranger?

[Paul Neumann]

They run daily tours for customers and public at the plant in Flippin.

[ChuckD]

I just looked at a new 617VS and it appeared (and I was told) that the floor was a fiberglass mold. I noticed that they custom cut the carpet, lay it into the boat and glue it to the floor. It did not have any wood floors, unless the wood was under the fiberglass mold (?), and under the floor. I could be wrong, but I could swear that's what the salesman told me, and what I observed. The boat looked like it would never "rot".

[Big Sky]

Thanks!

[Dave S]

I was told by a Ranger rep that starting with the 2002 models there is no wood being used in any of the floor construction, all fiberglass. Before 2002 the glass laminated wood floor kept the floor from getting wet and rotting. I have a 89 Ranger and the floor is rock solid, just like the day when it was new and I wash down the floor with a garden hose all the time.

[targa2]

I have a friend who has the repair contracts for many of the top boat companies. He actually prefers a boat with wood stringers and a wood transom.He claims that wood is a little more forgiving to impact. One thing is to ask if a company gel coats the interior finished work in the boat cavity. The reason for this is that over the long haul polyester resins are water-permeable. Gel resin is a lot more water resistant.Vinyl-ester resin is even more water resistant but I believe that it is primarily used in high-end boats.Grady White is a well respected company that I believe still uses wood for its stringers and transom.All things being equal you have to try pretty hard to criticize Ranger for its construction techniques.

[Dave Bentley]

Ranger only has one model that has wood in the floor and it is not the 620, and sence the year 2000 Ranger has offered a life time warrenty on all there boats to the original owner.

[T-Mac]

The only place they use wood is where something is going to get screwed to it...and not even all those places...and always encapsulated.
Also, they don't use a solid sheet of wood..that could twist or warp... they use, instead, lots of pieces of Marine laminate heading in all different directions. Not for strength... for screws to grab better.

[Otter]

Monday through Friday, excepting holidays, every hour on the half hour, excepting lunch hour. I have gone on several and they are very interesting. Since they have so many tours, groups usually aren't too large and you practically get a personal tour.