Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

Anybody taken a look at the new Ranger Reata ? Looks like it has potential as a Sun Tracker alternative.
Thoughts?

Suntrackers are expensive enough, as I don't care for their one price marketing. But bet the Ranger's going to be priced out of sight.

I still question why Ranger's coming into the retail marke?. Is Suntracker not profitable at current production levels? Is Bass Pro Shop/Tracker Marine looking for a new dealer base?

I still wonder which hedge fund actually owns Bass Pro Shops. I don't care that they won't even put a BPS store into a retail market without huge freebies in infrastructure, property tax waivers and other ways.

It tickles me to see the City of Memphis borrow $105 million to make repairs to The Pyramid expecting to be repaid from sales taxes from the 4 million people that have visited. But sales so far are only 50% of projections and the City is sucking hind tit.

Only Bennington and Forest River's pontoon brands are seeing any substantial increase in sales. We'll see how Ranger pontoons do, but their floorplans and models will not have the unlimited configurations of their lower priced competition.

I don't know. Ranger seems to be very limited on their offering as far as options/layouts (engine options seem okay though).

I don't like the painted logs at all being I keep mine in the water and have anti-fouling pain on them anyway (especially white). Their changing room, of which they show no pics of, doesn't seem to accommodate a port-a-potty either from where it is located (big advantage with women I think). Very limited in colors, no flooring options, etc.

I like just like my my Sweetwater I guess

i would suspect that the bass boat market is drying up and their pontoon offering is to stay in bussinss

Anything by Ranger is top quality.

Seems like a nice boat, I will be hitting the boat shows in Austin ans San Antonio in Jan and Feb to see whats up. Maybe I can find one of those Benny's at a lower price than a tracker that everyone talks about, I've been to all the premium dealers in my area , so far no luck.

[quote="MH Hawker"]i would suspect that the bass boat market is drying up and their pontoon offering is to stay in bussinss[/quote]

My local dealer said over the last 15 years, he has seen sales volume almost completely flip. At one time, he was 2 to 1 bass boats vs. pontoon and now it is the opposite. Bass boats are pretty one dimensional.

Ranger has a pretty strong dealer network and as DWRAT pointed out, they make a quality bass boat. If their pockets are deep enough, they may be able to hold on and break into the market.

Competition is a good thing.

Ranger Boats is not the same boat you grew up with, ever sense this happened.

In 1987, Forrest Wood sold his company to Thompson Co. of Dallas, Texas, and in 1991 Genmar Holdings of Minneapolis, Minnesota, bought Wood Manufacturing. Wood and his family continued working closely with Ranger Boats. After Genmar filed for bankruptcy in 2009, Platinum Equity acquired Ranger Boats and Stratos in February 2010 from Genmar Holdings Inc. Triton was acquired from Brunswick in July 2010.

I went thru there entire web site. I'd give it a C- for styling, Looks like a generic mid range pontoon from 2012. I figured there fish models would stand out a little given there pedigree, but they don't, nothing special or nothing everyone else doesn't offer. The powder coated tubes are the only standout. They also use Z brackets as apposed to heavy hat but it didn't say how thick so it may or may not be good enough. Price is also mid range. The worst part of the fishing line for me is the inability to fish outside the play pen at the bow, that alone is a deal breaker for me.

I was thinking the same, the fish version would be a little more fish oriented.

When you really spend time doing research this Ranger pontoon is a real quality boat. The heavy duty Z brackets that attach the pontoons to the deck are space at 6" apart for the first 2 feet. then the continue for 12" spacing for the next 2', then 24" for the deck. Compare that to the Bennington (good pontoon) they space theirs every 30" period. The powder coated logs are good. They come standard with .1 thickness on the logs compared to .09 on the lowe. The logs are standard 27", lowe 26" and there are 6 lifting stakes that are hollow to funnel water thru them so the boat turns incredible well. For the fishing aspect I had two live wells installed up front (one on the left corner, one on the right corner) and a large livewell in the back. There are place for rods, tackle, and pliers all over the boat. I have a 36v 112lb thrust trolling motor that spot locks my boat in place up to 15 mph winds and if it is really windy I use my 15' talon on the back. My boat runs above 40 mph with my Merc 200. It gives a great ride in rough water. It comes with a 52 gallon gas tank. I like the fencing on the edge of the boat so I can use my net (which extends to 5') anywhere on the deck. The interior for 2020 is amazing. With the self assist bimini top I can fish on hot days with shade and it only slows me down 2 mph, still above 40. It may be made in the tracker plant but it is a Ranger. We sold our Ranger 620 FS Walleye boat for this and never looked back.