# Ordered a new 2022 Ranger Reata 2050MS ... now what?



## Bull Durham (11 mo ago)

I've owned an 18' 2002 Four Winns Horizon Fish N Ski with a 150hp Yamaha OB for 18 years. Been an INCREDIBLE boat! Great to ski behind, fish lake erie, ... just love the boat! I have casually looked at boats over the years and never saw one I liked for what I do (waterski, family stuff and fish lake erie (perch and walleye)) better than mine until a few weeks ago. I don't think I'd ever seen any of the Ranger Reata or Angler boats (1850MS, 2050MS, 1880MS, 2080MS) until Jan 21 and ordered a 2050MS Jan 22, ... I wasn't even shopping for a boat! Still can't believe I did it! I'm not an impulsive person. As I wait on the boat, I have all sorts of questions but as I search the internet, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of talk about them. I see a few posts for older boats, but I get the impression the boat has changed a bit in recent years. I'll obviously find out soon enough, but just curious if anyone owns one of the newer models, or even know of someone who does and what their thoughts are.

1) What's the wake like for slalom skiing, especially cutting hard across the wake? The Ranger (boat and motor) is about 500lbs heavier than my current boat (dry weight) so I'm a bit concerned the boat is going to have a pretty big wake and I'm not gonna be able to cut nearly as hard as I do now.
2) Did the boat change recently ... like around 2018? If so, what changed (hull, interior layout, both)?
3) Boat comes with a 19P Tempest which is what I run on my FW, anybody prefer other props and why?
4) A bit off topic here, but I keep seeing posts where guys mention they have a VROD, ... what is a VROD?

Appreciate any info or comments anyone has to offer!


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## Ranger6 (Dec 27, 2015)

Congratulations on your new rig. I am not familiar with that model so I will leave those questions to someone that owns one. 
I know with any boat I have ever owned I liked to mess with props until I got one I liked.
Vrod=Verado


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## flounder (May 15, 2004)

Congrats on the purchase. Just out of curiosity what did they tell you on delivery time?

I love my '07 Reata with the 150 Vmax smoker and a four blade 21p, but really different from the MS boats now.


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## loves2fishinohio (Apr 14, 2011)

Congrats on your new ride. I wish I had something else to post about it.


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## Bull Durham (11 mo ago)

flounder said:


> Congrats on the purchase. Just out of curiosity what did they tell you on delivery time?
> 
> I love my '07 Reata with the 150 Vmax smoker and a four blade 21p, but really different from the MS boats now.


Thanks guys! Glad to year you love your '07!

When I "placed" the order on Jan 22, they told me 4 months. I got the impression that sometimes they come in, in 3 months, but they'd rather tell you 4 and be pleasantly surprised than tell you 3 and have you disappointed. That being said, after placing the order I went home and really looked at available options and colors. Long story short, the original order was cancelled and the dealer submitted a new order on Jan 27. Ranger sent the dealer a confirmation on Feb 8, and I still had some questions about some of the things in the confirmation and that took a couple more days to work out, so the order just got confirmed on Friday the 11th. From what I understand, they should be giving me a "build date" in the next few days. From what I've seen, it seems like it takes about 5 - 10 days for them to "build" them, and then I would assume a week or 2 to get them shipped. I'll let you know what the build date as soon as I know and I'll try get a little better idea of how long it takes after that before the dealer receives the boat.

I'm SO freakin' excited, I can't stand it! Never thought I'd own a Ranger, ... especially a new one! Believe it or not, I called my wife and told her on the 21st that she was gonna have to talk me out of buying a boat. Her response, "I'm not talking you out of that! You work hard and deserve it! Life's too short!" I think I'll keep her!


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## fasteddy (Jul 15, 2012)

I'm jealous, I should buy a new one too, got the money, damn frugality stops me(nothing wrong with my 52 year old boat). I hope you can get some sleep in the next 3 months. Don't forget the transom plug when you take it out. Ha,Ha, just joking.


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## Bull Durham (11 mo ago)

fasteddy said:


> I'm jealous, I should buy a new one too, got the money, damn frugality stops me(nothing wrong with my 52 year old boat). I hope you can get some sleep in the next 3 months. Don't forget the transom plug when you take it out. Ha,Ha, just joking.


Lol! Wouldn't be the first time (or even second) if I did forget the plug. These things have a remote plug though so you don't have to jump in the water or put it back on the trailer if you do forget the plug! Just gotta flip 2 switches: 1 to put the plug in and 1 to pump the water out! Pretty sweet!

I say if you got the dough, go for it! 

Life's too short!
You can't take it with you!
And probably my favorite: Fly first class or your heirs will!


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## bobk (Apr 30, 2004)

Congratulations on your new boat. That’s a great boat for doing what you have planned. Have patience on the build.


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## Dovans (Nov 15, 2011)

Bull Durham said:


> Lol! Wouldn't be the first time (or even second) if I did forget the plug. These things have a remote plug though so you don't have to jump in the water or put it back on the trailer if you do forget the plug! Just gotta flip 2 switches: 1 to put the plug in and 1 to pump the water out! Pretty sweet!
> 
> I say if you got the dough, go for it!
> 
> ...


I have the remote plug on my Ranger and it is very nice to flip the switch. Have auto bilge so do not have to flip that one. It took quite awhile to get use to that plug as well


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## DHower08 (Nov 20, 2015)

What motor did you order with it


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## Bull Durham (11 mo ago)

DHower08 said:


> What motor did you order with it


Merc 250 XL Pro XS 

Saw the DTS and "VROD" 😉 as options but couldn't see anything about them to make me want to spend the extra $. Looked at it as some higher tech stuff that could break.

Hope the Merc is as good to me as the Yamaha has been!


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

Congrats on your new ride.
Sorry...I do not own that model of boat nor do I have any experience with them so cannot give any advice.
Hope you and family have many years of enjoyment in it.


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## DHower08 (Nov 20, 2015)

Bull Durham said:


> Merc 250 XL Pro XS
> 
> Saw the DTS and "VROD" 😉 as options but couldn't see anything about them to make me want to spend the extra $. Looked at it as some higher tech stuff that could break.
> 
> Hope the Merc is as good to me as the Yamaha has been!


You should be able to turn a 24 pitch on that no problem. If wanting to ski I would look at a 4 blade


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## Bull Durham (11 mo ago)

DHower08 said:


> You should be able to turn a 24 pitch on that no problem. If wanting to ski I would look at a 4 blade


Yea, I was really surprised that big motor came with a 19 pitch. I don't mind playing with props a little, but I'd much rather be fishing or skiing than playing with props. Was hoping someone who actually had one of these boats could post some notes on their experiences. I'm also really curious what the wake is like on these boats running about 32mph. Hoping it's a lot more like a bass boat wake than an I/O boat wake!


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## DHower08 (Nov 20, 2015)

Should not be like a wake boat. You will be on plane for sure at 30+ mph so the wake shouldn't be too bad depending on what dealer you ordered it from they may get you the correct prop in exchange for the one that comes with the motor


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## bobk (Apr 30, 2004)

I tried a bunch of props on my 620’s. The rev 4 21 pitch will perform very well on Lake Erie. I’d try to get them to put that prop on the boat from the factory. Your wake will be fine.


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## Ranger6 (Dec 27, 2015)

I agree with Bob, it's more than likely going to be in the 19-21p range depending on how you load the boat up with weight. My boat does great with a 21 when it's not loaded down with people, tackle, fuel, a full livewell and other things. But for how I keep my boat loaded and crew that fishes with me a 19P does way better. I am also running a Rev4.


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## Bull Durham (11 mo ago)

*JUST GOT MY BUILD DATE: 4/7/2022!!!* According to the dealer (Vic's), that is the expected date for the boat to be FINISHED! 8 weeks from when I confirmed the order. They said it doesn't necessarily ship out right away, and dealer will need to prep it, but sounds like I might get actually get it toward the end of April! 



bobk said:


> I tried a bunch of props on my 620’s. The rev 4 21 pitch will perform very well on Lake Erie. I’d try to get them to put that prop on the boat from the factory. Your wake will be fine.





Ranger6 said:


> I agree with Bob, it's more than likely going to be in the 19-21p range depending on how you load the boat up with weight. My boat does great with a 21 when it's not loaded down with people, tackle, fuel, a full livewell and other things. But for how I keep my boat loaded and crew that fishes with me a 19P does way better. I am also running a Rev4.


*bobk, ranger6, DHower08*: Got some of the pieces, but what exactly are your rigs (boat, motor, prop)?

I'm certain it's too late to ask them to change the prop at the factory. When I confirmed the order last week, they told me "No more changes" after this. But that's OK. 

Don't know how much difference there is in the hull of the 620 and 2050 but I'd think they are VERY similar, ... and the boats weigh almost the same (2400 and 2375 lbs). Looks like the Rev 4 has 2 - votes so I'll definitely need to give that one a try!


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## Ranger6 (Dec 27, 2015)

Bull, I am running a 621, with a 300 Vrod (Verado) Rev4 19p, so it does weigh a little bit more. Your hull weight is going to be close to a 620. I could run a 21 pitch but when I get 3 or 4 guys, and a loaded boat, I did not like how it handled at all. I will also say that I wasn’t overly excited with how the Rev4 19p handled when I first installed it but it was the best I came up with. I decided to have the 19p sent out to have some work done to it and when it came back I was extremely happy with how it worked.
I’ll let Bob jump in with his details, and what props he tried, but he is running a 620 with 250pro xs, 4 stroke.
Vics will (should) work with you on the right prop when you pick the boat up.


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## Bull Durham (11 mo ago)

Hey guys, 
Been a while, but not long enough that I've got my boat yet. Pics below are taken from other sites. Vic's said they typically get the boat about 10 days after build date, so still hoping to have it on the water by end of April.

Looking for some ideas here. Long story short, I'm looking at ideas/thoughts/personal experiences to add a marine radio and 1 or 2 depth finder head units to my console. Would love to see pics of others setups and hear what they like and don't like about them. 

The boat comes with a 5" Hook Reveal in the console which I planned on pulling and selling with my old boat. I had a Lowrance 9" Ti2 on my old boat and was planning to put that on my new boat until I saw that Bass Pro had their HDS Carbon 9" and 12" units on sale/clearance. Won't bore you with my crazy thought process that got me to this point, but right now I've got 3 of the 9" units and 2 of the 12" HDS Carbon units, and YES, I'm returning some of them! Just wanted to have options while I was deciding (they've already sold out of the 9" units). The other thing to factor into the equation is I'd like to have a marine radio somewhere. Considered a handheld radio, but I don't think that's gonna cut it 5 - 8 mi from shore.








Here are the options I've come up with for the console:
1) 12" unit where the Hook unit is in the pic above. Marine radio where the sunglasses are in the pic above, or maybe under the dash.
2) 2 - 9" units, 1 mounted where the Hook is, and the other mounted above it with a bracket like the one in the pic below. Pretty sure the marine radio would have to go under the dash or maybe on the port side of the boat if that'll even work.









My thoughts:
1) Like the idea of 2 - 9s vs 1 - 12". A 9" dies, I've got a backup and not as expensive to replace. The 12" dies, ... and !!
2) Option 1 will be a cleaner look.
3) I like the idea of displaying sonar on one of the 9's and a chart on the other 9 rather than a split screen on the 12
4) At the end of the day, the cost of 2 - 9's will be almost exactly the same as 1 - 12". 
5) I think 2 - 9's actually gives me more "real estate" screen wise
6) I don't like the idea of the marine radio on the port side. It's primarily there for emergency use though, so I could be talked into it. There is a spot I could put it:










Also trying to decide what I should put in the bow: 
A) 9"
B) 12"
My current thoughts: Leaning toward option A just because it's half the $ and I mostly troll. BUT (there's always a but ...) I'm planning to move south soon, so I may end up doing a lot more fishing from the bow. Don't wanna be saying, "Wish I'd have put the 12" in when I had the opportunity" but don't want to be saying, "I've got that really expensive 12" unit in my bow that I never use!" either. 
Appreciate any thoughts and ideas you guys can toss my way!


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## bobk (Apr 30, 2004)

2-9’s at the console would be my choice. I’ve always had 2 at the console for the reasons you’ve mentioned.
My boat came rigged with the 12” so until I win the lottery that’s what I’ll use. Couple of pictures where I have mounted stuff. Assuming you have rails on the bow. I had to fabricate a bracket for the marine radio.


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## Bull Durham (11 mo ago)

Thanks bobk! That helps. Had a little side conversation with Ranger6 and he gave me some good advice too. Seems like you agree, 2 - 9s would be a better setup than 1 - 12.

Can I ask why you mounted your antenna on the port side, even though the radio is on the starboard? Seems like it would have been a lot easier to mount on the starboard.

Also, I like that rail mount. No holes to drill other than for the wire to come through. I was a little concerned with the antenna slipping on the rail when it's up and rockin' on rough water. Any issues with that?


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## bobk (Apr 30, 2004)

No issue with the antenna mount slipping at all. I used a piece of inner tube on the rail before placing the mount. Sucks drilling holes in a new boat.

The antenna is on the port side to give some distance from the radio for less chance of any feedback when transmitting. It was easy feeding the cable over to the radio.


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## Bull Durham (11 mo ago)

Almost started a new thread for this, but wasn't sure what the protocol is.

Looking at Bert's and Cisco tracks. Cisco looks to be a little better quality, cheaper and relatively local, but I want to put step pads in when boating with the family in the summer. Cisco doesn't have step pads and Bert's end caps are a little different than Cisco so I don't think Bert's pads will fit cleanly into the Cisco tracks. Anybody, tried Bert's pads in the Cisco tracks?


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## man164 (Sep 21, 2014)

The tracks are all the same dimensions……Bert’s, Cisco, Traxstech, etc.


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## wivywoo (Apr 30, 2012)

Hey Bull, I was talking to Tom from Vic's up at the boat show today about tracks for my boat when it comes in. He said that he has all of that stuff there and can mount it for me. You may want to talk to him before you buy anything.


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## Bull Durham (11 mo ago)

Thanks guys. Yea, I know they are the same dimensions. However, if you look at the end caps and design of the ends, they are different. I haven't looked closely at Traxstech, but Berts has a single screw to hold an end cap on, and Cisco tracks have a set screw in each corner as a stop. There's no "end cap" on the Cisco tracks just the screws for stops.

Bert's:








Cisco:









Bert's seems to be the only one that makes the step pads. This is an image of a 6" step pad. See how the track is cut on the end to go around the single screw in the Berts track? But now that I'm pasting these pics and comparing, it looks like the step pad is cut and will accommodate the 2 stop screws in the Cisco track. However, it looks like there's quite a bit cut out along the edges so the step pad would probably fit, but slide back and forth in the Cisco track.








And before someone says something, my wife got me this T-shirt for Christmas 









I know I'm WAYYY overthinking this one.

Anyway, ...yea Gary, I already talked to Tom about Vic's putting the tracks on my boat when I first placed the order. You guys will love this, ... depending on the boat you order, Ranger charges a different price for the same tracks. First, looks like they only offer them for the fiberglass boats. For the Reata, they want $795 for 60 in tracks and $695 for 48 in tracks!! Insane!!! For FS series boats, they only charge $275 for 60" tracks. For Angler series, they charge $425 for 48 in tracks and $475 for 60 in tracks! 

Vic's has a few things they are going to install for me when the boat comes in. Tracks is one of them. But then I watched this video and see how simple it is to install those things. I can order them now and put them on myself when the boat comes in. Still may have Vic's do it, I don't know, but I can certainly do this!
How to Install Bert's Custom Tackle Track System On Ranger 622FS Pro Boat


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## Bull Durham (11 mo ago)

Went to the Cleveland boat show at the IX Center today. 

I gotta start by giving a shout out to Vic's. Talked to both Tom and Victor and a few others on their staff for quite a while today. They were obviously there to sell boats, but I never felt like that. I can't even put into words how nice these guys are to deal with. They took time to talk to me and understand and answer my questions even though I've already got a boat on order. They know their products, inventory and business very well. So many times you go to a car dealership and feel like you know more about the car than the salesman. Not these guys. These guys know their stuff and they aren't throwing you a line of bull to get you to buy.

As for the tracks, got to see Bert's, Cisco and MuddyCreek stuff all up close. LEWT had a boat on display with Cisco tracks and Berts step pads between the various items in the tracks. Confirmed that Bert's is the only one that makes the step pads, but found out the step pads are a solid plastic. The display had step pad cut into several shorter pieces between the various items in the track which made for a very nice display. Wish I'd have taken a pic to post, but hopefully anyone reading this gets the idea. For example, I could cut a 72" step pad down to fit in a 60" Cisco or Muddycreek track if I wanted a perfect fit. 

Ended up buying some of the MuddyCreek tracks and their electronics mount. They were priced very competitive to Cisco. The feature that tipped the scales was in addition to the set screws like the Cisco mounts have, they have a quick release pin so you're not having to deal with tiny set screws or end cap screws if you need to change something out when you're on the water. Just looked at their website and it doesn't do them justice. They had a really nice display at the boat show of what appeared to be very high quality products. Not sure what's up with their website but if they get that looking anywhere near as good as the display at the boat show, I'm certain they'll start selling a lot more products. In addition, the Cisco site is displaying the following message: "All orders being placed right now may take approximately 7-8 weeks to ship due to high order volume and the current aluminum" so I'm not sure I'd have gotten any of my order before I get my boat.

Here's a pic of the quick release. They said they've had several people order these quick release pins and drill holes in their current tracks to accommodate them.


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## Bull Durham (11 mo ago)

View attachment 485265


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## bobk (Apr 30, 2004)

Center cutout Cisco tracks and you don’t have to mess with pins.


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## Bull Durham (11 mo ago)

So, latest update....
Talked to Vic's about 2 weeks ago and they said Ranger had pushed my build date out from Apr 6 to Apr 13 (yesterday). Called Vic's this morning to see if it was really completed. They said the boat had moved to "Final Assembly", ... but they couldn't tell me exactly what that meant. It could be that they are waiting on some parts to complete the boat, or .... they didn't know. They said they were going to call the rep to try to find out more because they had a few boats that had build dates of Mar 31 that were still in that status. So,....yea, I don't know much at the moment. I asked if it'd be OK if I called back on Monday, and they said that'd be fine. Hopefully, I'll know more then.


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## Bull Durham (11 mo ago)

So, I'd posted my old boat for sale on Facebook Marketplace on 4/12 and was at the time thinking I may not even be able to get the boat sold by the time the new one is done. Well, I had a full price offer before last weekend. Due to weather and a few other factors, the deal didn't get finalized until yesterday. But yea, ... the prime weeks of the Lake Erie walleye season coming up and I'm now boatless. 

Vic's - can't say enough about them - helped me close the sale on my old boat yesterday, so while I was in there I was able to get a little more of an update on my Ranger.

My new Ranger has been in purgatory (aka - Final Assembly) for a little over a week now. Vic's told me Ranger had been waiting on a part and that part was scheduled to be arriving at the factory during the latter part of this last week (i.e. - yesterday). I'm hoping the part is already at the factory at this point and hoping my boat finds its way onto a truck headed for Akron in the coming week. Also, while I was there I talked to a guy that was picking up his 622 that he'd ordered back in Nov. He said his boat arrived at Vic's a little over a week ago (i.e. - the dealer prep took about a week). So, I'm guessing I'll be boatless for at least 2, maybe 3 more weeks but at least I have a little better idea of when I might actually get the boat.

A couple of other notes ... 

*Anchor* - I got to thinking I've never seen an anchor on any of the boats I've looked at. Asked about that yesterday too. Yea, they don't come with one. It's likely I'll never need it because I'd use spot lock on the trolling motor, but to be legal you've got to have one.
*Hour meter* - I'd been reading the manual on my Merc and oil needs changed every 100 hours. Also, several people had asked how many hours were on my old motor and I had no idea. Got to thinking how do I tell how many hours are on the new motor. Vic's told me I can get a VesselView Mobile® module and install it on the motor which will provide hours and a lot of other info. Started researching that last night. I had no idea how much technology had been built into those motors! Found some things about SmartTow and SmartCraft, Still can't wrap my mind around it all, but since I like to ski so much that SmartTow would have been a really cool thing to have. It requires DTS on the motor though and I didn't order that because I couldn't figure out the advantages of it.
Well, that's all I've got for now.
Tight lines!


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## Bull Durham (11 mo ago)

Another week, and no change in the boat status, ... boat was still in purgatory when I called yesterday. Dealer said they'd try to find out what was going on. Feeling like I'll be on house arrest for at least two more weeks. 😔


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## AceMan1 (Nov 14, 2019)

Sweet setup


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## Bull Durham (11 mo ago)

AceMan1 said:


> Sweet setup


Yea, some of these guys have private messaged me pics of their boats, and I've seen quite a few up close too ... they are SWEET!

The first time I walked into Vic's I was drooling all over myself!


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## Bull Durham (11 mo ago)

Called today. Still in purgatory. Ranger is still waiting on switch panels. "Supposed to be in by the end of the week." Same story as 2 weeks ago. 😔


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## Bull Durham (11 mo ago)

Called earlier today. Same basic story, they didn't say they were supposed to be in by the end of the week this time though. Boat is still waiting on a switch panel. So, the house arrest continues. Vic's told me they have 10 boats on order, all waiting for the same thing. Ranger has got to have 100 or more boats sitting out in a field waiting on those panels. I gotta believe they are doing everything in their power to get those panels ASAP. Saw an article today that Ford has 53,000 vehicles built waiting on computer chips due to the semiconductor shortage. I guess a few hundred boats is pretty insignificant in comparison, ... unless one of them is yours, lol!


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## man164 (Sep 21, 2014)

It isn’t just Ranger….. I have a Hewescraft being built….. boat is built but was waiting on a motor…. Switched to a motor that was said to be in stock….. waiting for almost 3 weeks to be rigged with motor and shipped….. still waiting and no updates on what is going on…..


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## Bull Durham (11 mo ago)

man164 said:


> It isn’t just Ranger….. I have a Hewescraft being built….. boat is built but was waiting on a motor…. Switched to a motor that was said to be in stock….. waiting for almost 3 weeks to be rigged with motor and shipped….. still waiting and no updates on what is going on…..


I feel your pain, brother!!!! Guessing there are a lot of guys out there in the same "boat" (pun intended)  as us!


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## Dovans (Nov 15, 2011)

Hmmmm Knox Marina had some sort of Ranger MS boat in stock...


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## Bull Durham (11 mo ago)

Dovans said:


> Hmmmm Knox Marina had some sort of Ranger MS boat in stock...


HAHA!!! You're killin' me! I'm being totally honest here, I've had that thought - just walk away from the one I ordered, give up my deposit and buy one that's available. Won't go into all my reasons, but I can't do that.

I looked at that boat in March. It was a* Fusion Electra* Fire Red 2080MS (Angler) instead of a *Reata Mist Fusion* Fire Red 2050MS (Reata) that I ordered. I did just check their website though and I don't see that boat anymore, so I'm guessing it's been sold.

The 2080 and 2050 are nearly identical. The ONLY difference structurally between the 2 boats is interior layout. The 2080 has a rod locker under the front deck. The 2050 has a rod/ski locker under the floor and storage under the front deck. Honestly, if I had it to do over, I probably would have ordered the 2080, but I had a misunderstanding of the differences between the boats at the time I placed my order.

There were 2 things specifically that I remember I didn't like about the boat Knox had:

Inside deck (inner hull) is Eclipse Onyx Mist (Black). I'm going to be moving to Georgia and a black interior seems like it'd be really hot (temperature hot)! The Reata inside deck is Alloy Mist (light silver metalflake) in the *Reata Mist Fusion* Fire Red color scheme. As far as I can tell, that is the only difference between "Fusion Fire Red" color scheme in a Reata vs an Angler, but I definitely don't want a black interior.
There was a 9.9 Kicker on it, but it was not an EFI. The new 2022 Mercury 9.9 kickers are EFI. Additionally, the 2022 9.9 kickers have a bigger alternator equivalent to the 15HP. The only thing I can figure is that the boat Knox had must have been one of the first 2022 models to be shipped, and it was shipped with a 2021 kicker.


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## Bull Durham (11 mo ago)

Spoiler alert @snapper, nobody's called to tell me they've found my boat! 😂😭 

Stopped out at Vic's yesterday. Was worth the trip. After I found out nothing had changed with my boat and there are apparently a lot more boats sitting in some field in FLIPPIN (Pun intended) Arkansas than I originally thought, I did find out another OGF member's boat came in yesterday! That was pretty exciting! Problem is, it didn't really give me much hope about mine other than he ordered his at about the same time I ordered mine. His is a very different model.

Was poking around and looked at Ranger's site this week. The site is updated for 2023 models now. Base prices went up a lot - over 8%!


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## snapper (Aug 18, 2011)

I hope you won’t be waiting much longer, maybe meeting the other ogf there was a good sign for you.


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## DHower08 (Nov 20, 2015)

I would be looking for one in stock somewhere and getting my deposit back from Vic's


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## bobk (Apr 30, 2004)

DHower08 said:


> I would be looking for one in stock somewhere and getting my deposit back from Vic's


Vic’s should not have told him 4 months. Anything to get your money though. Actually 4 months isn’t up until June 11th. 6 months should be the norm to tell a customer on a new build. That way if it is completed in 5 you’re happy. Tell them 4 to get the signature and it takes 5 then your frustration builds.

In stock rangers are really hard to find. I looked all over the place last year to find one.


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## Shad Rap (Nov 10, 2010)

Yeah 4 months is ridiculous...you're looking at at least 6 months, possibly longer...I heard of one guy awhile back waited damn near a year for a Ranger.


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## Bull Durham (11 mo ago)

First, apologies for the epistle here... I'll edit it to include chapter and verse numbers if you want. 😂



bobk said:


> Vic’s should not have told him 4 months. Anything to get your money though. Actually 4 months isn’t up until June 11th. 6 months should be the norm to tell a customer on a new build. That way if it is completed in 5 you’re happy. Tell them 4 to get the signature and it takes 5 then your frustration builds.
> 
> In stock rangers are really hard to find. I looked all over the place last year to find one.


Believe me, I look at Ranger's just about every night. This boat IS for sale (haven't called to verify though), and the exact same boat I ordered (2050MS Fusion Fire Red), but has options I didn't want and even more missing that I did want. Not close enough to what I really want to consider it. I even wander around Vic's when I'm there and see if there are are any I'd settle for. So far, no.



Shad Rap said:


> Yeah 4 months is ridiculous...you're looking at at least 6 months, possibly longer...I heard of one guy awhile back waited damn near a year for a Ranger.


*I really appreciate you guys commiserating with me*. While I TOTALLY agree 4 going into 5 months is ridiculous ... and I am VERY frustrated it is taking so long. This world is REALLY screwed up right now. In my opinion, Vic's is not part of the problem though. I have to say if more businesses were run like Vic's, I think this world would be a much better place.

Vic's promised nothing. Actually, Ranger promised nothing. I asked Vic's ABOUT how long they THOUGHT it would take before I signed the order. The guy from Vic's said (and I'm paraphrasing what I remember):
I've been telling people 4 months. If it comes in 4, I'm right. If it comes in 3, you'll be extremely happy. If it comes in 5, ... well, er, um ...
I really believe he expected my boat to be in, in about 3 months, but added a month cushion so I wouldn't be upset if it wasn't there in 3 months. AND, if it weren't for this 1 missing part, he would have been right because my boat was "completed" on Apr 13 except for this missing part.

The other OGF member whose boat came in this week, placed his order a week AFTER I did. Vic's was right on the money on that one.
When I was in there on Thursday, I told the guy who told me 4 months, "BTW, ... tomorrow will be 4 months from the day I placed the order, ... not that I'm keeping track. 😉" He knew exactly what I was talking about and I know he felt bad.

I have no doubt I could walk into Vic's on Tuesday morning and ask for my deposit back and they'd give it to me.

I don't normally talk this highly about an organization or business. I would list all of the reasons why I think Vic's is such a great business, but I honestly think if I did, some jackwagon out there would use that info to try to take advantage of them.

Here's my frustration. It could be on a truck headed for Akron this week, or it could be 6 or 8 more months like @Shad Rap said. From what I've been told, the boat is built. It's missing 1 part - a switch panel. No one seems to have a clue when that part is going to be in though. Heck, it could have arrived at the Ranger plant on Friday for all I know. I've been told, "They are hoping to have it resolved by the end of the week" for about 6 weeks now. If I knew it was going to be another 6 or 8 months, I'd be looking a lot harder for an stock boat, ... and if I'd known that before April 22, I probably would not have sold my old boat. I knew I was taking a risk either way when I had an opportunity to sell my old boat. If I sold my old boat and the new one didn't come in, I'm without a boat for however long. If I decided to wait until the new one comes in, then I'm hoping to sell it quick or end up trading it for a lot less than what I got for it. I sold the boat when I had an opportunity. Did I make a bad choice? Maybe, maybe not. If I hold on to it until June or July, ... or October 😳, maybe I can't sell it when the new one comes in. 

Anyway, I've rambled FAR too long. Apologies, but again, really appreciate everyone's support.


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## wivywoo (Apr 30, 2012)

Well said Bull. By the way, I'm the other OGF guy who's boat did come in. Bull, if I get the opportunity, I will try to get together with you to get you out on the water. Hopefully, you will have yours soon.


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## Bull Durham (11 mo ago)

wivywoo said:


> Well said Bull. By the way, I'm the other OGF guy who's boat did come in. Bull, if I get the opportunity, I will try to get together with you to get you out on the water. Hopefully, you will have yours soon.


Thanks! I'm sure Vic's will be getting yours rigged up quick. Looking forward to seeing that new boat in action! I'll definitely return the favor once mine comes in!


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## joekacz (Sep 11, 2013)

BD…first the best thing you did was sell your old boat…not a worry now…second is that I don’t understand why Ranger or Vic’s install a generic panel until the Ranger one shows up …your hostage to a switch panel…I may be missing something here but it doesn’t make sense to me…good luck


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## Bull Durham (11 mo ago)

joekacz said:


> BD…first the best thing you did was sell your old boat…not a worry now…second is that I don’t understand why Ranger or Vic’s install a generic panel until the Ranger one shows up …your hostage to a switch panel…I may be missing something here but it doesn’t make sense to me…good luck


Thanks, @joekacz ! It's easy to second guess my decision right now, but I agree, selling my old boat was the right thing to do. Being without a boat is rich people problems. There are lots of people in this world that'd trade places with me in a heartbeat. Having a boat of any kind, even if it's on order, is truly a blessing and something to be thankful for. I keep losing sight of that, especially on Thursday's when I call Vic's for an update.

As for the switch panel, well I'm guessing it's this thing. 








Holds horn, lights, bilge, livewell, ignition and some other switches. Maybe there are generic's out there that will work, but seems like a very specific part to hold all of those switches.
Apparently, at one time, Ranger would ship boats out that weren't finished, but dealers were getting invoiced for inventory they couldn't sell. They stopped doing that. Now, I'm told, no boat leaves the factory until it's complete with all parts. Ranger can't collect any money on the boat until it's ready to sell other than dealer prep. Since Ranger has control over the supplier relationship, not the dealers, that's really the way it should be.


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## Bull Durham (11 mo ago)

The wait is almost over! 😁
Dealer told me he got a call today and It's being delivered on Monday morning!
Here's what happened since my last update....
I'd called on Thurs June 2, was still in Final Assembly. Called Ranger just to see if I could get any additional information and got the same story. Called Ranger again on Tuesday June 7 and they couldn't find the order. They told me that meant it'd was being shipped and the dealer may have some additional info. Immediately called the dealer but they didn't have any additional info. Checked in with the dealer again on Thursday, but still no additional info. He then told me that he got a call today and it is being delivered Monday morning. There is light at the end of the tunnel!


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## snapper (Aug 18, 2011)

I think all of OGF is anxiously awaiting your boat. Post a couple pictures when you finally take possession


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## Bull Durham (11 mo ago)

snapper said:


> I think all of OGF is anxiously awaiting your boat. Post a couple pictures when you finally take possession


😁
I most certainly will!!!


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## Bull Durham (11 mo ago)

He's already got it in the shop, had the windshield on when I got there, and is thinking I can pick it up on ... Friday 😳
😁😁😁

.... and before anyone comments, that 5" graph is coming out.


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## snapper (Aug 18, 2011)

Congratulations, that’s a beautiful boat. I’m sure the wait was worth it,and hopefully they finish rigging up quickly so you can break that bad boy in.


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## bobk (Apr 30, 2004)

Bull, are you getting g a tie bar for the 9.9 to steer it? That looks like a challenge to reach back there to use the kicker. One more day!


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## Popspastime (Apr 1, 2014)

I wouldn't pull that thing out until he's made all his sale commitments..be warned..


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## DHower08 (Nov 20, 2015)

Popspastime said:


> I wouldn't pull that thing out until he's made all his sale commitments..be warned..


I will second third and fourth and however many more this. I know multiple people who have dropped some serious coin at vics, like buy a house type money. It's always the same story, they are going to install (insert accessory here) when it comes in. And it doesn't happen. Don't leave with that boat untill EVERYTHING that was agreed on is installed to YOUR satisfaction. Even if you have to leave it there till it's ready.


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## Bull Durham (11 mo ago)

Popspastime said:


> I wouldn't pull that thing out until he's made all his sale commitments..be warned..


Sorry for the delayed response, been a crazy couple of days!

Picked up the boat last night! The only thing I ordered that wasn't installed was bow rails and those aren't paid for. Honestly, I can easily live without them. Only ordered them for wife and kids to hold onto when they are riding in the bow, which I'm not a fan of anyway, so it's kind of a good excuse to tell them they can't ride up there. Appreciate the warnings though. Everything was set up and installed just the way I wanted! Sorry to hear some have had bad experiences at Vic's. My experience has been so good, I honestly have a tough time even imagining that, but I'm sure it it happens.



> Bull, are you getting g a tie bar for the 9.9 to steer it? That looks like a challenge to reach back there to use the kicker. One more day!


I did not get a tie bar. There are no controls at the helm either. My thought was that kicker is just gonna be used to provide power so I don't need to run the electric so hard. I'll steer and tweak speed with the electric. Rode in another guys boat when he did that. Pretty sure he had all the controls, but he never used them when we were out. Only time I plan on steering with that motor is during break-in and if the big motor ever leaves me stranded.

Broke the big motor in last night. I've never been so petrified to launch and retrieve a boat in my life! I'm sure I've done it hundreds of times, but man was I nervous last night! Was more concerned with getting familiar with everything than taking pics, so I didn't do any of that last night. I'll try to post more pics today though.

The boat fits in my garage like an "OJ" glove! I knew it was gonna be tight, but wow. Knew garage wasn't deep enough to go straight in, so I'd have to angle it in my double door, but thought I might still be able to get a car in there. That ain't happening! 😂


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## DHower08 (Nov 20, 2015)

Glad you have had a great experience so far. Enjoy the boat. Everyone I know has had a great experience during the sale. It's the aftershave stuff everyone has complained about hopefully it's better for you


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## Bull Durham (11 mo ago)

DHower08 said:


> Glad you have had a great experience so far. Enjoy the boat. Everyone I know has had a great experience during the sale. It's the aftershave stuff everyone has complained about hopefully it's better for you


Well ....
I took it back to Vics last night. I'm getting water in the starboard battery compartment, and it's not draining to the bilge. Siphoned a little over 3 gallons out after each outing this weekend. Vics is looking at it and I'm hoping to get it back this afternoon.
My biggest disappointment so far is with the under floor rod storage











The rod storage is advertised as 7'6". Bought new shorter (7'6") trolling rods, but only 2 of the 9 tubes are 7'6". Asked Vics if they could come up with some straps on the front deck or something. Worst case, I break the rods down, but not really something I want to deal with.

Real happy with the console layout though. Thanks alot to @Ranger6  and @bobk for the guidance they provided on that!


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## bobk (Apr 30, 2004)

Did you have the livewell full? That’s usually where the water gets into the rear compartments.


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## Dovans (Nov 15, 2011)

why are there two holes in front of your rod storage


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## bobk (Apr 30, 2004)

🤔 snaps for the carpet.


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## DHower08 (Nov 20, 2015)

bobk said:


> 🤔 snaps for the carpet.


Snap in carpet. It's for removal for cleaning drying etc... Not a bad idea really especially in the cockpit area


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## DHower08 (Nov 20, 2015)

Hopefully they get you fixed up. It's probably the live well leaking into the rear compartments. Don't know where else it could come from unless you were out in a heavy rain storm. I know the storage is suppose to be dry but we all know how that goes. 

As far as the rod locker. They likey advertised it could hold rods up to 7'6 they just didn't say how many. No way out of that one. Only option would be to remove the rod tubes and rod tube rack thing that the tubes are attatched too. No need for rod tubes anyways


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## BeerBatter (Aug 1, 2006)

Not trying to be an xxxhole or anything.
I would never ever let someone ride in the bow
Only time to be up there is launching, docking, retrieving only under no wake speeds.
Very nice boat btw
Bow rails are very handy addition to the above instances launching docking retrieving


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## Bull Durham (11 mo ago)

Sorry for the delayed response on these, but I've been busy playing!!! 😁

Boated over 100 walleye already. Had it on Erie 5 times so far out of Sheffield and Geneva and on Milton and West Branch so far. Had a lot of "catching" up to do!

As for water in the compartment. Vic's fixed that in less than a day. Not gonna provide any more details other that to say somebody made a mistake. I was told the truth about what was wrong and it's fixed. Can't ask for much more than that. I've made plenty of mistakes and am really thankful no one's publicized them all over the internet, so I'm not gonna do that to someone else.

Anyway, regarding the question:



Dovans said:


> why are there two holes in front of your rod storage


I assume you are talking about these 2 black holes:











If you're talking about those black holes, those are drain holes. Notice there's a channel that goes the whole way around the compartment. Any water that gets on the floor goes into the channel around the edge of the compartment and down the drain holes directly to the bilge keeping the compartment dry. All of the front compartments are designed the same way. Came home in a T-storm Friday night. Would have pulled off and stopped if there was a good place to do it, it was coming down so hard. When I got home opened the compartments and every one was completely dry!



BeerBatter said:


> Not trying to be an xxxhole or anything.
> I would never ever let someone ride in the bow
> Only time to be up there is launching, docking, retrieving only under no wake speeds.
> Very nice boat btw
> Bow rails are very handy addition to the above instances launching docking retrieving


No, your not an xxxhole, and thank you, I think the boat's pretty nice too! I never really liked them riding in the bow either. Like it even less after I watched some videos and have heard more horror stories recently. They love to ride up there though and know the risks. I've told them I'd rather they didn't, but there are risks with just about everything. If the lake is calm, and minimal traffic (i.e. - weekday) I will let them ride up there, but will be always be extremely cautious.



DHower08 said:


> As far as the rod locker. They likey advertised it could hold rods up to 7'6 they just didn't say how many. No way out of that one. Only option would be to remove the rod tubes and rod tube rack thing that the tubes are attatched too. No need for rod tubes anyways


I told Vic's I was pretty disappointed in it. They said when I bring it in for service this winter they'll take a look at it and see if they can maybe remove a little foam that might be blocking the ends of some of the tubes. 🤞


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## bobk (Apr 30, 2004)

Thanks for answering my question. Sure glad I didn’t take that attitude with all the questions you had when you started this post. You ever think that someone else might have a leaking storage compartment and would like to know the fix?


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## Shad Rap (Nov 10, 2010)

Bull Durham said:


> Sorry for the delayed response on these, but I've been busy playing!!! 😁
> 
> Boated over 100 walleye already. Had it on Erie 5 times so far out of Sheffield and Geneva and on Milton and West Branch so far. Had a lot of "catching" up to do!
> 
> ...


he was talking about the holes in your carpet.


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## Shad Rap (Nov 10, 2010)

bobk said:


> Thanks for answering my question. Sure glad I didn’t take that attitude with all the questions you had when you started this post. You ever think that someone else might have a leaking storage compartment and would like to know the fix?


Shhhh...it's a secret.


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## bobk (Apr 30, 2004)

Shad Rap said:


> Shhhh...it's a secret.


I guess. SMH


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## Dovans (Nov 15, 2011)

Bull Durham said:


> Sorry for the delayed response on these, but I've been busy playing!!! 😁
> 
> 
> 
> ...


the two holes in front of those.. Glad your on the lake!


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## Bull Durham (11 mo ago)

Dovans said:


> the two holes in front of those.. Glad your on the lake!


These ...









Yes, those guys were right, snaps!


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## Bull Durham (11 mo ago)

Already PM'd @Shad Rap and @bobk. If anyone else that's been following this thread wants to know why the compartment was filling with water, just PM me.


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## Bull Durham (11 mo ago)

Finally took the boat out to "play" yesterday for the first time, ... tube, waterski and swim.

When I was pulling tubes yesterday and doing S turns, I thought my arm was gonna fall off. I'd mentioned to the dealer before that I thought the steering was overly tight. They said it would be with the motor trimmed all the way down but as I trim up, it will free up. It never seemed to get as free as I thought it should though. Yesterday, I couldn't find a trim setting that seemed to free the wheel in the 15 - 20 mph range that I pull tubes. I don't have a V-rod so I don't have the power steering, but do have the SeaStar hydraulic steering. I had SeaStar steering in my old boat but the old boat turned much easier than this boat. After making turns for a while yesterday, I had to start using 2 hands because my arm was getting so fatigued. In my old boat, I could do S turns for hours and not think anything of it. All sorts of factors come into play for differences between the boats, but I'd think it should still be a lot easier to turn than what it is. I disconnected the Seastar steering from the motor today at the pivot bolt. Motor seems to swing free. The steering wheel still seems pretty tight for not having a motor hooked up to it though. I'm gonna call the dealer tomorrow about it. I'll post what I find out, but comments or insights are always appreciated.

Also, since no one could really answer the first question I posted in this thread, I figured I'd answer it in case anyone else ever wanted to know...

The question was:
What's the wake like for slalom skiing, especially cutting hard across the wake? The Ranger (boat and motor) is about 500lbs heavier than my current boat (dry weight) so I'm a bit concerned the boat is going to have a pretty big wake and I'm not gonna be able to cut nearly as hard as I do now.

The answer is, it's pretty nice. The wake is not quite as small, or as "crisp" as the one from my old boat, or something like a Mastercraft. I'll describe it as having more air in it and less "defined", but I was still able to cut hard without getting launched into oblivion or slowing down before I hit the wake. Deep water slalom start was no problem either. In fact, I had to tell my wife to go a little easy and not dump it like she used to with the old boat to keep from ripping my arms off. The boat is gonna be just fine for recreational skiing.


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## berkshirepresident (Jul 24, 2013)

Looking at the paint and interior colors on this boat, Ranger should sell this as this the unofficial boat of THE Ohio State University..........


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## Bull Durham (11 mo ago)

berkshirepresident said:


> Looking at the paint and interior colors on this boat, Ranger should sell this as this the unofficial boat of THE Ohio State University..........


O-H!!!

Yea, my daughter is heading to OSU this fall! ... actually in a few weeks! 😁


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## Tom Thesing (Mar 10, 2019)

fasteddy said:


> I'm jealous, I should buy a new one too, got the money, damn frugality stops me(nothing wrong with my 52 year old boat). I hope you can get some sleep in the next 3 months. Don't forget the transom plug when you take it out. Ha,Ha, just joking.


I suffer from the same Frugality, but after 2 years I decided I will only live once, so I picked up my new Vexus 1880 in July, cost more than my 1st house and I have ZERO regrets, so go for it.
Bull Durham I ordered my Vexus in May received it in July, I was able to make changes up untill the factory got the build sheet, the whole process was painless.


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