2019 R27 OB Yay or Nay?

[Rockinw]

Hi folks, my wife and I are actively researching Ranger Tug models. We are scheduled to take a demo ride on a leftover R27 Outboard this Saturday. I have seen several posts where 27 OB owners have sold or are selling after only one season. To me this seems like a red flag. For the same money or less, we can find classic R27's, R29's or even early 31's. I'm leaning towards the used market but new is nice too! I know the OB is a different animal, much faster if water conditions permit. So why so many on the used market so soon?
Harry Webster

 

[baz]

In my case it was a sudden change in boating requirements. I Felt it was wise to make the change while the resale of my R27/OB was at its highest and could reduce my sales tax on the next RT purchase.

The R27/OB is a very fine boat and yes, I liked its speed when required, but my requirement for speed and other needs changed dramatically which gave rise to selling the R27/OB ASAP.

I chose to move to the R29 CB which is plenty fast enough for my new requirements and of course has more room and better handling in my cruising waters. I also opted for the Command Bridge version of the R29 as that gave me even more room and for family a huge big plus.

Match your requirements to the boat you choose, and be aware requirements can change over time and sometimes rapidly.

Good luck with your choice. The RT models are a very good investment and their Customer after sales service is simply awesome.

 

[Matty]

Baz is correct that you need to match your needs to the boat. Sometimes that takes a second go at it. We have our R27 for 1 1/2 years. Was going to buy used but really liked the changes made in 2018. Specifically rounded windshield, flipping the wide double seat over to captain chair (grandkids) and I love outboards as well as increase in hp. Others do not like the changes and like the classic look.
Once in awhile I think about a R29 for the extra width but then come back to earth and remember why I bought the 27.
I think a number of people buy a boat without really knowing if boating is for them. Boating and maintenance take time and effort. I happen to like both boating and maintaining it. One consideration you may want to think about is where you will be boating. We are on the intracoastal and 95% of our boating will be on the the east coast intracoastal. If I was going to be in rougher waters I may have chosen the 29 or 31. But I will always see land from all my windows and my backyard goes on for miles and miles.
I don’t think many are sold because they don’t like the boat. Circumstances may have changed or they decide boating is not for them.
Ditto on Baz’s Customer service comment. They work hard to be sure you are satisfied with your purchase.
Taking a weekend trip Friday and bet we will just love it.

 

[Rockinw]

Thank you for the replies. It is a major purchase and I just don't want to make an expensive mistake. Really like the new version of the 27. Taking a demo ride tomorrow!

 

[ixlr8]

Thank you for the replies. It is a major purchase and I just don't want to make an expensive mistake. Really like the new version of the 27. Taking a demo ride tomorrow!

Enjoy your demo ride. Hopefully there will be some waves for you to contend with to get a feel for how the hull handles them. My demo ride was on a lake and gave us a false impression on how the hull behaved. You also need to "demo" the dealer. I feel selecting the dealer is as important as selecting the boat. The dealer is your front line to deal with issues and is your connection with the factory.
We would have preferred the RT-29, but we plan on doing a good deal of trailering of our boat for the next 2 years and the 29 was just too big for that. When we finish with exploring/trailering with the 27OB, then we will step up to a 29. We found the 27OB a good compromise between the very trailerable RT-23OB and the stability/comfort of the 29.

 

[baz]

Jim's advice about checking out the dealership you work with is paramount and if successful will make things go a lot smoother for you. If possible, contact another boater who has used the dealership to obtain their experience with the dealership, and especially if they purchased a RT from them. A bad dealer can ruin your early boat ownership.

 

[scross]

Lots of advantages to the OB. Speed, ease of engine maintenance, etc.
If you plan on anchoring our or use mooring buoys frequently consider how you will get to shore before buying an OB rather than buying and then exploring solutions to that issue.
Our current trip: 4 mooring buoys, 1 night at anchor and 2 nights at a dock. Couldn’t do that without a dinghy that was rugged and fast to deploy. We’ve had 6 rocky beach landings on this trip and are thankful for the fiberglass hull in the dinghy.

 

[Maggie Anne]

We love our R27OB, As others have noted one issue is where to store the dinghy. We use a West Marine PHP 310 dinghy and carry it inflated on top of the canvas cockpit cover. In that position the nose of the dinghy extends slightly forward over the back of the solar panel. We glued on corner protectors on the solar panel to avoid abrasion or puncturing of the dinghy. We've found that with two people, It's fairly easy to take off or put on the roof although I haven't tried that yet when windy. The dinghy rides well on top, even at speed, and there's no limitations on visibility.

Another issue with the OB dinghy is that you won't have your dinghy motor already conveniently attached to the dinghy when you want to use it. After one season using a Lehr 5hp propane motor we traded it in for the Torqeedo as the Lehr, even though lighter than other combustion engines,was still too much of a hassle trying to attach the heavy motor to the dinghy after launching whereas the Torqueedo is quite easy to mount.

 

[SLyle01]

IMHO, best feature of the R27 O/B: "maneuverability". With the O/B, docking is much easier: backing into tight slips, currents, winds is a 'breeze' (no pun) even for us newbies. Love the Ranger's quality, luxury features not available on anything else in its Class, plus speed, handling and plenty of room for overnighting w/2-4...or day-cruising with 6-8.
However, as suggested: consider what KIND of boating you'll be doing -and that will give you your answer.
Good Luck!

 

[wabislander]

Found this post...I am evaluating between the R25 and R27. As the original poster, we are going on a demo on the R27OB in the coming weeks. One of the things (from pictures only as our demo will be first face-to-face with the boat) I liked about the R25 was the captains chair.

I am not as initially excited about the flipping bench seat back from dinette to captains chair. Does not look it is comfortable seat for hours of piloting the boat? Would be interested to hear from anyone that has this configuration.