Am sure it has been covered before but needing some advice. Have a 09 Z520 that I hit stump in needing hull repair now. When boat was removed from trailer for quote found hull blisters under boards. Being told that best fix is going to be gorilla or gator hull. Looks like Toledo fiberglass or Lake Fork fiberglass. Is there any difference in the two hull repairs. Both seem to be extremely durable just wondering if one causes more loss in speed and performance ( I know it's a Ranger not speed demon to begin with). Also is there any weight difference between the two. Of course reputation of shops also. Thanks in advance.

Gorilla hull for me, I had a gator hull and it was crazy tough and a little cheaper, but really hurt my boats performance. The gator hull is supper rough, gorilla hull is smooth.

My dad had a gator hull put on 10 years ago by Lake Fork Fiberglass and it's still good. I can't comment on the Gorilla Hull as I have never even heard of it.

Potatoe potato, whichever one is closer to you

I bought a boat with the gator on it, it is strong and pretty rough. If I had the choice, I would go with the gorilla hull though. The gorilla does cost more though.

When I needed a new hull I went with the Gorilla hull. I went to Lake Fork Fiberglass and Mike (I think that's his name) looked at it and at first he said it did not need a new hull, he could just repair a small spot which was cracked toward the stern. I took it into Rockwall Marine for a second opinion. They lifted the boat off the trailer and found some significant damage (about a four foot gouge down the driver’s side and the same hole that Mike found) In Mike's defense, the major damage was right where one of the trailer boards are and he did not lift boat off the trailer. From what I could tell Mike's place is a one man show so when he retires, then what.

I liked the idea of a "bullet proof" hull so I started researching and found Toledo Bend Fiberglass. They've been doing Gorilla hulls since the mid 80’s and they claim to have done over 6,000 boats. They are also a fairly large operation so when the owner/boss retires the warrantee (which is fully transferable) is still good. They are busy though. I was on a six week waiting list. Once they called, it was done in a little over two weeks.

One bad thing is that you have to take EVERYTHING out of your boat (I think you have to do that at Lake Fork Fiberglass also) because they flip it over to do the work. Since my batteries were five years old I bought a new set (4) and they installed them. Well they hooked the batteries up wrong and the trolling motor would not work correctly (right GTrigg). Since I did not want to go back to Many, LA. Toledo Bend Fiberglass paid a third party here in Dallas to rewire the batteries and charger.

Hull has been on now for over two years and still looks great. I have a few scuff marks on the hull but that is it and I take my boat in a lot of nasty stuff.

When you say tak EVERTHING out of the boat, do you mean they take the top cap off?

No, they flip it upside down

I have a gorilla hull and like it a lot. It's is smooth and feels similar to the cover of a golf ball. I fish in some stump infested lakes that also have rebar. It's nice to know if I hit something that causes damage to the hull they will fix it for free.

Contacted Toledo fiberglass 8 to 10 weeks before they can start work on a boat right now. Great time to be down.

yeah but it will take 2 to 3 months....I have gorilla hull also

What all they have to take off?, motor I'm sure. I guess they do this all the time but different models are different and I'm paranoid. I had a bass club member whose boat they had to flip for fiberglass repair and they had to take a bunch of stuff off. He had electrical gremlins the rest of the time he had it afterward to the point he had to take legal action against the fiberglass company and eventually gave up and sold the boat for a new one.

remove batteries, motor, gas

You should take your boat there minus graphs, but you can leave rods in lockers and stuff in lockers that you dont care if it gets turned upside down.

They leave motor on they will drain any oil or gas out. So I would drain it out . Then they Toledo Fiberglass hook it to the three tie down rings on boat and flip. The only wires they removed on my boat was battery wires in order to remove the batteries.

Gorilla hull on my 95 200 zx...I don't worry about stumps anymore