1985 Harris Flote-Bote rebuild

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Team Bristow
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2016 4:59 pm
Location: Holt, MI

Re: 1985 Harris Flote-Bote rebuild

#16 Post by Team Bristow » Fri Apr 29, 2016 11:50 am

I am sure that this has been asked and answered in previous posts but I am going to ask anyway. What is the VIN tied to on a pontoon boat? I know that it stays with the frame on a car or a motorcycle, but I am not sure about a boat. Everything on the boat is replaceable so nothing seems obvious.

Just curious

Cheers to it being Friday,

JB

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Mel85CJ
Posts: 34
Joined: Thu Apr 07, 2011 10:34 am

Re: 1985 Harris Flote-Bote rebuild

#17 Post by Mel85CJ » Mon May 02, 2016 6:45 am

There is a metal tag that is on the cross beam just below the helm

It is the Hull ID # - so that is like a VIN for a boat (at least pontoons)

It is in the same place on this boat as I have found it on our (totally unrelated) 1994 Playbuoy pontoon boat, so I am guessing that most are in the same place on all pontoons.

Funny thing, I had the get the hull ID # off our playbuoy boat, so I took a picture of it so I could read it better (since I was under the boat and didnt have a flashlight)... I attached the picture so you can see what I am talking about.

Melanie
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2001 Riviera Cruiser Regatta 2525
1985 Harris Flotebote Heritage 240
1994 Playbuoy Challenger 20 DLX
Deep Creek Lake, MD

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Team Bristow
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2016 4:59 pm
Location: Holt, MI

Re: 1985 Harris Flote-Bote rebuild

#18 Post by Team Bristow » Mon May 02, 2016 8:03 am

Thanks!. So the Gov. but see that as the "frame" of the boat that would last beyond any rebuild.

Appreciate your reply.

mofn
Posts: 58
Joined: Sat May 12, 2012 11:45 am

Re: 1985 Harris Flote-Bote rebuild

#19 Post by mofn » Sat May 14, 2016 2:41 am

I have an 86, 24' like yours. Two things to throw at you:
1 I had 2 panels made which were placed between the doors and front fence section. If I remember right I gained 39 inches? Gives you a lot of room inside the playpen.
2 Put a 3rd toon on it. Was the smartest move I made. I wish I had done it years earlier!!!!!
Gained on control, steering. Lifted mine 5-6 inches higher.

Good luck.

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rancherlee
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Location: Eveleth MN

Re: 1985 Harris Flote-Bote rebuild

#20 Post by rancherlee » Sat May 14, 2016 4:58 am

There will also be a second HIN hidden somewhere on the pontoon chassis. The stamped one is on the right rear pontoon riser on mine and the "hidden" one is hand inscribed towards the front on one of the cross members.
1988' Kennedy 20' "Haley's Comet"
Rebuilt 2016 with 25" single strake outer tubes and a 25x23" straked U-tube
2003 Suzuki DF140 - Yamaha 9.9HT kicker - 39.1@6300rpm

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Discovery
Posts: 69
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Location: South West Michigan

Re: 1985 Harris Flote-Bote rebuild

#21 Post by Discovery » Sun May 15, 2016 1:50 pm

I appreciate this build, that you shared it, and a derp dog picture. Congratulations.

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Mel85CJ
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Re: 1985 Harris Flote-Bote rebuild

#22 Post by Mel85CJ » Thu Jun 02, 2016 11:57 am

OK, here is an update... we got this finished up and on the water last weekend.

We ran into a really really really unfortunate situation.

We had ordered the "teak" style vinyl flooring from everythingpontoon.com - it is a Marideck product.
It arrived in a timely manner and the installation went very well. Then we started noticing that it scuffed and scratched very easily after we started getting our railing / seats installed. Our seats are from pontoonstuff and have the plastic bases, so they shouldn't really cause scratching.

We were about a week away from finishing and I called Marideck directly to ask if there was some way that these scuffs / scratches could be buffed out... they immediately transferred me to a V.P. who told me the bad news...
There was a bad run of the flooring for the clearcoat.... it is a defect.

So, our choices were that we could get replacement flooring sent to us right away - but it wouldn't be the teak design - or we could wait until the fall and the teak would be in stock. In addition they would refund us 20% off the cost we paid for the flooring and send us new glue with the flooring.

I was really kind of blindsided by the situation. My brother (well, his wife) had paid for the flooring with her credit card and my brother had done a lot of the work along with my husband. We already had the seats and railing down and wiring installed, etc. I told the V.P. we would wait until the fall... he said he would refund my SIL (sister in laws) credit card for the 20%. When I talked to my brother and SIL - they were pretty pissed about the situation - basically that we are going to have to re-do the flooring - they felt that the 20% (which only comes out to about $145) isn't adequate - they were going to call Marideck, I don't know if they did. I have attached pictures of the scuffs / scratches - they do not buff out... I have tried. The flooring is absolutely beautiful otherwise, but I'm sure will look pretty lousy by the end of the season with kids / dogs / coolers / skis etc being on it all summer... the boat gets used a lot.

Anyways - the project is done.. for now - except for the impending vinyl replacement this coming winter. :drink4

We did a lot of little things to make this project nice.
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2001 Riviera Cruiser Regatta 2525
1985 Harris Flotebote Heritage 240
1994 Playbuoy Challenger 20 DLX
Deep Creek Lake, MD

ron nh
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Location: Litchfield New Hampshire

Re: 1985 Harris Flote-Bote rebuild

#23 Post by ron nh » Thu Jun 02, 2016 12:17 pm

Good job! look's great. I looked at the pictures before I read the post. By looking at the floor, I thought they didn't clear coat it at all. They lay it on thick for max protection.
2015 Qwest LS 818XRE Tri-toon w/mercury 115.

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Mel85CJ
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Re: 1985 Harris Flote-Bote rebuild

#24 Post by Mel85CJ » Thu Jun 02, 2016 12:56 pm

Yea, we had never had a pontoon with vinyl so I didn't know what to expect.

My brother and SIL were particularly peeved that they shipped the flooring on April 6th and I called them on May 12th and they already knew there was a problem (obviously others had reported it already)..... so they knew there was a problem, but they didn't reach out to customers... they were just waiting for customers to contact them. They were not being proactive, just reactive. :paranoid

If we had known earlier there is a good chance we wouldn't have had the floor down and the seats in and we could have just gotten other flooring and would not be the in situation of having to re-do the flooring again at some point. :donno

Mel
2001 Riviera Cruiser Regatta 2525
1985 Harris Flotebote Heritage 240
1994 Playbuoy Challenger 20 DLX
Deep Creek Lake, MD

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