Guesses on weight

[lemans81]

Ok so my parents want to buy a vehicle and want to have the ability to pull at least in a limited form the pontoon. They would realistically pull it maybe once every 3-5 years for maintenance/repairs only. Its a 2007 Sweetwater 2386 Sport, tritoon, with a (2006)150 HP Yamaha HPDI, and Tandem axle bunker trailer. From searchings online I can tell the engine weighs in at 468lbs. I have found nearly nothing online to figure the weight of the pontoon and trailer(probably looking in the wrong places). I realize these would be guesses and not official numbers(I am attempting to get my parents to call Godfrey and ask but thus far they haven't).

[Bamaman]

You're probably looking at 3000 lbs. plus a 1000 lb. trailer for such a tritoon. The total weight easily could go 4500 lbs. fully loaded

Pontoon/tritoons are relatively light for their size, however they tow heavier than they are due to poor aerodynamics and the length of the trailers putting stress on the tow vehicle. That boat might feel like it's well over 5000 lbs.

Most 1/2 ton trucks and many modern SUV's with V-6 engines can tow a pontoon when properly equipped. I just wouldn't want to tow one 200-300 miles or in the mountains unless my tow vehicle was rated for far more weight carrying capabilities.

I'm fortunate to have a 3/4 ton diesel pickup that's setup for heavy towing, but I can really feel my triton behind me.

[RcgTexas]

Personally if that was all I was going to use a truck for( once every 3-5 years for maintenance/repairs only.) I would hire one and get something economical and save the money for boat Gas.

A decent truck that would haul a pontoon anywhere would cost over $600.00 a month just for notes and that's not New.

[trucky]

Personally if that was all I was going to use a truck for( once every 3-5 years for maintenance/repairs only.) I would hire one and get something economical and save the money for boat Gas.

A decent truck that would haul a pontoon anywhere would cost over $600.00 a month just for notes and that's not New.

+1 or pay the marina or shop to come pick it up and deliver it back. Having the proper tow vehicle doesn't make much sense if you're not using it regularly.

[jediger]

+ 2 on the idea of renting a truck that will pull it ever three to five years. We pull a 3500 lbs tritoon with a Chevy Traverse rated for 5200 lbs. Pulls fine, but I'm glad I live on the prairies and not the in the rockies. Longest trip to date was 8 hours.

[rdeterman]

That boat/motor/trailer is all of 3500-4000lbs total not including any gear.

[lemans81]

So got a hold of Godfrey and they said the wet weight for the SW2386 Sport tri-toon is 2794 lbs(including motor).

There is nothing any marina near us will do, Bull Shoals is mostly unknown and quiet, there are 8 marinas and even during the summer only 4 are open every day(one is open 24 hours but is 3 hours from us). The other 4 are open when some one shows up and opens them lol.

The problem with renting a truck to tow with, is down where the boat is, there nothing we have been able to find. So we have to rent it up here drive 4 hours down and back plus the 1.5 hours to the boat repair place each way. When you have to pay a hefty fee per mile+extra if you want to tow, it adds up to a huge sum. Personally if I was buying I would buy the minivan they want, and then buy a cheap 1/2 pickup and just leave it down there for this.

[Bamaman]

Why don't you just learn to do the maintenance yourself? That engine's very simple.

Draining the lower unit grease requires a flat bladed screwdriver, 10 minutes and a generic oil pump with the Yamaha screw in fitting. Oh, yea: 2 $1.00 paper washers.

I've just seen too many people get taken advantage of at dealerships when older generation 2 stroke motors require so little maintenance.

I put 28 years on a Yamaha 115 hp 2 stroke motor, and about all I ever did was change plugs and lower unit grease. I later changed the fuel pump rubber membrane--15 minute job. That's about all there was to do.

[lemans81]

Why don't you just learn to do the maintenance yourself? That engine's very simple.

Draining the lower unit grease requires a flat bladed screwdriver, 10 minutes and a generic oil pump with the Yamaha screw in fitting. Oh, yea: 2 $1.00 paper washers.

I've just seen too many people get taken advantage of at dealerships when older generation 2 stroke motors require so little maintenance.

I put 28 years on a Yamaha 115 hp 2 stroke motor, and about all I ever did was change plugs and lower unit grease. I later changed the fuel pump rubber membrane--15 minute job. That's about all there was to do.

If it was my personal boat, I would. Sadly multiple things have kept me from going to the lake in recent years. My parents(owners of the boat), have zero ability to pull this off. I will have to see how things go, maybe I can add it into my trip when I winterize the cabin every year, but I am always limited to 1 day, and there is a lot to do.(this year they got new gutters for the house and to save money they want me to put them on.....)

[jediger]

The problem with renting a truck to tow with, is down where the boat is, there nothing we have been able to find. So we have to rent it up here drive 4 hours down and back plus the 1.5 hours to the boat repair place each way. When you have to pay a hefty fee per mile+extra if you want to tow, it adds up to a huge sum. Personally if I was buying I would buy the minivan they want, and then buy a cheap 1/2 pickup and just leave it down there for this.

I would still crunch the numbers on that. "A huge sum" might not feel so huge, but you compare it to the cost of buying, maintaining, and insuring your own vehicle for a job you're only going to do every few years.

[STEVEBRENDA]

Look in the Table Rock Lake area for a mechanic if you do not have one. There are a lot of mobile boat mechanics. It is only about an hour away (everything is an hour away in that area).

I am really surprised there is not a boat mechanic there or over in Mountain Home. Look on Norfork Lake as well.

[lemans81]

Look in the Table Rock Lake area for a mechanic if you do not have one. There are a lot of mobile boat mechanics. It is only about an hour away (everything is an hour away in that area).

I am really surprised there is not a boat mechanic there or over in Mountain Home. Look on Norfork Lake as well.

There may be, but the nearest "authorized" place to take it is at lake of the Ozarks. I should also state that while I love my family they are guilty of this whole mentality of "whoever last used it, must have broke it", so I have stopped working on anyone's stuff down there. I have very little background with outboard engines, but on cars and I/O boats I have done pretty much everything over the years. Also that mentality goes for anything, years ago my grandma had a 1983 Bayliner, that was stored in the water its whole life without a cover....after 7 years of non-use I asked to use it(this was circa 2006), I did a tune up dropped $300 to get it running again. I used it for 3 days and then pulled it out and cleaned it up and they asked me to store it in the cabin's garage. Two years later they pull it out(no one had touched it), and determined that my 3 days of use had ruined the floor and that I needed to put in all new flooring. So that is why I am hesitant to mess with doing the maintenance on this outboard.(I have more stories, a cousin blamed for "fouling" a plug on a 4wheeler polaris 4cycle that had zero maintenance done over the course of 7 years and 2200 miles)(and the disowned uncle who was using grandpa's ski boat from the 1960's w/Merc 110 outboard(straight six circa 1970s) and it shelled out....)

Family sucks sometimes, but what are you going to do.

That's why I personally tell everyone that the jet ski's I own are ancient and if they break, they break. Last year the steering broke on one, friend was left doing circles, we took it apart and we fixed it for $10 worth of parts and he wanted to pay for it, I was like this is a 1990....I am amazed that of the 3 of them I have repaired 2 of them never. The third...shelled an engine at 19 years old.

[STEVEBRENDA]

There are at least 4 in the Table Rock Lake area, but your closest is Perfect Catch Marine & Sport, Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock, or Hodges Marine, all located in Bull Shoals AR. I am assuming you are referring to your Yamaha 150.

[lemans81]

There are at least 4 in the Table Rock Lake area, but your closest is Perfect Catch Marine & Sport, Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock, or Hodges Marine, all located in Bull Shoals AR. I am assuming you are referring to your Yamaha 150.

No your actually right(I got stuck at work and then going back in to cover someone, so been up like 30 hours now), I was thinking for Sweetwater work, but engine would just need a Yamaha mechanic so that could be easier. We are actually on like the 39 mile marker I think, K-Highway Marina is like a 5 minute ride from where we beach everything.

[NonHyphenAmerican]

This is where living in an AG Community is a good thing.

If I want to know how much something weighs, I can simply drive it across one of three scales.

If I want a ticket/receipt it cost $3.

Otherwise it's free of charge.

One of the things I plan on doing this month when I bring the boat home from the lake is weighing toon, trailer and motor.

I haven't had the toon out of water since we launched it.

Sure has been fun.

And a lot of that fun has been thanks to all the good information from ya'll here.


Thanks.