Choosing my first pontoon boat..

[Trainwreck20]

This may be a bit long, as I try to organize my thoughts for myself as well as for others to help

We are looking at buying a pontoon boat. What we (think) we are looking for:
- relatively large (22'-24') for family (4) and friends
- tri-toon
- able to do basic skiing/tubing behind (nothing advanced), assume a 150 hp motor
- need a few options (cover, ski bar, changing room)
- will keep in slip, but need trailer
- debating carpet vs. vinyl (will rarely, if ever, be used for fishing).
- Will be used on freshwater lakes, both smooth (Lake Austin) and a bit rougher (Lake Travis/Lake Buchanan).
- We are presuming a 4-stroke engine
- Trying to stay under 40k pre-tax

We have three major local dealers that carry the following brands (and the most likely boat):
- Sun Tracker (w/ Mercury) - 24 DLX XP3 - http://www.suntrackerboats.com/boat/?boat=3484
- Harris (w/ Mercury) - CX 240 - http://www.harrisflotebote.com/pontoons ... _240#specs
- Bennington (w/ Yamaha) - 24 SL - http://www.benningtonmarine.com/Pontoon-Boat.php?id=421

The ST and Harris we can relatively easily get an MSRP listed below 40k and with a trailer. The Bennington is pushing the 40k w/o the trailer.

Questions -
- I have never bought a new boat, only used. How much, if any, can you hope to get a dealer down? If we have to pay list price for the Benny, it will be more than we want to pay and we will have to either not get it or start to cut other options. Do ST and/or Harris also bargain down at all? The ST web site alludes to some rebates, but that is the one dealer I have not been to yet.
- It seems to be the end of the 2012 model year, do dealers start unloading 2012 boats? I am guessing only in stock, though, but do they 'shuttle' boats from other dealers, like cars?
- The reputed quality seems to be Benny>Harris>ST, but we are looking at either buying the lowest end Harris/Benny, or a mid-range ST. Is the lower end Harris the way to go over the ST?
- Benny has a myriad of options, almost too many for a novice to deal with, and I hate getting an up-sell if I don't really need it but don't know any better. Is a rough water package something that is really only needed on ocean/great lakes type environs, or does it apply to anything that can be somewhat rough (Travis is a popular ski lake with some serious wind sometimes).
- Harris looked very plain at the dealer, not sure why, maybe just a bad choice of boats/colors to show. Benny and ST looked much 'sharper' (and this carries more weight w/ the wife than you would think).
- Any comments, insights, etc?

We are not in a hurry to buy (and will also peruse the used market when we do), so we still have some time to get up to speed. The Benny dealer had a very good salesman compared to the Harris, which while 'nice' (sort of), I will have to keep the wife away when I go back. She tends to fall in love with a product (car, boat, etc) and tell the salesman that...not a good starting point .

[cwag911]

Welcome to the party trainwreck!. Most toons nowadays are built pretty well but the ammenities and performance is different. I can only help you with Bennington and we love our boat. If you go here, http://club.benningtonmarine.com/, you can get all your questions answered about Benningtons. It's a great forum for Benny owners.

[gramps]

We bought a Berkshire and would compare the boat to anything on the market, it's our 3rd toon. We looked at Harris, which is an excellent boat, but there wasn't enough storage, the seats seemed narrow.

You can get the Berkshire with everything you want for under 30k out the door with the 150hp on it and that includes a trailer. Most toons are pretty bullet proof nowadays and you won't go wrong no matter what you get.

[STEVEBRENDA]

I would look at Suntracker's Regency. It is a new model they released this year. For about $35 thousand you seem to be getting alot of boat. The one on our dock seems to be really plush and alot better quality than some of their other boats.

[Trainwreck20]

Looking a little further out, there is a South Bay dealer that isn't too far, but Berkshire is a bit too much of a drive for me, unfortunately (175 miles or so). Trying to stay as local as I can, based on the assumption that the local range of boats right here in town should get us there. If we do start looking at used, that is another (more complicated) story .

I would look at Suntracker's Regency. It is a new model they released this year. For about $35 thousand you seem to be getting alot of boat. The one on our dock seems to be really plush and alot better quality than some of their other boats.

We did look at the two Regency models online - the less expensive one (220 XP3) is right at 42k with trailer, freight, and prep and the options that we picked. We could get it down $800 or $900 with the carpet and no satellite radio, though, and then it comes down to whether that 'up to 2k savings right now!' would apply to this boat. Anyway, it is still about 4-5k more than the Harris or Signature ST. Also, not sure on the little 'water system' and whether it would be more work to maintain than it (and the space it uses) are worth. The rear swim deck area is reduced on the Regency, presumably due to the pushed back rail to allow the sink.

It does look nice online, but we will have to drop by and look at it this weekend. That dealer closes at 3 pm on Saturday, which we did not expect on our swing by the local dealers .

[WILD MAN]

I don't think you can go wrong with a South Bay we love ours it is a very nice well made boat, and we have had excellent service after the sale on the few tiny little things I wanted fixed.

[Trainwreck20]

Hmm...it appears that the Harris dealer also carries South Bay, which did not come up in our short discussions while we were there . Anyway, I cannot find manuf. prices online, nor any at our dealer, but an internet search turned up a 522SL with a tri-toon package we everything we need (and a bit more with a 225 Honda 4-stroke) for right at 39.4k. Ofc, that dealer is in Virginia, but I guess that may be a passable benchmark to indicate I might find a 150 fitted boat locally under 40k after freight and prep. Will have to add that to my list. Seems I am going backward .

[Bamaman]

Glad you chimed on here about your buying decision. Despite what dealers may say, the boat business still sucks. We're about into August, and they'd like 2012 boats to be gone. That said, most of the mid line 150 hp tritoons have been sold, and I've noticed cheaper and more expensive boats on dealers' lots.

You're right about staying at home to buy--if possible. I don't like SunTracker's one price strategy, as it takes competition out of the deal. My local Tracker dealer's cutting $2K off the Regency 22' XR3 model w/150 Merc. Fourstroke--$38,215. Your dealer should be able to meet the price if he wants to do business.

Looking at your questions:
1. Boats are seldom apples vs apples--and they cost different amounts. This is not the car business, and no dealer can stay in business @ $100 over cost. My suggestion is to get into Boattrader.com filtered within 100 miles of your house. Then, get on the phone and get educated on what boats are out there and what the dealers' are willing to sell'em for.
2. Harris dealers are sworn not to publish their prices online. They're great boats, and dealers will quote prices on the telephone, however.
3. The big 4 are Bennington, Harris, Manitou and Premier. There are many, many other brands of boats that will do the job, as pontoons/tritoons are somewhat generic in construction.
4. Boat dealers don't shuttle boats amongst each other. Some dealers pay cash and get a 3% discount. My boat dealer dropped 4 other 1st class boat lines for a cash discount and the promise that no other dealers will have any of his brand of pontoon at the February boat shows. Some just buy cheaper than others--volume pricing.
5. Enjoy your search and don't get hung up on a certain brand, when so many other boats will fill the bill. You might end up like many of us, and spend 110% of what you allotted for your new boat.
6. The internet is a great buying tool. We're so late in the season. If you're not 100% satisfied with the deals you're looking at, wait until the biggest boat shows around you. Prices are usually their lowest there--especially on last year's models.

[Trainwreck20]

Yeah, we noticed most of the 150 tri-toons seem to be gone. The Benny dealer does have a 24 SSLX with a 150 on the floor (I think that is what is in your sig line, too?), but we were really looking to avoid the rear lounger, although all seating arrangements are more flexible than some other things. Do you have a pop-up changing room? I though they had some variation on that for the rear lounge versions. But, ofc, their starting price is higher than we are looking, and that is w/o a trailer.

If we can get the 2k break on the ST, it makes them look very good money-wise even at the Regency level, although we honestly might be just as happy with the signature level setup. We really need to go take a up close look at the STs, which we have not done at the dealer yet.

Regarding boat trader - I have been a bit frustrated by it, for a variety of reasons: lots of dealers with "call for pricing", poor filters (you set filter to pontoon, and I get ~15-20% non-pontoon due to data entry, I guess), lack of filters (can't filter to engine size, tri-toons only), poor information in the listing (have to scroll through pics to see if it is tri-toon and/or guess if it includes a trailer), and the interface forgets your entries (I tell it to search Harris, and it does, but if I change key word search, it has to be reset). I know I am being picky, but it makes searching much more time intensive than I had hoped.

All that said, there appear to be very few used tri-toons for sale on boat trader, either because there are fewer or because people keep them longer, I don't know.

We have the big local boat show in January, so we are a ways out, but if we have not settled by then, we will spend some time there.

[Mosnowman]

Welcome Trainwreck!

I am a brand new (never owned a boat before) 2012 Harris Cruiser 240 CX owner. It is equipped with a Verado 150 - tritoon with rough water package purchased at MarineMax at Lake of the Ozarks. We are early 50's with 4 pretty much adult kids...one left at home. I will tell you this was the best decision I ever made because we love it!!! We can tube, ski, fish, cruise, you name it with the powerful 150. What I noticed when looking everywhere is that the price differences always came down to size of the motor. You can get this new for 20k with a motor that wouldn't propel an intertube. I think most people on here would advise you to buy the largest engine possible which on the economical Cruiser 240 is the 150hp motor. I looked at several brands and ended up with the Harris but you can't go wrong with the Benny or Harris. I ended up paying $29,900 for my boat. It has TPO at both ends and standard carpet inside the playpen. It has a stainless steel ski tow bar as well. I actually ordered a second bimini top from Harris after purchase and installed myself...I have to have my shade as we cove out a lot. The second bimini is not available as an option, but it will fit.

In any event good luck with your shopping and feel free to pm me or post here with questions. It sounds like you have the same goals as we did....economical entry level quality built tritoon.

[Trainwreck20]

Okay, that gives me some hope . Looking at the Harris Floteboat site, the 'build a boat' cost would be probably 4-6k more than what you paid (hard to say what all the option differences might be), so maybe I can get them down off that price, as well. I have not gotten any dealer quotes on anything yet, so maybe they will start somewhere lower than the manuf. web site.....

[bassn386]

Trainwreck, sounds like you are going at it the right way. Don't get stampeded by a sales person that "this is the last one and prices are going up a gazillion percent next year".
Last time I looked, there were no signs that the last pontoon boat was being built.
Be picky and NEVER take the first (or maybe even the second) price quoted. Tell them you'll have to think about it and talk it over with the Mrs.
If I remember correctly there was at least a 30% difference between the "MSRP" and what we paid for ours.
If at all possible go for the tritoon. You will be very happy with the ride.
Make sure you get a test ride in any boat you consider, and you drive it.
Good luck!