Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

I know there are lots of toons out there and 1000 opinions on each one but I'm hoping to narrow it down at least somewhat. I'm looking at getting my first toon and really don't know what I am looking at. To give you an idea, I am looking at getting a used one and basically just want to know what to watch out for, and potentially what brands to run away from, if any. These are my requirements below:

- minimum 20 feet
- pop up change room or a spot to put one to house a porta potty
- must already have seating and not be a barge that you put lawn chairs on. (I'm fine with it but I don't get the only say in the matter )
- want to be able to tow a tube, don't care about skier
- would prefer a built in fuel tank rather than carting a Jerry can around
- I am in Orillia, Ontario about an hour north of Toronto so I'll only be running the freshwater lakes around here(Simcoe, Couchiching, etc)
- I'm not a fisherman, and likely just going to cruise around with family and friends, so fishing stuff not required.

Is there a minimum diameter pontoon I should be looking at?
Is there a minimum size engine? I was thinking about 50hp would do it, but realistically that is a guess at best. I'd love to go with a 115hp or bigger but the budget likely won't allow it.
Carpet or vinyl?

I hope this helps you understand what I'm after, and hopefully some can give me some honest feedback. (Not looking for dealer feedback trying to sell me a new boat, just info from people who use and enjoy their boats and know what to look for)

thanks

First off, Welcome to the forum. You will find out a lot of information here.

I have found in my years of buying boats that, if I have "requirements", it is best to buy new and buy or order what you want. If I am buying used then I will be getting what someone else wanted and have made up my mind to live with it or change it to my liking. I like to tinker so I don't mind buying used and making the changes. Does it really save me money? Not really. I may get something cheaper but by the time I spend the extra money to "make it my own", I've spent close to what I would have spent just buying it to begin with. But that is the fun part for me.
There are several good manufactures of toons out there so it really comes down to what you like and is best set up for you. Personally I like larger diameter logs. The seem to ride better in my opinion. I would get the biggest motor you can afford. You will always wish for more power no matter what size you get.
If you look for used boats, just look at how the boat was maintained. Look for broken welds, rotted floors, too many dents and dings.... If it looks beat up, then that makes me wonder how much they took care of the motor as well. Good luck and happy tooning!

You might want to go with a 22 foot or bigger, as 20 footers won't have a changing room, port a potty and won't be able to take a big enough engine to make tubing fun, you need a 150 or better

There are no brands to avoid, as they are all about equal quality. Some brands are more plush and those manufacturers inflate prices to justify slightly better seats.

As for vinyl vs carpet, I've had a 'toon with both. Carpet - doesn't get hot in the sun, vinyl does. Vinyl is easier to keep clean and the plywood deck under it should last longer. Carpet tends to harbor algae, vinyl doesn't. Vinyl shows dirt more, however.

Motors are same across brands, so are most mechanical, electric and structural.

We bought our "new to us" pontoon last year and I thought a 50hp would be enough. I'm so glad everyone talked me out of it. We went with a 90hp and I still wish I had gone bigger. But it was our first boat and I know it is just my "learning boat". We will be getting a 150hp or bigger for our next (and hopefully final) boat.

I have a friend that got almost the same boat we did, but he got it with a 50hp. He's hating it now and trying to sell it so he can get something with a bigger motor. He's having problems selling it because everyone wants bigger motors. He'll have to find the right "newbie" that doesn't know any better (like he was). So I just want to help educate you a little about the motors so you don't end up being that "newbie".

Look into Sylvan as well. My parents just bought a new 8520(20 footer) with the RPT tubes(gets on plane and handles great) and a 115hp Yamaha 4stroke. It's rare to find a 20 footer rated at 115 hp. It also has a changing room. It goes mid-upper 30s in the right conditions.

Shop carefully and you can easily determine who the dominant dealer in your retail market is.
It's best looking for a dealer that's been in business for awhile, and will be there in the future.
Go for a 22' boat, as the price is just slightly more expensive than a 20', and they're more seaworthy.
Remember that even the luxury pontoon brands have numerous boats at all price points.
You're almost at the end of the 2013 boating season. Consider ordering a boat that fits your present and future needs rather than buy a stock unit that doesn't suit your lifestyle. Underskinning and lifting strakes are highly desirable options.
Choose your engine carefully, and buy as much horsepower as you can afford. Some outboard brands are less expensive than others.
And accept that you'll be spending 110% or more of your current budget.

I think everyone summed it up well.. I would emphasis the biggest motor you can afford...I wish I did!

You are doing it right in that you are already listing out what you want and don't want. I sent the following to a friend when he was looking (am sure others will chime in and add to the list - it was brief):

**************

Your four biggest decisions will be:

1 - Length
2 - # of toons (2 or 3)
3 - Engine size
4 - Manufacturer

With this in mind, some questions you should consider:

Will you pull anything with it (i.e. tubes) and if so, you need decent HP (and possibly 3 toons).

How big is your lake/river and how far and fast will you want to go/cruise (HP and number of pontoons).

Can your primary lake/river get rough (will dictate 2 or 3 toons and horsepower).

How many people will typically be on the toon (will dictate length and ultimately # of toons and HP of engine).

Will you ever fish out of it (can dictate seating arrangements)?

Will you trailer often to multiple locations?

I purchased a 20' Bentley with 90HP 4 Stroke then after two years moved to a 22' South Bay with 115HP 4 Stroke (2 toons). Our home lake is about 10 miles long and 1 mile wide so we dont go long distances and the water is calm. We have a boat for tubes/wakeboards/ski and have a jet ski as well - all of which factored into what we needed.

Thanks for all the info guys. Now time to sit down and re-tool the wants/needs list.

Welcome!

My advice....same as the guy who sold me my toon...

"You are buying a motor....the toon comes with it."

I have a 25 footer and a Verado 150 pushing it...bigger is better no matter what size you buy. I am happy but now I'm seeing a lot more 200-250... I would think 90 would be a minimum and would encourage you to go bigger if water sports are important...especially with teenagers and older!

They covered the bot very well, I will tell you if your going to trailer be sure and get one that will carry your toon and gear without stressing tires, springs or frame. Some dealers will put a shit trailer under a boat to keep the cost down. I would also say 20ft up you need a minimum tandem axles.

Don't skimp on the Engine, the Price difference between a 50hp and a 115hp really isn't much, a jump from 6000$ to 9000$ and probably less of a gap if its "pre-rigged" directly from the manufacture. Tubing with a standard 2 log isn't that great and takes quite a big of skill to "whip" a tube, even with a 115hp and I'd look into a "towbar" option that has a tow point above the outboard to keep the rope in the air.

I have noticed that some of the trailers are "less than ideal". I have been pulling trailers(landscaping business) for years so I know what to look for there, definitely will be going with a tandem axle. Also considering a nice 26 foot deck boat I found though it doesn't seem to have the width of the pontoon. Less space in that sense but more length. Will see how it feels when I check it out. It's already got bigger power on it too so it is a potential candidate. Will keep you posted.

We were in pretty much the same position as you - looking for a nice cruising, 20ft(ish), used pontoon.
After visiting the Winnipeg boat show and then a show in Minneapolis (all with the intention of getting out name out to dealers who might have a used boat for us), we eventually decided there were no used boats out there that fill our criteria and were sensibly priced
Nice used pontoons are usually snapped up even before they go on the market.
So, we came across a good deal on a new Sylvan 20ft with a 50 Bigfoot on the back - that was stretching our budget further than we wanted but so far it's been worth it.
It will do 18-19mph with the 2 of us on it, so if you plan on pulling stuff behind, you will need to go bigger on the engine. For us though, the 50 is fine for cruising.
Some new 20ft 'toons are really well packaged with internal tanks (ours is 36gallon), a built in changing room (with room for a toilet) and lots of seating. We love ours for having the room of a friends 24footer on a lot shorter platform due to using all the deck space for inside the fence.