Avalon again...

[Capt. Dan]

As we continue to comsider new pontoon boats, i am very imterested in learning more about Avaolon, but their marketing isnt as good as some of the others and information seems harder to come by. Jere are s few questioms...
1. Most new tooms seem to jave "drain" holes on top of the tubes. The Avalon has one at the bottom. Does that mean that the Avalon tubes are not separate, sealed chambers?
2. The Avalon website says they use 2/4" plywood. Id that s typo as others use 3/4".
3. I like the idea of the aluminum framed seats, the brochure says the seats are "suspension" seats. What does that mean? Nowhere does the brochure say "wood free", are they?
4. The comstruction method seems pretty solod, but looking at the risers it seems like they actually have less of a footprint on the tubes than M brackets. Is this s potential issue?

Anything else i should know or look at?

FYI, for any of you following my boat search saga, i was set on one particular brand, but the dealers absolute eefusal to come off MSRP has opened s window for us ro look beyond our initial consideration. We were ready to ink a deal in January had he dealt at all. We still may end up there, but with his refusal i am far more imclined to explore other options.

[rdeterman]

I would call your local Avalon dealer, they should have all the answers to your questions. Also what brands are your local dealers selling?

[Capt. Dan]

Double

[Capt. Dan]

Just trying to arm myself with as much info as i can before getting too involved with a dealer. Locally we have seen Bennington, Manitou, Sweetwater/SanPan and now Avalon. There is also a local dealer who carries i think Misty Harbour and another brand.

[Capt. Dan]

So the Avalon, and I think the Tahoes, do have wood in the seats. It is all marine grade. Issue or no?

[BobG]

Have had zero issues with the marine grade plywood in my very plush tahoe seats.

Unless you're going to take that Avalon over Niagara falls, the structural issues you have mentioned are non-issues,

[Capt. Dan]

Good to hear Bob. We are in negotiations on two different brands, they are getting close to thd same price, now it is up to us to decide which boat we really want... Its s good problem to have!

[grouser]

Some dealers are held to a MSRP and not allowed to drop the price or risk losing their dealerships. The should how-ever give you deals on extras and maybe set-up fees etc,,,,good luck !!!

[Capt. Dan]

Grouser , that may very well be the case, but the one boat I have been most interested in is from a dealer who absolutely won't move off MSRP. The most I've been able to get out of him is he will install my gps for no charge. I even went so far as to draw up a proposal with current and future service discounts (winter storage, haul outs, etc) that wouldn't have cost him anything other than some labor and space in his yard, but he turned that down too. He isn't even offering a decent deal on my trade. I've been trying to get him to move, to give me anything to make me feel like I'm getting a good value, but no.

I am really not a price shopper, but a value shopper. His unwillingness to move has taken us from a near certain new boat customer in January to a customer who is now dealing with multiple other dealers -- all who are offering various discounts. I will likely end up spending more money on another boat just because it represents a better value to me. He has opened the door for us to look beyond what we had ever intended.

His plain stubbornness is going to loose him a $40k+ sale. Seriously, had he just said I'll give you $1,000 off we would have had a deal. And the worst thing about it is that I've been a customer of his for nearly five years with my current boat -- he hauls it, stores it, winterized it and does all the maintenance I can't do.

[LadyGT]

Is the person you are talking to the owner or manager? It is a shame that you are being treated poorly as a long time customer.

If you are set on this particular boat, find another dealer. I learned some people have gone out of their state and transported their boat home and still saved money. The boat dealer I am working with advertises the lowest prices we could find online. They ship all over the US. Find a dealer who will give you the price you want. Do not settle.

[Capt. Dan]

I'm dealing directly with the owner. I now have a quote on the same boat for a dealer closer to wherei live in Virginia, not where I boat in Delaware. This quote, without any negotiation, came in about $500 less AND it includes a trailer! I would likely never see the dealer again since I keep the boat in DE. I'm not sure I want to create a situation of no local dealer support if I need it. Anyway, the case may be moot now because we really like the Avalon. We saw it on a pouring rain day and didn't really get to look it over too closely, but we initially really like it and plann to go see it again next weekend. I honk we will make the final decision next weekend after looking at both boats again. Oh, here's another kicker. The dealer will only give us a flat rate on our trade whereas the Avalon dealer has an aggressive plan to sell it and he will keep 10% of the sale.

[Capt. Dan]

He picked up our Bennie and had it posted online within and hour!
http://www.wmfwatercraft.com/all-boats- ... 67829fc22d

[kryptonite]

Have had zero issues with the marine grade plywood in my very plush tahoe seats.

Unless you're going to take that Avalon over Niagara falls, the structural issues you have mentioned are non-issues,

Bob, I guess you know that Avalon and Tahoe are the same company.

[Capt. Dan]

Yes, Avalon and Tahoe are the same manufacturer. We dont see too many of either around here, but that Avalon aure seems to be s sweeheart and the dealer is really working with me.

[BobG]

Bob, I guess you know that Avalon and Tahoe are the same company.

Absolutely, AND, they have the best customer service I have ever seen from ANY company. Not to be confused with the customer service at the dealership, which was abysmal.

I call Tahoe/Avalon support, and get instant satisfaction.

For instance, the voltage gauge on the console fritzed out (yeah, that's a technical term). I called them, and they just sent me a new one. I had a leak around the base of one of my front fishing seats. They sent me three tubes of caulk to fix it. These people are the BEST.