What to look for and what are some of the costs?

[Rook]

Being kind of in the market right now and never having owned a pontoon I have no idea about the quality to look for or the construction bits that I should be looking for in a toon...

I don't want to mortgage the house for a boat (holy moly, who knew a pontoon could cross 6 figures...) but I do want to get as much boat as I can. I figure at least a 10+yr lifespan for this boat so something that is quality and lasts is important. It seems that most boats are pretty close in that regard but there are some subtle differences, like the bolt through/screw through decking.

My wife loves the Premier boats especially the sky decked ones (and they do too apparently ) but $50+k is pushing my budgetary sensibilities. We don't live on a body of water, it's a seasonal recreation here in WV and we have 1 local dealer who didn't make a good first impression even through the boat he has is a good deal. Next dealer is at least an hour drive on the interstate. We have 3 lakes within 40 minutes of home.

What are the little things that make a difference in a pontoon? We don't need 300hp and 50mph, it'll most likely be us (me, wife, 7yr old girl and just a few others) pulling the kids around on a tube and relaxed cruising. I'm thinking in the 20-24ft range with a 150hp or less.

What I've gathered so far:

1. Get the biggest motor you can afford and that fits the boat
2. Tritoons handle better than dual
3. Larger tube size is better
4. All bimini tops are not created equal

What about the other things likes power steering, deck length, deck width, extra battery/battery switch, fuel tank location, strakes, single/dual axle trailer, motor brand, etc...

What are the "hidden" or associated costs...spare prop, anchors, fenders, life jackets, lights, regular/typical maintenance, winterizing, storage, etc...

What are some of the "Freebies" that might sweeten the deal on a new boat?

[rancherlee]

Definately get a tritoon, but a basic one, it sounds like you don't have a need for one with a "performance package" style 3rd toon. I think in 10 years time a 2 tube will hardly have any resale and a 3 tube will probibly get most of your extra 2500-3500$ investment back for that option. You always want a spare prop, and a spare battery as a minimum. I'd also consider another form of propulsion also in the form of an electric trolling motor of sorts "just in case". a 200$ 50# thrust transom mount would be enough to get shore safely if for some reason the main engine quits. Then again I frequent lakes where there usually isn't another boat around if I need a tow. Extra fire extinguisher, spare throwable floatation device, and TWO anchors also. I don't buy into the "threw bolted deck" mumbo jumbo as I've never seen a screw pull out of an aluminum cross member, the wood will rot and the screw head will pull through the wood first.

[jimrs]

There are numerous makers of pontoons that will fill your order. If you can afford it the tri-toon is by far the best, larger pontoons are also better, mine are 26", the most motor listed on the boat is also a good idea. If you go with a 150 or larger motor then you will need power steering to offset the motor torque.

Don't get in a hurry, shop around. I found that trailering the toon is not a lot of fun and I have had both 24' and now a 22' it depends on the layout of the boat.

The new toons have so many options it will be up to you to figure out what you need and want. Remember no matter what you get it should last a long time so pick what you want the first time.

Storage is also something to think about. It can get expensive if you can't leave it at home. It should be stored under a roof and cover to make it last many years. Most used toons you see have many problems due to user abuse and neglect. Floors rotting and seats splitting are caused by mostly neglect.

Cost is going to run from low 20's to 100's That is a lot of money for something that you don't use daily. I still find a few nice toons for around mid 30's that give you all you need. The cost of accessories anchors, life jackets, coolers, ect will cost you a few hundred more and as you use the boat you will find more stuff you want or need so it's a never ending spending splurge yearly. But it is a lot of fun and a lot of memories and friends are made.

[bassn386]

Rook, there as many opinions about type, logs, motor size, etc. as there are people on this forum.
If you don't pick out what works best for you (and the Admiral) you are not going to be happy.
You might want to consider a "gently owned" toon first. Be picky, be a negotiator, insist on a ride and if it is used, consider having someone like a marine surveyor look it over. It'll be worth the money if you don't have any idea what you're looking at.
I'll bet there are lots of boats on BoatTrader.com as well as the local Craigslist.
Good luck!

[Doctordeere]

You might want to consider a "gently owned" toon first.

We bought new. After several months of shopping we came to the conclusion that around here, a very well taken care of 'toon that's less than five years old does not offer enough of a price break vs. a new one. Especially when you consider that a new boat has a new boat warranty (same with the motor) and you never know for sure exactly how well the used boat and motor were taken care of no matter what the mechanic who checks it out says (ALWAYS have a used motor checked out first). Our new boat & motor (already had a trailer) was out the door right around 18k, while a comparable 5 year old one (also without trailer) in outstanding condition was averaging only around 2500 - 3000 less.

We bought a small boat with a small motor. Not because of budget, but because we actually wanted a small boat with a small motor. It's a 20 foot two-tube (our lake is relatively smooth) with a 50HP injected four stroke that will cruise around at (give or take) 15-18mph, which is all we want or need. we did opt for the SE package though. So far (knock wood) neither of us has uttered the dreaded words "I really wish this boat had..."

[jafo9]

Unless you are going less than 20ft, I'd recommend a dual axle trailer. Depending on how you store the boat, you may find you don.t need a trailer.

A good factory cover will go a long way toward keeping you toon in good shape.

Pretty much all toons will be 8'6" wide. A few can be ordered 10ft but then you run into towing restrictions and it may not fit in the slips in your area.

[Mr Geets]

I really miss power steering that I had on my previous open bow inboard. Steering is doable but a real hassle in tight manouver or tubing. Have fun. Can't be beat for all round fun on the water.

[Rook]

Thanks for the info so far!

I've found that used prices are kind of all over the place, some appear to be good deals while others aren't much of a break from new as the doctor stated.

The warranty is important since I know even less about marine equipment than I do actual boating

We got a quote from a company on an Aloha Tropical....sounds pretty sweet to me.....but what do I know

2012 Aloha Tropical Series 250 Sundeck Dual Tube
115HP Yamaha 4 Stroke
Tandem Axle Trailer W/Brakes and Spare
Playpen Cover With Poles
Battery, Prep, Start and On/Off Switch

TOTAL: $32,222.00

I don't want to make a rash decision simply based on cost either, I'd rather pay a little more than have the "I wish I hads...."

[Bamaman]

Rook: I too am looking at new tritoons, and the sky's the limit. You probably would do best to figure how much you can afford, as you'll realistically need to limit yourself to 110% of that figure. I just hope you have a substantial tow vehicle, as these things tow heavier than they are.

10 years lifespan? Try 25-35 year lifespan if you keep'em dry and out of the weather. I bought my 24' Starcraft new in 1985, and it's finally time to retire her. These things are great values in recreation if your pride will allow you to keep'em forever. Identify your present AND future needs, and buy a boat that will meet those requirements.

Quality? There are many, many boats that are perfectly adequate in quality. I'm looking at the Big 4 (Bennington, Premier, Harris, Manitou), but have found many other brands that fill the bill. All of the manufacturers have entry level boats (mostly upholstery) and tritoon hulls built for a maximum 150 hp. Most manufacturers have 4 different trim levels--and big cost variations.

For my use, I prefer a 22' to 24' tritoon boat. There's not that much cost difference between 2'.

For your use, the question is whether a 115 hp would be sufficient? Or, 150 hp? 115 hp 4 stroke will pull tubers, but probably not enough hp and speed for skiers. Whatever hull you get with 115 hp or more, make sure it's got lifting strakes.

Next question is what brand of motor to buy. All major engine brands are very good. Two dealers with 4 engine brands have told me that the ETEC is incredibly strong "out of the hole", and they'll run circles around equal hp 4 strokes. ETEC might be the way to go on boats being used for water sports. A 115 hp ETEC might also fill the bill vs. 150 4 stroke since they're much more torquey--and $2K-$3K cheaper.

I've been quoted a Bennington 24' SSLX twin tube 115 hp for $34K, where the same boat with Express Tube (middle toon) and 150 hp is $38K. (Yamaha motors) The G's and R's are more like the mid $40's. The big dogs go up to $60K.

I'm seeing the Manitou Aurora VP 23' tritoon w/trailer and 150 hp ETEC for $33K. The same hull with more luxurious Oasis seats is $36K. No other boat will handle as well as a Manitou, and they are great for watersports.

Many of the other popular brands of 150 hp semi-luxury tritoons are also in the $36-40K range.

You should try to buy from a dealer close to you, even if the price is a little higher. If you buy 100 miles away, a warranty claim will require 400 miles to deliver and go back and p/u your boat.

Power steering is great, but $1500 or more over the cost of a $1100 Seastar system. You've also then got to have 2 batteries. Extra batteries are not needed unless you're running trolling motors, and I prefer car batteries, not deep cycle batteries. You'll want a 8'6" deck, and the gas tank location will be where the manufacturer wants to put it. Go a dual axle trailer, and you'll probably want brakes on all 4 wheels since WV is so mountainous.

I've always had a spare prop, but never used it. I carry a cellphone. I also buy cheap orange life vests in bulk, and about 4 quality ski vests for the immediate family. Carry a battery powered compressor to blow up big tubes. Winterizing is very easy for all motor brands, and people that take their boats to dealers for winterizing are going to get ripped. It's just a 15 minute job. Most maintenance is just a oil change/filter and lower gear grease change yearly and changing the water pump every 3 years. Storage is a necessity, as it takes a big, big front yard to put a pontoon in. (I have my boat on a trailer in my front yard now, and they're really, really large.)

I have talked in the past about the boat business not being the car business. A big boat dealer's selling 100 units per year, and cannot sell @ $100 over cost and remain in business. Fair profit margins are around 10%. The best freebies go to high producing dealers, as the factories will throw under the table discounts and half off options at Fall order writing time. Outboards are much cheaper from the boat manufacturers than ordered directly from the manufacturers. One dealer told me he gets a 3% discount for paying cash, and another discount when he dropped all the other 4 brands of pontoons he used to sell.

Good luck, and enjoy your search. Boattraders.com and IBoats.com are great places to learn about the market and the available boats close to you.

[Rook]

Thanks Bamaman, I've read several of your posts and I like the car/boat dealer comparison...hadn't really thought of it that way. I also understand that, just like a car dealer, they aren't going to be selling a boat at a loss.

We got another quote from a dealer that had the total price and then a 30% "discount" which changed the price from the top end of what we'd like to spend into a range we were more comfortable with. It was in the $12-14k range taken off the price....what's that all about? That also makes it a little more of a guessing game on where our shopping should start and end.

[LocoCoco]

After being disappointed with the quality of the vinyl seats on my current boat, for my next boat I'll be aiming for top-quality stuff. Looking around at all the boat manufacturers websites, I think it was Premier that was the only one that actually gave a spec on their vinyl. Everyone else just used words like "premium vinyl" which is useless.

The second thing I'll definitely be going for is a vinyl floor instead of carpet.

Good luck on your search. BTW, price out all those "extras". ie, extra battery, trolling motor. They may be much cheaper to just buy on your own and install yourself.


LC.

[Bamaman]

Rook:

I continued my boat search this a.m. One dealer advertising very good prices on the internet hit me up with a $5500 trailer addition. He said tritoons require special trailers. Some do, but you can buy decent tandem axle trailers for $2300 with the center tube supports--$3000 with brakes.

Another popular internet boat dealer advertised good prices, but the descriptions on the net were inaccurate. They're now pricing entry level boats at luxury boat prices.

Many dealers quote the big % discounts. Mark'em way up and then mark'em down. I don't care what their inflated selling price is. All I care about is the cash selling price including everything.

All dealers have their special way of doing business. Too bad my local boat dealerships don't carry brands and model tritoons that would satisfy me. This is. . . . . . to be continued.

[JohnO]

I agree with just about everything the others have posted excpet for the dealer. While there are occasional warranty issues on pontoons, there is realy very little that can go wrong with them. Most of the problems will be with the motor and a local (certified) motor shop can handle those

My dealer was over 200 miles from me. (Casey's Cove Marina on Crooked Lake in Angola Indiana). I too the boat back once to have more add on's installed about a month after I picked it up. It hasn't been back there since.

My motor work is done at a local certified Yamaha shop.

Why did I go so far to buy my boat? Becasue they were $5,000 cheaper than the local guy!!

I went to the local guy first with an idea of what the boat should cost as configured. He priced me about $10,000 more than I thought it should be. I counter offered, he came back $200 less than his first number. Chump don't want my business, chump don't get my business. So I then I went out (Via email) to every dealer within 500 miles with a request for quote. Casey's Cove came in cheapest.

I took that quote back to my local guy to give him one last chance. He wasn't interested at all.

$5000 buys a lot of gas, insurance, toys etc. I still don't think I've spent more than that (excluding the slip rental) on the boat.


So don't get locked into the local dealer just becasue he is local.

[homey]

What area are you located? Although I went the way of a basic party cruiser having local dealers willing to negotiate sealed the deal. I saved approximately 20% on my Harris by purchasing a leftover 2011. The base boat I was looking at was over 20K at my "Costo preferred dealer" next to my main home. The marina by my cottage would order the same boat for $16500. I also noticed that one was selling a Bennington S for 19K while the other was $17,400 for the same boat. Shop, shop, shop. Good deals to be had.

[pontoon_mike]

A lot of great advice was provided above however it really comes down to how much you can spend/afford and if you need to finance it or not. I love the handling of a tritoon and the speed of bigger motors however it starts getting expensive very quickly. When my wife and I started looking at pontoons new tritoons with trailers were 30K+ for a 90HP model easy and went up to 60K with bigger motors and hydraulic steering.

We ended up purchasing a used 2004 Premier Legend 225RE with a 90HP 4 stroke Honda (3 years ago) and trailer for $16K cash. The boat was in PERFECT shape, not a tear in the seat all service records on the outboard, trailer was also in great shape. The boat will go 25-27 with 2 people on it, however we normally have 6-10 kids and adults on it and go inner tubing and lounging, etc all of the time and it will run 20 MPH while towing a tube.

In summary get as much as you can afford and test drive some different models, for us being able to pay cash for a used 2 log pontoon in perfect condition out weighed the cost of financing a 30K+ tritoon for many years.