Not sure which toon to get

[stimpsonjcat]

About us...
Wife, 10yo girl, 60lb dog, 10lb dog, and me.
We just sold our 1999 Sea Ray 215 EC because we did not use it at all last year. We bought a 'junker' pontoon, a Crest 24' fisher with all the front seat gone and bad rear seat cushions. It has a 40 hp Evinrude on it and does maybe 15-20mph tops. We used it a lot to go out to our local island and hang out with the locals.

But now we have it in our minds to get a nicer toon.

One thing we loved about the cuddy was...well...the cabin area. I don't see any new toons with cabins or even hard tops/walls being made now...are there? I see older Sun Tracker Party Hut/cruisers for sale, but they all have 135hp OBs and I am concerned they will not be any faster than my current junker...maybe even slower. That is an issue as we may occasionally want to take the toon southlake to visit friends and that is a 40 minute ride at 30mph.

Is it possible to retrofit a party hut with a bigger engine?

Back to the lack of cabins...we like the cabin idea for shelter from our periodic GA summer thunderstorms. Without it I can see even a temporary rain getting everything soaking wet.

So I am waffling between just keeping the junker and doing some upgrades there (bigger engine...redoing all the upholstery now...maybe a hard-top) or selling it and buying a different used toon like a party hut...or selling it and getting a new toon.

Oh and the daughter would love a slide on the back.

[C_M_25]

I don't know if you researched into the full enclosures or not, but you can buy pontoons with a "camper-type" wrap around. I think some are full and some are partial. Kinda like the picture below. Rebuilds look like a lot of fun, but they are a lot of work too.

[stimpsonjcat]

Yes, thank you, full canvas is definitely on my radar!

I love the idea from a storage as well as a usage standpoint. What is the typical cost for full canvas? Can this be done for almost any toon?

[solidhadriel]

Yes, thank you, full canvas is definitely on my radar!

I love the idea from a storage as well as a usage standpoint. What is the typical cost for full canvas? Can this be done for almost any toon?

I would expect your local dealer should be able to give you a quote. The dealer in my area does custom fabrication. They are building me a custom dual bimini top out of stainless steel poles (not the full canvas enclosure).

Also, I'd definitely recommend going new with a warranty. One thing I love about my 'Toon is the swim platform and dual ladders. No slide, but it's a nice space to have and people can go up and down the ladders with ease.

Good luck with your hunt!

[stimpsonjcat]

TU solidhadriel.

My...a search for that name places you in many forums!

[Bamaman]

While full and half enclosures are available, we seldom see them on the water. Those with high powered tritoons realize they cannot run the enclosures when going very fast. Typical prices for half/full enclosures are $3K/$4K, respectively. Unless you're a marine camper, chances are you won't use them very often.

When we have adverse weather come up on our lake, we just throw the throttle to it, and out run the storms @ 40 mph.

[solidhadriel]

TU solidhadriel.

My...a search for that name places you in many forums!

I had to go and search my name. I see everything from cars to guitars popping up. Yep - that's me! If I'm not working on a car, I'm brewing beer or going out on a boat.

To add to this post:

While full and half enclosures are available, we seldom see them on the water. Those with high powered tritoons realize they cannot run the enclosures when going very fast. Typical prices for half/full enclosures are $3K/$4K, respectively. Unless you're a marine camper, chances are you won't use them very often.

When we have adverse weather come up on our lake, we just throw the throttle to it, and out run the storms @ 40 mph.

My dual bimini was $1800, so I imagine I'd pay something like $3k for a full enclosure, custom built.

[stimpsonjcat]

While full and half enclosures are available, we seldom see them on the water. Those with high powered tritoons realize they cannot run the enclosures when going very fast. Typical prices for half/full enclosures are $3K/$4K, respectively. Unless you're a marine camper, chances are you won't use them very often.

When we have adverse weather come up on our lake, we just throw the throttle to it, and out run the storms @ 40 mph.

This is a really good point.

It is why I like the idea of the party hut so much. You get 'some' shelter, and it is not as large a wind block, and it is rigid so it can better withstand wind from weather or due to moving.

But they are all so under-powered it seems. I don't need even 30mph...but 20mph would be nice.

[ron nh]

Premier now makes a Pontoon with a cabin, It's only about $150k. Should work.

[stimpsonjcat]

Premier now makes a Pontoon with a cabin, It's only about $150k. Should work.

Ummmmmmm...no.

[stimpsonjcat]

OK, we drove the 2007 party hut today and it was a pretty neat boat.

Canvas is mostly shot though...and pretty heavy.

Speed was OK.
There wasn't as much 'shelter' as I thought there would be.
I am not sure the wife could handle it easily.

We are now back to looking at some more basic toons like the Sun Tracker 24 DLX party barge.
I am very curious if anyone has experience with both the 150hp equipped DLX (2 tubes) versus the DLX XP3 (tubes)?

The speed delta on the Sun Tracker site shows a 2mph difference versus the stock 115HP...that can't be right can it?
http://www.suntrackerboats.com/boat/mot ... ?boat=3867

We do not want or need a trailer, so I am hoping to get the 150hp engine instead of the trailer (or thereabouts), think that is possible?

[solidhadriel]

If you can afford a triple tube pontoon, most everyone here will say to get one. They handle rougher water and are a bit more stable from what I hear. Although, on the first run with my new 'Toon, we had some strong winds creating waves on our lake, and my 2-log Pontoon cut right through them and was pretty stable. However, the middle log will add weight and slow you down, so you'd definitely want the bigger engine...

...That said, not having a trailer is one of the most inconvenient things when owning a boat. But your mileage may vary.

[stimpsonjcat]

We live on the lake.

So the new toon will be tied to the dock forever.

My mechanic meets me with an appropriate trailer at a ramp 5 minutes from my dock when I need maintenance done.

Only thing I need trailers for are the skis...and then only when I need to do major work on them.