buying tips for a new pontoon shopper - kind of long

[phenrichs]

Just wondering if I could get some recommendations for pontoon shopping. We are looking for something that will seat around 10 people that we can use for recreation and fishing, cruising the lakes. Mostly small lakes with the largest water being the Missouri in South Dakota. We have 3 small children that love the water so we would be doing some swimming and eventually maybe some tubing when they are big enough.

I am mostly interested in what features or options a person should look for that would make one toon stand out over another if they were otherwise identical. Are there things to watch out for that could raise concern aside from structural and maintenance items.
What features or options have you found to be the most useful and valuable (wouldn't buy another without it type thing)?
What things have you found that you thought were good features or options that ended up being rarely used or even had a negative impact on the experience.
OR - what things have you added or removed that really made a difference.

Not set on new or used, will depend on the toon and the deal.
Will be towing with a F150 rated for 9900 towing. I have been towing a 5000lb camper and I am no stranger to towing but if there are features of the trailer that make life easier I am open for suggestions there too.

I know that it is nearly impossible to get anything that already has exactly what you want unless you order a new one and I am not against doing some modifications of my own to an extent. Just want to see what those with experience can tell me.

Thanks,
Paul

 

[EGlideRider]

Re: buying tips for a new pontoon shopper - kind of long

I am mostly interested in what features or options a person should look for that would make one toon stand out over another if they were otherwise identical. Are there things to watch out for that could raise concern aside from structural and maintenance items. Pontoons are almost bullet proof. If buying used, I recommend you have the motor checked by a competent marine mechanic.

What features or options have you found to be the most useful and valuable (wouldn't buy another without it type thing)?Changing room with porta-potti. Depth Finder. GPS.

What things have you found that you thought were good features or options that ended up being rarely used or even had a negative impact on the experience.None. But I'm the type of guy who plans major purchases to the nth degree.

OR - what things have you added or removed that really made a difference.The best thing that I've ever added was a radio-controlled steering system. I've had one on my last three pontoon boats starting in 1995. You can't buy one anywhere but I'm happy to share the plans and schematic via a PM. It allows me to sit up front with the guest and steer the boat with a keychain remote.

Not set on new or used, will depend on the toon and the deal.It's a buyers market so your best deals will be used.

Will be towing with a F150 rated for 9900 towing. I have been towing a 5000lb camper and I am no stranger to towing but if there are features of the trailer that make life easier I am open for suggestions there too.Outside boat guides make loading in crosswinds or currents much easier. The inside guides work good if the ramp is not too steep. If the ramp is steep, the stern may float over inside guides.

Welcome to the forum and post pictures of your new toy when she gets home

 

[The Rooster]

Re: buying tips for a new pontoon shopper - kind of long

Welcome Paul. +1 to everything "Egliderider' said. In addition I would add that with that size crew aboard, I'd recommend at least a 22'- 24'barge with 90 to 115 hp. For options, we like the barges with rear entry. Easier to deal with kids swimming and loading up tubers. We also found double bimini tops, connecting if possible, to be worth their weight in gold. Even the heartiest teenagers run for shade in 95 degree heat, effectively reducing the room on the barge in half. Some barges have "entertainment" centers on them with countertop and pressurized water and sink. Most people don't really use them and would prefer additional seating, but that's personal preference. One other thing, if you think you will be hanging out at sandbars or anchored up for hours at a time, like we do, I'd recommend a dual battery setup w/ selector switch. I like having additional cranking power if needed. Good luck, hope this helps. We tow w/ 06 F-150 supercrew. Plenty of power.

 

[EGlideRider]

Re: buying tips for a new pontoon shopper - kind of long

+1 for the double biminis and the dual batteries. I've had full enclosure on my last three boats.

 

[phenrichs]

Re: buying tips for a new pontoon shopper - kind of long

These are some great suggestions. How does a porta potti on a boat work? Is it like a camper and just have a tank that you empty or does it have to be carried off to be dumped? Wow I didn't even know you could get two tops. SO one for the front and one for the back I assume. I like the idea of the rear deck. I have seen some with the removable pedestal fishing chairs so you could jump and swim from there. Dual batteries would be a priority for sure. An all day outing with the radio on drains them rather quickly. Can you tell me more about the sandbar things. I have seen videos of toons parked on the beach and it just floored me as I am not used to that. Do you just ease up to shore so that you stop but the motor is still submerged? You can then just back out or do you have to push like a canoe?

 

[EGlideRider]

Re: buying tips for a new pontoon shopper - kind of long

You have to carry the porta-pottie off to dump in a toilet, but with proper chemicals, you only empty when full. And that may only be once per season.

Assuming no rocks in the sand, get everyone to the stern, raise the motor and ease onto the sandbar. If real shallow, you may gain a little speed and kill the motor prior to the sandbar landing. When leaving, get everyone to the stern and if in shallow water, have someone push you backwards.

 

[The Rooster]

Re: buying tips for a new pontoon shopper - kind of long

Hey Paul, again +1 for "EglideRiders" comments about beaching on sandbars. I have to admit though, for a porta pottie, all we keep in the change room is a 5 gal. bucket with one of those universal size snap-on toilet seats. My first mate swears by it for the ladies on-board. We deal with it later when we get home. Think we got it from Harbour Freight or some camping site years ago. By the way, you're going to need a Propane BBQ pit. Those stainless steel ones are nice, but pricey. I made a small table that hooks onto the rail, and use a $30.00 "Blue Rhino" type hibachi grill, It does the trick.

 

[Jeep Man]

Re: buying tips for a new pontoon shopper - kind of long

Welcome to the forum Paul, and welcome to the pontoon world. You're getting good feedback so far. We are on our second toon so I hope I can help.
Layout is everything. Our first one had an open deck up front which was great for fishing, but it made me quite nervous with anyone out there if we were moving, even slowly. The second toon has the seats around the perimeter which is great for guests but doesn't lend itself well to fishing. I have a 20' and have had 10 people on board once. It was quite crowded and borderline overloaded. For that many on board, I would suggest a 24'. Larger pontoons or a tri-toon will allow for better buoyancy. To get enough speed for skiing you should set your minimum horsepower at 115 on that size of craft. Four strokes will be quieter and better on fuel, with the Etec being the exception in two strokes. Ours has a sundeck at the rear which flips up to house the porta potti. The space was meant to be a change room but with 2 young grand daughters and 2 daughters the porta potti was a must. It didn't come with the boat. We purchased it at a camping store and it has two separate sections, one for clean water for flushing and the other for rest. It has to be dumped and that chamber separates and remains sealed to facilitate transport. The blue chemicals keeps the odor in check. The boat came with a depth finder but I changed it for a fish finder as it has a depth alarm built in and is more versatile. As to the trailer, look to a bunk style rather than scissor style as they are more stable for towing any distance at highway speed. It needs to have tandem axles as well. Being it is late in the season, this is a good time to look for a deal. Good luck with your search. Be prepared to travel for the right craft.

 

[GrandDad]

Re: buying tips for a new pontoon shopper - kind of long

+1 on double biminis, dual batteries, and porta-potty (we have three young grandchildren). We have a 22' high-performance tri-toon, with a 150 Yamaha. I would suggest that either a 22 or a 24' would probably do fine for you in size. I also believe that a 115 in the minimum you should consider if you are planning to pull a tube. We often pull a double tube and our two grandsons often want to go faster even when we are pulling at 25 mph. I would think that would be difficult to achieve with the extra drag of that big double tube with a 90 hp.

Also, when I installed the porta-potty (I did it myself since the mfr wanted more money for a smaller potty), I bought one with a discharge line and connected it to a waste fitting on the side of the boat. That way, I dont have to carry the waste tank anywhere - I just go to the gas dock that has a waste pump. Works great if the lake you boat on has a waste facility. It came in very handy one July 4th weekend when all the children visited the potty more than normal and one had "intestinal issues." I pumped out three times in 3 days!

 

[GrandDad]

Re: buying tips for a new pontoon shopper - kind of long

One other thought on beaching. We do it frequently because the littler kids love it. We noticed that some boats were using beach anchors to hold them steady on the beach (with passing boat wakes). These are poles that stick in the sand just off the bow of the boat, with lines that attach at the stern cleats. They end up holding you on the beach as well as holding the boat from moving side to side.

When I was trying to search on the internet, we found beach anchors range in price from $25 for a simple stainless 2-foot pole up to $70 (or even a whole lot more) when the pole has a sliding weight to pound it into the sand. We opted for the less expensive and it has worked well for us.

(BTW - different subject - our grandchildren are 8-1/2, 7, and 4-1/2 and all love to tube, although the youngest likes to go a bit slower).

 

[lncoop]

Re: buying tips for a new pontoon shopper - kind of long

Not much to add because my brethren have pretty well covered it, but I'll mention one thing with regard to beaching. Your impeller will thank you if you kill the motor while gliding into the beach/sandbar. If you're like me you'll occasionally forget (or your buddy will) to do so and you'll suck up sand. Not a huge problem, but it will definitely shorten the life of your impeller.

 

[Bamaman1]

Re: buying tips for a new pontoon shopper - kind of long

If you're in South Dakota, check out T&MMarine.com in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. That's the north central portion of the state.

They've got to be the largest pontoon boat dealer in the U.S., with hundreds and hundreds of units in stock. They also purchase Tahoe/Avalon pontoon boats at great discounts when dealers go out of business--and when the factory is overstocked. They also purchase Mercury motor overruns and year old new motors at big discounts. Their prices appear great across the board.

Their salesmen can give you good advice on what suits your needs.

 

[5150abf]

Re: buying tips for a new pontoon shopper - kind of long

You need to get to a dealer and see what is available, toons used to be furniture and a rails and they would change the colors every year but in the last 10-15 years toons have gone just crazy with all the options you can get, there are literally hundreds of options for every boat.

Who would have ever though you caould get a power bimini or privacy encloser or a 350 outboard.

So you should be able to find very close to the exact boat you want if you put in the time looking.

 

[EGlideRider]

Re: buying tips for a new pontoon shopper - kind of long

A power bimini? That is a new one for me..... Knowledge just abounds here.....

 

[5150abf]

Re: buying tips for a new pontoon shopper - kind of long

Ya, thay are super cool, came out with that one 2 years ago, there is a dash switch or a key fob you can use, the same boat had a power privacy encloser too, it was under one of the rear facing seats on an I/O.

You can power raise the whole back platform to work on the engine or just raise the privacy with a different switch.

 

[Blank-N-Ship]

Re: buying tips for a new pontoon shopper - kind of long

I know that it is nearly impossible to get anything that already has exactly what you want unless you order a new one and I am not against doing some modifications of my own to an extent. Just want to see what those with experience can tell me.

To be honest, you can get a custom-made one for the same cost as one that's sitting on a lot. I work at a pontoon manufacturer (at the factory) so I ought to know.

I would suggest that you should begin looking in the various "shopper" magazines and see what people are trying to sell. You can get an idea of what features are available. Implied from all this, though, is that someone is no longer trying to keep what they have. In some cases that means that they're no longer using their pontoon boat. There can be a lot of reasons for that but one of the big reasons is that they invested more into their boat than their budget could afford. Part of this exercise is just to remind yourself that you can spend from $15,000 to $100,000 on that boat, make sure that you're not unnecessarily spending an additional $20k or more if you honestly aren't going to be on the lake that much.