Thinking of used pontoon

I am thinking of selling my current boat and getting a pontoon.

Since I've never owned a pontoon and have only really been on a couple of them, I'm kind of looking for any information I can get. Below are some of the things I want to accomplish with this boat...

Right now a typical outing would be 4 adults and probably 4+ youth. I want room to expand to maybe 10+ if need be. I'm thinking 20' minimum, but maybe a 24' would be best? What size motor would I need to pull a skiier? Right now, my girls are young and a tube is fine, but I'm sure that will change.

How hard are they to pull? I have a Suburban, so I doubt it will be an issue for power, but the suburban gets bounced pretty good in a good wind.

What are some good used brands to go with? I would assume most of what I'll need to pay attention to in the used market is condition of material on the boat and the motor. Are there things to actually look for in regards to the hull itself? What about insurance, is it pricy on a pontoon or about the same as others?

I'm sure I'll have a few other questions, will ask as I think about them.
Thanks!

Re: Thinking of used pontoon

Brian,
With the requirements you've outlined I would say a 24' is minimum for your needs plus as big of a power plant as you can afford.
Other things to consider:
1) pontoon (2 toons) vs tritoon the tritoons tend to ride a little smoother and plane out faster
2) shape of toons. round vs U shaped there plenty of info on this site to read up on this subject
3) size of toon 23", 24", 25" , bigger the better
4) do you want the boat set up for cruising of fishing?
5) engine, outboard or inboard/sterndrive

You did not indicate what part of the country you are in or whether you plan to keep the boat in the water or trailer the boat.

In todays world brand is much more about aminities than boat quality

I have owned a 24' pontoon w/a 115hp Mercury outboard and now I own a 24' tritoon with a Mercruiser i/o. Both performed well but I must say I like my tritoon much better.

Just my $0.02 for what it is worth,

Larry

Re: Thinking of used pontoon

+1^^^ Brian. 22' - 25'+ for your expanding crew. 115 - 150hp for any serious water sports. Toons catch quite a bit of air at highway speeds, but nothing a Suburban couldn't handle within reason. Its worth the money for a mechanical survey IMO. Good luck !!!

Re: Thinking of used pontoon

What they said!

I pay $100 a year for full coverage on my brand-new pontoon from a quality company. They are cheap to insure.

I tow my nearly 26 footer with a Chrysler Pacifica. I have also towed pontoons with a Suburban I have owned and a Jeep Cherokee. The Suburban would be the best choice of the three, BUT the Pacifica is surprisingly good. Brakes are large. The suspension is auto adjustible and it makes enough power. The type of trailer you have and the distance you go makes a difference too.

Re: Thinking of used pontoon

At this time, the boat would be trailered.

I'd want it set up more for cruising with the family.

I'm in the midwest. Don't like the nearby lakes/mudholes, so I'd be towing it 1-1/2hrs to 5hrs away.

I'm not partial to motor, but I've always liked the outboards due to ease of maintenance in my part of the country.

Re: Thinking of used pontoon

The guys have pretty well covered everything, and it does sound like you're a prime candidate for a nice triple toon barge. I know the sale of your current boat figures heavily into it, but what do you anticipate being able to spend?

Re: Thinking of used pontoon

lncoop said:

The guys have pretty well covered everything, and it does sound like you're a prime candidate for a nice triple toon barge. I know the sale of your current boat figures heavily into it, but what do you anticipate being able to spend?

Click to expand...

My hope was that I could get somewhere in the neighborhood of $7500+ for my boat, hoping for about $8500, and would like to stay in that range of course depending upon timing, etc, that could fluctuate a few grand. To be honest, not really sure what I can get for my boat, as I've seen some people sell ones like it for $5k or less and others asking $8500. Let's just say for less than $7500, mine isn't going anywhere, unless I just found a steal on another boat.

Another option, which I'm not totally against is finding a nice shell that I could build to suit me.

I found one I really liked, but it's on the high end of my spectrum and only has a 70HP motor. This may not be a this year deal, but trying to know what to look for so when I find it and/or mine actually does sell, I'm ready to pounce on another. I don't want to be without!!

Re: Thinking of used pontoon

Brian,
I believe you will find 65%-75% of the value of a boat over 5-6 years old is going to be in the engine. Soo don't buy a toon that is underpowered for your need planning to put a bigger engine on it unless you get a real steal.

Once again, my$0.02 worth,

Larry