Hard Top Toons?

[undrh2o]

Re: Hard Top Toons?

My hardtop was a noticeable drag when towing but I was towing 100 miles each way when I took it out. It is 8' x 10' and originally had 3/4 marine plywood on top. Once I removed the plywood and welded aluminum sheets to the top it made quite a difference...I think it was mainly the loss of several pounds.

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[dlooney]

Re: Hard Top Toons?

Mr. West, hello, I am new to this forum and like many others have found tons of useful information. My husband and I have bought our first (used) pontoon. We have always used one but bought our first. Like you, we want to add a hard top to our toon. It is a 1994 Harris Flotebote Classic 240 with a Mercury Mariner 50hp. We are currently replacing carpet and having seats redone. Would like any information that you could give us regarding the material you used and how you constructed your hardtop. Our children have always enjoyed jumping from the hard top. And yes, pictures would be great. Thank you.

 

[Randy West]

Re: Hard Top Toons?

Not sure how to include pics to this message, if you would share your e-mail I'll send pics and info of sizes and materials.......Randy

Mr. West, hello, I am new to this forum and like many others have found tons of useful information. My husband and I have bought our first (used) pontoon. We have always used one but bought our first. Like you, we want to add a hard top to our toon. It is a 1994 Harris Flotebote Classic 240 with a Mercury Mariner 50hp. We are currently replacing carpet and having seats redone. Would like any information that you could give us regarding the material you used and how you constructed your hardtop. Our children have always enjoyed jumping from the hard top. And yes, pictures would be great. Thank you.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Hard Top Toons?

Not sure how to include pics to this message, if you would share your e-mail I'll send pics and info of sizes and materials.......Randy

Welcome aboard dlooney. Please don't post your email address here. Best to PM Randy with it. By the way, what part of the Natural State do you call home and where do you boat?

 

[dlooney]

Re: Hard Top Toons?

Thank you Randy. I will PM my e-mail. And thank you Incoop. We live in Wynne and boat at Greers Ferry/Heber Springs. Love the lake! Again, thanks guys!

 

[lncoop]

Re: Hard Top Toons?

Thank you Randy. I will PM my e-mail. And thank you Incoop. We live in Wynne and boat at Greers Ferry/Heber Springs. Love the lake! Again, thanks guys!

The Coops' main lake is Catherine. We love Greers Ferry, but there are too many yellowjackets! By the way, my folks honeymooned at the Yellowjacket Inn.

 

[dlooney]

Re: Hard Top Toons?

LOL! You're right about the yellowjackets! And what a small world! Also, I will try to take a picture of our toon before restoration begins! I know it will be a job but we are looking foward to the challenge. If we can build a house, surely we can live through restoring a toon! This place is full of information and pictures! How can we go wrong!

 

[River_Lizard]

Re: Hard Top Toons?

I've got a hard top on mine (not a platform). When I'm trailering my pontoon, I take 8 bolts out and fold the hard top down and it sits on the railings where I tie it off to so it's secure while motoring down the road. Works pretty good and it only takes about 5 minutes to assemble at the ramp staging area.

 

[Bamaman1]

Re: Hard Top Toons?

I too used to visit Greers Ferry while in college in Memphis--that is until the Sheriff caught me drinking beer on the Heber Springs side one Sunday a.m. He ordered me out of his dry county on the spot. That was 5/1971--and I've never been back.

All seriousness aside, rebuilding a pontoon boat is no big deal. It just takes a little time and some good tools and open end wrenches. It helps if you have air tools, too. Pontoons are just very simply constructed boats.

I think it took me a week to strip all the fencing and furniture from my pontoon to put on new carpet and fix a couple of pieces of rotted plywood. Unfortunately, I got cheap and didn't use marine grade plywood, and I need to re-do the 2 pieces of plywood again after 7 years. Marine grade is just a good investment, as the rest of my plywood is 26 years old.

You just need to keep the boat dry whenever you're not using it.

I too have a large Starcraft aluminum framed hard top. They would be a hassle to deal with if you trailered the boat every time out. I took my top down for the winter--first time in years it's been lowered.

I think it'd be great if a company that makes tractor and heavy equipment fiberglass canopies would expand their molds to make oversized pontoon boat canopies. They have a good solid structure, and would be a big improvement over other folding tops.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Hard Top Toons?

Bama, come back to Greers some time and dlooney and I will keep the fuzz at bay.

 

[dlooney]

Re: Hard Top Toons?

That's right Bama. They are not as bad as they used to be! And I don't think it gets as crowded either. Our kids have had a blast growing up on this lake.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Hard Top Toons?

Greers Ferry really is a special place. I've been wanting to have a rendezvous there some time for the Arkies and others fairly close by. There's a surprisingly large number of us on here. I might start working on that this spring, so y'all get busy on the toon, k?

 

[dlooney]

Re: Hard Top Toons?

Ok, will try the picture thing. Hope it works. These are after we took the seats out. It has been raining so much here, that we have not been able to do anything. Hopefully this weekend we can start taking the railing off in that carpet needs to be redone. Wish us luck. Will try to keep pictures updated.



Hope this worked. Never posted pictures on a forum before.