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faster or bigger?

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SheCaptain

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We are narrowing our search for our next pontoon and are stuck at which way to go. Our budget will only allow for either a 21' S series tritoon or an R series 24.5' pontoon.

We generally usr the boat as an entertaining boat, but I do want the ability to ski occassionally (I am 125 lbs)

The tritoon handles so much nicer at high speeds, but the need for speed is occassional. We would be putting a 150hp on either.

Thx for your input
 
Buy your last boat first . 

We had a 2013 SLX .nothing at all wrong with an S ,We didn't order it the way we should have .

Traded it in on a  2014 RCW 
 
If your question is about 2 toon R vs 3 toon S I'd definitely go with the 3 toon. It's not so much about "faster" as it is about load carrying capability, which is probably a higher percentage of the time it's used. The tri-toon will handle your extra guests and maintain it's speed better than the 2 toon boat, even if it's slightly longer.
 
Since you're looking to power with the same engine and like to entertain more than ski I would go for the luxury and larger size over the handling.  For me that means the R series without question.  We recently ordered an RCL 2550 after deciding to buy an S series.  When we went to the dealer to order a boat and looked at the S, a nice boat.  Then to show us some options the dealer uncovered an R series, we looked at the luxury of the R and the S was out of the picture. Since we also entertain more than anything else the R was a better choice for us.  Yes the tri-toons perform better but I wouldn't spend the money on the extra toon and only use a 150 HP engine which will run fine on a two-toon boat.  Good luck! :)
 
I vote 3 tubes, there is no comparison, especially in ride quality. Where are you going to boat?
 
I also vote 3 ,and an R ,that is from past experience .
 
3 toon a must....and reach if you can for the R.

In the long run, it will save you $.

I did a bit of a reach and am really happy I did.
 
+ for Jack M....should be able to add the express pkg and stay within budget to get the most out of entertaining (frequent- R series!!!) and decent out of skiing/tubing (infrequent).
 
Get what you can afford and is the best value for you and your family...........
 
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Stormie25RCL said:
+ for Jack M....should be able to add the express pkg and stay within budget to get the most out of entertaining (frequent- R series!!!) and decent out of skiing/tubing (infrequent).
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I had originally order an express on my R . After checking, it wasn't that much more to get the SPS 200 .Well worth it 
 
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3 toon, and make sure you test drive a few. 150 on tri toon is a worlds dff from a std 2 toon-period. If its within price difference font waste money second guessing he future.

Yes the r features are great but hAndling with more than 5 adults and 6 inch chop is worth the diff or a tri
 
One thing to remember. Even though you hate wasting some money, you can always add power but it gets very expensive to start changing boats. Like Jack said, buy your last boat first. Yes the R is more luxurious, BUT, don't let that fool you. The S is still a high quality toon that is probably up to par with other manufacturers top of the line stuff.

With today's interest rates and loan options, go with as much as you can feel comfortable budget wise, then just enjoy the boat. I mean you can always trade it next year like some other people here ..... :)
 
Thanks guys! Who knew a pontoon would be so tough to decide on. We would love a tri R, its just not in the budget. Given that I only ski about 5 times per year, I think we are deciding on the bigger, nicer pontoon.

We are being offered a very good deal on his demo that fits the bill for us. Seasons are so short here in MI, it would pain me to make a big boat payment during the 7 months we wouldnt be using the boat
 
SheCaptain said:
Thanks guys! Who knew a pontoon would be so tough to decide on. We would love a tri R, its just not in the budget. Given that I only ski about 5 times per year, I think we are deciding on the bigger, nicer pontoon.

We are being offered a very good deal on his demo that fits the bill for us. Seasons are so short here in MI, it would pain me to make a big boat payment during the 7 months we wouldnt be using the boat
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You can't go wrong either way as you've chosen the right brand. You might want to take a ski ride behind that demo if it's possible. That way you could be sure it's going to work for you. Good luck!
 
SheCaptain said:
Thanks guys! Who knew a pontoon would be so tough to decide on. We would love a tri R, its just not in the budget. Given that I only ski about 5 times per year, I think we are deciding on the bigger, nicer pontoon.

We are being offered a very good deal on his demo that fits the bill for us. Seasons are so short here in MI, it would pain me to make a big boat payment during the 7 months we wouldnt be using the boat
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Hopefully you'll be out on the water soon -- enjoy it!!
 
SheCaptain said:
Thanks guys! Who knew a pontoon would be so tough to decide on. We would love a tri R, its just not in the budget. Given that I only ski about 5 times per year, I think we are deciding on the bigger, nicer pontoon.

We are being offered a very good deal on his demo that fits the bill for us. Seasons are so short here in MI, it would pain me to make a big boat payment during the 7 months we wouldnt be using the boat
Click to expand...

I agree!  One of the toughest buying decisions I've ever had...so many different options...

When considering your budget, remember, you should get a significant discount off MSRP.  With a demo model, you should get even more...do some searches on the forum and you'll get an idea of how much you can save from MSRP, it might surprise you.  At a minimum, it will help you feel confident on the price you're getting on the demo.
 
I would go with the bigger pontoon and maybe the twin elip set up with a 150hp motor.  We love our twin elip 2275.  Handles the big water with ease.  Its fast top end straight line.  Handels ok in tight turns but will not hanle like a ESP, but then again we don't need it to.

Good luck with your decision

Todd
 
ok. So I think we are likely to go with the 2550 GSR demo. w/150HP Yamaha

The boat is well equipped and we are getting it at about 65% of MSRP (since it was a demo). 

The salesman convinced me that we could always come back to put an elliptical toon on if we needed to later. 

Its a huge boat - which is my final hesitation.  Anyone else with a 2550 have any opinions about it? 
 
No one ever says "Gee, I wish I had less space."  A larger boat is also more stable.  

The main negative would be maneuverability in tight spaces.  Are you keeping it in a slip or someplace that could be hard to get into/out of?
 
SheCaptain said:
ok. So I think we are likely to go with the 2550 GSR demo. w/150HP Yamaha

The boat is well equipped and we are getting it at about 65% of MSRP (since it was a demo). 

The salesman convinced me that we could always come back to put an elliptical toon on if we needed to later. 

Its a huge boat - which is my final hesitation.  Anyone else with a 2550 have any opinions about it? 
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I can't speak much to the size question, but you can't really add an elliptical center toon. Express center toon, yes. ALL pontoons, if you're not used to docking them, get blown around by the slightest wind. The longer boat just accentuates that even more, like a big sail. Other than that it's pretty much all good. You get the stability, load capability, and comfort of a longer boat. Storage and trailer are a little more expensive. We went from a 24 down to a 22 ourselves. With kids (now adults) out of state now, we just didn't tend to have as many guests (their friends) so the space wasn't needed.

That is a GREAT deal, and would be very hard to resist. Best of luck with your decision.
 
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