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2005 BENNINGTON 2275 RCL 4.3L Mercruiser V6 220 HP

boatin'colorado

boatin'colorado

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I have been following the forums here for awhile, and dreaming about owning a Bennington here in Colorado.  I have found a used Bennington nearby that I think would be a great fit for our family, but I just don't know enough about Bennington features to pull the trigger.  The boat would mainly be used here in Colorado reservoirs like Horsetooth, with an occasional trip to Lake Powell.  It would be used for casual boating, tubing, and some fishing.

The boat I am looking at is here: http://www.boattrader.com/listing/2005-Bennington-2275RCL-369296 and I am hoping some of the experience boaters can give some advice.  I called the Marina that has serviced the boat and the engine is the 4.3L Mercruiser V6 220 HP.  It has less than 200 hours, and my brother in law is a mechanic and could work on the engine as needed.

Here are my main questions:

1. What kind of performance should I expect from this boat, primarily top speed?  The owner is older and can't tell me if it has the ESP packager or not.  Seems like a good I/O engine for the boat length, but again, I'm a noob and just can't tell.

2. Our Land Rover is rated for towing 7,700 lbs, and I would primarily just be towing within a few hundred miles.  I know these boats have a lot of wind drag on the freeway.  Would it be reasonable to assume that I could tow with this vehicle?  Not sure of the actual weight of this boat...

3. Does this seem like a fair price by just the basic spechs?

Thanks, I really appreciate any responses.  It's a 6 hr drive to see the boat, so your advice could be a HUGE time save.  I look forward to joining the Bennington family soon!

Ryan
 
I personally don't think that is a bad price for an R with a Tritoon, double bimini and all that horse.  My new 2012 RL with just 2 regular toons and a 115 was more than twice that
 
Welcome to the forum. I couldn't get to Boat Trader but here are some answers. 200 hours isn't even broken in, very low hours. Bennington didn't come out with ESP until 2008. Big Kahuna has the same boat and power plant and I'm sure he'll chime in. I've been on his boat and it will do all that you want. I thinkmhis top speed is around 40. If your vehicle is rated for 7700lbs then you should have no problem. Is it a v8? We have a 2007 2275rl and love it. Just saw the listing, offer them 19k.
 
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cwag911 said:
Welcome to the forum. I couldn't get to Boat Trader but here are some answers. 200 hours isn't even broken in, very low hours. Bennington didn't come out with ESP until 2008. Big Kahuna has the same boat and power plant and I'm sure he'll chime in. I've been on his boat and it will do all that you want. I thinkmhis top speed is around 40. If your vehicle is rated for 7700lbs then you should have no problem. Is it a v8? We have a 2007 2275rl and love it. Just saw the listing, offer them 19k.
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cwag, thanks for the reply, very helpful!  I figured it was a nice boat, he said he paid $51,000 new.  The Land Rover LR4 is a 375 hp 5.0L V8, seems like it should do just fine for short hauls.  Would love to hear from Big Kahuna about his specs and top speed with the same config.
 
Again welcome to the forum boatin'colorado!  Buy it!!!!!!   (But offer them $19000 like Carl said) That's a good price for that model year, only 200 hrs. on the motor and all of the features it has like the double bimini, in floor storage, swim platform, live well etc. etc............

Our boat is a 2004 2275RL. Almost identical to the one you're looking at but we don't have the above listed features and the helm has different gauges. (I'd kill for the in floor storage in the center tube and double bimini) We've had it for 6 seasons and have been very satisfied w/the performance of the 4.3L Mercruiser V6 I/O..... 220 HP is plenty for whatever you want to do...........cruising, tubing for fishing. Our top speed has been 41 MPH w/a handheld GPS at 4500 RPM's. But I believe that if I was ever by myself w/the bimini top down on the sun pad or on trailer struts I would be able to squeeze another 1 or 2 MPH out of it. We rarely run at WOT but the power is there if you need it. It has a good "hole shot" for skiing or tubing and it came with a Stainless Mercury Mirage Plus 17P prop............http://club.benningtonmarine.com/index.php?/topic/755-list-your-specs-here/page-3

Looks like the 2005 has the express package w/lifting strakes on both sides of all tubes. It'll quickly get on plane but will turn "flat" unlike the ESP package that some forum members have. They can turn or carve through the water similar to a V bottom boat..........Next time you talk to the seller ask them about the fin being damaged or bent on the port side (left) tube and also the lifting eye looks to be missing or broken off. Also on the same tube.............Ask them about any other damage.......

Other than that the boat seems to be in good shape. You can tell that it's been left in the water and the tubes will have to be power washed or acid washed to bring it back to almost new condition............

You won't have any problem towing it w/your Land Rover. We tow ours w/a Ford Expedition rated to tow up to 9200 lbs....... don't even know it's back there.............

If you have any other questions.............just ask! The members on this forum are fantastic and will offer their help in a second..................
 
Double check that port side nose. The water deflector is bent upward, and the eyelet is bent over where they have the strap connected.

Check the eyelet weld for cracks. I would almost bet, as far as it's bent over in the pic, it may have split the metal around the weld. I've seen it numerous times on noses of toons on our docks where people tie them incorrectly and they beat themselves into the dock. 

 



 

 

 

edit: ooops, notice BigKahuna commented on same damage .... only read part of his response as I can't answer on the performance questions ..... hauling should not be a problem.
 
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Gents - Can't thank you all enough for the thorough advice.  I have been in love with Bennington Boats since we spent some time on one a few summers ago.  Heading down at the crack of dawn tomorrow morning to Pagosa Springs for a lake test, and I will certainly take a close look at the damage notes by Kahuna and SemperFi, nice catch!  Also glad to hear that the Land Rover can pull it with no issues, that was a big concern of the wifey.  I will look closely for other damage as well.  I look forward to reporting back!
 
Make sure the trailer has good brakes.  Your tow vehicle will pull it fine but your shorter wheel base means trailer braking is very important for your safety.
 
Just wanted to circle back with the conclusion, I bought it!  I have had it out for 2 days now and I am loving the boat, it is so much fun.  The photos from the ad were old, all of the damage had been professionally fixed by a welder.  The boat actually has 130 hours on it, and the engine was services annually.  Thanks again for all of your advice, I felt so much more confident when  I was standing there thinking if I should buy it or not.  I look forward to some great Colorado Boating days ahead, and being an active member here in the forums.  
 
BigKahuna said:
Our boat is a 2004 2275RL. Almost identical to the one you're looking at but we don't have the above listed features and the helm has different gauges. (I'd kill for the in floor storage in the center tube and double bimini) We've had it for 6 seasons and have been very satisfied w/the performance of the 4.3L Mercruiser V6 I/O..... 220 HP is plenty for whatever you want to do...........cruising, tubing for fishing. Our top speed has been 41 MPH w/a handheld GPS at 4500 RPM's. But I believe that if I was ever by myself w/the bimini top down on the sun pad or on trailer struts I would be able to squeeze another 1 or 2 MPH out of it. We rarely run at WOT but the power is there if you need it. It has a good "hole shot" for skiing or tubing and it came with a Stainless Mercury Mirage Plus 17P prop............http://club.benningtonmarine.com/index.php?/topic/755-list-your-specs-here/page-3
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Kahuna, was just checking out your specs and I am wondering if my performance is affected by the altitude here in Colorado, where I boat is at 5,430 feet.  My top speed was right around 32 MPH with a handheld GPS, seems like it's a moot point because I was mainly running at 24 MPH anyways, but I am wondering if I am getting the peak performance.  I did find some info online with regards to rejetting for higher altitude, does anyone have experience with the Mercruiser at high altitude?  The boat will live in Colorado, so I could make some permanent adjustments. 

Suggested Changes for Running at Altitude

The following is meant to be a guide when the engine is going to be used at altitudes other than sea level.

1. Boats going to a higher elevation for a short period of time should only change their propeller to a lower

pitch.

2. Customers that will be doing all their boating at higher altitudes can have the following changes made.

If this boat is brought back down to sea level, all elevation changes that were made must be returned

to settings for sea level.

!

CAUTION

To prevent engine damage, DO NOT SET timing any higher than for the lowest elevation that customer will be running the boat.

3. Generally, timing can be advanced 2 degrees for every 5000 ft. (1525 m) elevation to help engine performance.

4. Carburetors can be leaned out to help performance at higher elevations. Before ordering any parts, look

at the part number on the carburetor. It is stamped in the float bowl.
 
Ummmm ..... NEW PICS !!!!!!!! :)

Oh yeah, welcome to the family !!!!!
 
Congrats Colorado!

I never ran any of the boats I've had at high altitude so I don't know how that affects performance.(I'm sure somebody w/more experience can chime in)............

There are other things that can affect performance/top speed...........what kind of prop do you have and what is the pitch? Are the tubes clean? How much actual weight do you have onboard to include the # of people and gear? Is the bimini top/s up or down?  Also I believe your engine is fuel injected and doesn't have a carburetor......

All of these factors affect your boats performance/top speed.............
 
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