Looking at a 2013 2550 RBR

[tothetrail]

I'm interested in this boat for sale in Elkhorn, WI, but I live in California, so about 2000 miles away.

Might anyone know anything about this boat? Or willing to take a look at the pics and let me know your thoughts?

I'm looking for a used Bennington with the Bar configuration like this one, with at least a 300hp motor, and the large, 55 gallon fuel tank. The model year isn't as important as the condition of the boat, and this one looks a bit hammered, dented fencing, rusty/moldy carpet, bent splash guard, and the front of the outer pontoons look like they both have vertical creases in the same spot, but can't tell for sure (but the interior upholstery and fiberglass looks pretty nice, from what I can see.) And it would be quite some effort to check it out in person. Also looking to find if the anyone knows of anyone in that area who has a service of inspecting boats for someone out of the area. I'm definitely not in a hurry to purchase, but this configuration with a big motor doesn't come up for sale very often.

The dealer hasn't said for certain whether this one has a 37 gal tank or if it has the 55 gal, but is still checking. Anyone know if the 2013 had this option? I see that "fuel tank upgrade is strongly recommended for engines greater than 150hp," but I can't find what size the fuel tank upgrade was. Or anyone know what year Bennington started offering the optional 55 gal tank?

https://cdn-gen.polaris.com/ben/PDFs/2013-Bennington-Brochure.pdf

 

[Michiman]

If I were a betting man, I'd bet that this Benny sports a full-sized tank. That said, the web site shows that a sale is pending. Is that you or did it just get gobbled up?

 

[tothetrail]

If I were a betting man, I'd bet that this Benny sports a full-sized tank. That said, the web site shows that a sale is pending. Is that you or did it just get gobbled up?

Thanks, that's what this dealer thinks, also. Yes, that's me.

 

[lakelifeMN]

I'm interested in this boat for sale in Elkhorn, WI, but I live in California, so about 2000 miles away.


Might anyone know anything about this boat? Or willing to take a look at the pics and let me know your thoughts?

I'm looking for a used Bennington with the Bar configuration like this one, with at least a 300hp motor, and the large, 55 gallon fuel tank. The model year isn't as important as the condition of the boat, and this one looks a bit hammered, dented fencing, rusty/moldy carpet, bent splash guard, and the front of the outer pontoons look like they both have vertical creases in the same spot, but can't tell for sure (but the interior upholstery and fiberglass looks pretty nice, from what I can see.) And it would be quite some effort to check it out in person. Also looking to find if the anyone knows of anyone in that area who has a service of inspecting boats for someone out of the area. I'm definitely not in a hurry to purchase, but this configuration with a big motor doesn't come up for sale very often.

The dealer hasn't said for certain whether this one has a 37 gal tank or if it has the 55 gal, but is still checking. Anyone know if the 2013 had this option? I see that "fuel tank upgrade is strongly recommended for engines greater than 150hp," but I can't find what size the fuel tank upgrade was. Or anyone know what year Bennington started offering the optional 55 gal tank?


View attachment 30426

The dealer or you can contact Bennington with the hull ID number and they should be able to answer that for you as well as provide you with all the options it came with when it was built. They are usually very prompt in replying.

 

[tothetrail]

The dealer or you can contact Bennington with the hull ID number and they should be able to answer that for you as well as provide you with all the options it came with when it was built. They are usually very prompt in replying.

Thanks

 

[ILLINOIS AVE]

tothetrail, Man I don't know 2000 miles away, the condition of the boat and it seems like a lot of cake! Are there Bennington dealers closer to you ? I know they are hard to find but, I would give it another year people will be wanting to get out of what they bought last year. Good Luck!

 

[mtudb24]

I'm interested in this boat for sale in Elkhorn, WI, but I live in California, so about 2000 miles away.


Might anyone know anything about this boat? Or willing to take a look at the pics and let me know your thoughts?

I'm looking for a used Bennington with the Bar configuration like this one, with at least a 300hp motor, and the large, 55 gallon fuel tank. The model year isn't as important as the condition of the boat, and this one looks a bit hammered, dented fencing, rusty/moldy carpet, bent splash guard, and the front of the outer pontoons look like they both have vertical creases in the same spot, but can't tell for sure (but the interior upholstery and fiberglass looks pretty nice, from what I can see.) And it would be quite some effort to check it out in person. Also looking to find if the anyone knows of anyone in that area who has a service of inspecting boats for someone out of the area. I'm definitely not in a hurry to purchase, but this configuration with a big motor doesn't come up for sale very often.

The dealer hasn't said for certain whether this one has a 37 gal tank or if it has the 55 gal, but is still checking. Anyone know if the 2013 had this option? I see that "fuel tank upgrade is strongly recommended for engines greater than 150hp," but I can't find what size the fuel tank upgrade was. Or anyone know what year Bennington started offering the optional 55 gal tank?

https://cdn-gen.polaris.com/ben/PDFs/2013-Bennington-Brochure.pdf

View attachment 30426

Very nice set of options that are both aesthetically pleasing and functional
Raised helm a bonus
Side and cupholder LED's
Underwater lights
Wetsounds sound system (very nice)
Power top (nice feature but I hear it can be quite common to fail)
Seagrass rear deck. If I were to order anything again, would be NO CARPET at all. I like my faux teak rear deck and would like something other then carpet inside the play pen. Just a pain to keep dry and clean. Epeically when you have little kids who like to eat those Nasty Cheetos and etc
Rough water package which didn't seem to be mentioned unless its standard with the Elip performance package. Boxed in front spray deflectors and solid M brackets at the rear of the tubes

Good luck and keep us posted

 

[BigKahuna]

Looks like it's in decent shape for a 2013. Sure there is some wear and tear but that's to be expected with an 8 yr old boat. Personally if I was getting ready to potentially spend $60000+ my butt would be in Wisconsin checking it out myself before pulling the trigger. Is a trailer available? How would you get it home?

 

[BigKahuna]

Very nice set of options that are both aesthetically pleasing and functional
Raised helm a bonus
Side and cupholder LED's
Underwater lights
Wetsounds sound system (very nice)
Power top (nice feature but I hear it can be quite common to fail)
Seagrass rear deck. If I were to order anything again, would be NO CARPET at all. I like my faux teak rear deck and would like something other then carpet inside the play pen. Just a pain to keep dry and clean. Epeically when you have little kids who like to eat those Nasty Cheetos and etc
Rough water package which didn't seem to be mentioned unless its standard with the Elip performance package. Boxed in front spray deflectors and solid M brackets at the rear of the tubes

Good luck and keep us posted

Hey Todd I read your comment about having a hard time keeping your carpet clean and dry. I used to buy a gallon of Starbrite waterproofing spray and sprayed every inch of the carpet in our old boat from front to back. Let it dry. Then sprayed it again making sure I got areas that I might have missed the first time. The water would bead up like a just waxed car and run off. The carpet never got wet and it was so easy to keep clean! I also sprayed the playpen cover with the same product.

 

[Potomacbassin’]

Holy mother - $65K for a used 8-year old tritoon!

OP those F350's have a well-known issue with their flywheels, might be worth researching before diving headfirst. Nothing catastrophic but you will need to replace them frequently which will add to cost of ownership.

Also only 140 hours over 8 years seems very low, these motors like to be run so if possible have a mechanic do a thorough inspection especially since out of warranty. I'd want to see service records too.

Best of luck and hope you find a good deal out there!

 

[tothetrail]

tothetrail, Man I don't know 2000 miles away, the condition of the boat and it seems like a lot of cake! Are there Bennington dealers closer to you ? I know they are hard to find but, I would give it another year people will be wanting to get out of what they bought last year. Good Luck!

There is one dealer in Southern California, and I should probably at least go check it out. I know, I'm leaning that way, especially because Powell doesn't look great this year anyway. Thanks, good comment.

 

[tothetrail]

Very nice set of options that are both aesthetically pleasing and functional
Raised helm a bonus
Side and cupholder LED's
Underwater lights
Wetsounds sound system (very nice)
Power top (nice feature but I hear it can be quite common to fail)
Seagrass rear deck. If I were to order anything again, would be NO CARPET at all. I like my faux teak rear deck and would like something other then carpet inside the play pen. Just a pain to keep dry and clean. Epeically when you have little kids who like to eat those Nasty Cheetos and etc
Rough water package which didn't seem to be mentioned unless its standard with the Elip performance package. Boxed in front spray deflectors and solid M brackets at the rear of the tubes

Good luck and keep us posted

Thanks for all the great info. I didn't even know the boat had many of these items. Now I know what to look out for.

 

[tothetrail]

Looks like it's in decent shape for a 2013. Sure there is some wear and tear but that's to be expected with an 8 yr old boat. Personally if I was getting ready to potentially spend $60000+ my butt would be in Wisconsin checking it out myself before pulling the trigger. Is a trailer available? How would you get it home?

Thanks for the comment. I will definitely be checking it out in person before purchasing. It does not come with a trailer, and I need one. They have one available for $5,900, which I would purchase. I would be driving there and towing it home. But it would be about $1000 in fuel and about four days time just to see it. That's why I'm trying to find out as much as I can before making the decision to drive there.

 

[tothetrail]

Holy mother - $65K for a used 8-year old tritoon!

OP those F350's have a well-known issue with their flywheels, might be worth researching before diving headfirst. Nothing catastrophic but you will need to replace them frequently which will add to cost of ownership.

Also only 140 hours over 8 years seems very low, these motors like to be run so if possible have a mechanic do a thorough inspection especially since out of warranty. I'd want to see service records too.

Best of luck and hope you find a good deal out there!

Oh, thanks for the heads-up on the flywheel issue. Yes, I would like to have it inspected. Thanks for the info.

 

[BigKahuna]

Thanks for the comment. I will definitely be checking it out in person before purchasing. It does not come with a trailer, and I need one. They have one available for $5,900, which I would purchase. I would be driving there and towing it home. But it would be about $1000 in fuel and about four days time just to see it. That's why I'm trying to find out as much as I can before making the decision to drive there.

I understand. Let us know how it turns out.

 

[mtudb24]

Thanks for the comment. I will definitely be checking it out in person before purchasing. It does not come with a trailer, and I need one. They have one available for $5,900, which I would purchase. I would be driving there and towing it home. But it would be about $1000 in fuel and about four days time just to see it. That's why I'm trying to find out as much as I can before making the decision to drive there.

I'd be curious to see what kind of trailer you're getting for $6K. That's pretty pricey unless its a brand new triple axle custom painted one.
Here in Michigan you can get a new painted or galvanized one for a 26 foot boat, triple bunks, brakes etc for anywhere between $3,800-$4,500 (obviously you can go much higher with fancy options) . HOWEVER, the problem is finding them on dealer lots.

 

[mtudb24]

Hey Todd I read your comment about having a hard time keeping your carpet clean and dry. I used to buy a gallon of Starbrite waterproofing spray and sprayed every inch of the carpet in our old boat from front to back. Let it dry. Then sprayed it again making sure I got areas that I might have missed the first time. The water would bead up like a just waxed car and run off. The carpet never got wet and it was so easy to keep clean! I also sprayed the playpen cover with the same product.

Most excellent idea Daril. Thank you very much. Didn't even think about that!!!!!! I know what I'm going to go buy tonight

 

[Vikingstaff]

I'd be curious to see what kind of trailer you're getting for $6K. That's pretty pricey unless its a brand new triple axle custom painted one.
Here in Michigan you can get a new painted or galvanized one for a 26 foot boat, triple bunks, brakes etc for anywhere between $3,800-$4,500 (obviously you can go much higher with fancy options) . HOWEVER, the problem is finding them on dealer lots.

I was thinking the exact same thing.

 

[tothetrail]

I'd be curious to see what kind of trailer you're getting for $6K. That's pretty pricey unless its a brand new triple axle custom painted one.
Here in Michigan you can get a new painted or galvanized one for a 26 foot boat, triple bunks, brakes etc for anywhere between $3,800-$4,500 (obviously you can go much higher with fancy options) . HOWEVER, the problem is finding them on dealer lots.

Good points. They said it would be heavy duty, triple axle. I need it to tow long distances each time. It will be brand new and they have it available now. But yes, I'll definitely get the model and pics before making a final decision. The trailer has always been a problem with these dealer boats, it seems most don't come with one. So I'm at the mercy of the dealer unless I buy one ahead of time, which is kind of risky as I may find a boat with one included. Private sellers seem to be much more likely to have a trailer already.

 

[Bill N]

I'd be curious to see what kind of trailer you're getting for $6K. That's pretty pricey unless its a brand new triple axle custom painted one.
Here in Michigan you can get a new painted or galvanized one for a 26 foot boat, triple bunks, brakes etc for anywhere between $3,800-$4,500 (obviously you can go much higher with fancy options) . HOWEVER, the problem is finding them on dealer lots.

I know firsthand that one well known brand has gone up 33% (dealer cost) since November.