New 2018 SLX22

[Michael Wouda]

Hi guys, new to forum. Just bought my first bennington, 22SLX tritoon, mercury 150xl. My question is speed. After two hour break in, top speed is 31. I was expecting a bit more.
Also. I cant trim motor up at speed anymore then just above full down line on trim gauge.
Is this right?

 

[adkboater]

You should be able to trim it up out of the water at any point, not a good idea but you get the point. Once underway and accelerating just start to slowly trim up and you should see your rpms go up and the speed increase. Trim up until you feel the boat start to porpoise and that’s about all you’ll get. My trim gauge is between 1/2 and 3/4 at full speed.

 

[Michael Wouda]

Thanks for reply.
That's my issue. Right after plane, if I trim motor up any, prop comes out of water. I cant get above lowest mark(closest to down) on trim guage before prop comes out of water and over revs.
Also, I was told this set up with 4 stroke 150 would do 40mph. I can barely get 31.

 

[Jb75]

Your motor mounted in the lowest postion?

 

[Michael Wouda]

Yes it is.
I'm almost thinking they set up my boat with the wrong engine. It has the sps package and larger transom. With motor level, half the prop is above bottom of center pontoon.

 

[adkboater]

Sounds like you got a 20” shaft motor instead of a 25” shaft motor. I think most SPS hulls are 25” shaft except for a Yamaha set up. Here’s what mine looks like. That’s trimmed all the way down and then up a little bit.

 

[Michael Wouda]

Thank you. That confirms it for me. My prop center line is to bottom of pontoon. I'll be calling them in morning.

 

[ugleeual]

Sounds like you got a 20” shaft motor instead of a 25” shaft motor. I think most SPS hulls are 25” shaft except for a Yamaha set up. Here’s what mine looks like. That’s trimmed all the way down and then up a little bit.

I had same problem on my SPS pontoons... they had to install a 25 inch shaft on my Yamaha.

 

[Mike31406]

Congratulations on your new purchase and welcome to this forum. Once you get this issue resolved you are going to love your Bennington. This obviously should not be happening. Some dealerships are just more customer oriented than others. This should have been discovered by the dealor during the commissioning process. My dealor took me out on the boat before we took delivery then again when they delivered it to my lake. Guess all are not created equal. BTW my toons are just a little dirty and I hit 38.5 mph yesterday.

 

[adkboater]

I just did the boat builder and if you have SPS (sport performance system) then all the motors appear to be 25” shafts. If you have EPP (express performance package) the shaft length appears to be 20”. In my pics is the SPS package. Hopefully your dealer can get where you to be right away. Keep us posted!!

 

[myv10]

Hi guys, new to forum. Just bought my first bennington, 22SLX tritoon, mercury 150xl. My question is speed. After two hour break in, top speed is 31. I was expecting a bit more.
Also. I cant trim motor up at speed anymore then just above full down line on trim gauge.
Is this right?

I have a 2017 SFX with Mercury 150 and SPS package, i experienced cavitation on hard turns so I had the motor dropped down, solved the problem. I can"t trim more than 1/4 or the prop comes out of the water. The tri toon sits higher and I am on a rough lake { windy }but I have hit 36 mph with just myself onboard.

 

[Illibuck]

Thank you. That confirms it for me. My prop center line is to bottom of pontoon. I'll be calling them in morning.

Let me know what you find out. I have the same setup and it reacts identically to how you describe.

 

[Michael Wouda]

Well after two days of talking with dealer, they are telling me it is a xl shaft and "some boats just cant be trimmed up".I've had boats for 35 years and have never had this problem. Took it out again yesterday and by myself got 29mph at 6200 rpm. Trimmed all the down. Terrible handling because of trim. I cant believe buying a quality boat like bennington I'm being told to live with. I thought I was getting the best.

 

[Michiman]

Something is not right so don't settle for your dealers excuses. Invite them to come out for a ride and then see what they say. Another alternative would be to take it to a different dealer. Hope you can get this resolved quickly and start enjoying your new Benny!

 

[adkboater]

Gives us the model number off the engine and take a pic of the motor mounted on the boat.Somethings not right, did the motor come with the boat or did the dealer supply it?? I’m not thinking this is a Bennington issue but a dealer issue. My 24SSLX runs 42mph at 5450 rpm, no way your 22 w/150 shouldn’t hit 40 or darn close. You’re positive it’s an SPS hull, 3 full toons. Not being a jerk asking facts.

 

[Michael Wouda]

Hopefully pics work.
This is where prop starts to cavitate. I cannot drive at this trim. Straight edge shows prop tip above water line at level indicated on guage.

 

[cwag911]

No pics. Put them in the gallery.

 

[lakeliving]

Yeah that dealer should be slapped in the face. "Some boats can't be trimmed up" WTF!!!

 

[Mike31406]

I been around boats for many years, never heard that “some boats can’t be trimmed up.” Talk with someone else. Sorry your having this problem. Hopefully it will be resolved soon and you can start enjoying your Bennie.

 

[adkboater]

Even on the trim pic the motor looks short, the cavitation plate should be at the waterline when on plane, compare my pic to yours as I’m trimmed up a little further ( pic is from me adjusting the mounting height). I actually have it raised up to the third mounting hole and only have blowout on hard Cornering at full speed and that’s a quick fix with a little trim down. I use the same gauge and I’m well above half at full speed but different motors may read different on the gauge. See if you can get a pic of the motor tag and look it and see what it calls about for shaft length.