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Newbie needs advice before pulling the trigger

Tooner2, I think I'd suggest taking a demo ride before you buy anywhere and I'd take some friends with you if possible to simulate an actual load. That way you'll have a better understanding of what 50 HP will do. But, as other's have said, it sounds like you'll be boating some fairly big water, so extra HP might come in handy, particularly if you need to get somewhere quickly.


Obviously, most of us are working with a budget so a pre-owned Benny may make perfect sense. 


If you do end up trailering it from MN, definitely go with a radial tire. I live in a pretty good sized city, but when it came time to replace a bias ply trailer tire, no body stocked them! It would have been a real bummer if I was stranded on the side of the road.
 
Just one more suggestion. A little extra money won't be a big deal once you are on your Bennington and happy. Regrets you will talk to your family, friends and on this forum until you purchase your next boat. At 67 years old "Go For it"
 
Which sales person were you trying to reach with no such luck?  If it's Morgan, he no longer works there.  I think he finally retired. That might be why your emails are going unanswered.
 
The dealership you are dealing with in Havasu also has 4 other locations , I just ordered My "R" from the Ontario California Location and dealt with Jeff Tarin , super nice guy and he matched another Bennington Dealers price, he is very familiar with the Havasu area and could offer some insight into what you should or should not consider 
 
My 2 cents on the 50 HP.........


Buy what you can afford/want.........


Quick story........We were on our neighbors Sweetwater w/a 70 HP on the back. We got caught in a storm and tried to get home quickly. 4 adults 2 coolers raining sideways like a son of a b----! He had it WOT and I look over and we're doing 11-12 MPH! C'mon....... We couldn't get out of our own way! 


What size tires are those Carlisle's? 12 inch? 14 inch? 
 
You might find that a used one isn't much more than a new one. And it won't have a 10 year warranty either. Good luck with your boat search!
 
I think you probably need a tower model with a 250!! Haha


As for the "rebates paid to dealer" I believe that could be in there because certain engine manufacturers will offer either extended warranty or a rebate. My guess is the dealer has priced it based on the cost after rebate has been given.
 
Michiman said:
Tooner2, I think I'd suggest taking a demo ride before you buy anywhere and I'd take some friends with you if possible to simulate an actual load. That way you'll have a better understanding of what 50 HP will do. But, as other's have said, it sounds like you'll be boating some fairly big water, so extra HP might come in handy, particularly if you need to get somewhere quickly.


Obviously, most of us are working with a budget so a pre-owned Benny may make perfect sense. 


If you do end up trailering it from MN, definitely go with a radial tire. I live in a pretty good sized city, but when it came time to replace a bias ply trailer tire, no body stocked them! It would have been a real bummer if I was stranded on the side of the road.
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FWIW, here's at least a partial update:


1. A $7k difference in the price of boat/trailer combo ($6k on the boat alone) pretty much determines where I buy the boat--and yes, both dealers were working from the exact same build sheet and both had to order the boat, given the features I wanted (one of those being the privacy curtain--I've reached the age where a 3 hour cruise necessitates a couple of potty breaks, and in mixed company I can't just haul out the PVC pee shooter and let 'er go over the side in plain view).


2.  You guys have made me think really hard about my choice of motor size, but I'm likely to stick with the 50 h.p. Yammy.  My reasons:  a) I might get to big water like Havasu 1x or 2x a year, and then it would likely be with only 4 adults on board. If we have to run, er, slow-walk for cover because of the weather, well....I guess I'll have to pay close attention to the weather reports; B) the other 98% of the boat's time on the water will be on the river below Parker Dam.  I've been on the river aboard an 18' with a 40 horse motor and 6 adults, and a 21' with 4 adults and a 50 horse motor.  Yep, they were slow movers (the 21' Leisure with 23" logs topped out by GPS at 15 mph traveling upstream with 4 adults, sans beer and snacks).  But for us, the toon will be little more than a slow cruising, open-air living room where we can sit around and socialize with a few friends on the water;  c) if the boat returns to MN, the 50 hp configuration is extremely common and the hp would not adversely affect the resale price--just the opposite (you might be surprised at the number of 18'-20' MN toons that are still powered by 25 hp motors, although that may speak less to the laid-back nature of MN tooners than to the size of many lakes here).


3.  Sharkhide.  I'm convinced.  Never knew anything about it before getting on this forum.  I'll do it myself right after I get the boat.  Bimini and furniture will get 303 Protectorant treatment--regularly.


4.Docking lights--maybe not.  I'll see what they cost.  High-powered LED flood/spot lights are pretty inexpensive these days.


5.  Trailer--might have to get that elsewhere.  Dealer sells Yacht Clubs.  From what I can tell, YC comes in two configurations in the size I need.  4,500 lb tandem axle with 12" radials, and 4,400 lb tandem with 13" bias ply--both Carlisle brand tires.  A 2,000 mile trip dictates radials, the condition of the highways around Flagstaff dictate minimum 13" wheels.  I'll see what the dealer will do by way of crediting the bias ply tires so I can put on a set of Maxxis 13" radials/wheels (he did agree to that when I was giving thought to going with the 12" radials).  If I get the trailer elsewhere, I'm thinking MidAmerica based on my research to date.  Any observations about trailer or tire quality are welcome--as are any other insights you care to offer.  


I said I would update y'all, so now you probably have more info than you care to read.   As for me personally,  I appreciate your insights and advice, even if I decide to pursue an approach that departs from the consensus.  At least my future regrets about ignoring your sage advice won't come as a surprise.


Thanks.
 
Tooner2, personally I think you're on the right course based upon your post above. I think you have carefully considered how and where you will use your boat, and that is most of the battle. We've all been there where we make a purchase without much thought, only to later regret it. Not the case this time!


It is disappointing that the AZ dealer can't/won't do a better job for you but it is what it is. Enjoy that new Benny and post pictures and updates of on how your trip went!
 
I have the Mid-America PT-22, I like it.  I put Maxxis on our camper and also on our old boat trailer.  In a year or two I will put them on the Benni trailer, I like them as well.  Safe travels to you.
 
Well, I placed the order but won't get the boat until August.  Bennington is months behind on their builds.  Kinda worries me about the quality control when the company is being pressured to push boats out the door as fast as possible, so in that regard I'm keeping my fingers crossed.  


Took the leap with eyes wide shut after one last ride on a 20' B boat with a 50 hp Yammy and 23" logs.  Top down, no wind, minimal current and 3 adults on board:  18 mph on the GPS.  I'm hoping the 25" logs will give me 1 or 2 extra mph, but I'll settle for 15 mph.  The owner said in the 3 years he's owned the boat, he's gone WOT maybe 3x--and for no particular reason.  He's like me: I'm retired, off the clock and, absent bad weather on big water, have no desire to do more than putt around with an affable crew and modest sized cooler.  Rather than spend beaucoup $$ for more hp, I figure on the off chance that the one time per year I make it to Havasu if I encounter bad weather, I'll have life jackets on board and get the phone numbers for those of you with big boats on the lake and call for a rescue.   B)   FWIW, my only change:  after a LOT of research I swapped out the OEM tires for a set of Maxxis radials. Couldn't find anyone on the boat, RV or trailer forums that had a bad experience with Maxxis tires. That's unusual.  Very expensive and no guarantees of a problem free trip, but facing a 2,100 mile trek in October, I want to minimize the chances of a tire problem in the middle of a packed, 6 lane freeway while trailering through some major metro with the boat in tow behind a 36' motorhome.  Oh, and, yes, I kept the privacy curtain option--at 67 with a well developed prostate, in mixed company I like being able to make a trip to the back of the boat with at least a modicum of privacy.  I'm betting more than a few  wimmens will appreciate it as well.  I'll post up the pics when she arrives.  In the meantime, you have my sincere thanks for all the input--even if I wasn't wise enough to follow all of your recommendations.


T-2
 
Tooner2 said:
Well, I placed the order but won't get the boat until August.  Bennington is months behind on their builds.  Kinda worries me about the quality control when the company is being pressured to push boats out the door as fast as possible, so in that regard I'm keeping my fingers crossed.  


Took the leap with eyes wide shut after one last ride on a 20' B boat with a 50 hp Yammy and 23" logs.  Top down, no wind, minimal current and 3 adults on board:  18 mph on the GPS.  I'm hoping the 25" logs will give me 1 or 2 extra mph, but I'll settle for 15 mph.  The owner said in the 3 years he's owned the boat, he's gone WOT maybe 3x--and for no particular reason.  He's like me: I'm retired, off the clock and, absent bad weather on big water, have no desire to do more than putt around with an affable crew and modest sized cooler.  Rather than spend beaucoup $$ for more hp, I figure on the off chance that the one time per year I make it to Havasu if I encounter bad weather, I'll have life jackets on board and get the phone numbers for those of you with big boats on the lake and call for a rescue.   B)   FWIW, my only change:  after a LOT of research I swapped out the OEM tires for a set of Maxxis radials. Couldn't find anyone on the boat, RV or trailer forums that had a bad experience with Maxxis tires. That's unusual.  Very expensive and no guarantees of a problem free trip, but facing a 2,100 mile trek in October, I want to minimize the chances of a tire problem in the middle of a packed, 6 lane freeway while trailering through some major metro with the boat in tow behind a 36' motorhome.  Oh, and, yes, I kept the privacy curtain option--at 67 with a well developed prostate, in mixed company I like being able to make a trip to the back of the boat with at least a modicum of privacy.  I'm betting more than a few  wimmens will appreciate it as well.  I'll post up the pics when she arrives.  In the meantime, you have my sincere thanks for all the input--even if I wasn't wise enough to follow all of your recommendations.


T-2
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Congrats on the purchase. Sound like you made a very well thought out decision on what your needs are. Everyone should do that much do dillegents.
 
Congratulations on your order!! I'm sure you'll thoroughly enjoy your boat regardless of our input! As for your trip and tires, Maxxis does make a great product, biggest issues most face on trailer tires is maintenance, keep up the air pressure to the full rating on the side wall and give them a good visual inspection for any abnormal wear. That'll keep informed of any issues to come and time to swap out the spare before it becomes an emergency!
 
Tooner2,


Congratulations on you new purchase. I ordered the Yacht Club bunk trailer with the 12" tires as well. Fortunately I won't be trailering my boat that far, but you have a legit question there. 12" tires going that far will need to be monitored carefully along the way. Regarding the motor. The price certainly moves up when you are increasing H.P. but if you feel the 50 is a little underpowered, you can always kick her up a bit in the future. Good luck with the boat and have fun!


D&D
 
I have a 21 slx and agree go with at least a 90 if not the 115. I have the 90 which does around 28MPH with wife and dogs and about 24-25 with 4 adults. I also agree do what your budget allows. Mine allowed a 90 so that is what I did. Price seems about right, Mine was 26,000 with a 90, 10 ft bimini and platform curved ladder. I got a phoenix tandem trailer that was 3200$. Also have them throw in some cupholders because if your 21slx is like mine they lack cupholders. My dealer was going to charge me 180$ for them but I was kind of like I just bought a 30k boat and trailer I think you can just throw those in for free. They did.
 
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Tooner2, it sounds like you have done your due diligence.  You are going to have some great times on your new Bennie.  Don't forget to post pictures.
 
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