A Buyer’s Guide to Pontoon Boats
Pontoon boats are a great way to take the party to the water, and you have so many styles and configurations to choose from. Whether you’re looking for a basic party barge for a new family or a powerful triple toon boat that can pull skiers, the choices can be a little overwhelming. Just be sure to do your research to figure out what you want, and read the reviews for any boat that you’re seriously considering. Here’s a quick and easy buyer’s guide to help you get started. To learn more about pontoon boats, come see The RV Guys in Valley View, Texas. We proudly serve fishing and boating enthusiasts in North Texas.
How Much Power Do You Need?
Shorter length pontoons aren’t equipped to handle larger engines, so if you want a powerful boat you’ll be happiest with a triple toon. There are also plenty of very affordable boats suitable for light-duty leisure cruises. You might not be able to pull a skier, but you also won’t be paying extra for a lot of power that you don’t really need. Additionally, some small lakes might have speed restrictions.
Where Will You Be Boating?
Larger bodies of water typically call for larger boats. If you’re regularly taking your boat to a large lake or a big river you’ll definitely be glad you invested in a toon with a larger floor plan and a more powerful engine. Many manufacturers also offer saltwater toons with saltwater-safe components, large anodes and reinforced nose cones. When it comes to saltwater boats, you’ll definitely want to do your own fact-checking when a manufacturer says that a boat is seaworthy. Product reviews will generally yield important information that doesn’t get included in the manufacturer’s marketing materials.
Style and Preference
After you’ve settled on the features that you need, set a budget for yourself and start shopping. Most manufacturers offer boats at a variety of different price points, and you can get some great buys at year-end. When the new models get delivered, the dealerships always need to reduce inventory. You can also get some really good deals on pre-owned pontoon boats if you can find a motivated seller and have the ability to pay cash. If you pre-qualify for your own financing, you can pay the cash price for your new pontoon boat without having to worry about the dealership’s in-house financing department. Dealerships are highly skilled finding creative ways to help you finance a boat you can't afford, and knowing how much you have to spend up front is always important.
To see our current inventory of new and pre-owned pontoon boats for sale, visit The RV Guys in Valley View, Texas, serving North Texas.