I have a friend who is shopping for a pontoon boat. I personally do not care for them, (I won't tell him that), but he has four kids and not a huge budget, so it probably would be the best type of boat for him. He asked me about a Bentley tri-toon that a dealer offered him for $20K. I know nothing about pontoons or Bentley. I don't know any other details about the particular boat, but I would love some comments on Bentley in general, if anyone is familiar with their products.

You should tell him you don't care for them. I had one and it was good for a few years, but finally sold it as it was not working for me.

For $20k, he should be able to get a really good used runabout. Mine was $24k on the trailer.

Bentley fans are huge on them. But consumer reviews are not so kind. Bang-for-the-buck boat. Everybody has different favorites, I would look at Crestliner, G3, Sundancer, Sweetwater, Voyager, and Weeres ahead of Bentley.

Kelly

toon's are great for what they are. The can be pressed into service as a party barge, a fishing platform, swimming platform, etc. They traditionally have more room on them tahn a comparable runabout. Depends on what your friend is looking for in a boat. If he's more into the watersports like skiing then a runabout may be the better ticket for him and his family. For $20K I can't imagine that the HP is very much. HP translates into speed and pulling power, however, that may not be important to him.

I don't put too much stock in what owners say. Most people won't tell you the boat they own is junk because they don't want to admit it (especially to themselves). They fall in love with it and refuse to realize it's faults. Previous owners are another story. I don't brag about my Regal much. It's a good boat all around. But if you want some real facts I'll tell you about my previous boat (another Regal).

Edit: whoops... I didn't want to imply that I wouldn't listen to a Bentley owner who had some honest feedback.

I tried to talk him into a runabout. He had one previously. I think I lost that arguement, but it's ultimately his decision. If he wants a pontoon than I guess I'll just try to help him purchase the best value for his $$$.

A Bently triple toon for $20k is a question mark. It sounds like it has the base engine which is a red flag. If it is used, that may be a good price, depending on the engine. I would assume it is in the 22-26' range, most likely a 24'. Bently is a decent middle of the road pontoon.

The first question is what motor at that price range? Desirable is a 4-stroke OB of at least 90 hp. Acceptable is a quality 2-stroke in good running condition, of at least 115 hp.

Second, what lake is he going to be on? LOTO is hard on boats, period. A busy, large lake like that requires a very solid pontoon and bigger engine. A smaller, quieter lake does not require a large engine.

Performance wise, a pontoon can do almost anything a runabout will do. You just have to know what you want it for. Pulling a skier will probably require at least 150 hp, but a good 90 will pull toys adequately.

Does the price include a trailer? If so, how far is he going to tow, and with what. Pontoons are fairly light, but catch a lot of wind.

Pontoons are great family boats and can provide years of great fun. And alot of family members prefer them to other types because you are sitting above the water, you can move about while in motion, and they are more comfortable. Many people will camp on theirs, using optional enclosures. And unlike most boats, you can get full length biminis, for those who worry about sunburn.

Yes, we both boat at LOTO. I have actually seen pontoons swamped by large wakes there. I don't really know the details of the boat he is looking at (motor or trailer). He knows I browse the boating forums and he asked me to find out if Bentleys were any good or not. So that's what I'm doing. It sounds like they are a midrange quality boat that may not handle the longterm abuse from a rough lake.

I've seen pontoons swamped by the wind and large wind waves at Lake Mead... Mine!

And I've seen full length bimini's on boats other than pontoons too!

I'd stay away from any of the smaller 'toons on LOTO. Now if he's in the 30' range market....

jc pontoon makes a good pontoon. A friend of mine has 24' with a
225hp. He has 5 boys and they climb all over that thing. If you shop used you should come in in the high twentys. They are actually tritoons

I'm afraid the 'toons stout enough for LOTO, like the JC, will be priced well above the Bentley. Of course if he sticks to the quieter parts of the lake, that would be different.

Kelly