Why Should I Buy A Harris Pontoon?

Why Should I Buy A Harris Pontoon?

If you are just starting the shopping process for a pontoon boat, your head is probably spinning.  As of last check, there were 52 registered pontoon boat manufacturers.  That’s right – 52!  Obviously the most popular brands will be the easiest to find in major markets.  Even considering availability, you might still have 10-15 brands of pontoon boats available from your local dealers. So what makes one boat better than another?  That’s what we are here to educate you on.  Harris is one of the top pontoon builders in the industry for several reasons, so we are here to answer the question – “Why Should I Buy A Harris Pontoon?”

About Harris Pontoons

Harris has been building pontoon boats for over 60 years now.  That’s a lot of experience in pontoon boat building.  Harris Pontoons have come a long way over the past 60 years.  From astro-turf and lawn chairs, to twin-engine boats with 800hp and touch screen consoles, Harris has always been an industry leader.

When investing your hard earned money in a new boat, company strength and stability is an important factor.  Harris is owned by Brunswick, one of the largest marine manufacturing companies in the world.  Brunswick owns multiple lines of boats including Sea Ray, Boston Whaler and more.  Harris is clearly their premier line of pontoon boats.  This means that the boat you buy will have a company to back it for many, many years.  Some of the smaller companies are practically building boats in their backyard shed, but when times get tough, they will be gone.

Another advantage to buying a Harris Pontoon is their dealer network.  Being one of the top manufacturers in the industry, Harris typically also is sold by the top dealers in each market.  This means that you will not only get a great product, but great service to go along with it.

Huge Product Variety

Harris builds a complete line of pontoon boats, ranging from the value-priced Harris Cruiser to the premier Harris Crowne & V-270.  This means that if you have a limited budget or boat on a small lake, you can buy a 20′ Harris Cruiser with a 50hp outboard for a price that is very competitive with many low quality, entry level boats.  You can also buy the premium Harris Crowne with twin 400hp outboards and have the hottest pontoon around.  And Harris offers 4 other lines of boats that fall in between depending on your wants and needs.

Harris Quality

Pontoon boat quality should be a huge factor when making your decision.  The problem is that when you step inside a pontoon boat, you can only see the quality of the interior trim.  Although that is an important factor, the construction under the deck is just as, if not more important.  It’s difficult to be able to tell how well a pontoon boat is constructed if you don’t know what you are looking for and compare different boat models.  To do this, you have to get underneath the boat and look for specific construction aspects.  Let’s discuss of these construction features that set Harris apart from the competition.

NOTE:  For 2018, most Harris Pontoon models feature the following construction features.  Some of the value-priced models use a variation of these features, so be sure to check with your dealer to verify exactly how each model is built.  Many of the following design features are exclusive to Harris, but we recommend you do your research as boat models and design features change from year to year.

Advanced Pontoon Construction

Dolphin Nose Cone:  The Dolphin Nose cone is a design exclusive to Harris.  This design integrates the splash fin into the nose cone rather than tacking it onto the side at a lower position.  Other manufacturers who tack weld the splash fins on tend to have trouble with the nose cone busting off in extremely rough conditions.  This is not an issue with the integrated Dolphin Nose Cone.  This design also has less drag and eliminates the sharp edges of standard splash fins.

Pontoon Tubes:  Harris Pontoon Tubes comes standard in 25″, with a 27″ upgrade available.  Tube sections are crimped to fit over each other, then welded with a strong, double-layered seam for ultimate strength.  These tubes are constructed of multiple air-tight chambers that ensure you are able to safely return to the dock in the event a tube is damaged or takes on water.

Total Torsion Reduction System

Another Harris exclusive, the total torsion reduction system is composed of full length M-Brackets that run the length of the entire tube.  This full-length M-Bracket provides a constant contact area with the deck to provide ultimate floor support.  This eliminates the flexing and twisting you tend to get with the common segmented brackets used by other boat builders.

Watertight Deck Construction System

Part of the way pontoon boats are designed allows water to contact the under-deck of the boat when in use.  Although the deck on most boats is not susceptible to damage from water, you don’t want that water to get up between the deck and flooring material.  Harris has taken multiple steps to ensure this doesn’t happen.

1. Butyl rubber tape is applied between crossmember & deck
2. Urethane sealant applied between the seams
3. Tongue-and-groove, 7-ply marine-grade pressure-treated deck
4. Urethane sealant applied to all top seams and top of screw heads

Rubrail Deck Protection

The Harris Pontoon Rubrail Deck Protection System can be a huge benefit.  This is especially true if you ever have a minor accident with your boat.  On most pontoons, the top deck (which is typically made of marine pylwood) extends to the outer edges of the boat on all sides.  This means that all hardware, such as cleats, are attached by drilling into the wood.  It also means that in case of an accident, the wood deck will take the impact immediately.

Harris has added a 3″ aluminum rubrail between the deck and side of the boat.  This means that in case of impact, the rubrail will take the brunt of the damage.  This can easily be replaced without replacing the entire deck.  It also means that all hardware is attached to aluminum rather than the wood deck.

Marine Grade Wiring

Just as important as protecting the structure of your boat is protecting the electrical components.  If you look underneath most pontoon boats, you will find the wiring hanging or laying on top of the cross members and completely exposed.  This is just asking for trouble.

When you look at a Harris Pontoon, you will see that the wiring is protected from abrasions and designed to withstand a marine environment. Plastic grommets and conduit protect wiring from contact with aluminum.  This wiring is run down the boat on a specific path through these grommets, so it is held in place and completely protected.

Harris Pontoon Models

Now that we have covered some of the construction features that set Harris apart from it’s competition, let’s look at some of the models Harris offers.  For 2018, Harris offers 6 different series of pontoon boats.

Cruiser Series

Let’s start with the value-priced Cruiser series.  This is a great boat for both the first time buyer or people who aren’t looking for too many bells and whistles.  The Cruiser series features much of the same great quality construction that goes into their high-end models without breaking the bank.  You can build a very basic Cruiser with a small motor.  You can also upgrade the options and go with engine options up to 200hp.  The Cruiser series is offered in approximately 10 different layouts and countless optional features to allow you to customize the boat exactly to your needs.

Sunliner Series

Next up is the Sunliner Series.  Sunliner models are built on the same platform as the Cruiser series.  This means they feature the same deck and construction elements.  The Sunliner series boats feature a step-up in detail, trim level, and options.  The interiors are upgraded with much more detail in the vinyl seats and come standard with features such as flip-down arm rests.  The helms are upgraded as well, giving more of a premium look.

On the exterior, you will find more trim such as the rail pattern, giving more detail to the exterior of the boat.  Sunliners are close in price to the Cruiser series when equipped the same way.  However, many dealers will add some options on the Sunliners that aren’t normally found on Cruisers.  Maximum power available on the Sunliner series is also limited to 200hp.  For 2017, the Sunliner series was one of Harris’s best selling models.  The look great, and offer an incredible bang-for-the-buck.

Solstice Series

As we move beyond the Cruiser and Sunliner series models, we step up to the Solstice series.  Harris refers all models starting with the Solstice series their Premium Boats.  This indicates that these models will share several upgraded features including the radius deck with rear deck extension, all the premium construction features, higher horsepower capacity and much more.

The Solstice series starts offers 2 traditional pontoon boats called the 220 & 240, but these boat is actually measure 23’11” and 25’9″ respectively, so don’t be fooled by the model indicators.  These models are each offered in 11 different layouts depending on your wants and needs.

Solstice DC

The Solstice series also offers some premium layouts not found in the other product lines.  The first is the Dual Console package.  This is available in a 230 or 250 model and features a full, wraparound windshield with dual fiberglass consoles for both the driver and co-pilot.  This layout gives a feel in the cockpit similar to a traditional fiberglass runabout.  This is a very popular model with people coming from a fiberglass bowrider.  This way you still get the protection offered by a windshield with all the other benefits of a pontoon.

Solstice RD

The second premium layout offered in the Solstice series is the RD 260.  Brand new to the Harris model lineup for 2017, the RD 260 is a modern “double-decker” style pontoon boat. This boat maintains the standard beam width of 8 feet 6 inches so it will fit in a standard boat slip. It features a top deck with a ladder for access.  The key feature is a fiberglass slide which reaches off the back of the boat.

Grand Mariner Series

The Grand Mariner series of boats has been one of the most popular models in the entire industry for premium-level pontoon boats for a number of years.  This series has been updated inside and out for 2018, but the layouts and designs follow the same idea:  Premium features, aggressive styling and big freeboard to handle many types of water conditions.  NOTE:  The photos shown are of the 2017 model design.  Harris has not yet released images of the updated design.  Check with harrisboats.com for updates and images regarding the redesign for 2018.

The Grand Mariner is offered in the 230, 250 & 270 models.  These boats have a huge feel, both in overall room and freeboard.  The 230 measures 25’6″ from end to end, and the 270 comes in at 29’3″ of length, so don’t let the model designation fool you.  These are bigger than their names suggest.  If you are looking for a 25′ boat, we would recommend starting with the 230.  This will be similar in size to many 25′ boats on the market.  The freeboard on the Grand Mariner boats is also huge.  This means high fences and tall backrests.  When sitting in the water, they seem to be taller than competitors boats.  This means great security for your passengers, especially if you plan to use your Harris Pontoon in rough water.

Grand Mariner SEL

The Grand Mariner series is available in the standard outboard package, or if you prefer a I/O you can go with the SEL models.  These boats feature a Mercruiser stern drive mounted in the rear of the center tube with a Bravo 3 Drive.  If you want a pontoon that will accelerate and handle like a fiberglass V-bottom boat, this is the model for you.  Just take a ride on a Grand Mariner SEL and you will be blown away.  They perform and turn very much like a V-bottom boat.  The other advantage is that the swim platform is completely clear now that you don’t have an outboard motor hanging off the back of the boat.

Crowne Series

Ah, where do we start with the revolutionary Harris Crowne.  At first glance, it’s hard to believe this is even a pontoon boat.  The Harris Crowne features mostly fiberglass on the exterior rather than aluminum, and this allows Harris to design the exterior to look more like a high-end fiberglass bowrider.  Most Crowne models come equipped with the electric sport arch, which folds down for low clearance areas.  It also happens to look great on the boat, comes with a tinted sunroof, bimini top & optional rear-facing camera.  The lines and styling of the Crowne are stunning, and the interior follows suit.

Instead of composite seat bases and side panels, the Harris Crowne interior is mostly fiberglass as well.  The most popular Crowne model is the 250 SL.  This boat features the SL layout with a rear flip seat.  This seat is electric, and it can be positioned for facing forward or leaned into the boat to convert to a rear lounger.

You will also find many Crownes equipped with the all new Harris Glass Dash.  This dash features 12′ & 7″ touch sceens.  From these screens you control the entire boat, excluding the engine & shifter controls.

The Crowne is setup for an outboard motor up to 400hp.  You can also upgrade to the twin engine package with up to twin 400hp outboards.  To top it off, add the joystick controls for incredible maneuverability around the docks.

The Crowne has so many great, innovative features we can’t begin to cover them in this article.  Look for our Harris Crowne Review article to learn all the specifics on this incredible Harris Pontoon.

V270

Just when you saw the Crowne and thought pontoons couldn’t get any more elaborate, Harris introduced the V270 in 2017.  It’s safe to say this boat is unlike any other pontoon in the world.  This is features a mostly fiberglass exterior & interior, much like the Crowne.  The big difference is in layout and design.

First of all, the V270 is a BIG BOAT!  It sits up high out of the water and is clearly made to handle big lakes and offshore areas.  The layout of this boat features a center console driver’s helm with wraparound seating in the bow and aft.  This layout is unique in itself, but Harris took this design one step further.  Built into the center console is a marine head/changing room in which you step down into the center tube.  This design is patent pending, and there is nothing else like it on the market today.

This boat has an overall length of 29′ which allows room for plenty of ammenities.  There is a built-in entertainment galley on the starboard side.  The bow seating is absolutely huge.  The helm seats can face forward for driving, and are power adjustable for rear facing as well.  The port side gate is double wide and features retractable ladders for side boarding.  The list of innovative features goes on and on, so we will stop there for now.  Look for our article on the V270 Review for more detailed information.

Summary of Harris Pontoons

By now its clear that there is a Harris Pontoon available for nearly every buyer out there depending on your wants and needs.  Harris offers some of the best looking, most innovative & highest value pontoons on the market.  The construction of their boats is also second to none.  We suggest stopping by a Harris Pontoon dealership to take a look at these boats for yourself.  You will be impressed by the quality and design of these boats, as well as the variety of models.  So start your boat search by looking at a Harris Pontoon.  You will be glad you did.

For more information on Harris Boats, check out their website at harrisboats.com.