The Advantages of Tri-Toons

The Tri-Toon Advantage

If you’ve spent much time looking at pontoon boats recently, you might have noticed a very obvious trend.  Its  becoming clear that tri-toons are one of the most popular boat options for many people in recent years. But why are these pontoons suddenly popping up everywhere with so many elaborate designs? And why do some have very steep pricetags? The list of tri-toon advantages is long. We are going to provide you with a Tri-Toon Advantage List.  But first, lets start off by answering the question, “What is a tri-toon?”

What is a Tri-Toon?

The definition of a tri-toon is very simple. A tri-toon is created when we start with a normal pontoon boat (which has 2 aluminum tubes or logs mounted under the floor of the boat which act as the hull). We then add a third tube in between the other logs underneath the boat. Doing this gives you some remarkable improvements in performance and structure.

Tri-Toon Advantage List

The list of tri-toon advantages can get fairly long.  Tri-toons are such a great development in the pontoon industry.  Some boaters have different demands of their boat than others, so the advantages for one boater might not be as important for another.  Here is a very basic tri-toon advantage list.  It is not comprehensive, but it covers most of the reasons that boat buyers make the decision to go with a tri-toon.

Tri-Toon Advantage #1: Ride Quality

This is probably the biggest advantage and most notable difference when upgrading to a tri-toon. The ride quality of a regular 2-tube boat is acceptable in calm water.  However, when things get choppy, they tend to struggle. A tri-toon on the other hand, uses the center tube to cut through the chop and ride on top of the rough water. A 2-tube boat will bounce up and down on the waves. If things get rough enough, its not impossible for them to take a big wave over the front of the bow. A tri-toon has a much greater tendency to stay on top of these big waves and cut through the chop.

Tri-Toon Advantage #2: Buoyancy

It only makes sense that by adding a third tube, the boat will sit and ride much higher on top of the water. This is especially true with a big load of people and gear onboard. And lets be honest, that’s one of the main reasons people choose a pontoon boat. More room for more people and all the stuff they bring with them.

When you load up a 2-log boat, it tends to sit low and drag through the water, greatly hindering its performance. A tri-toon will ride more on-top of the water and wont have nearly as much drag. This makes for better performance, better speed and much more efficient operation.

This is also important if you have a heavy boat model.  Take for example the Harris 250 Solstice Top-Deck model (RD.)  This boat is much heavier than a normal pontoon, so it is naturally going to need more buoyancy.  By upgrading a heavy pontoon to a tri-toon package, you can still get the great performance you desire in these styles of boats.

Tri-Toon Advantage #3: Horsepower Capacity

All pontoons have a maximum horsepower limit for the motor.  This is based on quite a few things such as size, seating layout and more.  The key limiting factor, however, is the log package under the boat.  In most cases you will find that a 2-tube boat will have a maximum horsepower rating in the 90-115hp range.

Truth be told, even if you were to put a larger motor on a 2-tube boat, the return on the cost of engine upgrade won’t be nearly as good as it would on a tri-toon.  The extra drag that a bi-toon has will naturally limit the speed.  You won’t have nearly as great of benefit from upgrading the engine size.  If you are looking for better performance or the ability to ski, wakeboard and give the kids a wild ride on the tube, you are going to need a better overall package.

150hp: The Tri-Toon Sweet Spot

By upgrading to a tri-toon, you will open the door to much larger engine options. You will be able to rig the boat with the highly popular 150hp motor option.  This is the sweet spot for many buyers looking for a tri-toon that gives you a huge performance improvement without breaking the bank. Once you get up into the 200hp+ range, there are typically other upgrades that will need to be done to the boat such as power steering & an upgraded tri-toon package to accommodate the larger motor.  Therefore, there is a significant cost upgrade as we get into the larger engine packages.

200hp+:  High Perormance Options

With that being said, tri-toons are being sold with larger and larger engine options each year. It’s not uncommon to see boats with outboard engines in the 300hp-400hp range.  This takes a pontoon boat meant for cruising the lake with a big group and gives you the capability to run in the 40-50mph range or more. You now have a pontoon boat that performs like a fiberglass ski boat which essentially gives you two boats in one!

Tri-Toon Advantage #4:  Twin Engine Packages

Tri-Toon advantage #4 is the ability to upgrade to a twin-engine package.  As you probably guessed, upgrading to a performance tri-toon package is required if you want to equip your tri-toon with twin engines.  The idea of putting dual engines on a pontoon seems crazy to some people.  This is actually a very quickly growing segment of the market.  Pontoons have so many advantages in the interior, and some buyers don’t want to have to sacrifice any performance that they have come to expect in their fiberglass boats when going to a pontoon.

By upgrading your pontoon to a twin engine package, you can see speeds in the 70mph+ range.  Many of these packages are also available with a joystick docking option.  This is a system which rigs the boat with a joystick near the shifter.  When docking, the captain can twist the joystick to make the boat spin on a dime.  By pushing the joystick sideways, the boat will also move sideways.  This is only available on twin engine boats, as the motors work independently of each other.  They turn in different directions, one can operate in forwards while the other is in reverse, and this is all computer controlled by the joystick.  It makes docking the boat a piece of cake, to the point where an inexperienced boater or even child can dock the boat.  Keep in mind, though, that twin engines with joystick docking comes at a high price tag.

Tri-Toon Advantage #5:  Storage

This is probably a secondary advantage to the others, but to some folks it’s a very important feature. Some manufacturers offer in-floor storage (basically a ski locker) which is built into the center tube. Although this might not sound like a big deal, it’s pretty tough to find a good place to store skis and wakeboards in a traditional pontoon boat. The storage areas under the seats are just not large enough.

The in-floor storage is a compartment which is sectioned-off inside the center tube.  It is typically very long, 6-8 feet in some cases.  It is also very deep.  It’s amazing how much large gear and toys you can fit in this compartment.  With tri-toons being able to pull a skier or wakeboarder, it adds to the necessity for storage of these types of items.

Summary

Ok, so now you are sold on a tri-toon being the boat for you. Are all tri-toons the same? Not even close. The are many different packages and designs on the market.  You will need to dig deeper to find the right model for you. Check out our article on Tri-Toon Packages to learn more on the different variables on tri-toon design before you jump into the buying process.