Pontoon to Tritoon Conversion - Sport Toon Install

[@curteby475]

i like the angle iron trick, saves a lot of time and makes drilling way easier

[@tomspontoons]

Sometimes you have to do it that way, but it does make the job way more straightforward

[@robertcope5758]

Bravo Zulu ! I just found your site. I have a Bass Buggy (95 I think). I have it totally torn down right now. About to install the new deck and talking with my buddy about all the goodies this will need and the subject came up to add a 3rd toon because of the additional weight of gear, coolers and bodies. The original setup does no have enough floatation. Mainly in the back. However, the plan went from fish cruise to fish, cruise and bow fishing. You have a great channel my friend. Replacing the wood mount to aluminum to adding a 3rd toon. I will give Colin an email to see what he has to offer. More than likely I'll buy a single toon from someone and my buddy (expert welder) will go to town on it. Again, Bravo Zulu on your channel.

[@tomspontoons]

Thank you so much for the kind words, and for checking out my channel. You'll be very happy that you converted your boat to a tritoon because of the higher and dryer ride, more capacity for load, and improved stability. They used pretty small pontoons on those old Bass Buggy's until later into the 2000s, so it's a great candidate. If you check around locally on Facebook Marketplace and Craiglist you'll be able to find a pontoon I'm sure. Worst case there's probably a donor boat you could pick up for less than the price of a new center pontoon. From there, fabricating a transom for the back of it is not rocket science...I did it with a pontoon a few years ago. Check that video out here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r3vInYWXi9-anbc

[@zlvirag]

Just watched your tritoon conversion. I just converted my 20' Stardeck with a sport-toon(approx 3/4 of length of outside pontoons) last spring. Welded in 1 1/4 in. channels to lower it about 1 in. from outside ones. Did it myself on trailer where boat is parked for winter storage-outside. I used 2 ratchet straps and endless number of measuring, lowering, raising. I've done many other projects that were way more fun-lol. With the 60 HP. Etec, with one or two on board, actually makes the nose rise almost like our 17 ft. runabout. And best of all, now when family or friends pile on( mostly towards the front) it still sits level. My cost was $750. for a used pontoon, $250. for cutting it to size( welding end cap back on, pressure testing etc...) and the cost of stainless bolts, nuts and washers. By the way, much more stable in choppy waters.

[@tomspontoons]

I think most folks want to see incredible performance increases out of adding a third pontoon, but what you've explained is the most consistent and best results possible. More stability, higher and dryer ride, etc. That outweighs the increase in speed in terms of a positive outcome. More HP can always be added later anyway if that's the goal. Well done!

[@anthonypalmer4788]

Do you have any videos of you all installing unwater lighting on a pontoon. Like Lumitec zambezi lights?

[@tomspontoons]

We have not installed underwater lights yet, but I’m sure we will eventually. They should wire in like any other 12V DC lighting accessory with a positive and negative lead. Obviously you’ll want to make sure any connections are above the waterline if possible, and definitely use heat shrink connectors!

[@cakins08]

I have the 98 bass buggy I wanna do this exact same thing! I was curious if this would work. I dig it thanks:)

[@tomspontoons]

It sure will! If your motor is a higher HP where your boat is moving faster you may want to consider some other factors like engine height, center toon size, etc. if you go with this sport toon style. This video breaks that stuff down in more detail: kzbin.info/www/bejne/m33HcnRsob6DZ5I

[@johnmurrayjr8137]

Hello, l was wondering if there's a need to put center bunk after installing sport toon? Also how much more weight capacity is added? Thanks, l really appreciate the time you take to make these videos.

[@tomspontoons]

Thanks for watching our channel. It's honestly personal preference. If you trailer a lot then it's going to help with the longevity and structure of your boat. The wear and tear is on the crossmembers from all the bouncing of trailering. If it's an older boat with lighter duty crossmembers, or you can't hit all the crossmembers available then it's a good idea to put a bunk under the center toon.

[@dominionstreetfirekracker7538]

Hi Tom, Is there a HP rating where you would recommended going full transom vs just a sport toon?

[@tomspontoons]

With a sport toon I would keep it at the capacity recommended by the manufacturer. The structure of the boat isn't going to improve at all near the stern, so adding a heavier outboard than they built the boat for at the factory will likely cause all sorts of issues structurally...bent crossmembers, cracks in the transom, broken welds on the transom and brackets on the pontoons, etc. When going to a full center pontoon with transom integrated there's a lot of gray area. There is technically no rules for the pontoon manufacturers in terms of rating their boats from the factory for HP and weight capacities. However, they rate them anyway for liability sake. If you improve the buoyancy, structure, and all around safety of a pontoon boat by adding a center pontoon then you're not breaking any laws (in most states, but still gray area there anyway). Liability becomes the issues. So for me and the tritoon that we built from scratch, I felt that if I kept everything similar to what big name brand boat companies were doing for HP and capacities on that size boat then I'd be safe. It's sort of like taking a Honda Civic and removing the tiny 4 cylinder engine and swapping it for a larger engine. Nothing illegal about it if you can make it happen. BUT if you go nuts and put a Hemi in it and then go speeding around and crash into another car, you're likely going to be at fault on numerous levels because of the ridiculous modifications you made that took the Civic way outside of how it's built at the factory. Can't stress it enough, there's a ton of gray area in the marine industry on aftermarket modifications and such!

[@tritownnow]

Another great video Tom!!

[@tomspontoons]

Thank you, and thanks for watching!

[@micahblack454]

Sooooooo jealous of that shop!!!

[@tomspontoons]

It’s worked well for us, but the downfall is we have no outdoor space for parking boats which really limits what we can do in the colder months!!!

[@kevinjohnson2620]

I’m out in California and wondering… who sells the sport toons and what it would take to get one shipped here. Great video!

[@tomspontoons]

Start with your local Craigslist and FB marketplace. I don’t know of anyone who ships them. Also consider finding a longer pontoon and having a local welder cut it to size for you and weld the end cap back on.

[@captainpegs07]

What is your opinion of the Poly 3rd?

[@tomspontoons]

I've never dealt with the poly 3rd toon. Had a chat with the owner of the company a while back and he certainly thought it was the greatest thing on Earth, and then I never got a call back from him so the conversation stopped there. The reason I'll only use aluminum pontoons is because the poly toons don't add any resale value. They take away from the factory pontoon look that most people are looking for if they're in the market for a used tritoon. And even if you're going to keep the boat forever, the price of those poly kits is very high. Someone could purchase a full length with transom aluminum pontoon custom fabricated for the same price or less. You can tell I'm bias towards aluminum and the factory look!

[@piper8463]

Was there a big price difference to do a little longer center tube with an incorporated transom? What is the centers tubes diameter ?

[@tomspontoons]

This center toon was right around $1500, and labor was significantly less than a full transom toon as it’s just a bolt up scenario. Center toon was 25” diameter. Outers are around 20”. Not a huge concern as the motor is not fast enough to create water flow or cavitation issues.

[@MelissaGarland-vh2se]

How would you feel about adding this set up Tom my new 18 foot Bennington ? Any suggestions on size and links for shopping for the correct size toon what would the average cost be for the sport toon I would need

[@tomspontoons]

It's 100% doable and would make your boat more buoyant in the front if you're on bigger water or constantly have the front loaded up with people. It really depends on the HP of your motor, as the larger HP may lead to issues with water flow from the center pontoon to the motor. Check out Ebay and Great Lakes Skipper for sport toons. They're usually anywhere from $500 to $1500 +/- for a sport toon. You'll want to make sure you get a center toon that matches or is larger than the diameter of your outer pontoons. This video breaks things down too: kzbin.info/www/bejne/m33HcnRsob6DZ5I

[@MelissaGarland-vh2se]

@@tomspontoons it’s a 60 HP Mercury and yes I’m on a very large lake Biggest lake in NH Trying to find the correct size and if I will need to make any adjustment to the motor

[@tomspontoons]

@@MelissaGarland-vh2se Lake Winnepesaukee by chance?? We built a work barge for that lake last winter! I would strongly recommend the full length toon with transom built onto the rear. It’ll give you better performance all around, better floatation and stability too. You could have a local welder fabricate one. Or email [e-mail] for info about having one made and shipped. They’re located in Ft. Wayne, Indiana and make custom sized pontoons to order with transoms for conversions!

[@MelissaGarland-vh2se]

@@tomspontoons yes Winnipesaukee and Thanks for the info and great KZbin Videos

[@tomspontoons]

@@MelissaGarland-vh2se happy to help! Thanks for watching our channel!

[@andrewpennuell5469]

I gotta know where they found those corner caps for the rubrail on the bow!

[@andrewpennuell5469]

Are those just the 90 degree ones from pontoontuff?

[@tomspontoons]

@@andrewpennuell5469 They're these: www.pontoonstuff.com/products/pontoon-boat-corner-caps?_pos=1&_sid=050b53401&_ss=r SKU: SRCC They're a slight radius, not the "square corner caps"

[@andrewpennuell5469]

I’d like to find some that actually fit the angle of that corner. So those are 90 degree corner caps? Did you modify them at all?

[@tomspontoons]

@@andrewpennuell5469 yes, these are for a 90 degree corner. I’ve not found anything else. Best case would be to weld some up out of 1/4” aluminum to match the angle just right.

[@skylark4901]

Just got this served up randomly on KZbin but as I'm starting my build from scratch, I seriously want a third pontoon, I got 2, Harris pontoons, he told me they're 2024, he tells me he works with different marina's and sometimes picking up boats and moving them they get a little damaged and so are determined a loss, (I guess), they look fantastic and are identical to new Harris boats, he told me he had to have very minor repairs done, they have the channels for carriage bolts, about 20' 6", I was searching for a beefy transom but would much rather have a center pontoon with one built in, very hard to find for me, always too far away and very expensive for shipping when I do find one, I ended up buying 101" crossmembers from pontoon specialists, it's C channel 1/4 thick, heavier than I wanted especially where I wanted to go 16" on center, adds a little more than an extra 100lbs but definitely strong enough for a third pontoon, anyway just wanted to tell the world and any thoughts good or bad are more than welcome! Merry Christmas!

[@tomspontoons]

Where are you located? There are several folks in the northern Indiana area who sell Harris center logs. Adding an extra 100 lbs on a 20' boat will not hurt you one bit!! Those logs float thousands of pounds. You'll be thankful to have the structure improvement over a little lighter weight, I promise. Especially as that weight will be evenly distributed. Now is the time to make those modifications and get the center toon on there...much easier to do now than after the build is complete!!!

[@JohnDelucia-m2l]

I have a 22 ft quest with a Honda 115. i just picked up a center pontoon, with the added buoyancy, will i also get any additional speed? I have changed the prop and added an out board foil gaurd. still lucky to see 18-20 mph. Or, do i need to replace the pontoon all the way to the transom to achieve this? Thank you. Love your channel by the way

[@tomspontoons]

Adding a center toon and keeping the motor the same seems to make no difference on speed for an empty boat. HOWEVER, you'll typically cruise at a faster speed when the boat is loaded up heavy with people and gear. The drag of the center toon appears to counter the improved buoyancy in an empty boat...but the buoyancy improvement makes a bigger difference when loaded up. Hope that makes sense!

[@dominionstreetfirekracker7538]

Love your videos but wife dreads when I watch them with all of the ideas you provide :) I have a 22' Sunchaser 115HP Evinrude with 25" toons. I'm going to add a center pontoon for a little extra buoyancy. Im seeing most center pontoons are a little lower than the outers. Would you recommend I put a larger center toon on possibly 27" or use the same 25" and just lower it slightly.

[@tomspontoons]

She'll end up appreciating the work you put in when you're out on the water together!! I would definitely recommend getting a 27" middle toon, and full length with transom if possible with that HP motor. The larger center toon will give you better handling on turns, and will improve stability with the added buoyancy of the larger toon. If you can't find a 27" then yes, I would try to push a 25" about 2" to 3" lower than the outers. Great Questions!

[@Braydenjenkins16]

Hey. Ive got a 1992 party barge 24 It does not have the shorty center toon many of this model had in the front. Its hard to find as well I put a blackmax 175 on it several yrs ago did my prop math for optimal mph anyway its a true big ugly old sleeper however ive always wanted to add a toon. These oldies plow in the front unless wide open.I was thinking a 20 ft would be fine as the transom is about 4 ft anyway. To avoid the cutting and welding. Have you done this exact thing on a 24? I'd love to bolt right up with the same diameter toons. The prices of these things used have just went through the roof recently

[@tomspontoons]

I haven't tackled that exact project before. The issue with sport toons with high HP is water flow to the propeller. Sometimes they work just fine, but often as you reach higher speeds the water will flow under the prop and cause ventilation and over-revving. I would strongly recommend a full length center pontoon with the transom integrated. kzbin.info/www/bejne/m33HcnRsob6DZ5I

[@ronniep1376]

Tom, I really appreciate your channel. By watching your channel I have replaced a floor, carpet , console and furniture in my 93 Landau. So thank you so much ! I would like to add a third toon to mine. It’s mostly used for fishing , but I do carry the family out several times a year for fun. My boat is a 20 ft . I guess my question is , should the center add on toon be the same size as outer toons, or bigger , or does it matter ? Thank you Actually you just answered that for me in another video haha Thanks

[@tomspontoons]

Fantastic!! Thanks for watching the channel. If we’ve saved you some time and money please consider contributing to the channel. Right now all funds are going to a project building a fishing boat for a Marine Corps Retiree. Links are in the description. It doesn’t hurt to go with the same size or even a few inches bigger diameter. Bigger diameter will allow for better turning with higher HP…but the bigger the HP and higher the speed the more chances for disturbances getting to the prop causing issues.

[@ronniep1376]

Will do ! Thanks

[@JH4RTM4N]

Do you think the angle is better than just flat stock on top?

[@tomspontoons]

Angled is definitely stronger...an old fella once told me "every chance you get to put a bend in metal, do it. It'll make it twice as strong". Plus the angle gave me two places to get a weld on it. On the top side and the bottom along the brackets.

[@JH4RTM4N]

@@tomspontoons I'm about to add 3 new toons to my old tracker. I'll take all the advice I can get. 😂

[@tomspontoons]

Hope the project has been smooth. Happy to try to help from my experiences!

[@cakins08]

Where can I buy this sports toon?

[@tomspontoons]

This one actually came from Great Lakes Skipper. I usually recommend searching FaceBook Marketplace and Craigslist too. If you find a good usable pontoon you can always take it to a local aluminum welder and have them cut it down to the length you need, add mounting brackets if need be for easier installation, and pressure check to make sure there are no leaks. Ideally go 2" to 4" larger diameter than your outer toons...but even matching the diameter will help a ton with buoyancy and stability.

[@eriksmith-pn9ri]

What length in comparison should the center toon be compared to the outer toons

[@tomspontoons]

My favorite setup is a full length center pontoon that's about 18" to 24" longer that the outer pontoons. The center pontoon should line up in the front with the outer pontoons, and the extra length should stick out behind the outer pontoons for better handling at speed and better trim response to get the bow up when cruising.

[@charlesjohnson-bg2vr]

I have a 20ft Starcraft older model {that came with a 48hp} the new 75hp motor is mounted right at the back of the pontoons. I have noticed that the newer motors are mounted further back. I get a lot of water backwash that almost covers the lower part of motor. I was thinking of getting a more extended transom pod. Any thoughts?

[@tomspontoons]

I'm a big advocate for pushing the entire transom and motor back behind the pontoons for water flow to the prop and better handling and trim response. I'm sure you'll still have a good bit of splash at the motor, but it might be improved from where you are now. You could always install some aluminum sheet to deflect the water too.

[@rustysullivan6566]

I have a 18’ Sundance pontoon with a new 40hp Mercury. I reworked the whole thing it came out great. Here’s my question I need a third log for bouancy . Do you recommend a full log or will the short log ending in front of the transum work? We run this pretty slow on a small lake, not likely doing anything over 20mph at tops.

[@tomspontoons]

I would always recommend a full length pontoon, however, in your situation I think you'd be just as happy with a short toon in front of the transom. The full length gives buoyancy throughout the whole boat, but if you just need the help in the front of the boat where people are sitting most of the time I would save the money and go with a short toon. Also, with it not being a performance thing, you could go with a center pontoon that's the same size as your outers and you'd be just fine too. Fine a cheap one on Marketplace, have a local welder chop it down to the right size, weld it back up, and pressure check it (fix any leaks it might have had before, and then add brackets to make installation easier.

[@rustysullivan6566]

@@tomspontoons you think I can go all the way to the transom?

[@tomspontoons]

@@rustysullivan6566 yes. If you’re not going with a high HP or trying to go fast you’ll be just fine. Water flow issues tend to happen when the boat starts going 15 to 20+ mph

[@mr.dyar.524]

Hello, I want to build a boat 7 meters long and 4 meters wide and 3 tubes How much tube size should be suitable for transporting 15 people?

[@tomspontoons]

Search out new boats from the big manufacturers to find a comparable size boat and they’ll list the weight and passenger capacity. I don’t have an exact calculation for that.

[@J.Q.86]

Quick question. How big a motor can I throw on a bass buggy like this? One I’m looking at already has a sport toon on it.

[@tomspontoons]

This boat is rated for a 55hp. Every boat is different year to year and across sizes. Check the USCG tag near the console to be sure

[@goldenpondrvpark1637]

Does it have any problem cavitating being so close to the transom?

[@tomspontoons]

This one will not because the motor is just a little 20 hp, not enough to get the boat moving fast enough to even find out. In general, every foot you go back from the planing surface (center toon in this case) you can raise the motor 1”…so if it were bigger HP we would have to make sure the cavitation/ventilation plate is at the right height for that equation.

[@goldenpondrvpark1637]

@@tomspontoons Thank you Tom!

[@tomspontoons]

@@goldenpondrvpark1637 happy to help!

[@scottlucas4824]

I have a 2018 Party Barge with 150 Merc. How much would it cost to put a third toon on?

[@tomspontoons]

Lots of variables in terms of cable length, hydraulic steering, length and width of outer toons. In general, It's around $4500 for a full center pontoon plus any changing over of shift/throttle or steering cables, plus labor. Usually ends up around $7,000 to $8,000 installed in most cases for a full length toon. I wouldn't recommend doing an aftermarket sport toon on that setup with that high of HP.

[@scottlucas4824]

@Toms Toons Pontoon Refurbishing Thank you for your reply.

[@tomspontoons]

@@scottlucas4824 Happy to help!

[@papamullikin7258]

Where did you get the third toon for the bass buggy?

[@tomspontoons]

This one came from Great Lakes Skipper out of Wisconsin.

[@chase9390]

I have an 18ft bass buggy that I want to do this same conversion! What’s the best way to contact for questions?

[@tomspontoons]

Comment them here and I'll try to give you the best answer I can. That way others with similar questions can benefit.

[@mikesimpson3135]

I'm thinking of adding a 3rd toon to my 18ft bass buggy . Rightnow it has 70hp run 23 to 28 mph per GPS. Wondering if I add a 3rd toon will it be alright for a 90 to 115hp 2 stroke outboard ? Hoping to find toon with lifting strakes

[@tomspontoons]

Per the USCG there's no HP or weight limit for a pontoon style hull, the manufacturers apply the ratings based on how they build them and what they can handle through their testing. If you add a full length center pontoon that's rated for a larger HP then you should be okay, especially keeping your HP to a reasonable size like a 90 or 115. However, if you hang a larger HP motor like that on your existing transom you might run into issues with the structure of the boat not being able to handle it.

[@grantvercheak6826]

Where do you find the center toon at

[@tomspontoons]

I bought this one locally from a gentleman who tried it on his boat but had issues with cavitation. He bought it from Great Lakes Skipper in Wisconsin.

[@markpalmer8341]

Hey Tom, I have a 2005 Bentley 240 cruise. I want to add a center tune. Does it have to extend out as far in the front as the other 2 ? I measured it out at 16 ft with the center toon being recessed due to the trailer. Would that work ? 90 hp yamaha for power. Hope you had a great long weekend. Mark

[@tomspontoons]

Hey Mark! I like to see the center pontoon in line with the front toons, but it can be pushed back a couple feet if need be. With the center toon pushed back you'll get more spray going under the deck and out the sides of the boat over the tops of the outer pontoons. With that HP I would definitely underskin the boat with sheet aluminum to prevent that spray against the deck. You likely won't gain any speed as an empty boat, but you should be able to cruise a little faster with a heavy load and you'll have a higher and dryer ride too.

[@markpalmer8341]

@@tomspontoons . . Thankl you sir. What would you charge for a job like that? There's nobody around here in south mississippi that works on these that I can find.

[@tomspontoons]

@@markpalmer8341 most center pontoon additions are around $7K to $8K which includes the transom mount center log. It’s not an easy business to be in…will never make people rich and it’s serious physical labor in addition to needing to know how wiring and engine rigging works on a boat. I wish there were more folks out there across the country to help out all the pontoon owners wanting restorations for their old boats. But I never mind when someone is willing to trailer their boat hours and hours to me to have the work done!

[@wish2fish]

I was told there would be no math!

[@tomspontoons]

There’s always some math! Thank goodness for smart phones having calculators.

[@vicesparis]

Nice joob

[@tomspontoons]

Thanks!