04-11-2012, 04:27 PM
I bought a 9' Classic accessories boat from Costco about a month ago. it seems almost identical in construction to the Colorado, just with different badging/ coloring. for $299 i figured i couldnt go wrong. this is my first pontoon, so i wasnt sure if it would work the same as my "old Reliable" float tube. have had it out a couple times now with no complaints. seems sturdy so far, we'll see how it stands the test of time.
Rigged it with a 30lb thrust minn-kota, with 30" shaft. had to flip the motor mount and modify slightly to make sure the 30" shaft work in all conditions. the prop had a tendency to come out of the water on the crest of larger waves. 36" may be the best option for this particular boat, but got a screaming deal from Sportsmans Whse. $109, minus $20 instant online rebate, and $15 rebate from minn kota.About 80 bucks with tax OTD. and free site to store shipping to midvale store.
the more expensive(and often overlooked) part is a good quality deep cycle battery and charger. you need lots of reserve capacity and amp hours if you plan on using it all day.
also modified the tiller so it wasnt directly behind me, makes it impossible to steer. just had to re-drill the hole in the composite shaft. it's at a 45 degree angle now, and works great.
as tube dude says beware of the DMV. bring sales reciept, Hull ID numbers(if your boat has one), pictures etc... so you get charged correctly. that was actually the biggest pain in this process. [mad] the tooele DMV actually made me have a police officer come out to the house and sign an avadavit before they would license the thing. cut a a flexible sheet plexiglass for the numbers, it's working great so far. rounded the edges with a file, so there isnt any chance of puncturing a pontoon. not sure what kind of plaques others have built or bought??
if you dont need the extended range, or trolling capability that a motor offers, the added expense (approx $250+) and hassle for the motor may not be worth it to you.
Hope this helps.
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Rigged it with a 30lb thrust minn-kota, with 30" shaft. had to flip the motor mount and modify slightly to make sure the 30" shaft work in all conditions. the prop had a tendency to come out of the water on the crest of larger waves. 36" may be the best option for this particular boat, but got a screaming deal from Sportsmans Whse. $109, minus $20 instant online rebate, and $15 rebate from minn kota.About 80 bucks with tax OTD. and free site to store shipping to midvale store.
the more expensive(and often overlooked) part is a good quality deep cycle battery and charger. you need lots of reserve capacity and amp hours if you plan on using it all day.
also modified the tiller so it wasnt directly behind me, makes it impossible to steer. just had to re-drill the hole in the composite shaft. it's at a 45 degree angle now, and works great.
as tube dude says beware of the DMV. bring sales reciept, Hull ID numbers(if your boat has one), pictures etc... so you get charged correctly. that was actually the biggest pain in this process. [mad] the tooele DMV actually made me have a police officer come out to the house and sign an avadavit before they would license the thing. cut a a flexible sheet plexiglass for the numbers, it's working great so far. rounded the edges with a file, so there isnt any chance of puncturing a pontoon. not sure what kind of plaques others have built or bought??
if you dont need the extended range, or trolling capability that a motor offers, the added expense (approx $250+) and hassle for the motor may not be worth it to you.
Hope this helps.
[signature]