Pontoon boats. Aluminum tube? or Steel?

I've been getting realy interested in a pontoon boat. WOW! are they
expensive!, but the used market, especially in off-season isn't too
bad.

I've been looking for at 25-28 ft. pontoons, and jsut passed a fairly
nice Tracker for $4800.00

(Not the dollar late, but the day short. OK, now theres an equally nice
28 ft STEEL pontoon boat with a 75 horse Evinrude (The previous Tracker
had a 35 horse Chrysler) for about a thousand less.

The steel, I know would be heavier, and probably lose some handling
capacity.

I suppose what I'm actually asking is a STEEL pontoon boat actually
worth it? or should I forget the cost and go strictly ALUMINUM tube
construction?

I imagine I'm answering my own quesiton, by seeing aluminum pontoon
boats are far outnumbering steel.

Another thing I'd like to know, is why arn't pontoon tubes made from
durable PVC construction? weight? cost? environmental?

just curious.

THANKS!
Tim

<tschnautz.TakeThisOut@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1143687865.204025.4470@z34g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
> I've been getting realy interested in a pontoon boat. WOW! are they
> expensive!, but the used market, especially in off-season isn't too
> bad.
>
> I've been looking for at 25-28 ft. pontoons, and jsut passed a fairly
> nice Tracker for $4800.00
>
> (Not the dollar late, but the day short. OK, now theres an equally nice
> 28 ft STEEL pontoon boat with a 75 horse Evinrude (The previous Tracker
> had a 35 horse Chrysler) for about a thousand less.
>
> The steel, I know would be heavier, and probably lose some handling
> capacity.
>
> I suppose what I'm actually asking is a STEEL pontoon boat actually
> worth it? or should I forget the cost and go strictly ALUMINUM tube
> construction?
>
> I imagine I'm answering my own quesiton, by seeing aluminum pontoon
> boats are far outnumbering steel.
>
> Another thing I'd like to know, is why arn't pontoon tubes made from
> durable PVC construction? weight? cost? environmental?
>
> just curious.
>
> THANKS!
> Tim
>
I remember my Dad's old steel pontoon boat well. We could usually get 'er
sanded down and painted by early August or late July. That gave us til
October to use her until she had to come out for the Winter. They rust as
bad as my old cars unless they make them in Stainless, now. There's an old
steel pontoon boat sitting in the vacant lot next to me. Owner told me that
he just managed to ground her before she sank, one day. My aluminum pontoon
boat is twenty years old and I just power wash her when I take her out and
nothing but tune the engine before putting her back in, in the Spring. Mine
isn't but I see that most current pontoons seem to be foam filled for extra
safety. Around here, the old boats become nice docks...have one myself.

Tom G.