Newbie Pontoon Questions

[jgruberman]

Hey all, I'm pretty handy but pretty new to pontoon modifications and such. I had a few questions that have been coming up for me that I was hoping to get some info for so I can move forward with some updates to my pontoon. It's a 2017 G3 Suncatcher.

1) My rear bimini canvas top is wearing and I need a replacement at some point in the future. It is a Dowco 3 bow bimini, does that mean I need an exact replacement "Dowco" canvas top or can I get any brand that works with square posts? If I can get any brand, what are the key measurements I should be taking so I can get a suitable/matching replacement?

2) I am also wanting to get a front bimini so I can open it and zip the two together(there are zippers on the front of our rear one) so they cover the entire deck. Do I need to get a Dowco brand bimini assembly as well or can I get any brand? I assume if I want them to zip together, I need to find one that has some sort of "rear zipper compatibility"?

3) I recently hit some hard waters unintentionally and the front of the fence panels incurred damages. Do I need to replace these through a dealer or can I get the part from a 3rd party and install it myself? I did remove the entire panel once to "rubber mallet" the metal paneling back into shape, so the installation/removal isn't an issue... just the issue of finding an exact replacement, etc.

4) The seats also incurred some damages that insurance is paying for. If for some reason we decide to change/upgrade the seats and buy a new seat set then is it as simple as unscrewing the old seats from the pontoon deck and installing new ones? I'm guessing that if we get a FULL set and get a "Captains Console" as well, then the only thing to be aware of when changing seating configuration is that the Captain Console needs to stay in the same location so all of the steering/driving components stay the same?

5) As a more general blanket statement, can I be purchasing ANY parts for the pontoon and just install them in place of the "OEM parts"? The only thing I know to do for replacing parts is call the dealer and have them price/order the part. Being a car modification guy, I realize there HAS to be a better way to upgrade/repair things on my pontoon.


Sorry for the long winded post, but really trying to get some knowledge to help myself out with all of this and happily to pass it along to other members here. Thanks in advance for help on any of the above questions!

 

[PlanB]

Your best bet is the dealer for everything but the bimini. Have a canvas shop do your bimini. It will look a lot better that what the factory puts out. I had a wave smash some panels on my last toon and I did the metal work myself, but having the dealer replace panels is a lot easier.

 

[jgruberman]

Your best bet is the dealer for everything but the bimini. Have a canvas shop do your bimini. It will look a lot better that what the factory puts out. I had a wave smash some panels on my last toon and I did the metal work myself, but having the dealer replace panels is a lot easier.

I've never even heard of a "canvas shop". But I take it canvas shops can't get their hands on the actual framework for the front section?

My current one looks like this:

and I'm going for the end result of this:

 

[PlanB]

Canvas shops are the same as upholstery shops, but they work on boats. When I bought my toon it had a single bimini like yours. It was taken to the canvas shop, and the dealer provided them with the framework to add a second (front) bimini. They installed the framework and made the top out of Sunbrella. Easy to do for a shop that works on boats.

 

[rivermobster]

Insurance is involved? Then why are you??

Take it to a reputable boating upholstery shop and let them handle all this and bill the insurance company for the work.

You just pay your deductible and the additional costs.

I went with a full stainless top on my toon. Threw all that square tubing stuff in the trash. Half mesh, half solid. Came out great.

Where are you located??

 

[jgruberman]

Insurance is involved? Then why are you??

Take it to a reputable boating upholstery shop and let them handle all this and bill the insurance company for the work.

You just pay your deductible and the additional costs.

I went with a full stainless top on my toon. Threw all that square tubing stuff in the trash. Half mesh, half solid. Came out great.

Where are you located??

Insurance is already paid out to me - now it's my job to get the work done. So I'm reviewing my options. Can you give me an example of the top you have? I don't know enough about them to understand what you're describing other than "threw the square tubing in the trash". I'm in Dallas, TX (Carrollton)

 

[jgruberman]

Canvas shops are the same as upholstery shops, but they work on boats. When I bought my toon it had a single bimini like yours. It was taken to the canvas shop, and the dealer provided them with the framework to add a second (front) bimini. They installed the framework and made the top out of Sunbrella. Easy to do for a shop that works on boats.

View attachment 897373

What does it look like folded down? Does it need to be the same railing system or just need to be ANY sort of bimini frame and leave the "fabrication" to the upholstery shop?

 

[PlanB]

What does it look like folded down? Does it need to be the same railing system or just need to be ANY sort of bimini frame and leave the "fabrication" to the upholstery shop?

This is foldes all the way down. You can also leave them folded in a higher position to walk under. The upholstery shop can do all the work, as long as they are familiar with working on biminis.

 

[jgruberman]

This is foldes all the way down. You can also leave them folded in a higher position to walk under. The upholstery shop can do all the work, as long as they are familiar with working on biminis.

View attachment 897438

That looks good! 2 questions:

1) Was it identical bimini railing systems?
2) Did you need to track down the front bimini frame or did the upholstery shop do that for you?

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

 

[rivermobster]

Insurance is already paid out to me - now it's my job to get the work done. So I'm reviewing my options. Can you give me an example of the top you have? I don't know enough about them to understand what you're describing other than "threw the square tubing in the trash". I'm in Dallas, TX (Carrollton)

I'll find some more pics for you later...

 

[rivermobster]

From a distance...

 

[PlanB]

That looks good! 2 questions:

1) Was it identical bimini railing systems?
2) Did you need to track down the front bimini frame or did the upholstery shop do that for you?

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

I had the front done when I bought the boat. The dealer delivered the boat and the front bimini frame to the upholstery shop. Shops that work on boats should know where to source the frame for you.