Where to buy sun deck kit

[GoF150XLT]

Can anyone recommend a good place to buy a sun deck kit from? We have a 24' Manitou that we would like to add it to. Our kids love jumping from the top (anchored in deep water, of course) of our neighbors pontoon. Plus, the shade would be nice. Thanks for any advice you may have!

[HandymanHerb]

I can't help you with that but I can say Welcome glad to have you with us and we want to see the before and after pictures

[XR50RR]

I'm guessing you mean this kind of deck if it is good luck because I haven't had any luck unless you have something custom built that's the only option I'm seeing now

I like this one better looks stronger and it has a slide haha

[GoF150XLT]

Yep, that's it. I did find one place on line that I may end up going with.

http://www.u-fabboats.com/assessories/S ... it.htm#top

[badmoonrising]

Mike from OPDB could build one like that. Need to get him over here.

[lakerunner]

Mike from OPDB could build one like that. Need to get him over here.

Do you mean sundeckbently?

[Heatman]

LR, I think he is refering to Tooncrazy. He and a friend built a toon with I think 4 logs, a very nice sundeck with a slide.

[lakerunner]

Oh yea I remember that. It was a sweet setup with two logs as outriggers, very stable.

[badmoonrising]

Yeah that guy...anyone heard from him ?

[beermunk]

I'm guessing you mean this kind of deck if it is good luck because I haven't had any luck unless you have something custom built that's the only option I'm seeing now

I like this one better looks stronger and it has a slide haha

That's a good idea for a rental pontoon!

[mikeherb]

You're best bet is to have a custom job done. Kits are great if it fits your boat, but most kits will have to be altered unless you're able to move some furniture around on your boat. They work great with rebuilds since you can consider the kit in your boat layout.

The guy who built my sun deck used to sell the kits you posted in your link, but quit selling them due to too many request for alterations to the kit.

There is a lot to consider before you go this route but in the end it was worth it for us. The deck is built like a brick shit house and we couldn't be happier with the decision. We're island boaters...motor out and throw anchor and spend most of the day in one spot so the deck was a great addition.

Consider a few things before you make the decision though:

Can your boat handle the extra weight? My deck weighs at least 600 lbs and I think it is more towards 800 lbs. That's more than a few mother-in-laws permanently added to the boat. My family is small kids now so our Bentley handles the weight well but I am having the same guy fabricate a third log with an integrated transom this summer. It will add a lot of capacity to our boat so it will handle the weight even better than it does now, especially when I have a lot of people on the boat.

Trailering is much harder with the added weight and wind resistance. If you plan to travel with your boat this is something to consider. Adding this deck to our boat eliminated the option to travel with out boat to other lakes....again, we're OK with that though.

Cost - customs are pricey and it's not like you can compare prices...you'll be lucky to find even one person willing and able to do the fabrication. Our top was more than twice the cost of a kit but worth it to us. It is 8 1/2 by 11' with two ladders. The rear ladder has a fold down so kids (and Dad) can go from the water to the upper deck without having to run through the boat. The height is tall enough to handle myself and my brother at 6'5" and 6'7".

Here are some pics from the day I picked up the toon:

The front ladder can be removed so I can still use the port gate.





He added the extra gussets during the fabrication making the deck completely solid.





The rail is 12' 4" from the ground when on the trailer...9'3" off the water when on the lake. My 7 year old son probably jumped off that top a couple of thousand times last summer.

[GoF150XLT]

Thanks to all for the advice. Those are some great points to consider, and great pics. Sundeckbentley, that is one awesome build.

We are also replacing the lower deck, carpeting, and furniture, so we are starting with a clean slate. Weight is something for us to consider, since we already have an older Mariner 115 HP motor on the back, and adding a sundeck might make things a little rear-end heavy. I do not think we can afford to add a third / middle pontoon.

We are on a somewhat tight budget, and after crunching the numbers we might instead look at finding a used pontoon that already has an upper deck, and main deck that is in decent shape. What we do next is determined if we can find a solid used pontoon for a decent price, or re-do our current one. I have only found one seller of kits so far. Thanks again to everyone, and please keep the ideas coming! If we go ahead with the rebuild, I will be sure to post pics.

[mikeherb]

If you go with the kit you can consider centering the deck from bow to stern a little more to keep the weight more evenly distributed. My deck is all the way to the back out of necessity to accommodate my current floor plan. You can design your floor plan around the kit if you go that route.

Good luck with it either way and let us know what you decide.

SDB

[jsupperdecks]

Can anyone recommend a good place to buy a sun deck kit from? We have a 24' Manitou that we would like to add it to. Our kids love jumping from the top (anchored in deep water, of course) of our neighbors pontoon. Plus, the shade would be nice. Thanks for any advice you may have!

Hi, We know this is an old post and we hope you were successful in completing your project of adding a sun deck back in 2009. But, we had the same issue you did back then. We wanted to add an upper deck (or sun deck) to our pontoon boats, but we couldn't find a place that had an easy do it yourself solution. So our team created J's Upper Decks, where we manufacture sun deck kits and upper deck kits. The framework we use is aluminum, so our sun decks are not adding a significant amount of extra weight to your pontoon boat. If anyone is still looking for a solution to add an aftermarket sundeck or upper deck to their pontoon boat, check out our website: http://www.jsupperdecks.com and give us a call.

Thanks,

[GoF150XLT]

We did end up buying a kit and installing it. The best decision we ever made. Our boat has become a major attraction for families with kids that want to jump off the top, and we have made many new friends just by inviting people to come on over and tie up. Last year we had 25 pontoon boats all tied up together having a good time. Of course, ours was on the end so that kids (and their parents) could jump off. Attached are some pictures.