Post on 28-Apr-2018
2011 Bennington / “Competitor B”
Pontoon Comparison
Competitor B uses 3 brands to sell about half of the amount of Pontoons as Bennington. Even in
the supposed “high end” brand, Competitor B has an inferior construction to Bennington’s value
priced “S” Series. Take a closer look as there is NO comparison of overall quality of the product!
No one matches the quality of a Bennington. And, remember, even the value priced “S” Series
includes all of the construction features mentioned! Bennington doesn’t cut corners!
Bennington VS. Competitor B
2011 Bennington Competitive Comparison Chart
Bennington Competitor B
Bennington vs. Competitor B Warranty Comparison
Bennington Com petitor B Competitor BHigh End Lower End
JD Power Awards for Highest Customer Satisfaction
JD Power Award - # of Times As Runner Up
4 0
Pontoons 3 0
Lifetime Lifetime Lifetime
U.S. Market Share Rank 2 3 Engine Pod Lifetime Lifetime Lifetime
U.S. Dollar Volume Market Share Rank 1 2
Deck Lifetime Lifetime Lifetime
5 Year Stem to Stern warranty Y N
5052 H36 Pontoon aluminum Y N
7 Time NMMA CSI Award Recipient Y N
Anodized rails Y Y
Rail welds Lifetime Lifetime Lifetime
Seat frames and backs Lifetime 3 Year 1 Year
Bimini frame & QR fittings Lifetime 3 Year 1 Year
Bolted Deck w/ stainless bolts Y Y Components 5 Years 3 Year 1 Year
Expanded 31 oz. vinyl w/ Stain Resistant Top Coat Y Y Carpet 5 Years 5 Years 5 Years
Extruded M brackets Y Y
Full length keels Y Y
Full length radius bow cross member for bow protection Y N
Seating vinyl 5 Years 5 Years 5 Years
Canvas 5 Years 5 Years 5 Years
Heavy Duty 3" Tall Cross members Y N
Lifetime structural warranty - material & labor Y N
Loom wrapped wire harnesses w/ sealed connectors Y Y
Lumbar support in all seating locations Y N
Bennington handles the warranty claim process for every component on the boat. With Competitor B, the dealer or customer must find out who manufactures a defective part and pursue that manufacturer for warranty payment.
One piece dura frame seats Y N
Patented quick release bimini hardware w/ lifetime warranty
Rails anodized after being welded
Y N
Competior B Warranty Exclusions Y Y
Rails Bolted thru X members Y N Seam failures in the canopy fabric and furniture upholstery materials.
Rails welded on all four sides, not two Y Y
Rattle free panels Y Y
Safety chambered pontoons Y Y
Labor costs incurred during the replacement or repair of carpeting, canopy fabric or furniture upholstery materials after 2 years from date of first retail sale.
Solid keels available Y N
Splash guards at all floor joints Y N
Stainless steel corner castings Y N
Stainless steel fasteners throughout Y N
Any pontoon used in salt water , unless prior to said use pontoon is protected by proper application of an approved for aluminum bottom paint free from copper or copper derivatives by a licensed applicator.
Waterproof electrical system Y N
Bennington VS. Competitor B Construction
All Bennington models feature a full
radius structural bow channel.
This serves as a bumper and protects
the boat from damage.
Competitor B pontoons have zero structural
bow corner protection. A brittle
aluminum casting is used to conceal
the plywood deck.
Thin bow deck trim Aluminum casting
Bennington VS. Competitor B Construction Bennington pontoon boats feature full perimeter structural bow support.
This Competitor B frame illustrates a lack of bow support behind the deck trim (in red).
No support
The Competition
Bennington VS. Competitor B Construction Bennington’s extruded M brackets are spaced 18” apart and bolted at 20” This wide spacing spreads the weight of
the deck over a wider portion of the pontoon. Our wide stance M brackets coupled with our 1/4” cross
members are the main reason our decks are extremely rigid & solid.
Competitor B pontoons exhibit significant flex in only moderately choppy water due to a combination of their M bracket
spacing and their thinner cross members.
Bolt spacing 20” Bolt spacing 13 5”
Outer bracket spacing 18”
Outer bracket spacing 15.5”
3”
Bennington M brackets are welded over the end cap which is the strongest area of the tube. Godfrey deck brackets stop as much as 3” short of their end caps.
Bennington VS. Competitor B Construction One leg of our stern cleats
is bolted through a full
width stern cross member for
additional strength.
An extra large washer is
used on the other leg.
A cleat bolted nearly to the edge of a deck could easily pull out with any significant load.
Aluminum casting
Competitor B Competitor B
Bennington VS. Competitor B Construction All under‐deck wiring on a Bennington is routed
through protective conduit. The wiring terminates
in a sealed “water tight” connectors
Although Godfrey uses sealed
connectors in most places, their under‐
deck wiring is often exposed .
Bennington VS. Competitor B Construction Bennington
The Bennington ladder uses
minimal plastic, hugs the frame
of the boat, bolted in 6 places.
It’s extra wide at the top for
easy use
Construction
Competitor B’s ladder is not
attached to their end cap
resulting in a lack of
stability and possible
pontoon damage.
Comp. B Poor fit
7
Bennington VS. Competitor B ‐ Seating
Bennington seats structures are made of one
piece including the seat back. This allows us
to design in structural back support.
Lumbar
support is built
into our seat
structure.
Bennington Dura Frame seat structures are
covered under our lifetime warranty.
Competitor B’s seat backs are made of plywood
and provide zero back support. Angled foam is
used in the place of structure.
Seat backs are secured by
screws that are run through
the railing from the outside
of the boat.
Competitor B’s 2‐piece furniture frame with wood back
rest. Seat back is completely vertical!
Bennington VS. Competitor B ‐ Seating � Competitor B’s seat bases are roto‐cast, but their seat backs are made of wood.
� Because plywood cannot be bent into a round shape, Competitor B is forced to use small pieces of plywood to
form the radius back in their furniture. Gaps left between these pieces of plywood are covered with
sheet aluminum on the inside and out. There is no structural support in those areas.
� Competitor B’s seat base and seat back are two separate pieces and are not bolted together. The seat bases
are screwed into the floor, and the seat backs are supported by screws that are driven from the outside
of their railings. Over time, these can come loose and the seat base and seat back can separate.
Competitor B’s wooden seat backs are built
with gaps in the corners covered with
sheet aluminum!
Bennington S Series VS. Competitor B’s Value Line
Bennington Competitor B # of speakers standard 4 2 Aft vinyl floor Std. N/A Bimini top size 10' 6.5' Electric fuel gauge in dash panel Std. Opt. Fuel capacity 24 gal 18 gal Full length pontoon skirting Std. Std. Full length radius bow cross member for bow protect ion Std. N/A JD Power Awards for Highest Customer Satisfaction 4 0 Lumbar support in all seating locations Y N NMMA Customer Satisfaction Awards 7 0 One piece dura frame seats Y N Patented quick release bimini hardware Std. N/A Playpen cover standard Std. Opt. Rails Bolted thru X members Std. N/A Soft touch seating vinyl Std. N/A Solid aluminum front bimini struts Std. Straps Solid keels available Opt. N/A Stainless steel cleats Std. Plated Stainless steel corner castings Std. N/A Stem to Stern warranty 5 yrs 1 yr.
Bennington VS. Competitor B ‐ Seating Bennington seating looks like it Seating is all modular…does not
was designed to fit our boats flow or provide a finished look
• Gap between bench and console is
unsightly.
• Seat bas color does not match seating vinyl
or console
Bennington VS. Competitor B ‐ Seating
Bennington seat bases provide full Modular seat bases reduce
length access to storage storage
Playpen cover pole will not fit
under seats.
Bennington VS. Competitor B ‐ Seating
A very comfortable recliner with Standard helm seat does not
self leveling arms is optional on recline No options offered
Bennington S series models.
Bennington VS. Competitor B ‐ Consoles
Bennington all fiberglass console Competitor B console • Full instrumentation • Small plastic steering wheel
• Deluxe steering wheel • Mismatched colors
• Stainless trimmed cup holders • No fuel gauge
• Storage tray
• One piece durable fiberglass
Bennington VS. Competitor B ‐ Consoles
Bennington all fiberglass console Competitor B console • Easy access storage large enough for a • No door in side of console
cooler. • Minimal, hard to access storage
• Lockabel
Bennington VS. Competitor B Skirting is now standard on Side mounted navigation lights
Competitor B, but it stops short of stick out and are susceptible to
the nosecone. Bennington damage.
skirting is full length.
Bennington VS. Competitor B All Bennington’s feature a 10’
bimini top with solid front struts
and quick release fittings..
Competitor B feature a 6 5’
bimini top with straps.
Bennington VS. Competitor B Fishermen typically go for vinyl floors and try to
avoid carpet. Competitor B uses carpet covered
wood boxes in the bows of their fishing models.
Other carpeted trim parts
take away from the low maintenance aspect
of these pontoon boats.
Bennington S series bow boxes
are made of no rot, roto‐molded
plastic. Carpet
Bennington VS. Competitor B
This is one of a number of
models that position the fuel fill
right on the carpet!
Bennington pontoons come
standard with stern vinyl floors*.
These are not even an option on
Competitor B. *Excluding the 17SLi & Classic Models.
There is a lot of carpet to get wet
and to mildew on the stern of
these boats.