BENNINGTON VS.

AVALON/TAHOE

Bennington Avalon/ Tahoe Construction

Safety chambered pontoons - no end cap drain plug Yes No Full length keels Yes Yes small Heavy Duty 3" Tall Cross members Yes No Bolted Deck w/ stainless bolts Bolted Screwed Full perimeter .25" radius bow cross member for bow protection Yes No Bow deck extended over nose cones Yes Yes Loom wrapped wire harnesses w/ sealed connectors throughout boat Yes No One piece rotationally molded plastic seat frames Yes No Rails welded on all four sides, not two Yes Yes Ski tow bars pull tested to a minimum of 1,800 lbs. Yes No Stainless steel piano hinges at gates Yes Yes Rails anodized after being welded Yes No Rattle free panels Yes Yes Patented quick release bimini hardware w/ lifetime warranty Yes No Warranty

Stem to Stern warranty 7 years 5 Limited No Trans

Lifetime structural warranty - material & labor Yes No

These wires, on an Avalon, are exposed underneath the boat and subject to damage. The holes that the wires feed through are not sealed with silicon.

Underdeck wiring problems are the number 1 cause of dissatisfaction in boating. All under-deck wiring on a Bennington is routed through protective conduit.

Bennington fencing is bolted through the cross channels as well as the deck. This will give the rails and fencing unrivaled rigidity. This is why Bennington includes their fencing as part of the structure, which is covered by a limited lifetime warranty.

Avalon/Tahoe bolts their fencing only through the wood deck. Over time the wind and wear on the fencing will cause it to loosen and rattle.

Avalon uses pre-anodized aluminum fencing which is then welded. Welding after anodization creates a weak weld and also creates black marks on the weld.

Bennington fencing is welded where ever possible and anodized after the welding to ensure a long lasting finish.

These are BRAND NEW Avalon/Tahoe boats.. If they look like this now, what will they look like in a few years?!

Bennington’s panels are recessed behind their extruded rail system to protect from any objects banging or rubbing up against them. Such as other boats when tied up to each other, or while moored to a dock. As you can see on this Tahoe their entire panel is exposed and susceptible to damage. If you push on the panel it will flex and bend with ease because it has no backing.

The Bennington seat bases are all one piece with drain traps for water and moisture to exit the storage area.

There are no seat bases or drain traps in Avalon/Tahoe boats, making it impossible to have any kind of dry storage for towels and life jackets making them more susceptible to mold

All Bennington consoles feature a lockable door, great for when docking at unfamiliar places or at restaurants. Some Avalon/Tahoe consoles such as the one here do not even have a door.

Bennington uses stainless steel fanged elevator bolts with nylon laced locking nuts.

Avalon uses self-tapping screws that strip easily after time and are less reliable than bolted screws.

Bennington uses extruded M shaped brackets that are 2” tall and spaced widely across the tube to provide additional deck strength.

Avalon deck brackets are made of sheet aluminum with only 2 points of contact that are closer together resulting in less deck strength.

Outer bracket spacing 14.5”

Outer bracket spacing 18”

Bolt spacing 20”

“M” brackets are welded over the end cap which is the strongest area of the tube.

14.5” outer bracket spacing compared to Bennington’s 18”. Distributing weight over more of the tube creates more strength and less deck flex.

Bennington welds their tubes at the end of the cap, the strongest part of the tube.

Avalon/Tahoe uses a cap where the weld is a few inches into the tube, NOT the strongest point.

Bennington uses a full .250” bow radius channel that reinforces the deck trim from inside out.

Avalon/Tahoe has zero structural bow corner protection. An aluminum casting is used to conceal the plywood deck.

While most Avalon/Tahoe decks come over, or close to over the pontoons, may of their models have zero bow deck space making it difficult to board

Bennington decks extend over the pontoons, creating more deck space and eliminating the safety risk of kids tripping on them.

The weak aluminum castings used by Avalon will pit, corrode, and discolor over time.

Bennington’s stainless steel castings are three times stronger than aluminum castings and are included in the lifetime warranty.

Bennington uses extruded aluminum skirting that fits snug to the pontoon and is not susceptible to being snagged.

On some Avalon/Tahoe models they leave large gaps that increases the chance of the skirting being snagged. Also leaving an unfinished look.

Bennington’s quick release bimini tops raise and lower in seconds with our patented quick-release fittings designed to eliminate all rattles.

Crest uses a stainless fitting that fits loose and may rattle when underway. To extend the front legs a pin release is used which will also rattle and may pinch fingers.

Bennington fuel tanks are protected from the sun’s UV rays.

Avalon/Tahoe engine well mounted fuel tanks are not covered. Exposure to the sun promotes microbial growth in fuel systems leading to costly engine repairs

Many Avalon/Tahoe models have their fuel fill mounted on the aft deck where fuel may spray out or leak from a fuel hose onto the flooring causing expensive repairs.

Bennington offers the only true salt water ready pontoon boats with SEALED lifting strakes, SOLID keels, and all stainless hardware and fittings. As you can see from the pictures, Avalon/Tahoe markets a salt water series boat but some models still have open strakes and keels where zebra mussels and other organisms will grow and greatly reduce performance.

Bennington spreads the ski tow bar base 18” apart! Creating a more sturdy bar, which is why we can test our bars at 1,800lbs.

Avalon/Tahoe’s ski tow bar base is HALF of the distance Bennington spreads theirs, making it more susceptible to bend or break.

This is what Avalon/Tahoe buyers have to trust with pulling their kids/friends tubing and skiing year after year.

Cheap chrome is used a ton on Avalon/Tahoe products. This has a bling and looks nice on a showroom floor, but will not last in the boating world.

Here is a threshold separating the flooring on an Avalon which is made of cheap material, screwed with non-stainless screws that are visible.

This is product that Avalon/Tahoe has brought to boat shows. Unfinished and stripped out.

Item Avalon & Tahoe Bennington Tubes Lifetime Parts - Labor 10 Year Any Defect Lifetime Parts & Labor - 10 Year Transfer Metal Structural Lifetime Parts - Labor 10 Year Any Defect Lifetime Parts & Labor - 10 Year Transfer Decking Lifetime Parts - Labor 10 Year Any Defect Lifetime Parts & Labor - 10 Year Transfer Railings Lifetime Parts - Labor 10 Year Any Defect Lifetime Parts & Labor - 10 Year Transfer General Items Parts 5 Years - Labor 3 Years Any Defect 7 Year (5 + 2) Parts & Labor - 5 Year Transfer Transferability None Multi Seat Frames Lifetime Parts - Labor 10 Year Any Defect 7 Year (5 + 2) Parts & Labor - 5 Year Transfer Seat Vinyl Parts 5 Years - Labor 3 Years Any Defect 7 Year (5 + 2) Parts & Labor - 5 Year Transfer Flooring Parts 5 Years - Labor 3 Years Any Defect 7 Year (5 + 2) Parts & Labor - 5 Year Transfer Canvas Parts 5 Years - Labor 3 Years Any Defect 7 Year (5 + 2) Parts & Labor - 5 Year Transfer Components Parts 5 Years - Labor 3 Years Any Defect 7 Year (5 + 2) Parts & Labor - 5 Year Transfer