BENNINGTON VS.

CREST

Bennington Crest Construction Safety chambered pontoons - no end cap drain plug Yes Yes 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 No Loom wrapped wire harnesses w/ sealed connectors throughout boat Yes No One piece rotationally molded plastic seat frames Yes Some Rails welded on all four sides, not two Yes No 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 Years No Transfer

Lifetime structural warranty - material & labor Yes Yes-prorated

The use of tape to hold wires in place is a quick fix that will not last!

These wires 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.

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

Crest fencing is typically welded on two sides and welding is done after the rails are anodized. This model they powder coat the rails which looks OK at first but does not last, especially in salt water application.

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

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

Crest has a smaller storage area with support bars that disallow the storage of cover poles. There is not seat base or drain traps making it impossible to have any kind of dry storage for towels and life jackets making them more susceptible to mold

Bennington furniture is all one piece making the seat stronger, longer, and easier to clean.

Crest uses modular seats which are not as strong and harder to keep clean, and provides .

This is a Crest Savanah, their high-end model. As you can see the speakers are extremely tucked in to the seat, reducing sound quality. Also, there is no lumbar support on this boat, only a big tube for your upper back, nothing supporting the lower back making it very uncomfortable.

Crest uses plastic fittings on their already awkward to open seat hinges. Over time these will come loose. Bennington uses two metal hinges.

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

Crest uses a combination of bolts as well as 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.

Crest deck brackets are made of sheet aluminum that are tall and close together resulting in less deck strength. The right bracket is already bent and this boat isn’t even sold!

Outer bracket spacing 13”

Outer bracket spacing 18”

Bolt spacing 20”

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

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

Here is a close up of Crest’s 2” tall cross members. Bennington uses 3” tall “C” channel cross members.

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

Aluminum castings used by Crest will pit, corrode, and discolor over time.

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

Crest has zero structural bow corner protection. A brittle aluminum casting is used to conceal the plywood deck.

Crest pontoons extend past the bow deck, wasting space and creating a safety hazard.

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

6” inches of deck space could be added to this Crest!

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

Crest leaves a large gap in some models 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.

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

Inconvenient fuel fill – hard to fill and susceptible to water intrusion. Fuel may also spray out or leak from a fuel hose onto the flooring causing expensive repairs.

Crest extends their outside lifting strakes to the end of the tube. This decreases performance in the boat’s ability to bank into turns, makes the boat heavier, and causes a rougher ride.

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, Crest 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. They also powder coat some of their rails, which over time will chip and corrosion will spread.

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.

Crest’s ski tow bar base is 1/3 of the distance, making it more susceptible to bend or break.

Would someone really want to pull their kids with a ski tow bar that is mounted on two different levels and even hanging off the back of the boat?! You will never see anything like this on a Bennington.

Bennington’s port dinette model has 4 chairs around the table, 3 cup holders, and a lighting option. Crest’s port dinette only has 3 chairs and the back two are an extremely tight fit against the rear galley.

The Bennington windscreen is curved giving it a sleek and sporty look.

The Crest windscreen is large and boxy which makes the boat look less stylish.

Bennington Crest

Pontoons Lifetime Lifetime Limited

Transom Lifetime Lifetime Limited

Deck Lifetime Lifetime Limited

Rail welds Lifetime 5 Years

Seat frames and backs Lifetime 5 Years

Bimini frame & QR fittings Lifetime 5 Years

Components 7 Years 5 Years

Carpet 7 Years Covered by manufacturer

Seating vinyl 7 Years Covered by manufacturer

Canvas 7 Years Covered by manufacturer

Crest advertises a lifetime limited hull warranty, but that actually means that Crest has a prorated warranty.

Year 1st-5th 6th-10th 11th-15th 16th-end of warranty

Crest Pays 100% 50% 25% 10%

Owner Pays 0%

50% 75% 90%

Bennington pays 100% of the claim 100% of the time!