Is it a 280 or 300/310 ????

[Scottzzzy]

Wahooooo! Got the "better half" to give me the thumbs up on a bigger boat purchase! :smt038:smt038
All I need to do is move our 2005 220 first (which I posted on CL this morning) and I may have a few interested parties already. I have the link if anyone wants to see it.

Definately going the used route because I do not want a boat payment and looking 2000 or newer...........

I have been looking at 280's for the following reasons:
1. Kids still like to ski
2. I already have an '08 F250 and I think I want to get out to some other lakes
3. They do seem to fall in a comfortable price range
4. The bigger boats still intimidate me

BUT, the 310 / 300's have some very attractive points to me:
1. I am a tall and big guy so room would be nice
2. We love to camp and are really wanting to overnight on the boat with our 3 kids.
3. I want to go to the Bahamas before I die with the Sea Ray guys!:grin:
4. I have seen some very nice boats still in my range $$.
5. Would be willing to pay for transport for an island trip.

I wanted to know how many of you felt about the differences in size between these models? substantial?

Is one model more advantageous to doing your own maintenance than the other? I know from what I read it seems that may be dependant upon the year as well.:huh:


Any and all input and responses would be appreciated!:thumbsup:

 

[chuck1]

Congratulations. Keep us posted. When I've thought about the Dancer route the 280 has always been the one I come back to. Twin Engine, Gen set, Still trailer-able. The only negative is the small gas tank.

 

[jason78]

Wahooooo! Got the "better half" to give me the thumbs up on a bigger boat purchase! :smt038:smt038
All I need to do is move our 2005 220 first (which I posted on CL this morning) and I may have a few interested parties already. I have the link if anyone wants to see it.

Definately going the used route because I do not want a boat payment and looking 2000 or newer...........

I have been looking at 280's for the following reasons:
1. Kids still like to ski
2. I already have an '08 F250 and I think I want to get out to some other lakes
3. They do seem to fall in a comfortable price range
4. The bigger boats still intimidate me

BUT, the 310 / 300's have some very attractive points to me:
1. I am a tall and big guy so room would be nice
2. We love to camp and are really wanting to overnight on the boat with our 3 kids.
3. I want to go to the Bahamas before I die with the Sea Ray guys!:grin:
4. I have seen some very nice boats still in my range $$.
5. Would be willing to pay for transport for an island trip.

I wanted to know how many of you felt about the differences in size between these models? substantial?

Is one model more advantageous to doing your own maintenance than the other? I know from what I read it seems that may be dependant upon the year as well.:huh:


Any and all input and responses would be appreciated!:thumbsup:

Congrats! I was in your situation a few months ago so I will share why I went with a 280 as opposed to 300 or 310

1. 280 Can still do most of the watersports stuff for the kids from what I have been told. Based on the performance of the boat I don't have any doubts. (I got mine after the watersports season)

2. Price. Generally there seems to be about a 20K difference in price between 280 and 300 of same year. I still have 2 college funds to contribute to so the 280 was a more economical choice. :grin:

3. Fuel, Fuel, Fuel. Although the 280 uses more fuel than my 225, I still have a MUCH more economical cruise than my neighbors who have a 300 T5.0MPI and 340 T-8.1. I am not sure if watersports would be practical on the 300 although there may be those doing it. Maybe with th 6.2s. The 340 has a ton of power and could probably do watersports easily but would burn lots of fuel in the process.

4. I can trailer it to the beach if I want to.

Those are the main reasons I chose the 280 over the other two. At times I wish I had more cabin space. I don't think there is a huge amount of difference in cockpit space between the 280 and 300 but the cabin is much larger onthe 300. The 340 is much larger than either of those in both areas. I have spent countless hours on both the 300 and 340 and they are beautiful boats and you will probably see me in one in the future. Right now the 280 seems to be a great boat that offers a range of capabilities for our family.

Good Luck!

Jason

 

[Sundancer]

Tough question! I was looking at the 280 as well and figured it was the perfect match. The only problem was that a GREAT 300 became available. After being on the 280 and thinking that would work just fine, we made the mistake of setting foot on the 300! DOH!! We ended up with the 300 DA and I haven't regretted it. Honestly I don't think there is any difference trailering it. Once it's on the trailer it's a little wider but I can't think of a situation where I couldn't go somewhere because of the beam difference. Getting it on the trailer is actually easier than our 250 DA believe it or not and it's sits on the trailer waiting for it's next trip each weekend! The only question is if the 300 DA would suffice as a watersports boat. Can't answer that one, but it does plane faster than our 250 DA so I would say yes it would work. The fuel burn might be a little more, but not substantial. I always told my kids if we're going from point A to point B, THAT's the time to get behind the boat. If we're sitting at the beach and they want to go, then it's tougher because you go out, run in circles and come back! After a while, they were fine with it and it's easier mentally on me when we're going somewhere and they want to ski or tube.

I'd go for the bigger boat and did! I'm not sure what the GVWR is on your F250, but if it can handle it safely, go for the bigger boat!

 

[tobnpr]

Boats are a compromise for most of us.
How important is trailering, vs. having some elbow room on an overnighter?
How important are creature comforts (like A/C ,etc.) that need ac power for these trips?

Bigger is always better for overnighting/weekenders. I would consider a 280 far too small to be comfortable for a family of five- unless you're talking about some very small children. Consider that the weather turns bad on a weekend trip- which boat would you rather be on if all five of you had to spend hours in the cabin?

Unless you're really intent on trailering, I'd go with the 310 and get a PWC to tow (or ride alongside) for the watersports.

Just my $.02. Different folks have different "standards" when it comes to comfort.

 

[Aquarius]

Get as big as you can afford. I have 2007 310 and love it. Will keep this boat until I can afford bridge boat.

Started out in 2006 with a 240 da. had it 6 months. tooo small.

traded it for a 290 da. had it one year. too small.

traded it for fully loaded 310 with every single option except vacuum cleaner....has thrusters, sat tv, everything. Have not had one single issue.

have first baby due any minute....we'll see shortly if we need more room!

 

[chuck1]

Scott, How important is the trailing options? To me it is a major factor. How much do you plan to say on the water overnight. We started looking at 340 way back when, but just could not give up the trailering options and the water sports. We even talked about two boats, but could not swing it $$ wise. For us staying in a condo/hotel has worked with then whole gang goes. You know I only get to camp out on MS Judy when it is just myself.

 

[Scottzzzy]

Seems to be about 50/50, so let me ask you guys this.

With a larger vessel, do you miss the ability to go to other lakes (in my case) or events? I did not look but many of you are ocean side?:huh:

 

[Sundancer]

We live inland and have TOOOO many lakes to hit. So it's a different lake every weekend. That's what we love about trailering and the boat is big enough to handle crappy weather if it happens. As mentioned above, every boat is a compromise. You have to determine what is the best combination for you and your family! A REALLY nice camper canvas increases the amount of useable space and shouldn't be overlooked no matter what you end up with. A slant back is OK, but a camper back is a whole lot nicer!

 

[keokie]

As others have said, trailering a 310 vs a 280 is insignificant. I regularly tow my 310 3-400 miles in one direction. A buddy has a 31 PC Formula that he routinely tows as well.

Watersports would be no problem compared to a 280.

I'd get the bigger one.

 

[jason78]

I think the question of trailering depends more on the tow vehicle and state(s) is it being trailered through. Also depending on what specific year/model is being considered. For example, to trailer a mid-2000s 300DA, you are looking at at least 12,500lb of dry weight plus gear, up to 170gal of fuel and trailer not to mention 10.5 feet of beam. This probably exceeds what could be trailered without some kind of permit legally in many states and one heck of a tow vehicle.

The comments about 270, 280, 290 being the largest to reasonably trailer probably have more to do with weight and beam than anything. From what I understand, at least in some SE states, 9 and a half feet is maximum width without a permit. The 280 is 9'5"- maybe for that reason. Not sure about trailering regs the rest of the US.

 

[BON DIA]

Hope this is allowed

http://austin.craigslist.org/boa/1555816838.html

 

[Bottom Line]

Scottzzzy....go spend time on all of the boats. Lay on the beds, sit in the cockpit. See how it fits for you and your family. When we were looking, I really liked the 320DA, but is was more $$ than I could afford. I ran across a 300DA (my current boat) and we loved the cabin layout...it had the crescent shaped couch like the 320DA and 340DA. Good luck with the hunt.

 

[tdappleman]

Which F250 do you have? They can tow quite a bit and being able to tow certainly opens up opportunities to visit other locations. That is exactly how I ended up with my 270 - wanted twin engines and wanted to tow with no restrictions. The rest was and will always be a compromise. I have a/c but no generator but we usually want to be at a marina for a restaurant, etc plus need to be able to walk the dogs so I haven't even considered adding one to this boat. If I end up staying on the hook more in the future then it will most likely be with a larger boat at the expense of being able to trailer it. We tube behind the 270 but certainly burn the gas doing so!

 

[Scottzzzy]

Hope this is allowed

http://austin.craigslist.org/boa/1555816838.html

This is about what we are looking for. A little high for 7 years old from what I have seen.

Thanks to all of you for your input. I have been letting the Mrs. read through to calm her fears. We have been looking quite a bit and the pricing is ALL over the place. You have 2001 higher than 2004's and Even some of the salt water boats are higher than the freshwater ones which was suprising to me.

I am seeing a lot of the 280's with either the twin 4.3L or a single 496. Not too many with the 5.0 Bravo III's. We have been very happy with our Bravo III 5.0 L.:thumbsup:

Any input on salt vs. fresh, or engine sizes to stay AWAY from ?? Inevitably I wll be towing some kids around and hauling extended family around so I am leaning towards at least twins.:huh:

 

[jason78]

This is about what we are looking for. A little high for 7 years old from what I have seen.

Thanks to all of you for your input. I have been letting the Mrs. read through to calm her fears. We have been looking quite a bit and the pricing is ALL over the place. You have 2001 higher than 2004's and Even some of the salt water boats are higher than the freshwater ones which was suprising to me.

I am seeing a lot of the 280's with either the twin 4.3L or a single 496. Not too many with the 5.0 Bravo III's. We have been very happy with our Bravo III 5.0 L.:thumbsup:

Any input on salt vs. fresh, or engine sizes to stay AWAY from ?? Inevitably I wll be towing some kids around and hauling extended family around so I am leaning towards at least twins.:huh:

Oh boy, the old 280 engine question.:grin:

Assuming you are looking at 2002-2009 models, you had 3 choices which you proably already know.

496MAG/Bravo3 375hp
T-4.3MPI/A1 440hp
T-5.0MPI/B3 520hp

Some years, you could get Bravo3 with the 4.3s

First, I have never heard anyone say they were unhappy with any of the choices. When I was looking at all 3 as far as fuel consumption they were pretty darn close. So close, I did not consider fuel difference when comparing. The rest is pretty much the Twin vs. single debate which there are hundreds of posts on. Some choose the 4.3s for the bilge space. I will say from what I have seen the 4.3s offer more room in the front but they actually seem to have less room between the risers than my 5.0s for some reason.

For me the Twin 5.0s was what came along and I liked it. I also had the 5.0MPI on my other boat and liked the engine. I do most of my own maintenance so increased maintenance on twins is not as big of a deal for me as others. If you are looking at a salt boat, I would perfer the closed cooling. I believe all 496MAGs are closed cooling. Somehow my boat ended up with closed cooling 5.0MPIs.

Based on my searches, the T4.3 is the most common with T5.0 second and 496 least common. Someone posted here once that less than 20% made had the 496. Not sure if that is true. If it is, I would expect that was because most that were ordered for the ocean or huge lakes were probably twins.

Jason

 

[Bridog]

Seems to be about 50/50, so let me ask you guys this.

With a larger vessel, do you miss the ability to go to other lakes (in my case) or events? I did not look but many of you are ocean side?:huh:

Scott, First off a big congratulations on your ok from the Admiral. This is huge! With a 300DA and stern drives I have been able to get in 2 feet of water. Trim the drives up and your good to go. In our area this has proven to be a huge advantage since the depth is very low. I have taken my neice and nephews out tubing and water skiing without any issues. The 300DA with 350 Mags' get's the boat right out of the water with little bow rise and I have seen 48 MPH. Although 45 MPH seems to be the magic number now. (She puts out a nice wake for tubing) She gets a little over 1 MPG and is a great compromise between a Cruiser and a sport boat. The cabin is huge for a 30 footer and she has a big open aft cabin. The sleeping area in the aft cabin is actually bigger than the 320DA. Downside is stern drives. If you are trailering or keeping the boat in the water only half of the year like me and keep up with maintenance than this shouldn't be a concern. Good luck with your search. Brian

 

[johngus]

I would look for 310 with inboards.they also made the 300 in the 90's with inboards.If you're leaving it in the water in salt there is less maintanance with the inboards vs the I/O.Also the inboard is better slow speed handling

 

[Alex F]

...I have been looking at 280's for the following reasons:
1. Kids still like to ski
2. I already have an '08 F250 and I think I want to get out to some other lakes
3. They do seem to fall in a comfortable price range
4. The bigger boats still intimidate me

BUT, the 310 / 300's have some very attractive points to me:
1. I am a tall and big guy so room would be nice
2. We love to camp and are really wanting to overnight on the boat with our 3 kids.
3. I want to go to the Bahamas before I die with the Sea Ray guys!:grin:
4. I have seen some very nice boats still in my range $$.
5. Would be willing to pay for transport for an island trip.

I wanted to know how many of you felt about the differences in size between these models? substantial?

Scottzzzy,
I think the biggest contributor to your decision is to determine what out of your list are the most important items. How often do you or would you trailer? In what waters are you planning to boat? We had a little easier answer to similar delema only b/c we had 240DA, which we were able to use in transient slips and get the feel for what it's like being in a marina vs. trailering. When our little guy was born our trips to long distance destinations were cut to minimum. This is when we started thinking really hard, is it worth having smaller boat that we can tow, but do it rarely now or do we get the boat with all the conforts and loose towing? Our decision was, as you can see, get the most comfortable boat. Do I miss towing, skiing? Yes, but I love my big 320 much, much, much more than I miss pulling toys. As for travelling, I now love getting from place to place by water much more than towing. In fact some trips turned out to be PITA due to all the packing and unpacking the boat for the road, while I love to get ready for a cruise on my 320DA.

So, once again you need to know where would you like to be boating in case if you went with bigger boats. If you get 310 with v-drives, towing and trailering will not be on your prefered things to do list, so account for it. I guaranty you that I will be able to ski with my 320DA, I'll just have to hang on for extra 3-5 seconds before it gets me out of the water. But, this feels like I'll have my summer house jumping around from side to side, I choose not to. some poeple get small boats to play around, some people get jetskies. When I want little extra fun for the kids I have my boat anchored and while admiral chills I go to shore and rent jetski for 30min-40min. That's plenty for my kids. As of now, after 2 seasons I don't see a reason to get jetski, but I just upgraded my dinghy, which my kids love to play with.

Know exactly what you want the most out of boating and get the biggest you can get. If you get 280 and year later decide to upgrade it'll just cost you much more, but some people have to go through this before they know exactly what they want. Having three kids I would be very carefull in making this choice. Once you start camping your family might love it and that's when 280 will become smaller by the day.

Hope this helps. Good luck,
Alex.

 

[mstaglia]

We had a 1996, 270 for years. Trailered in the beginning, now in a yacht club in Medford,MA. LOVED the BOAT. Twin 4.3's had plenty of power and ran great.We started looking 2 years ago for a larger boat. After spending time on anchor out in the Boston Harbor islands we knew bigger was better. Trailering is now a thing of the past, and I don't miss it. The most important thing we wanted was a geni. You can stay out on the hook much longer when you can charge up your batteries while you cook breakfast in the am. The 310 Dancer was our answer. We looked at late 90's and early 00's to keep the price reasonable. We settled on a 98 for several reasons.
I am tall,6-1, and wanted to be able to stand up straight and take a shower. The 98 has the head on the center line of the boat, thus more head room. The others had, it off to the port side, i could not stand up straight. We also liked the couch instead of the dinette in the 98. Much more comfortable if you hang out down below to watch TV on a rainy day or at night. The 98 also has a seperate sleeping are with a door to close off the kids if you have them. We love the 98, and they can be bought right.
Look at plenty before you decide on which year and model you like. Everyone likes different boats for different things that appeal to them. But if you plan on spending a lot of time on the hook, get the Geni. Happy Hunting,
Mike