2019 Bennington 25 RCW — Should You Buy One?
Typical asking price: $40,000–$60,000. There is 1 high-severity known issue you need to know before handing over a check.
Kestrel Take
A premium tri-toon from the pontoon leader — with a big outboard and the third center tube, the 25 RCW rides, handles, and even pulls tubers far better than an old two-tube barge. Bennington's fit and finish lead the class. The outboard's health and hours, the tube integrity, and the furniture/canvas are the inspection. A documented, freshwater tri-toon is a superb, family-friendly boat that holds value well.
What we checked
Not checked against public records
Boats are the Coast Guard’s, not NHTSA’s. It publishes a Cases and Campaigns file, but its model and year fields are free text and the recent entries are mostly hull-ID and capacity-label paperwork, so we have not been able to join it to a specific boat honestly yet. What follows is our own write-up, and it has not been reconciled against an official record. Treat it as a starting point, not a verdict.
Known Issues for the 2019 Bennington 25 RCW
Ranked by wallet impact. These are documented, recurring problems — not freak accidents. How we decide that.
The outboard is the big-ticket item; verify hours, compression, service history, and that it runs cleanly. A tired or neglected outboard is expensive.
Repair cost (estimate): $500-$8,000+
Source: not yet checked against public records.
Check the aluminum tubes for dents, leaks, and prior damage that can hurt performance and flotation.
Repair cost (estimate): $500-$3,000
Source: not yet checked against public records.
Pontoon furniture and canvas take sun abuse; inspect the vinyl, seats, bimini, and cover.
Repair cost (estimate): $300-$3,000
Source: not yet checked against public records.
Salt use corrodes tubes and hardware; verify flushing and inspect for corrosion.
Repair cost: Not yet priced
Source: not yet checked against public records.
Walk-Away Red Flags
- ✗High-hour or neglected outboard
- ✗Dented/leaking tubes
- ✗Sun-rotted furniture/canvas
- ✗Salt corrosion
Good Signs
- ✓Low-hour, serviced outboard with good compression
- ✓Straight, sound tubes
- ✓Freshwater, covered, clean furniture
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