Thinking about getting 29 fever
 

I have been thinking of picking up a 29 fever and had a few questions. I assume I'll have little trouble towing this with a 2014 supercrew ecoboost right? Also, what's everyone's thoughts on a 29 with twin 454's? Anything to look for? Thanks in advance.

I can't comment any on the boat as I've never owned one or ridden in one. Can comment on the towing question. Can't see where that boat will be a problem for that truck at all. I have an Eco with Max Tow. Tows my 31' Bullet fine. That 29 will be a lot less to tug around than the Bullet.

Buck

U should b fine with the ecoboost. Keep us posted on ur purchase. Good luck

I would recommend a single engine 29 over the twin. A single 98 or newer with a 500hp will run 74+mph!

x2

I also agree on the ecoboost being fine for towing. A single 29' weighs right around 5,500 plus trailer.

Well I have a 29 and have/had an ecoboost.

For towing no problem. I towed mine all the time with the eco and had more than enough. I had twins so the boat was 7k dry. with trailer. So it handled it fine, but was concious about not carrying a full load of fuel around and not overloading the truck. I owned a diesel before the eco and Im not going to tell you the eco out towed it, it didnt, but when guys say the eco tows like a diesel its true. I wouldnt tow anything that sized past about 65-68mph.


As for twins or a single pros and cons for both. A single will be harder to find.

Singles will be less annual maintence as its only one engine, also easier to work on as there is more room. Also less fuel consumption although putting a bigger engine in a single to compensate for only having one engine, it wouldnt quite be half the fuel as two single 454.

Twins means you wont get stranded or shouldnt. Also with twins they come with standard BBC vs a single is going to be hopped a little more and you could see more money into rebuiling a bigger engine. Two engines also do not work as hard and twins give you better manueverability.

I think you oughta forget the 29 and think bigger.....32! And just so happens mines available. :)

Here is a rare single that is clean, not too far of a ride from you. I think the price is about $10k +/- too high, but that is asking price

http://syracuse.craigslist.org/boa/4380269548.html

I have seen that boat at the launch and it at least looks nice. 32k isnt terrible. I would think 25ish is probably a better price.

I had a 29 with a whippled 500efi, it was a great boat, had a lot of fun in it. A 2000 if I remember right.

I have a 2006 29' with twin 6.2s. PM me if you have questions.

Hey my 32 is for sale to cause im looking for a 38

I agree with US1 Fountain.....go with a 32!...mines available as well!!!! twin 572's with all the go fast goodies!!! best buy on a 100 MPH fountain out there!.....just saying.....hehe

Single engine 29 is so much easier to work on, and is a lot less weight, so it sits higher in the water, and runs great, w/ twins there is no room to work on anything, and heavier, my good friend has 06,, ,29 w/525 EFI, 77 MPH on GPS.

I have a 1990 29 that came with 454's.
In regards to things to look for, not much different than any other boat.
Have a survey done. Check transom and stringers for rot. Check floor for soft spots. Check drives for excessive side to side and up/dn play (assuming no ext steering).
Check eng compression. Look for signs of neglect like old cracked hoses and spark plug wires, oil leaks, low fluid levels (eng oil, power steering, trim and tab pumps), damaged props, corrosion on batt terminals, any fuel odors in bilge, etc.
Take a test drive and verify all the lights/gauges/blowers/bilge pumps/any additional electronics/drive-trim and trim-tabs work correctly and she handles OK. See if the drives shift OK and no excessive force is needed.
Pull drain plug while on ramp before and immediately after coming out of water to see if she's water tight (if possible).
Crack loose the bottom drain plug on the out-drives and check for any water coming out (may need to remove prop to access drain plug).
Check for musty odors in cabin. Check condition/operation of the drop-out bolsters. Check upholstery for obvious issues. Check for missing screws on bottom side of sun deck and verify the screws will tighten if loose (could indicate rotted wood)

The twin 29's are cool boats. They get on plane very quickly. and get decent fuel mileage if you're just cruising. They are easy on drives, easy to maneuver and easy to tow. They don't sit as low in the rear as a 32.

If really pushed hard in big water, they can be a handful. I wouldn't feel comfortable offshore in one unless it was a really calm day. For lakes, rivers and ICW use, they are fine.
It is difficult to access anything in the eng compartment that isn't up high. Remote oil drain valves are a big plus.

PM me if you have any other questions.

I have a 2001 29 with Twin 454's for sale. My 08 Silverado 1/2 Ton pull's it pretty well for a light duty pickup. If pulling hills it gets a little weak but other than that it's not bad.

I own a 2005 29 with the 525 and I wouldn't have any other way :)

I looked at 27, 29 and 32's for close to a year and finally decided on a 29 Fever. After all the research the 29 was the best boat for us and what we wanted. The 32 has NO ROOM to work on anything under the hatch and she's heavy for the size. A 32 with a trailer and fluids is gonna be close to the 10,000 lb mark so make sure that you have the truck to pull it and to pull it safely. After all the research and info I found that the 27 was the same speed if not slower than the 29 with the same power. So why not get a 2' bigger boat and keep the same speed. Our boat is a 2000 29 with a 510" motor making north of 615 hp and she runs mid 80's all day with a full tank of fuel and four passengers. Another thing to keep in mind is all of the horror stories of the 32's sinking when left in the water over night. Not sure of how big of an issue it really is, but its something to think about.

Hope this helps.

Really,quite of few of us have 32s,,great boats and run well for a 32,
I understand you bought a 29 and are proud of it and you should be,but please if you going to make comments like this have some facts to back it up..

good luck with your 29,,enjoy and be safe

I have a fact, friend left his 32 in the water in front of his house. He is on a no wake part of a small lake, boat sunk. He doesn't leave it In water now.
Sorry if you find this offensive.

no not offensive at all,,
so why did it sink? bad bellows?drain plug fell off?rained and filled up with water and bilge pumps did not work?someone stuck a hose in the engine compartment and filled it up with water? any boat can sink ,the 32 was design to sit low in the water not sink,

so if your buddys was tied up on a no wake area how did it sink,could not have been from waves crashing over the rear

I agree, there was a mechanical failure that caused that 32 to sink. And more than likely any boat would have sunk. Unless thats what he told his insurance guy. ;) I've had a lot of waves hit mine from the back and never a problem. Enough people on back the swim platform was under, still not a problem.

I have a 32. It doesn't take on water. It is often full of fuel, people, coolers, etc... And no sinking. Personally I like the sound of twin big blocks and being over 30'. There is always someone bigger, but there are a chit load smaller then 30'. If we wanted to be efficient, we'd buy pontoons. Just saying:)

I agree with keeping things civil. To be fair, his pump was on and off all day. It sounds like he had a leak which will cause any boat to sink when the batteries die. As the boat goes down, it gets in the vents, and boom you have a submarine. And it is not best practice to leave a leaking boat in the water. As the owner of my marina always says, "never rely on your bilge pump to keep your boats up." He has seen all sizes and makes sink over the years. Sorry for your friends misfortune. I hope it worked out.

Maybe one day you should look at how the vents are hooked up under the engine hatch and then you will realize what you are saying makes no sense

Those vents are connected to tubes that go up inside the gunnel. If water was entering those vent tubes to the point of running out the other end, the hatch would have been under water a long time before hand. The ONLY exception would have been if the inside tubes had not been sealed against the vent openings or if the hull/deck joint wasn't sealed (very common problem with the 32's) But to have a pump going off all the time, the owner shoulda been a little curious as to why and what needs to be done to fix. But if the rub rail joint and the vent tubes were sealed, no it can't sink from either of those 2 areas.

BTW, my bilge pump has never gone off either. I sealed the rub rail joint when I 1st bought my boat caused it leaked a little. My bilge is 100% dry, 100% all the time since. A tube of 5200 can save a boat. :)

exactly my point,,

Ok quick question. If fountain hulls are bonded together and I've seen pics of this. Essentially making it a solid boat how does it leak through the joint? I saw where the inside of the hull and top cap were glassed together. This was a 38 I believe. We're the 32s not done this way? Does the run rail on a 32 actually sit below the waterline? Sounds to me like it had another leak maybe in transom assembly somewhere for that. Just curious

You can't access the inside swim deck rubrail area and forward approx 1-2 feet. No space. So fountain uses a sealer if some sort. Both my. 27 and 32 the sealer was lacking a complete seal, thus leaking past that joint. It's a 1 hr $10 fix for a 100% water tight seal. 5200. My. 32 will sit right above the water level or just at water level with a couple sitting on hatch. I tend to agree, a leaky rubrail is probably what did this 32 in. My only comment is why was is never addressed? Common sense dictates you see the pump constantly cycling off / on, you take a looky see , not leave it in water over night. The vents had nothing to do with this sinking. They are always above water level.

Thanks us1. Wasn't sure about how they did it.

I love the look of the 32 Fever! Looks so bad@$$ sitting in the water. The only thing I don't like about it is the access under the hatch. But then again, there are many boats that are tight to work on!

Where do you get this 5200 sealer? Do you remove the rub rail to put it on or from the inside of he boat?[QUOTE=US1 Fountain;4126856]You can't access the inside swim deck rubrail area and forward approx 1

Where do you get this 5200 sealer? Do you remove the rub rail to put it on or from the inside of he boat?

5200 can be purchased at West Marine, Defenders.....pretty much any marine parts supplier. 5200 is permanent. You can also use 4200, about same thing but not as permanent. I wouldn't try and use silicone chalking. Just doesn't bond very well.

Yes, you remove the section of rub rail that goes around the back and forward a couple ft on each side. Dig out as much factory sealer in the joint as you can, then fill it full with 4200 or 5200. Its all done from the outside.
My 32's bilge never has a single drop of water inside since I resealed it.

Mine takes on a little water and I haven't figured out where, so I'm guessing that might be it.

Home Depot has 5200 here.

Hope that is where your water is comming from.

I blew a gear box on the port side so I'm going to pull them both and check all that out.