Fountain Education
 

Looking into hunting for a Fountain, and have a few questions. I'm really set on a 35' Lightning, but would be open to a 38'.. don't want any bigger. Any feedback on the maintenance differences, cost to own, pros and cons, etc.. would be appreciated. Also, I'm a fresh water only guy, living in KY. I've really only got my eyes on 2001-2010 model boats, rather not be in it for over 100K, but want something nice. I'm not close to buying, just looking for info from folks who have been in the game longer than me to help narrow my search and weigh options. Thanks!

I LOVE my 42 Fountain. Freshwater only boat for all 14 years I've owned her. Not as fast as a 35 or 38, but much more boat and a huge difference when it gets rough. I have only done annual oil and filter changes all this time on the 525s and oil on the drives. The outdrives needed the upper gimbal bearings at 350 hrs. Currently 460 hrs on virgin 525s. Flawless boat.

Buy a bigger truck.

I love the 42's, and glad to hear you have had good luck out of yours! I live 10 minutes from the lake, and do have a highly skilled mechanic in town who can work on any powerboat out there. Never considered the ride as much, but now that you say it, 4-7 ft i'm sure is a big difference. You use a 3500 to pull i assume? Dual wheels? I appreciate your time!

What lake do you boat on in Kentucky. That may play a part in what kind of ride you want or need.

Mark

I'm on Lake Cumberland. At 80 mph it's a short trip to Jamestown (state dock) or Wolf Creek Dam. With that being said, I usually don't travel that far and probably wouldn't even with a big boat capable of doing so. I know a 35' would be big enough. Just trying to get more info, thanks!

Lake Cumberland, the waters don't really get bad here. I would say your major holidays with a few cabin cruisers and a poker run is as bad as it gets.

Other than the obvious, bigger boat costs more to build, and trailer too.. is there not much difference in cost to own or maintain? I would think a 42 is much harder on fuel than a 35 or 38.. At that point it would be a matter of choice on cuddy size I assume? And a 42 would force me to upgrade to a 3500 series truck. Thanks for the reply!

I am at State Dock, have been there since 2005 and on the lake since the early 90's. As you know holiday weekends and Poker Run can get pretty snotty water wise. Other than that not all that bad really. For those times the 42 would have the advantage however for the most part you will be fine in a 35 or 38 with the nod going to the 38 for the bit of extra running surface for "those days".

Mark

Also for your short tow distance you will not need a dully. A decent 3/4 ton will do just fine. Might even get by with a 1/2 ton. Heck , I know a guy that once pulled a 29 Powerquest with a Toyota 4 Runner. Cracks me up seeing people towing bass boats with dullies when it is somewhat obvious it's not a work truck needed for something else.

I delivered a 37 Outerlimits from Grider Hill Marina to Dana Point CA with a 2002 2500 Duramax in 2005! Have pulled my boat, a 38 Top Gun with that same truck with no issues.

Mark

that is impressive! Guess i wouldn't have to upgrade trucks when the trip is 5 or 10 miles lol it seems like the 38 is perfect for a little bit of everything.. i have seen a few staggered setups on them which is more what i want. Still going to look at the 42s. I can only imagine how easily they would handle those big weekends and choppy waters.

That is a nice lake, been there when we lived in Indiana. If it was me I would do the 35 just for the fact most of the time it will be much more fun to drive. Yes, for those days when it gets choppy the 42 would be better but if that's only 10% of the time you are out why not have fun the other 90%.

A semi stag 38 wouldn't be bad either, still a little easier to work on the motors, docking isn't bad because drives are spaced out, and have a little more length.

Like this one.

https://www.boattrader.com/listing/2...ing-103475063/

As for towing, no way on those steep ramps would I have a 1/2 ton and a 42! You don't need a dully for any of them.

Hope you enjoyed your time! Trying to weigh options it seems like the 38 is what I'm going to continue to investigate. 42 would be nice for those weekends but for the most part be a waste. From what I have seen, most 38s are staggered which I like. Kind of surprised it is common to see 525s in the 35, 38, and 42. Is there a noticeable maneuverability difference in terms of drive spacing? I know for all out speed you'd like them tight. I'm sure someone is brave enough to do so, but it ain't me trying a 1/2 ton up those ramps with these boats haha.. I barely can justify my 2500 diesel now and anything more would be a complete waste. The boat in that link is almost exactly what I'm looking at, thanks so much!!

One of the best comments I have received, appreciate you for that! I have a guy here in town on the way to the marina who I would trust with any boat. I will try to pick his brain if he will let me. I love the sound of a good blower but for some reason I prefer it to be in a car lol I'm hoping it will save me money and help me run across a relatively unmolested boat.. staggered 500s or 525s all stock are what I'm looking for. I recently stumbled across the 35 ICBM and if I went that length, I would want to do that. Thanks for the info!!

Only differences between the Fever and Lightning are as you mentioned? I know there are several noticeable differences between Lightning and EX.. guess I should look more at the fever, thanks!

Agreed. My 525s are sealed and virgin. I don't run hammer down 100% but top it out quite often. Only Mercury 25W-40 semi synthetic oil changed every 25 hrs. Sta-Bil 360 full dose and premium gas at every fill up. I have had 0 downtime. In 460 hrs. It's still an 81 mph boat when slick and about 83 in 2-3 ft chop.

Thanks for the info, I appreciate it! Seems the 38 Lightning or the 35 Lightning ICBM is really what I am narrowing my search to. Virgin staggered 525's is my choice also. Gotta pay to play, thanks again!

I'm on Cumberland as well. I've owned both a 35 EX with 500's, and a 38 Fever with 525's, then 625, then 710 Ilmors.

The 35 is a more nimble boat, is fun to drive, and goes over moderate weekend chop comfortably at a decent speed. But if you want to run fast in decent chop then the 35 will bounce you around bigtime. The 38 is a much more capable boat. If you have any thoughts of ever running a poker run, go with the 38. It's still a nimble boat but just not quite as nimble as the 35. As was stated the 38 Fever's have a huge cockpit, I loved mine but next to newer boats it is starting to look like a dated design. Both are great boats but make no mistake, on busy weekends you'll be glad you have the extra length of a 38 if you go that route.

If you are wanting either boat in a full stagger, you'll need to have a 2007 model or newer. Personally, I have driven both a 35 Ex and and 35 lightning, I preferred the EX, but it is slower with the same HP vs the lightning. . I've never driven a staggered 35 lightning and they are a totally different animal with the stagger.

They started doing a semi-stagger on the 38 in 2003 before going full-stagger in 2007. The 38 lightning with a full stagger is an awesome machine. Very fast with very little HP.

Good luck in your search.

It will be difficult to find a staggered 35 Lightning with low hour 525s at 100k - because so few were made they seem to be holding their value quite well.

Thanks for the info! I'm going to continue to weigh and research, as I don't usually get in the middle of the holiday weekend heavy traffic. However, I'm not infatuated with the speed and such and will easily compromise for ride quality and comfort. I know the lightning is smaller in the cockpit because of the deck and all, it just seems to be what I prefer. I could be wrong, won't know until I climb in them. The money does increase significantly as you get up in those 2000 years so I will definitely look into those semi stagger 38s. Fountain really did make this difficult, considering they updated the cuddy interior in 2007 which i absolutely love lol.. appreciate your help!

You are certainly right about that. I love the interior they redesigned I believe in 2007 which helped me narrow to the ICBM. Full stagger, blue 525s and not too much boat, plus the fastest out of all of these, it seems. I will pay attention to the prices but you are right, I seem to be able to find an early 2000s 38 with decent hours as cheap or cheaper than those 2007 and up 35s. Thanks for your time and help!

You can find staggered 42's for the price of a late model 35 stag. Granted, not with the new interior.

Once you go 42 you never look back...I fly over 3-4' waves and can't believe it some time...

I don't disagree one bit, glad to hear you love yours! For what I would be doing and waters I'm in, it's just too much honestly.. aside from Memorial, Labor, July 4th, and poker run. Not to mention I would not use a dually for anything else other than to pull that massive 42 footer!

Just as soon as I start narrowing down what I'm looking for and marking things out, I read this! lol I still think a 42 is too big and not to mention requires a bigger truck, but nonetheless I will keep an open mind and maybe run across a good deal. Thanks for the input!

Ha ha! Have fun with your search. Wifey and I tested a 38 before we decided on the 42 and it is a great boat. Our test boat had 525s and was a 2006 model. Feels much bigger than the 35. Personally I think the difference is greater 35 to 38 than 38 to 42.

Hey there. lots of good info here. Feel free to call me anytime as I have owned both a 2008 38 w staggered 525s and currently a 35 lightning w side by side 525s. Lot of differences to think about. Good luck with your search. Mark 904-343-6275

now that i read your comment i would say you are right. Seems i need to cool off on narrowing it down and test them. Also, i follow fountain on instagram and they just announced the return of the 42 lightning! Everyone in comments begging for interior shots, and i don't think its even up on their website yet.. but supposedly they are starting that up again :)

thanks Mark! I'm not too hot on the search yet and don't want to waste your time, just trying to gather info from true sources.. people that own them, so i can figure out where i want to go with it. Do you notice a big difference in power in staggered vs side by side? I'm assuming its a trade off for cabin or cockpit space when you enlarge that engine bay. I'l save your number, thanks again!

I've had a 27 Fever, 35 Lightning, and a 42 Lightning. If i was to do it all over again, I should have just gotten a 42 to start with. It has been my favorite.

If your set on a 35', try to find our old boat. Last I heard it was in Ohio. It's called Latest Flame ('02 35 Lightning). When I sold it (2 years ago), it was in great shape - mechanically and visually. 100mph boat that should be in your price range.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...5116cc34e7.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...2fd8de33ac.jpg

Its beautiful to look at thats for sure! I'm curious to know why you feel that way about your 42 and what type of boating you do. Because so many were made and with the new release of 42 lightnings.. I'm hoping someone could find a 42 for around 100K that is in good shape and mechanically sound. Wouldn't even mind to pay extra for something pristine.

The 42 is a very balanced boat - it does nothing unpredictable at speed. It's almost boring, but its fast and handles any water we've had it in. We're lake boaters, hitting poker runs in Kentucky and Tennessee.

If you are into Fountains (which I am), the 42 is the best boat to have (in my opinion).

Yes, yes, yes freshwater lakes only.

and Yes.

haha i get the sense the 42 handles everything so well that it could be boring at times! I appreciate your time and info, I'll keep it in mind, safe and happy boating this summer!

You have been on me since I started this thread weeks ago!! hahaha i feel the pressure and hear loud and clear how much you love those 42s. Honestly, you and i argued about the need to upgrade trucks to pull a 42 but truth is, I doubt i would need to. The furthest I could ever see myself pulling that thing is 20-30 miles and that would be extremely rare. At your pleasure, I won't talk myself out of a 42 now solely on account of needing a bigger truck. lol

Great! You are going about it the right way. I will say one thing though. The 42 was not my first performance boat. My first was a 21' Formula, then a 24' Formula, then a 33' Baja twin engine, and finally the 42 Fountain. I learned a lot with each step up including handling around docks, which has not been mentioned yet but can be pretty tough in the wind with a staggered 42 like I have. It's a long boat with the drives very close together and people who are used to maneuvering a twin engine boat around the docks with the shifters only will not do well that way with a 42. You must throttle and use the shifters to maneuver it well and this is a skill in and of itself especially since the props turn in. Are you experienced with any other type of boat? I am of course thrilled that you like Fountains but let me say this: The 33 Baja with 496s is a very, very good first choice performance boat and extremely easy to maneuver, and might be cheaper than a 35' Fountain. It has fine performance, an excellent ride, and goes 70-72 with 496s and labbed props. We pulled ours everywhere for the 4 years we had it with a 2001 Yukon XL 4WD no problem whatsoever. Another fine choice is the Active Thunder 32, similar to the Baja (but I think the Baja looks better...) A friend's 35 Fountain rode rough in 2-3' chop unless he was going pretty fast. The 33 Baja was a lot smoother at usual cruising speeds.