AR220 owners

[Jba31916]

I own a 19 ft OB that we have outgrown, so I am looking to trade it in for a AR220 or 250. The 22’ is plenty big for me, my wife, and 7 year old son, but we occasionally have 2-3 family/friends onboard as well, and I’m concerned that the TR-1s will not have enough power for tubing and wakeboarding. Can any AR220 owners provide some feedback on their experiences with the TR-1s? I don’t care about top speed, I want to be able to hit the throttle and have a tuber smiling in seconds. If tubing and wakeboarding are a struggle with the 220, then I will likely go with the AR250. Thanks in advance for your input!

 

[HangOutdoors]

The TR1's tow, tube and wakeboard just fine. I can put 8 in my boat and pull tubes and bring up a wakeboarder without problem. That being said the 250 is a very nice boat also has more space and a head.

 

[Jba31916]

The TR1's tow, tube and wakeboard just fine. I can put 8 in my boat and pull tubes and bring up a wakeboarder without problem. That being said the 250 is a very nice boat also has more space and a head.

Thanks for the info. Sounds like the 220 will get the job done, but the 250 sounds like the better way to go. It’d be nice to find a used one at a decent price, but it doesn’t look like used prices are dropping on these anytime soon.

 

[HangOutdoors]

There are deals on 1-3 year old models. Some posted on this site. You will not get a steal on any, at least not now.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

I own a 19 ft OB that we have outgrown, so I am looking to trade it in for a AR220 or 250. The 22’ is plenty big for me, my wife, and 7 year old son, but we occasionally have 2-3 family/friends onboard as well, and I’m concerned that the TR-1s will not have enough power for tubing and wakeboarding. Can any AR220 owners provide some feedback on their experiences with the TR-1s? I don’t care about top speed, I want to be able to hit the throttle and have a tuber smiling in seconds. If tubing and wakeboarding are a struggle with the 220, then I will likely go with the AR250. Thanks in advance for your input!

What altitude do you boat at?

 

[Jba31916]

What altitude do you boat at?

About 850 feet

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Right on… the TR-1s will still be plenty perky at that altitude… how hot does it get where you are at in the summer?

 

[Jba31916]

I’m about 40 minutes north of Charlotte, and last Summer we were in the 90s quite a bit. Average is mid 80s, so hoping that’s where we are this summer.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Right on…. The 25’ boat is roughly 500# heavier, dry on the trailer. If the 25’ boat can be in the budget then I‘d get the 25’ boat. As Hangoutdoors said the 25’ has a head compartment, not only is it nice having a porta potty but that area can hold a lot of gear, not sure how the compartment closes but I’m sure a lock could be added to have secure storage in that area as well. Coming from the 19’ OB boat the 25’ boat will seem enormous with its full beam swim step and when you take friends and family out there will be ample room for people on the boat.

The new 25’ comes with the new 1.9L engines which picked up 20hp each over the 1.8L engines they are quieter and it was reported the new boats with the 1.9L engines are using a 4 bladed impeller which also decreases noise.

I’m sure the AR220 would get the job done for you as well, but having the extra room and the head is huge in my book.

 

[Jba31916]

Right on…. The 25’ boat is roughly 500# heavier, dry on the trailer. If the 25’ boat can be in the budget then I‘d get the 25’ boat. As Hangoutdoors said the 25’ has a head compartment, not only is it nice having a porta potty but that area can hold a lot of gear, not sure how the compartment closes but I’m sure a lock could be added to have secure storage in that area as well. Coming from the 19’ OB boat the 25’ boat will seem enormous with its full beam swim step and when you take friends and family out there will be ample room for people on the boat.

The new 25’ comes with the new 1.9L engines which picked up 20hp each over the 1.8L engines they are quieter and it was reported the new boats with the 1.9L engines are using a 4 bladed impeller which also decreases noise.

I’m sure the AR220 would get the job done for you as well, but having the extra room and the head is huge in my book.

I appreciate all of the feedback and information. It’s definitely a tough decision. Like you said, the 220 would get the job done, but I also don’t want to regret the choice. The 1.9s sound awesome, but a used ‘22 or ‘23 AR250 would be fine. Seems like the 1.8s still get up and go. It’d be nice if I could come across one with lower hours and around $60k.

 

[Corsair21111]

2023 AR220 owner. They are a great size boat. We have gone out with 8-9 people on board many times and it pulls tubers and wake boarders no problem. However it is definitely not a fast boat. Fastest I’ve ever gotten mine to go is 41mph on Lake Anna in VA this past August. That about 270 feet above sea level there and mid 80’s temp. That was with my wife and I on board and only about 10-15% fuel. With 6-8 people and gear expect top speeds of 35-36mph.

I’m guessing Lake Norman is your go to spot? Looks like a really nice place. We actually did a tour at UNC Charlotte last week and drove by Lake Norman on our way in.

If I had a time machine I would go back to last spring when we bought our AR220 and figure out a way to have saved up a bit more and bought a 222S instead. I love the size of the 22’ boats. It is perfect for us. The 220’s are definitely a good bit bigger and heavier then the 210 series boat that they replaced. The TR-1’s pushed the 210’s to over 40mph with people and gear on board but they won’t in the 220’s.

in summary, yes the AR220 will pull tubes and wakeboard’s just fine with 8 or less people on board. The 222S, AR250, AR240, or even a 212S will do it as well and have significantly more performance.

My $0.02

 

[Jba31916]

2023 AR220 owner. They are a great size boat. We have gone out with 8-9 people on board many times and it pulls tubers and wake boarders no problem. However it is definitely not a fast boat. Fastest I’ve ever gotten mine to go is 41mph on Lake Anna in VA this past August. That about 270 feet above sea level there and mid 80’s temp. That was with my wife and I on board and only about 10-15% fuel. With 6-8 people and gear expect top speeds of 35-36mph.

I’m guessing Lake Norman is your go to spot? Looks like a really nice place. We actually did a tour at UNC Charlotte last week and drove by Lake Norman on our way in.

If I had a time machine I would go back to last spring when we bought our AR220 and figure out a way to have saved up a bit more and bought a 222S instead. I love the size of the 22’ boats. It is perfect for us. The 220’s are definitely a good bit bigger and heavier then the 210 series boat that they replaced. The TR-1’s pushed the 210’s to over 40mph with people and gear on board but they won’t in the 220’s.

in summary, yes the AR220 will pull tubes and wakeboard’s just fine with 8 or less people on board. The 222S, AR250, AR240, or even a 212S will do it as well and have significantly more performance.

My $0.02

I appreciate your input! It’s nice to get information and feedback from 220 owners.

Yes, we boat on Lake Norman. We enjoy it very much, which is why we’re looking to upgrade to a better boat. Based on your experience, it sounds like the 220 gets the job done, but the performance leaves you somewhat unsatisfied. That’s what I am concerned about. I don’t want to regret the 220 months down the road. With that said, I’m running a Suzuki 140 OB on a 19’ runabout, and the fastest that it’s ever gone is 37mph, and it was just me in the boat, so if I can hit that speed with a full boat, I’d probably be satisfied. I’m more concerned with being able to tow tubers and wakeboarders with ease.

I’m with you about the 22 foot boat being the perfect size. I just don’t think I need a 25 footer, especially because the price to keep it in dry storage will be quite a bit more than what I’m paying now. But, do I want to spend the same money on a 222S that I’d spend on a AR250?
Either way, whatever I get will be a huge upgrade, so that’s probably what I’ll focus on.

Thanks again for your feedback!