340 sundancer generator or not

C

crtvlmnts

New Member
Aug 12, 2016
4
Kenosha, WI
Boat Info
'05 320 Sundancer
Engines
350 Hoizons V drives
Hello, new to forum so please excuse if this is not in correct area...

Looking to purchase a 2001 340 sundancer on Great Lakes. I have two available both under 250 hrs. One has 8.1 horizons but no gen, the other has the 7.4's but does have generator. All things considered equal, which would give me the most resale potential down the road?

Thanks in advance.


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A boat that size should have a generator. Will be hard to sell without.
 
I wish I did not have one... IMHO they are PITA, and not worth it... Mine hydro locked twice, and I only used the second on for 70 hours... Just install an inverter and buy a jump pack...
 
Don't know what summers in WI are like. But in MD it gets hot and muggy. So the only way to keep AC in the cabin is with a generator. I wouldn't NOT have one around here. In fact, I run the Gen more than my engines.

If you have kids or dogs (or even a wife) that you plan to take aboard, get a boat with one. Besides, the next buyer of your boat will expect one in a boat of this size.



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A boat without a genny really is hamstrung when not sitting at the dock.

Many like to save money for example and use a mooring during the season. They go out once or twice a week and fire up the genny to keep batteries charged to run the bilge pumps. Saves thousands a year in New England. If you are at anchor the difference in comfort is notable..no genny, no ice, no frig or freezer, no ac, no water pressure. Now depending on your systems, some or all of these items will run off the battery, but who wants to risk a dead battery in the middle of nowhere when you try to start the engines in the morning?

Having said all of that I actually have to start my genny once a week to keep it in shape...dont use it that often. But the next guy will want it, no doubt. And of course if you dont run it once in a while it will drive you crazy. They are loud and smelly, but an important safety and comfort item in my opinion.
 
There are two points to consider here...resale value and personal comfort.

As stated previously, while living in Florida there is no way in hell I would have purchased my boat WITHOUT a generator. The weather is hot for nearly 7 months a year and while using my boat I want to be able to sleep at night and have a place to get out of the sun. We spend 2, sometimes 3 days at a time on the hook. Without AC there would be no way we could make it that long. The generator also runs our electric griddle, charges our batteries, powers the hot water heater and allows the admiral to blow dry her hair. We could use an inverter for some of these functions but not all of them.

In my opinion, resale value depends on where you are located. Living in Florida I would find it difficult to sell my boat without the generator but if I lived in WI, I don't think it would make as much difference. If you're considering it so will others. It just might be that they're not as necessary where you live. Not having one shouldn't make it that much harder to sell when the time comes.

If selling the boat isn't any more difficult it all boils down to using your boat and the level of comfort you require.
 
do you 'need' a genny?......no....

will you 'want' a genny.....yes....


cliff
 
I agree with the majority here. We started looking at 240DAs and moved up to a 260DA because we could get one with a gen. Where we live and boat, we would spend much less time on it without one. It would just not be fun. I do not know how anyone could sleep on a boat down here this time of year without one.

I have read all of the horror stories about the Kohler 5ECD and I may jinx myself by saying this, but we have never really had an issue. People say they eat impellers. In 3 years and almost 300 hours, I have replaced it one time and saved the used one for a spare. Spark plugs have been changed twice just because I thought I needed to. Maybe you get good ones and maybe you get bad ones. When I crank it around 6pm to cool the cabin down, it runs constantly until 8am or so after the coffee is made and breakfast is cooked. The only issue I have ever had was the coupling between the impeller and drive.

Bennett
 
Too many unknowns for me.

Which brand Gennie and how big?

How many hours and how well maintained?

Size of a pair of 7.4's vs. a pair 8.1's in the bilge? Is one harder to work on than the other given the space in the bilge? Fuel consumption at cruise of each? Is the 8.1 as proven as the 7.4?

Is a SR 340 pre-wired for a gennie?

Could the no gennie be a HUGE bargaining chip for you?. I'm thinking in the ball park of $15K - $20K depending on install costs. A new 5kW LoCO W'beke is $9500 out of the crate. I don't know what a retrofit would cost and I would only let a licensed insured certified marine electrician touch it. They don't come cheap. Preferably former USCG or USN Electrician's Mate on a second career.

Full mechanical including fluids and compression tests as well as hull surveys are a must on either and may throw one or the other out of the picture completely.

Good luck in whatever you decide.
 
I can share my buying experience from last year. While looking at 330's and 340's I looked at roughly the same number with and without generators. I wanted to snag a boat with a generator but at the time it wasn't a deal-breaker or "must have" for me.

I did not notice a difference in selling price of boats in this age range with and without the generator. As stated above I don't think generators in this area are generally considered "must haves" and as such the overall value probably won't take a significant hit without one. Again, this is based on my shopping last year. My experience indicated that sell price was substantially impacted by 1.) overall condition (how it shows) of the boat, 2.) hours on the motors and 3.) whether or not the deck had rotted/been repaired.

All of that said, after spending a few nights on the hook a couple weeks ago (first time with this boat) I'm convinced I won't buy another boat without one.
 
Thanks all for your very insightful feedback. While it is certainly not what I wanted to hear, I did have many of the same thoughts somewhere way in the back of my mind.


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Had a friend sell his older 34 Dancer a few years ago. No genny. He all but had to give it away with the most common comment by potential buyers "if it only had a genny I'd be interested…". Of course, the cost to install a new one was ridiculous and would never be recouped with a higher sale price. The guy that first ordered the boat with 8.1's and no genny made a mistake in my opinion.
 
Do you feel you MUST buy one of the two that are available? In other words, how about shopping a little longer to see if you can have your cake and eat it, too?

Also, let's flip the conditions: would having heat in the cabin while away from shore power make your boating life better? Would you get a longer and/or improved season before you have to haul out and wrap up for winter?

When our generator worked, we had much more time on the hook in late fall/early winter/early spring and thoroughly enjoyed it. With the camper canvas installed, we could leave the cabin door open, run the cabin heat, and use a small electric space heater in the cockpit (with blowers running and CO monitors in place and functional, of course) and be very comfortable in both spaces in pants and long sleeves. We even spent some nights on the hook, with cabin closed and running cabin heat/no space heater.
 
You really should get the genny. I run mine every time I leave the marina until I tie up at the next destination. I have replaced the impeller once in 7 years. It's not a must have but it's like A/C in a car. Not necessary but great to have. If you buy the one with the genny, just run it often under a load. My mechanic has said the only genny he's had to fix are the ones people never use. Good luck!

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Do you really want to spend all that money only to say.. "man I wish I had this or I wish I had that" Get it right the first time and you'll save a ton of money later. We'll, at least for a little while. ;) Good luck. Brian
 
Gennys add a lot of utility to a boat in the northern climes. As others have mentioned, heat is great to have when running a boat in Michigan. Wisconsin will be the same. In April the water is cold. We use the heat and the air, often on the same day. Leaving the heat on keeps the dew off the windows on cool damp nights and provides comfort. Also, it is not unusual to see temps in the sun of 100+ degrees in the cockpit in the summer. A/C gives you a place to cool off. Ice makers need a genny. On the hook.....coffee and a hot breakfast in the morning. A hot shower shower after a day of swimming in the lake. We do a lot of boating on rainy days. Reverse cycle A/C makes this a comfortable fun time. The list goes on. Buy the boat with the genny.
 
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