What do you think of Porta-Bote?
I was thinking of buying one of these folding boats, to carry on my Class C. I have heard pluses and minuses? Maybe Hard to unfold and fold up? So.... any comments appreciated. A 12 footer is ...
Forum Discussion
To the OP, I'm just curious if you made a decision. If you are still thinking about, call Porta-bote and check what their turn around time is. If you want it for this season, that may not happen.
I ordered mine on 5/1/2014. I was told it would ship around 5/28/14. I called on 5/29 to get an update. Didn't ship, factory is swamped. Delivery was rescheduled to 6/12. On 6/13 it still had not shipped. Was told they were very busy, ship date was rescheduled to 6/17. I was given a $100 credit. On 6/18 I called and left a message. I got a call from the owner, Sandy Kaye, later that day to tell me that it did not ship on 6/17, but that it would ship that day or someone would be fired. I thought that was a silly thing to say.
On 6/19, I got tracking info for the boat. The carrier lost the boat, but I got it yesterday - a day after everything else arrived.
Unfortunately, they did not send a Boat Opener with mine. If I had the boat opener it would have been a breeze to open. I had to use the middle seat as the boat opener which made it a little more difficult to open because the seat is big compared to the little boat opener.
After opening it and leaving it open in the sun a few hours as recommended, I folded it up, loaded it onto the roof of my SUV and my son and I went to the lake to test it out. Opening it the second time was a little easier. It floated in just a few inches of water as described. It was definitely easier to maneuver than a similarly sized Jon Boat. Mine is the 12' boat.
The dolly definitely makes it easier to maneuver it on land, however if you are handy you can definitely make one yourself for much cheaper. I don't think it is worth the $400 price tag. I got it on sale for $289, which is still more than it is worth. It's nothing more than 2 pieces of aluminum and a large wheel with a few bolts and wing nuts (per side).
I was astounded how poorly Porta-bote packaged the boat. The accessories all came nicely boxed with plenty of packing material to protect it in shipping. The boat is covered with plastic on each side and then it is put into a plastic sleeve for shipping. No other protection. The freight company did a number on it. The sleeve was ripped in multiple places and had some scuff marks.
I am happy with my purchase. I got everything on sale and I got the back saver swivel seat free with purchase. I am disappointed with Porta Bote's customer service, slow turn around and poor packaging of the boat. I plan to use it this summer as is and will probably work on mods and purchase a motor for it for next year.
-Michael
I ordered mine on 5/1/2014. I was told it would ship around 5/28/14. I called on 5/29 to get an update. Didn't ship, factory is swamped. Delivery was rescheduled to 6/12. On 6/13 it still had not shipped. Was told they were very busy, ship date was rescheduled to 6/17. I was given a $100 credit. On 6/18 I called and left a message. I got a call from the owner, Sandy Kaye, later that day to tell me that it did not ship on 6/17, but that it would ship that day or someone would be fired. I thought that was a silly thing to say.
On 6/19, I got tracking info for the boat. The carrier lost the boat, but I got it yesterday - a day after everything else arrived.
Unfortunately, they did not send a Boat Opener with mine. If I had the boat opener it would have been a breeze to open. I had to use the middle seat as the boat opener which made it a little more difficult to open because the seat is big compared to the little boat opener.
After opening it and leaving it open in the sun a few hours as recommended, I folded it up, loaded it onto the roof of my SUV and my son and I went to the lake to test it out. Opening it the second time was a little easier. It floated in just a few inches of water as described. It was definitely easier to maneuver than a similarly sized Jon Boat. Mine is the 12' boat.
The dolly definitely makes it easier to maneuver it on land, however if you are handy you can definitely make one yourself for much cheaper. I don't think it is worth the $400 price tag. I got it on sale for $289, which is still more than it is worth. It's nothing more than 2 pieces of aluminum and a large wheel with a few bolts and wing nuts (per side).
I was astounded how poorly Porta-bote packaged the boat. The accessories all came nicely boxed with plenty of packing material to protect it in shipping. The boat is covered with plastic on each side and then it is put into a plastic sleeve for shipping. No other protection. The freight company did a number on it. The sleeve was ripped in multiple places and had some scuff marks.
I am happy with my purchase. I got everything on sale and I got the back saver swivel seat free with purchase. I am disappointed with Porta Bote's customer service, slow turn around and poor packaging of the boat. I plan to use it this summer as is and will probably work on mods and purchase a motor for it for next year.
-Michael
