Pontoon inflation Question

[Bryon Anderson 0]

I have the Classic Accessories Colorado pontoon boat. Up until tonight, I have used a foot pump to inflate the pontoons, as well as my float tube. Recently, however the foot pump gave up the ghost and I purchased a small Coleman electric pump that plugs into my car's 12V power points. I've used it several times to inflate the float tube, which it does in less than a minute. I tried it on the pontoon tonight and it ran and ran, but not a puff of air was making it into the pontoon bladder. Everything was attached correctly, it just wasn't getting any air into the pontoon.

Does anyone have any idea why this is happening? It's a simple enough problem to solve --just buy another manual pump--I'm just curious as to why the electric pump works so well on the tube, but apparently doesn't work at all on the pontoon.

[Prybis 0]

Could it possibly be a broken belt on the pump? Is the valve different on the pontoon than the float tube? I have never used either so I am not sure.

[Spanky29ca 0]

I would suggest buying a k-pump, they are unbelievable , very fast and light weight and the pump pumps just as easy as the raft gets full as it is when you first start out. I pump up my pontoon with it and take it with me in case I need to top off later in the trip. It's the only pump you will ever need for your pontoon.

[Bryon Anderson 0]

Thanks for the replies guys.

 

Prybis - the pump seems to be working A-ok; I tried it on the float tube after it failed on the pontoon and it blew the tube up just as fast as always. The two valves are different - the pontoon has an inflation adaptor that opens the valve to let air in but won't let it escape back out. One end of the adaptor attaches to the valve on the pontoon, and the other end has a short plastic tube coming off it, to which you attach your pump. The float tube has no adaptor - the inflation valve is housed in a plastic tube, and you attach your pump directly to that. It's a Caddis brand float tube.

 

Spanky29ca - I have looked at the k-pumps and they certainly get rave reviews all around. I have no doubt that they're good, however, the only reason I'm inflating these two craft at all is so I can photograph them for the purpose of advertising and selling them (primarily because I'm tired of screwing around with inflatable craft; I'm going to put the proceeds of the sales towards a kayak.) The smallest k-pump available costs almost twice what I'm going to ask for my float tube, so financially it just doesn't make sense. I appreciate the suggestion though.

[flytyer56 0]

I have a small pump that operates off of the 12V cigarette lighter that I use sometimes on my pontoon. I had the same problem you are having. I just opened the valve on the pontoon and the air goes in. When you get it inflated enough, pop off the air hose and quickly close the valve. I don't think the 12 V air pump has enough power to open the valve when it's pumping.

[Bryon Anderson 0]

I wondered if it might not be something like that flyter 56. I'm going to stop off on the way home tonight and pick up a double-action hand pump; that should do the trick. Thanks.

[Jaydub 0]

flytyer56 is right. The high volume pumps often don't have enough pressure to open the valve. I use a Coleman rechargeable pump as flytyer56 suggests then top off with a K-pump.