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Last Updated on March 27, 2025 by Paul Clayton
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10 Best Pontoon Houseboats
Do you want to spend your vacations on the shoreline of the Columbia River? Do you want to enjoy fishing while staying in a cozy and affordable houseboat?
If your answer is yes (which I know it is), you have come to the right place. Today, I’ll review 10 pontoon houseboats and their features, allowing you to make a well-informed decision about your next vacation.
Key Takeaways:
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- Variety in Size & Capacity: Pontoon houseboats vary in size, ranging from smaller models like the 30-foot Lil’ Hobo Caterman Cruiser to the massive 65-foot Titan Houseboat, offering diverse options to accommodate different vacation styles and group sizes.
- Multi-Purpose Functionality: Many houseboats provide the versatility of comfortable living spaces alongside practical amenities such as fully equipped kitchens, bathrooms, and entertainment options. Some even offer luxury features like hot tubs and sun decks, catering to relaxation and recreation.
- Durability & Efficiency: These houseboats are often built with durable materials like fiberglass or aluminum to ensure longevity and are equipped with engines powerful enough to navigate various water conditions. Models such as the Hybrid Recreational Vessel prioritize eco-friendly energy sources, using solar and wind power.
- Innovative Designs: Manufacturers incorporate unique features like cascading beds (Cascade Houseboat), spa areas (Armadia Pontoon), and eco-friendly designs (MatrixMX24 Gampboat), which provide an enhanced experience and comfort tailored to different preferences.
- Luxurious and Affordable Options: The market offers affordable and high-end houseboats, catering to different budgets while maintaining quality and comfort. Basic models provide cozy accommodations, while larger, multi-deck houseboats offer top-tier amenities for a more lavish experience.
A pontoon houseboat serves a multi-purpose role in your family vacations. It ensures a luxurious yet comfortable stay and allows you to move around in the waters to catch fish for your dinner. It’s a win-win situation!
If you want to enjoy your next vacation on a houseboat, this guide will help you choose any of the 10 pontoon houseboats reviewed here.
10 Pontoon Houseboat Reviews
The 10 pontoon houseboats in my list offer accommodation capacity varying from six to 26 people. Also, some houseboats extend up to three stories, allowing you to host life-size parties.
Let’s find out what else they have on offer.
Lil’ Hobo Caterman Cruiser Weekender
The Lil’ Hobo Caterman Cruiser Weekender is an excellent pontoon houseboat with all the facilities and amenities required for a relaxing weekend. It features a 50 HP Mercury four-stroke motor to drive it for long hours in salt and fresh water.
The beam length is 8.5 feet, while the overall length is 30 feet. It’s a perfect medium-sized houseboat to accommodate two to three people.
The overall fuel capacity varies from 11 to 20 gallons of gas. The hull is made with fiberglass to keep it lightweight and durable.
It has a single outboard engine, a perfect space-saver, and a low-maintenance motor.
Additionally, it comes with a heavy-duty trailer designed to tow it along the shores.
It’s a simple rectangular houseboat with two front and rear decks. You can find a storage compartment on the back deck, which allows you to store your fish.
The cozy compartment contains a wardrobe, a fully functional kitchen, a dinette, and a comfortable couch.
The kitchen includes a mini-refrigerator, a sink, two stoves, and a storage cabinet. The dinette can accommodate four people for a dinner party.
The Lil’ Hobo Caterman Cruiser is a pontoon houseboat that offers a comfortable and versatile cruising experience. While I cannot access specific details about this model, I can provide some general information about Lil’ Hobo houseboats.
The Lil’ Hobo Caterman Cruiser is designed to provide a cozy and affordable vacation experience on the water. These houseboats typically feature a compact yet functional layout with comfortable sleeping quarters, a small kitchenette, a dining area, and a bathroom. The exact features and amenities may vary depending on the specific model and configuration.
Lil’ Hobo houseboats are known for their maneuverability and stability, making them suitable for calm rivers and lakes. They often have a pontoon-style hull design, offering stability and easy navigation.
These houseboats are designed to accommodate a few people, typically two to six passengers, depending on the model. Their compact size makes them easy to handle and maneuver, even for novice boaters.
It’s worth noting that Lil’ Hobo houseboats may not have the same level of luxury or spaciousness as larger, multi-story houseboats. However, they offer a more affordable option for those looking to enjoy a cozy and intimate vacation experience on the water.
Specifications
- Model – Weekender
- Hull Material – Fiberglass
- Engine Type – Single outboard
- Engine Make – Mercury
- Engine Model – EFI 50 HP four-stroke
- Fuel Capacity – 11 – 20 Gallons
- Length – 30 feet
- Beam – 8.5 feet
Landau 24 x 40 Pontoon Houseboat
Due to its incorporated amenities, the Landau 24 x 40 Pontoon Houseboat is also known as the floating camper.
It has a total size of 24 x 10 feet and a 40 x 12.5-foot pontoon deck. These dimensions are further broken down into a 10 x 12-foot covered front porch and 6 x 13-foot covered back patio, along with a sun deck and a roof.
It houses a heavy-duty V4 two-stroke engine, which drives 140HP, higher than the abovementioned houseboat. It comes with a winterized and carb cleaner motor with 9/19 plugs.
The interior is quite spacious, with a total accommodation capacity of six people. It features six memory foam mattresses for six to eight people to sleep comfortably.
It’s a perfect houseboat for vacations in all kinds of weather. Its fully functional air conditioning keeps you cool in hot summers, while its six-gallon water heater protects you from harsh, cold winters.
It houses two spacious front and rear decks with shades above to protect you from the sun and rain. On the front deck, you can find a coffee table and two chairs, which allow you to enjoy the cool breeze and spectacular scenes.
There are stairs leading to the upper portion, guarded by rails on all sides. You can customize and utilize it according to your requirements. I think it’s a perfect spot to host a mini-shore party.
The fully functional kitchen features a four-burner gas stove and oven, allowing you to cook and bake.
It takes into account the basic hygiene and water pollution factors. It saves toilet water in holding tanks, which can be drained in sewerage afterward. However, the sink and shower water are directly drained into the lake during runtime.
Landau Boats is known for manufacturing a range of pontoon boats, including pontoon houseboats. Their houseboats typically feature spacious layouts and comfortable accommodations for extended stays on the water.
Pontoon houseboats from Landau are often designed with multiple levels or stories, allowing for additional living space and panoramic views. They may include bedrooms, bathrooms, a kitchenette or galley, a dining area, and a comfortable living space.
The construction of Landau pontoon houseboats focuses on durability and stability with high-quality materials and craftsmanship. They are designed to provide a smooth and enjoyable cruising experience on rivers, lakes, or other calm waterways.
Additionally, it comes with entertainment facilities such as two flat-screen TVs and a Blu-ray player.
Specifications
- Model Dimensions- 24 x 40
- Make – Landau
- Engine – 140 HP Johnson V4 two-stroke
Armadia Pontoon Houseboat
The Armadia Pontoon Houseboat combines the elegance of a houseboat and the convenience of a pontoon boat.
The 80-foot houseboat is mounted on aluminum pontoon floats. It’s one of the longest houseboats discussed in this review so far. It features more living areas and spacious rooms than any other cruiser or houseboat.
It’s a two-story houseboat that offers all kinds of amenities, just like a regular house on the water. It includes a sun terrace, a practical kitchen, a BBQ area, a comfortable room, and a spa.
The avant-garde-designed pontoon floats are made of Aluminum to keep them lightweight, sturdy, and affordable.
It features an oversized front, which enhances stability and buoyancy through the towering waves.
The rear deck has a pragmatic and unique design to provide safe and easy access to the on-borders.
The concrete floor base is made of NIDA-CORE composite with honeycomb-shaped cells for mildew resistance.
The overall structure of the houseboat is made of Aluminum to keep it lightweight and robust.
It comes with waterproof indoor flooring, saving much of your time and effort in cleaning.
The interior is designed according to the basic principles of optimal ergonomics. It houses a master bedroom with the necessary facilities, a bathroom with a shower, and a fully functional kitchen.
The kitchen includes a refrigerator, a stove, a double sink, and a microwave oven. It also features cabinets for storage.
The living room has a comfortable sofa and a dining table. Moving to the front end, you’ll see a cockpit with state-of-the-art navigational instruments.
The exterior is finished using fiberglass to give it an elegant look.
Specifications
- Dimensions – 45 x 12 feet
- Accommodation – four adults and two children
- Total capacity – 12 people
- Moor – 2 x 60 Yamaha Go High Thrust Motor
- Generator – 4.5kW Onan Generator
65 feet Titan Houseboat
The Titan Houseboat is a majestic 65-foot houseboat with triple decks. It’s not just an ordinary houseboat but a masterpiece of comfort and entertainment. Titan Boats, a manufacturer known for producing a range of houseboats and other marine vessels, offers this specific houseboat model.
This giant beast can accommodate 26 people in its six staterooms, which have a sleeping capacity of 22 people. It has six queen beds, a single bunk, a double bunk, a double dinette conversion table, and a double pull-out couch bed.
The lowest floor is known as the Titan main deck, which includes two staterooms, two bathrooms, a fireplace, a convertible dinette, a gallery with a sunshine ceiling, and a convertible couch.
The second story is called the Titan California deck, which has more spacious rooms. It features two staterooms with a combined bathroom, a sunshine ceiling, and a bunk room.
Houseboats from Titan Boats are generally designed to provide comfortable accommodations for extended stays on the water. They typically feature spacious interiors with multiple levels or stories, allowing ample living space and panoramic views.
Titan Houseboats are constructed with a focus on durability, stability, and comfort. They often include bedrooms, bathrooms, a kitchenette or galley, a dining area, and a comfortable living space. The construction materials and craftsmanship are designed to withstand the elements and provide a safe and enjoyable boating experience.
There is a private deck on the second story if you want to enjoy quality time with your wife.
Finally, the third story, the Titan Texas deck, is an open deck with luxury features.
The third deck epitomizes luxury and relaxation, with its eight-person hot tub and a spiral tube water slide. It also includes a wet bar, fridge, TV, and a crow’s nest dining area.
It features high-end entertainment features like a widescreen TV, home theatre system, fireplace, wet bar, tracking satellite, and temperature-controlled wine cabinet. All of these amenities are available in one main salon.
That’s not all; a master suite also has a separate entertainment system, fridge, microwave, and coffee maker.
Specifications
- Dimensions – 65 x 16 feet
- Accommodation – 22 persons
- Total capacity – 26 people
10 x 35 Day Boat Pontoon Houseboat
The Day Boat Pontoon Houseboat is a roomy houseboat that allows you to enjoy a relaxing vacation with your family and friends.
It is supported by 25 feet pressure-tested pontoon tubes, which allow it to maintain its stability in water. It features two feet of insulated walls with one fiberglass siding, rubber roof, anodized rails, and trim.
The exterior comprises ¼ feet of rail spacers, stainless steel piano hinges, running lights, and a marine-grade plywood deck. The cabin occupies a space of 10 x 22 feet covered with a sundeck rooftop. For your safety, the deck is protected with rails.
Multiple decks allow you to enjoy different views. The front deck has two benches measuring around 10 x 8 feet. The back deck is smaller, with a total dimension of 10 x 5 feet. It provides room for a gas tank, generator, battery, and a ladder leading to the upper open deck.
It houses a dual-purpose bench that also serves as a driver’s seat. Additionally, it features dinette seating with a flip-flop backrest. The dinette’s two benches and table drop down to make a sleeping space for two people. It also features a sofa and a queen-size bed.
Other amenities include a patio door, icebox, five lights, a sink with manual pump water, a three-burner stove, and a portable toilet.
Specifications
- Dimensions – 35 x 10 feet
- Pontoon Tubes – 25 feet
- Walles – 2 feet insulated
- Cabin – 10 x 22 feet
- Front Deck – 10 x 8 feet
- Back deck – 10 x 5 feet
- Deck – ¾ inch marine-grade plywood
- Motor – Honda 60 HP motor
Cascade Houseboat
The Cascade houseboat is affordable yet comfortable, with an accommodation capacity for eight people.
As the name indicates, it features cascade beds, which can be used in multiple ways. They can be used as compact double bunk beds or double pull-out beds.
The cabin has built-in air conditioning, keeping you cool in hot summers. It comes with a fully equipped kitchen with all the utensils and plates. It also features a microwave, a stove, a blender, a toaster, and a coffee maker.
Even though it’s quite a compact houseboat, it features two spacious decks – upper and back. It’s your choice to enjoy your bbq on either of these two decks. It houses one semi-private stateroom and one fully-functional bathroom. Additionally, it includes one double bunk bed and two pull-out beds.
The special features include a stereo, sun deck, deck furniture, cooler, and four deck chairs. The floor plan is quite simple, with two decks on both sides of the cabin. There are protective gates on both sides of the walk-around deck.
You can easily walk from one tier to another without entering the cabin. You can find a gas BBQ facility on one side of the front deck and an ice chest on the other—the aft deck houses the generator, swim ladder, and ladder to the sun deck.
Finally, the studio has a fully functional kitchen and pull-out beds.
Specifications
- Dimensions – 42 x 14 feet
- Capacity – nine people
- Sleeping capacity – eight people
- Fuel – 50-gallon fuel tank
- Freshwater tank capacity – 40 gallon
- Holding tank capacity – 68 gallon
MatrixMX24 Gampboat
If you are looking for an elegant, stylish pontoon houseboat, the MatrixMX24 Gampboat is an apt choice. It’s made of an Aluminum pontoon frame for additional strength and stability. The polyethylene pontoons are filled with firm EPS foam to maintain balance while afloat.
The Mariner 9.9 high-thrust outboard ignites with a remote electric start. Moreover, the Aluminum keel serves as a protector strip for the outboard transom.
It comes with a rearview camera, allowing you to check around the deck. The cabin is constructed in a half-tube structure to increase the covering space. It has external composite cladding, UPVC French doors, and a porthole.
It can store 140 liters of fresh water for kitchen and bathroom use. It also features internal and external storage, allowing you to keep your luggage and other belongings.
The walls are heated with an electric heater to keep you warm in the chilly winter season. The deck is covered with a slip-resistant birch ply thermoplastic coating.
Moreover, a stainless steel railing runs all along the deck to protect you and your family from falling off accidentally. It’s protected with a hybrid 50mm insulation to enhance the boat’s durability and strength to withstand harsh conditions. It features different lighting types, such as interior LED lighting and up-down exterior lighting, to illuminate its inside-out.
The bathroom has all the necessary features, such as a shower, sink, and Thetford C223 auto flush cassette toilet. It also houses a fully functional kitchen with a Smev LPG gas hob/sink and a 12V marine fridge.
Other amenities include a sofa, kids’ bed, removable table, double bed with storage, and 12V TV with DVD. Although it’s quite an elegant houseboat, it houses both fore and aft decks. One of the distinguishing features is that it’s powered by solar eco power panels fitted on the cabin rooftop.
Specifications
- Storage Capacity – 140-liter freshwater
- Brand – Matrix
- Outboard – Mariner 9.9 high thrust
- Power Source – Solar Eco Power
Hybrid recreational Vessel (HRV)
As the name indicates, the Hybrid recreational vessel (HRV) is an affordable hybrid model that allows you to enjoy a comfortable vacation.
Southland, Canadian manufacturing, has developed this hybrid concept of combining luxury and comfort in a houseboat.
The entire structure is made of aluminum to keep it lightweight and economical. It runs on three types of power sources, including green, electric, and propane, to save on fuel costs.
It draws solar power from 80W panels and wind power from 20W wind turbines. These powers can run major onboard appliances like fridges, washing machines, pumps, and microwave ovens.
It also features a 110V shore power inlet to charge up the batteries at the dock.
Additionally, all the appliances, including the fridge, microwave, water heater, and stove, are powered by propane. The gas cylinders are placed outside, so you won’t have to worry about your safety.
It houses a spacious outside seating area, cabin, stand-up shower, dinette, and a fully functional kitchen.
Specifications
- Length – 34 feet
- Floor length – 32 feet
- Maximum capacity – 10 people
- Maximum capacity on the upper deck – Four people
- HP Capacity – 150 HP / 112 kW
- Weight – 6,800 lbs.
- Brand – Southland
- Power Source – Solar Wind and Propane
The River Den Pontoon Houseboat
The River Den Pontoon Houseboat is a fully insulated min-home perfect for Christmas vacations on the water.
It’s a 33-foot houseboat with 253 square feet of interior space. The internal cabin is fully insulated and kept warm with an antique wood stove.
Moreover, the cabin features double-paned glass windows, which allow you to enjoy scenic views while remaining cozy in front of the heater.
The houseboat is built on five pontoons to keep it afloat while storing some water to keep the boat stable. Additionally, the unique designs allow the pontoons to freeze in the ice.
The kitchen has a sink that draws water from the river for dishwashing. The round window in front of the sink lets you enjoy views while washing the dishes.
As you move up a floor, it features a double bed on steel grill flooring. The background behind the grill flooring allows the heat from the heater to rise during the winter.
It also gives the sleeping loft a neat and spacious look without making it look overstuffed. From the sleeping loft, you can easily access the sweet cedar rooftop deck.
By the way, the bathroom comes with a Separett composting toilet.
The helm houses steering and a 60 HP motor. It also draws electricity from a 12-V deep-cycle marine battery to power the flights and pumps.
Specifications
- Dimensions – 33 x 11 feet
- Motor – 60 HP
- Interior Space – 253 square feet
- Heating source – Wood Stove
Chris Craft Sundance Houseboat
The Chris Craft Sundance Houseboat features three Aluminum pontoons to provide it required stability while floating on water.
It comes with all the amenities one wishes for in a compact houseboat. It includes a 32-inch flare TV with DVD, two refrigerators, and a microwave oven.
Moreover, it features two sofa beds, enough for four people to sleep comfortably. In addition to the sofa beds, there is a master bedroom with a TV right in front of it, which means it can accommodate six people.
It also houses a fully operational kitchen with a sink and stove.
The kitchen has upper and lower cabinets, allowing you to store enough food for your entire family. The countertop space can store different utensils, a coffee maker, and other plates.
A Mercury 60 HP engine drives this houseboat in freshwater lakes and saltwater shores. Other features include a 4 kW generator, marine battery, and water and oil pump.
It offers a deep fish finder to catch fish for your delicious dinners.
Specifications
- Model – Sundance Houseboat
- Hull Material – Aluminum
- Engine Type – Single outboard
- Engine Make – Mercury Engine
- Engine Model – 60 HP
- Fuel Type – 60 HP
- Fuel Capacity – 21 – 30 Gallons
- Length – 32 feet
- Beam – 10 feet
- Type – Three Aluminum Pontoon Houseboat
- Accommodation – Six people
Conclusion
To sum up, a houseboat is a perfect vacation accommodation for people who enjoy being on the water. As the name indicates, it’s a mini-house with master beds, a living room, a dinette, a kitchen, and a bathroom.
Consider houseboats as water RVs that float in lakes and on shores.
Opting for a pontoon houseboat is a better approach because pontoons are known for providing stability and strength to the entire house structure. They also weigh down the boat to keep it afloat on the water when not in motion.
The guide must have helped you choose the perfect pontoon houseboat for your vacations.
Keep sailing!
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