Intex Excursion 5 - Our First Trip Report 4/7/10

[flybynyt01]

Got my boat last year and its still never had a puncture! This is even with heavy use on up to grade five white water regularly! We aint even careful because if it bursts ill buy another and another... Qaulity is amazing. One thing though, the floor in the raft doesnt have a quick release valve (stupid as the other two do) you can get round this by carrying a clothes peg in the gear pouch and clipping it in the valve to hold it open when deflating. Much faster!

[NONNIE357]

Hey Brian I finally got mine nice , nice Boat love It !!! All because of watching your video ! Thanks Brian Dude !!

[briandudeathome]

@NONNIE357 I'm really glad you like the boat - and thanks for updating me! Enjoy it, and stay safe =-)

[sireatalot247]

is this a good fishing boat???

[briandudeathome]

@sireatalot247 I've never tried fishing from it myself. It does have four pole holders - two in the front, and two in the back. Also, you can't stand in this boat, so if you don't mind sitting in a low position while fishing, then this boat may be good for fishing =)

[kingtree1993]

I want to buy this boat ,but I don't have enough money now:(

[briandudeathome]

@kingtree1993 It's a good one! I hope you're able to get it some day =)

[theperfectlube]

hey brian! do you think a trolling motor like as small as 17 pound thrust would still be suitable? i could care less about speed as long as it is making profit and not being pushed back lol

[briandudeathome]

@theperfectlube I guess it would work, I don't see any reason it wouldn't. If you end up doing this, let me know how it works out for you =)

[windrb]

And to all those wondering 30 vs bigger, I would always go bigger on the motor, better to have more power then less, and if your worried about time on lake, you could always buy second battery, which would e cheaper them having to upgrade motor later, which I'm sure you will want to later, I seen 30v55 and 55 looked more of a fun ride!!

[windrb]

Well I'm very excited o just bought this boat and a 55lbs thrust min Kota trolling motor, went for the 55lb because it had feature the 30lb didn't offer like the weedless prop and I bought a power center for the battery which had a nice battery case and power status indicator, so you can see how much battery you have left, it scheduled to arrive today and I leave for camping tomorrow, I'll post some bids when I get back!!

[briandudeathome]

@windrb That's great my friend - keep us all posted!

[juniorbigua]

Hellow, it's beautifull boat, congratulation for video!

Junior from Brazil

[briandudeathome]

@juniorbigua Thanks =)

[mik0n15]

hey i plan on getting this boat too, what is the biggest motor we can put on 1 of these? i noticed u used a minn kota 30lb thrust i have a 50lb thrust,.... can that work on this or is it to big? and can i upgrade to a 75lb thrust???

[briandudeathome]

@mik0n15 it's probably okay to use the 50. Any bigger and you're going to have very little time on the water. I'm pretty happy with mine, it's a bit slower but I can stay on the water for a very long time.

[briandudeathome]

@SHORTSPLIG some states require that you register this inflatable just as you would a regular boat (anything with a motor). my state require it, but I've not had any issues.

[uzyfied]

Hi,

I have a few question as to how you do this. First of all, when you deflate the boat, what do you do with the motor, the mount, and the battery? Second of all, what are all the things I need? I know i need:

the excursion, a mounting bracket, a motor, and a battery. What I don't understand is how to set this all up.

Thanks for your help!!

[briandudeathome]

@uzyfied I've made another video that may answer your questions. I store the motor and battery in a closet. The motor mount and boat are stored in the trunk of my car. You will also need a battery charger, life jacket, and electric pump (boat does include a hand pump).

The setup is very easy. As for the motor, it's very easy to attach to the motor mount. The motor has one wire with two separate ends that clip to the battery (positive, negative). It's easy once you do it the first time =)

[cowboyhippie]

I have 1 question. How hard is it to get in and out of your boat? I am planning to buy the same setup for river fishing. Can I get in and out without swimming?

[briandudeathome]

@cowboyhippie I'm usually stepping into the boat from a dock at the lake, so it's not so difficult. I've not tried any other entry as yet. Best of luck lol

[bigcasey1995]

hey could i put this boat in a lake with gators will it scare the gators or will they attack it lol.

[briandudeathome]

@bigcasey1995 haha great question, idk lol

[FROSTBITE23]

@bigcasey1995 lmfao

[warspite2]

I had this same setup on an Excursion 4 a couple summers ago. You are correct and I second that it was a really fun little boat. I sold it when I bought my yacht sailboat early last year. Although not as luxurious as my sailboat, it could go places my sailboat won't dare, like small inland waterways. At least I still have my nice kayak for that.

[briandudeathome]

@warspite2 A sailboat would be a lot of fun also. Thanks for watching and for sharing your experiences =)

[Camaromaster242]

i love to go on trips with mine i hav the number 4 and a minkota 40 endura you may rember me my old youtube accont was dmaster727.

[briandudeathome]

@Camaromaster242 Good to talk to you again =) I bet that minkota 40 is nice.

[Camaromaster242]

@briandudeathome yeah it is me and my friend are going trolling for muskys this summer in mine man i will keep you posted.

[Camaromaster242]

@briandudeathome yeah it is me and my friend are going trolling for muskys this summer in mine man i will keep you posted.

[csrgdent]

nice motor, how much? and where are you from? i needd one motor

[briandudeathome]

@csrgdent I'm in the US. You can click on the link in the description to look at the motor. I bought mine from Amazon for around $115

[Dmaster727]

how long is the 5 i know my excrushion 4 is 10 ft long

[briandudeathome]

@Dmaster727 12 ft I think

[Dmaster727]

i hav the excrushion 4 i have took it out 30 times. the first time i took it out it deflatied in the mittle of the lake . im only 13 so i made a PVC pipe trailer for it that hooks up to my bike. i do not have a minkota for it i row it. the paddels are peacies of crap. from your other videos i did not know you had to have to regster it.

[briandudeathome]

@Dmaster727 it sounds like you're on the water a lot! that stinks that you started sinking in the middle of the lake - unless you have a motor you do not need to register the boat.

[solidmetalfork]

Thanks for the awesome videos! TN will have another on the water soon - I purchased the excursion 5 after seeing them. Do you get water in it? Anyone's wake come crashing over?

[briandudeathome]

@solidmetalfork Nope, I've not had any problem with water in the boat. Because of the rather flexible bottom, it tends to contour to the waves. Enjoy your new boat =)

[solidmetalfork]

@briandudeathome took mine out this weekend.  Was extremely disappointed cause the boat was too dang soft and floppy. it was firm at the house when i tested it. guess it was just too hot... but was only 95 or so this weekend. Ever used yours in the heat?

[briandudeathome]

@solidmetalfork I can't say I've had a problem with the boat being floppy. I'm not sure if you are meaning the entire boat or just the floor. The floor is always that way. Yes, I've been out when it's hot and haven't had any problems.

[solidmetalfork]

@briandudeathome Unfortunately, I do mean the entire boat. It was really soft and even a bit over-inflated over the mark.  I'm not expecting it to be rock hard plastic or anything, but it just felt like an expensive pool toy. Still, it's comfortable and I'll use it. I just have doubts as to it being able to hold a trolling motor on it without the mounts ripping out. Still willing to give it a try.

[briandudeathome]

@solidmetalfork Sorry to hear about the floppiness of your boat. As for mine, it has no problem with the trolling motor. I hope you still able to get some pleasure out of it =)

[solidmetalfork]

@briandudeathome OK, a few last questions then! Is yours sturdy enough when inflated that you can sit on the sides? And when you pick it up from both ends by the built-in handles, does it bend/fold in the middle?

[briandudeathome]

@solidmetalfork I do sit on the side when I'm driving the boat and yes, it does give a bit. I don't remember my boat bending in half when being carried... very weird ;-(

[jimthedj65]

I am surprised that you didnt go for a endura 40? My challenger can only take a endura 30 max and I am assuming that the excursion can take the 40?

I liked your report it showed more or less a realistic demo of what I should expect .. any updates on battery life per hours out ?

[briandudeathome]

@jimthedj65 Honestly, I didn't want to spend the extra money for the 40. Also, a bigger motor takes more amps per hour, meaning the battery will not last as long. Currently, I get about 3.5 hours, I'm using a 125 amp hour battery. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[MikkiMoore33]

do you think it would work in the ocean at all

[briandudeathome]

@MikkiMoore33 Yes, if the water were calm, however, if you buy an electric motor you need one that is made for salt water. Thanks for commenting =)

[turkmenlerden]

Thanks for posting this Brian!!!

[briandudeathome]

@turkmenlerden You're welcome, thanks for watching!

[leoravlogs]

who are u with?

[briandudeathome]

@leoravlogs my wifey 

[LeoLxx7]

Thumbs up for Intex, Inflatable boats are incredible.

[briandudeathome]

@LeoLxx7 This one is loads of fun!

[CrashOverdrive4]

how long does a battery charge last you?

[briandudeathome]

@CrashOverdrive4 I have a 125 amp hour battery and the motor pulls around 30 amps per hour. The longest I have attempted is 3 hours and that was with full power the entire time.

[skitzes]

i went ahead and ordered the excursion 5 and a 40lb. trolling motor via amazon. it comes tomorrow and i can't wait to get onto the lake!

what do you mean when yo say there's not much room for a floor? From what I can tell the floorspace is tremendous- which is one of the main reasons i liked it. what makes it seem like putting down some plywood as a floorboard would be an issue? please let me know. thanks again.

[briandudeathome]

@skitzes I think you will be happy with the boat and motor. Yes the floor is very large, I mean to say that the floor is not very far below the top edge of the boat. If one was to make some kind of floor, maybe out of 1/2 - 3/4 ply wood or something, it would probably work. Anything deeper may be a bit much. As for how much room in the boat, I can sit while steering on one end, my wife on the other end and our feet touch in the middle when we stretch them out ;-)

[skitzes]

how solid is the bottom? do you use a floorboard? i can't decide between this or the 6-person sevylor super caravelle. the excusion had no problem even with that huge battery you're using? thanks in advance.

[briandudeathome]

@skitzes The bottom likes to ride the waves.. In other words it goes up and down with them. A solid bottom would be very nice to have, but the Excursion doesn't leave much room for one. I have made 5 trips on the lake with this boat so far and have had zero problems. For the battery, I use the cardboard box that the motor mount came in and I place it under the battery. I find this helps with dispersing the weight better. Keep me posted on which boat you decide to go with ;-)