A pontoon boat rides on two tubes and a tritoon rides on three. Builders rate three-tube boats for bigger engines and price them higher. Choose two tubes for relaxed cruising on calm water at a lower price. Choose three if you want more horsepower for watersports or you boat on bigger, choppier water.
On one 2027 pair built on the same deck, the three-tube boat costs $7,155 more with the same 150 hp engine. Specifications and prices below were read from manufacturer websites on 7 October 2026.
This comparison comes from published data, not test drives. Sun Tracker publishes specifications and a national price for each model compared here, and it sells the same deck with two tubes and with three. The 2027 Party Barge 22 DLX has two tubes. The 2027 Party Barge 22 XP3 has three. Sun Tracker says the XP3 has the same deck as its two-tube sibling, so what differs is underneath: a third tube, larger tubes and lifting strakes.
Notes on handling and towing come from buying guides published by two pontoon builders, Bennington (dated 14 June 2022) and Godfrey (dated 25 July 2025). Sun Tracker calls the tubes logs.
Both boats are 24 ft 2 in. long with a 22 ft 1 in. deck.
| 2027 Sun Tracker |
Party Barge 22 DLX |
Party Barge 22 XP3 |
| Tubes |
Two, 24 in. diameter |
Three, 26 in. diameter |
| Maximum recommended engine |
150 hp |
200 hp |
| Fuel capacity |
32.1 gal. |
52 gal. |
| Maximum person capacity |
11 |
11 |
| Maximum person weight |
1,500 lb |
1,600 lb |
| Maximum person, motor and gear weight |
2,200 lb |
2,400 lb |
| Estimated speed with 150 hp |
29 to 38 mph |
31 to 40 mph |
| Price with 150 hp |
$41,840 |
$48,995 |
Prices are Sun Tracker's national prices for 2027 models with a Mercury 150 hp FourStroke engine. They exclude the optional trailer, and dealer prep and freight are extra. Speeds are Sun Tracker's own estimates.
See boats for sale on Searchshop, including pontoons and tritoons.
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A higher engine rating. The Party Barge 22 XP3 is rated for up to 200 hp. The Party Barge 22 DLX is rated for up to 150 hp. Sun Tracker says its three larger logs give the boat more lift and help carry the weight of the bigger engine. The XP3 logs also have four lifting strakes.
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More fuel. The XP3 holds 52 gallons against 32.1 gallons.
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A higher weight rating. The XP3 is rated for 1,600 lb of people against 1,500 lb, and for 2,400 lb of people, motor and gear against 2,200 lb.
Passenger capacity does not change on this pair. Both boats are rated for 11 people. Speed with the same engine changes by 2 mph: with 150 hp, Sun Tracker estimates 29 to 38 mph for the DLX and 31 to 40 mph for the XP3. Sun Tracker does not list a speed estimate for the 200 hp engine.
With the same 150 hp engine, the three-tube boat costs $7,155 to $8,155 more across three Sun Tracker layouts.
| 2027 model |
Two tubes, 150 hp |
Three tubes, 150 hp |
Difference |
| Party Barge 22 |
$41,840 |
$48,995 |
$7,155 |
| Fishin' Barge 22 |
$41,840 |
$48,995 |
$7,155 |
| Party Barge 22 RF |
$43,840 |
$51,995 |
$8,155 |
The gap is wider if you would have chosen a smaller engine. The two-tube Party Barge 22 DLX starts at $37,995 with a 90 hp engine. Sun Tracker lists the XP3 with a 150 hp or a 200 hp engine only, so the lowest-priced three-tube version is $11,000 more than the lowest-priced two-tube version. Choosing the 200 hp engine raises the XP3 to $54,295.
A tritoon is the heavier boat to tow. Bennington's buying guide says two-tube pontoons are lighter and easier to trailer, and that a tritoon's added weight means you need a vehicle that can tow it. Godfrey's guide says a tritoon may need a larger vehicle.
Ask the dealer for the towing weight of the exact boat, motor and trailer, and check it against your vehicle's tow rating before you choose.
Bennington and Godfrey both point rough-water and watersports buyers to three tubes. Bennington says pontoon boats are designed for calm cruising on sheltered water and warns that waves bigger than two feet can be dangerous on a pontoon boat. It says tritoons handle rough, choppy water better and are a good choice for tubing, waterskiing and wakeboarding. Godfrey says the same about choppy water and adds that a third tube helps the boat bank into turns.
These are the builders' own descriptions. This article has no test results to add to them.
A dealer listing may not say how many tubes a boat has, and a third tube is not always part of the model name. Some builders sell it as a center tube package on a model that also comes with two tubes. If the listing does not say, ask the dealer before you compare prices.
Dealer asking prices also vary with brand, length, engine and options, so a tritoon from one builder is not a guide to the price of a third tube on another.
Check today's asking prices on boats for sale.
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Two tubes suit the buyer who cruises, swims and fishes on calm water and wants the lower price and the lighter boat to tow. On the Party Barge 22, the two-tube boat with a 90 hp engine is $11,000 less than the lowest-priced three-tube boat, which comes with 150 hp.
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Three tubes suit the buyer who wants more engine than the two-tube version is rated for, plans to tow tubes or skiers, or boats on bigger or choppier water. On the Party Barge 22 XP3, that also brings a larger fuel tank and a higher weight rating.
Whichever you choose, ask the dealer four things before comparing prices: how many tubes the boat has and their diameter, the maximum horsepower rating, whether the price includes the trailer, prep and freight, and the towing weight with motor and trailer.
Browse boats for sale on Searchshop and ask the dealer how many tubes each pontoon has. For more help, read the pontoon boat buying guide and pontoon vs. deck boat. Searchshop's boat pricing tools are there too.
With the same engine, Sun Tracker's top-speed estimates for the two are within 2 mph of each other. With 150 hp, the two-tube Party Barge 22 DLX is estimated at 29 to 38 mph and the three-tube Party Barge 22 XP3 at 31 to 40 mph. On the Fishin' Barge 22, the estimates are 27 to 38 mph with two tubes and 33 to 37 mph with three. Each of these XP3 models is rated for up to 200 hp, against 150 hp for its two-tube version, so a tritoon can take a bigger engine.
Not on the boats compared here. The Party Barge 22 DLX and the Party Barge 22 XP3 are both rated for 11 people. The XP3 is rated for more weight: 1,600 lb of people against 1,500 lb. Sun Tracker's longer Party Barge 24 XP3 is rated for 12 people.
It depends on the rating of the exact model. Among 2027 Sun Tracker models, the Party Barge 22 XP3 is rated for up to 200 hp and the Party Barge 24 XP3 for up to 250 hp. The two-tube Party Barge 22 DLX is rated for up to 150 hp. Check the maximum horsepower rating before choosing an engine.
