Forest River, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Co., announced the addition of Tim Gray to its marine division. The company said Gray will be bringing his vast array of industry experience and innovation to lead a new team at Forest River Marine, the manufacturer of Berkshire, South Bay and Trifecta pontoon boats.
This new group will be specializing in the production of high-performance inboard boats, along with the next generation of electric motor-propelled pontoon boats. These are completely new production segments that will expand Forest River Marine’s already growing umbrella of markets to target.
Gray recently completed the development of a 35-foot long tri-toon equipped with a sterndrive inboard motor that has industrial applications, including assisting barges on the Mississippi River during low water levels.
The high-performance inboard pontoon boat includes an 1100 QC4V V8 from Forest River Marine’s partners at Mercury Racing. This engine pumps out 100lb-ft of torque from 2,500 to 5,250-rpm and delivers 1,100 horsepower at its 6,500-rpm red line. All this power and torque comes from 89 octane pump gas.
“Creating this much horsepower on a platform that originates for leisurely cruising is unheard of, but then again this isn’t your typical granddad’s pontoon.” says Tim Gray, who was challenged with the assembly and mounting the QC4V with his team. “Fabricating a chassis that would accommodate the sheer size, weight, and power that this Mercury 1100 has was quite a fun challenge. Not only does it have to structurally withstand the power within it being produced, but it must be built in a way that it accommodates the many components that also powers this engine.”
“I’m extremely excited about the growth opportunities in these new boating segments with Tim at the helm” said Ryan Casey, general manager of Forest River Marine. “Tim brings over twenty years of experience from the RV industry with him and we’re looking forward to seeing what successes Tim will add for us at Forest River Marine. Tim has already identified additional markets to target outside the initial scope of this inboard project within the 4 months of leading this team.”