USS FiberStream

[Norman]

Help, I need a boat.

OK, maybe I don’t want a boat but….to make a long story into a short long story, this is my problem: The wife and I retired and then moved South to be near the Grandkids. The wife & my daughter picked out the new house in a new subdivision (just so you know, the wife makes the small decisions and I make the large important ones, like does the lawn get watered or mowed today), and I do like the new house.

I purchased a FiberStream to take the Grandkids camping and found out subsequently I can’t keep it on my parking pad beside my garage (friendly uniformed and armed guy from the town zoning department stopped by to explain the rules to me, seems one of my neighbors doesn’t like it sitting there). Now get this, on the way down the alley to my garage there are two boats on trailers sitting on parking pads and another one on a trailer sitting in the grass in a backyard.

Reading the subdivision regulations, I discovered : “boats OK, keep’em on your front porch , front lawn, side yard, back yard, or even on top of your garage if you ‘all want, but campers are NOT allowed.” I can’t get the FiberStream into my garage because of the standard low 7’ header, and I am not allowed to raise the header because of the Subdivision Architectural Regulations. Seems that the subdivision developer must have had a traumatic experience in a trailer when he was younger, along the lines of the movie Deliverance.

North Carolina boat regulations state: “What Vessels Do Not Need Registration?
Vessels that are unused and kept on dry land do not need registration in North Carolina.”

Soooooo, I can go buy a cheap junk boat with title, out of the classified ads around here, take the title to DMV and pay to register it and receive the boat registration sticker for it. Now, I know how to put the boat registration on the USS FiberStream, but the problem is, how do I make it look like a boat for the guy with the gun, when my neighbor requests he come and have another conversation with me. Am I going to end up like Paris Hilton, crying on my way to jail?

My current and only idea is bring the Fiberstream out of storage early one morning and put it on my pad and quickly build something out of plywood to surround the camper that will look like a raft or pontoon boat before the neighbor comes home from work. Anyone have an inexpensive idea for me to make it look like a pontoon boat or raft? I think this photo will be too expensive to duplicate:

[Randy Bishop]

Will it fit in the garage if you take the wheels off and put it on a small dolley???

[Norman]

Will it fit in the garage if you take the wheels off and put it on a small dolley???

Good idea, but the entrance to the garage is on a steep incline so its not possible to dolley it in.

[Frederick L. Simson]

Will it fit in the garage if you take the wheels off and put it on a small dolley???

[b]Fiber Stream's factory specs:

overall length: exactly 16'-0" from tip of ball socket to original rear bumper
body length:13'-2"
body width: 80"
interior height: 76"

[b]outside height: 92" not including a roof air conditioner!

[b]tire size: 4.80 x 12" actual diameter might be approx. 21 to 24 inches including tires

I don't know...92" = 7' 8"
and just removing the mounted tires/wheels may get it down to just under 7' if you consider the space taken up for the brake drums and the leaf springs.
Would it b e worth the trouble?

[Bobbie Mayer]

Well, to start with, I'd go pick up six or seven free junker boats, and scatter them around the lawn, front and back, making sure the uglier sides are in sight of the neighbors. Then when someone complains suggest that you would be happy to remove them if they will give you permission to leave your trailer where it is.

Bobbie

[Norman]

Well, to start with, I'd go pick up six or seven free junker boats, and scatter them around the lawn, front and back, making sure the uglier sides are in sight of the neighbors. Then when someone complains suggest that you would be happy to remove them if they will give you permission to leave your trailer where it is.

Bobbie

EEEE gads...If I did that the wife would be holding a yard sale on the front lawn with everything I own and thats after she packed a suitcase for me, and throws me out. The woman dosen't wear the pants in the family, but she does know how the scare the bee jeavers out of me. Nope the wife thinks the FiberStream is enough in the yard.

[Frederick L. Simson]

...new house in a new subdivision...

Welcome to the modern version of restrictive zoning.

This is one of reasons I am not attracted to the *bling* of new construction.
My neighbors won't complain about a trailer in my yard as long as I don't complain about their roosters crowing, barking dogs, or Harley Davidsons roaring to life at Oh-dark-thirty.

[Joe Z]

Norman....
I had the same problem and the homeowners association wouldn't let me do zip. they gave me seven choices of colors to paint the house (all shades of brown) what plants i could plant and not to exceed 40 watt lighting outside and be sure it doesn't shine into neighbors yard.. .... let alone try to park a camper or boat or even an extra car... . i got a summons for the neighbor parking their car in front of my yard overnight (no overnight street parking) ....... We sold it within five months and bought a house with two acres.
I feel twenty years younger LOL
Definately not bitter....... just alot happier now
Others can and will feel differently but cookie cutter housing is not for us.
joe/linda

[Pete Dumbleton]

I had somewhat the same problem with my 91 Scamp 13', it being 7'4" and my garage being 7'0". What I was able to do was take off my 13" tires and wheels and replace them with 12" rims w/o tires. I also removed the vent hatch for my fantastical fan, although I may not have had to do that.

You might be able to find 10" rims; the problem might be being able to fit a jack under the trailer with the small wheels on. The incline problem might be solveable by using either a front-mounted receiver on the tow vehicle or a garden tractor.

Regarding making it a boat, all you have to do is come up with a set of pontoons to brace up against the sides of the Egg. They could be made of thin plywood, or plastic barrels or even 55gal drums laid end-to-end. They don't have to actually work; nothing says you can't be an obviously impractical eccentric who **believes** his ark will float.

[Roger H]

Norman, it sounds like you'd better either find another storage spot for the trailer, or move. CC&Rs are generally very restrictive, and are deed restrictions. In other words, you agreed to them when you bought the house. I once lived in a CC&R regulated development. I hated it, and it wasn't even all that restrictive. They did tell me I had to hide my propane tank, though. Unfortunately, I didn't have propane, but that didn't stop them from telling me to hide the tank I didn't have.

I'll never own property with those kinds of deed restrictions again, but if you do, you're stuck with 'em until you move. Don't bother trying to sue... you'll lose because you've already agreed to them. Your only hope would be to run for the board of directors, and then do your best to have the CC&Rs amended.

Good luck!

Roger

[Brian B-P]

The Fiber Stream tires are less than 24" in diameter, so that's less than 12" radius, and the brake drums alone are at least 4"... so you can't lower by any more than 8" with wheel/tire changes, and you need to lose more than that. I think the squeeze-into-garage idea is out unless you're into a really trick adjustable suspension mod.

I agree with Pete: pontoons are the answer. If you can find and old RIB (inflatable boat, like a Zodiak), you may have a source of reasonable light plausible pontoons.

I like the imitation boat idea, if only to point out how silly the poorly written rules are.

Of course, the other option is to pay for a space in a storage yard.

[Herb P]

I agree with Pete: pontoons are the answer. If you can find and old RIB (inflatable boat, like a Zodiak), you may have a source of reasonable light plausible pontoons.

I like the imitation boat idea, if only to point out how silly the poorly written rules are.

Of course, the other option is to pay for a space in a storage yard.

Paint an anchor on the bow of the trailer and put an outboard on the transom. Tell everyone it's a hybrid. Get green lenses for the starboard lights, and put white lenses on the stern.

[Carol A.]

along with port and starboard running lights, put the numbers on the front, a couple life jackets inside... maybe you can get the Coast Guard auxilary to inspect it!

can't see how then they could call it less than a boat...

[Gigi]

Hmmm, a dilemma...how about digging out your driveway to make for a taller opening into the garage? It wouldn't be cheap, but, it would do the job.

Or, paint it to look like Noah's Ark...who's going to make you tow that?

Or, put a VERY LARGE picture of that Scamp on a raft that we see all the time. A few pontoons on yours would be nothing compared to having that one parked in the driveway. You could always say you're working your way up to that model!

[Benita]

I've got the same problem. I'm paying $50 per month for off site storage.

[Norman]

Good idea, Joe & Linda but…Well, guess what happened when I told the wife we should think about selling and moving: Her reply was kind of short and to the point: “Norman, hope you like milkshakes, keep it up and y’all get a trip to the emergency room, cause they gona haveto wire your broken jaw together.” Needless to say, I don’t think the idea of selling is an option anymore.

Roger…I know that you don’t get anywhere trying to sue someone. I’ve had two dogs die on me from food poisoning, when I finally figured out who was doing it and sued them, guess what the judge ruled. He said I can’t sue the woman that had been giving them leftover table scraps that was so rotten that even when served fresh she had to wrestle the dogs and make them eat it. Yap, that’s right the wife was offen my dogs in my own house. The only reason the dogs had to eat it was I couldn’t.

Brian, Herb and Giqi…Yap, dat be it. Cheep pontoons from some where or build some fake ones. The anchor, outboard on the transom and life jackets hanging off the front will be the right props. I’m getting it ready for a 7 day cruise.

Giqi…the idea of cutting out the entrance pad, breaking out the floor and digging down 12” and putting in a new floor, occurred to me also. But…I watched them put the foundation in for a new one being built and it is not deep enough. We think alike, I think. My wife always tells people: “There is a very, very thin line between a psychotic man standing on the shore, staring out at the water, and me standing on the shore, staring out at the water holding a fishing pole.” My woman is so observant!!!

Benita…The going rate around here in North Carolina is $35.00 a month.

So, its final. I gon’a have a boat on my pad in August when the storage lot prepayment I made runs out. Stay tuned, cause it gonna get done, USS FiberStream. I am not turning back, Popeye will be proud of what I am going to do. Well, there is a small maybe, maybe I won’t won’t do it, I’ll run it by the little woman late in July. Sure don’t look forward to doing that. But I’m going to stand up to her and all the wommpa’s in this hear subdivision. Ya, that’s it…….stay tuned…a new chapter will start in August 2007.

Everyone have a good, happy and safe Fourth of July !!!

[Chester Taje]

I can't wait for August

[Brian B-P]

Okay, am I the only one wondering about that trailer? The one with the nicely filled in wheel wells mounted on a pontoon boat hull to make a houseboat. It appears to be an Australian Olympic, of moulded fiberglass (or "glassfibre"...) construction and with a pop-top. Any more information?

[Herb P]

Okay, am I the only one wondering about that trailer? The one with the nicely filled in wheel wells mounted on a pontoon boat hull to make a houseboat. It appears to be an Australian Olympic, of moulded fiberglass (or "glassfibre"...) construction and with a pop-top. Any more information?

You'd want to make sure there is a toilet in that thar trailer or else when you go sleep walking for that tree in the middle of the night, you'll end up with a surprise.

[David Schroeder]

Norman,
I've seen a garage with a 8' roll up door that had a architectual front to make it appear as a 7' door. It was a standard 8' header and 9'x 8' garage door, then they built two 1' x 4.5' hinged doors across the top of the opening. The doors were finished to make the opening appear to be a 9'x7'.