Egg Houseboats? - Fiberglass RV
Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 07-28-2011, 06:12 PM   #1
Senior Member
 
Matt in SV's Avatar
 
Trailer: U-Haul VT16
Posts: 987
Registry
Egg Houseboats?

I saw that Scamp/barge photo awhile back, but has anyone else seen fiberglass RVs used as houseboats? It seems like with the construction of some Burros and U-Hauls being 95% fiberglass that they could conceivably be modified into pontoon boats or somesuch.

Heck, you could probably launch Lil' Snoozy just the way it is!

Regards,

Matt
__________________
Planning our next Escape!
Matt in SV is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-28-2011, 06:23 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
floyd's Avatar
 
Trailer: 2004 13 ft Scamp Custom Deluxe
Posts: 8,520
Registry

Name:   houseboat.jpg
Views: 452
Size:  27.5 KB
Quote:
Originally Posted by Matt in SV View Post
I saw that Scamp/barge photo awhile back, but has anyone else seen fiberglass RVs used as houseboats? It seems like with the construction of some Burros and U-Hauls being 95% fiberglass that they could conceivably be modified into pontoon boats or somesuch.

Heck, you could probably launch Lil' Snoozy just the way it is!

Regards,

Matt
here's a couple, one from a Scamp brochure...
Attached Images
File Type: bmp pontoon 2.bmp (324.0 KB, 156 views)
floyd is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-28-2011, 06:31 PM   #3
Senior Member
 
Donna D.'s Avatar
 
Trailer: 1988 16 ft Scamp Deluxe
Posts: 25,697
I think it was prior to the hack, but there was/is a picture of a Scamp 13 on a river barge. The crew uses it for a rest area. I think if I was going to float a molded trailer, it would be something completely tubbed like a Casita, (some years of) Trillium, Oliver or an Escape!
__________________
Donna D.
Ten Forward - 2014 Escape 5.0 TA
Double Yolk - 1988 16' Scamp Deluxe
Donna D. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-28-2011, 06:35 PM   #4
Senior Member
 
floyd's Avatar
 
Trailer: 2004 13 ft Scamp Custom Deluxe
Posts: 8,520
Registry
Quote:
Originally Posted by Donna D. View Post
I think it was prior to the hack, but there was/is a picture of a Scamp 13 on a river barge. The crew uses it for a rest area. I think if I was going to float a molded trailer, it would be something completely tubbed like a Casita, (some years of) Trillium, Oliver or an Escape!
I'm trying to upload my archived photo from the Scamp brochure Here it goes again
nevermind it looks like it worked , but in a different form!
Attached Images
File Type: bmp pontoon 2.bmp (324.0 KB, 54 views)
floyd is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-28-2011, 06:41 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
Donna D.'s Avatar
 
Trailer: 1988 16 ft Scamp Deluxe
Posts: 25,697
Here Floyd, let me help
Attached Thumbnails
pontoon 2.jpg  
__________________
Donna D.
Ten Forward - 2014 Escape 5.0 TA
Double Yolk - 1988 16' Scamp Deluxe
Donna D. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-28-2011, 08:01 PM   #6
Senior Member
 
Green Frog's Avatar
 
Name: Charlie
Trailer: '83 Burro
Virginia
Posts: 404
Registry
Quote:
Originally Posted by Donna D. View Post
Here Floyd, let me help
Oh my goodness, I wanna, needa, gotta have one!!!

I wonder whether I could have a pontoon boat like that made/modified to carry my '83 Burro. Heaven on Earth!

Froggie
Green Frog is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-28-2011, 10:12 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
floyd's Avatar
 
Trailer: 2004 13 ft Scamp Custom Deluxe
Posts: 8,520
Registry
Quote:
Originally Posted by Green Frog View Post
Oh my goodness, I wanna, needa, gotta have one!!!

I wonder whether I could have a pontoon boat like that made/modified to carry my '83 Burro. Heaven on Earth!

Froggie
The caption below the picture read...

"You can even convert your SCAMP Travel Trailer into a houseboat. A customized 29' aluminum pontoon boat can easily handle the SCAMP 13."

The quote and the photo are from the Scamp sales brochure Circa 1983.

BTW , thanks once again for your help Donna D.
floyd is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-29-2011, 09:32 AM   #8
Senior Member
 
Trailer:
Posts: 787
Or you can skip the pontoon bit and just build the trailer so it floats. Here is the amphibian Creighton Gull:



Or, if you can stand the voiceover here it is on video: Caraboat

The Creighton Gull morphed into the more rational Caraboat, which has an active forum here in Britain: The Caraboat Club





The flags are for a trailer-boat festival! You can just see the coupler on the end of the folded-up tongue in the last photo.
Attached Thumbnails
amphibian-creighton6s.jpg  
Andrew Gibbens is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-29-2011, 10:14 AM   #9
Senior Member
 
floyd's Avatar
 
Trailer: 2004 13 ft Scamp Custom Deluxe
Posts: 8,520
Registry
WOOOOW!
Those are really cool! Dreamboats you might say!
floyd is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-30-2011, 04:50 PM   #10
Senior Member
 
Francesca Knowles's Avatar
 
Name: Francesca Knowles
Trailer: '78 Trillium 4500
Jefferson County, Washington State, U.S.A.
Posts: 4,669
Registry
We've actually talked quite a bit about fitting pontoons to the Trillium .
Most popular idea is using inflatable bladders like they use to raise boats, etc. combined with some kind of framework that deploys for "launching".
We always get hung up by the (self-imposed) necessity of keeping the trailer functionally similar to the way it is now.
I'd be real interested in hearing others' ideas on the topic, perhaps beginning with how much flotation would be needed to support 2,000 lbs.
__________________
.................................
Propane Facts vs. Fiction:. Click here
Tow Limit Calculator: Click here
Francesca Knowles is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-31-2011, 06:09 AM   #11
Senior Member
 
Trailer:
Posts: 787
As a naval architect (ship/boat designer) in a former life, that's like a red rag to a bull....

We want to float 2000 lbs. Let's say the floatation device(s) and support(s) will weigh 500 lbs and we want a further 1500 lbs reserve buoyancy - not enough for the sea, but good for calm lakes and rivers - so we need 4000 lbs total buoyancy.

This could be achieved by two pontoons 12 feet long by either 20" square or 24" diameter - they would be maybe 15 feet long overall with a bit of taper on the ends. Add three or four cross-beams that fit under the egg's frame and you've got a practical solution, with a cross-section like the attachment (each bar at the bottom is one foot).

The floats/pontoons have to be mounted so that the egg floor isn't underwater when the 'boat' is heeled over - but in fact getting the floats/pontoons low enough that the door will open over them is actually what sets their height. Remember, extra height means less stability and even on a calm lake you want some stability!

The red line show where the whole 'boat' floats, so only the bottom of the wheels/tyres are in the water, and rust damage shouldn't be a problem.

The circular pontoons look a better option since they can be inflatable and transported in the back of a truck that also carries the (aluminium?) cross-beams on its roof.

But..... the killer question is: how does it get into the water? The floats/pontoons are well below ground level when the trailer is still on its wheels, so they can't be set-up/inflated on dry land.

Some sort of hinging mechanism in the cross-beams so the floats/pontoons can be wound down once afloat could be arranged but that still probably lets water into the trailer while launching.

It might be possible to design the cross-beams and floats/pontoons so that the whole 'boat' could be picked up in the slings of a boat hoist and put in the water - but that then rules out secluded lakes and means only busy waterways can be visited.

So, not ideal. Any suggestions?
Attached Thumbnails
egg-flotation.JPG  
Andrew Gibbens is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-31-2011, 06:36 AM   #12
Senior Member
 
Green Frog's Avatar
 
Name: Charlie
Trailer: '83 Burro
Virginia
Posts: 404
Registry
I'm not a nautical engineer (and don't even play one on TV) but my idea was more along the lines of a glorified ferry... I was thinking that if the egg could be backed down a ramp onto the deck of the waiting pontoon boat, then secured in place with its normal leveling devices/locations and perhaps some straps on the wheels like are frequently used on land based car-carrying trailers. The boat would be a bit larger, necessarily, but it could operate independently and the camper could be driven onto or off of it pretty quickly and easily. Now the deck would have to be high enough and/or broad enough for the door to open freely, and if the floats extend up very high so the deck would be wider, it would have to be extra wide to make the camper be centered. It's probably a pipe dream anyway, but it is fun to dream.

Froggy
Green Frog is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-31-2011, 07:25 AM   #13
Senior Member
 
Trailer: Trillium 4500
Posts: 163
Jacks makes the tubes you're looking for.inflatable rafts, catarafts, pontoons, inflatable kayaks, dry bags, paco pads by Jack's Plastic Welding Inc.
Mine are 14'x22", but I'm not quite ready to strap my 4500 to them.
Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_1715.jpg
Views:	16
Size:	408.9 KB
ID:	38470
Scott H is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-31-2011, 09:39 AM   #14
Senior Member
 
Francesca Knowles's Avatar
 
Name: Francesca Knowles
Trailer: '78 Trillium 4500
Jefferson County, Washington State, U.S.A.
Posts: 4,669
Registry
Thanks, Guys!

But-
Before we go any further, I'd like to get this out of the way:

Q: How do you make a Trillium float?
A: To each glass of root beer, add two scoops of Trillium.

We now return us to the subject at hand...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrew Gibbens View Post
As a naval architect (ship/boat designer) in a former life, that's like a red rag to a bull....

We want to float 2000 lbs. Let's say the floatation device(s) and support(s) will weigh 500 lbs and we want a further 1500 lbs reserve buoyancy - not enough for the sea, but good for calm lakes and rivers - so we need 4000 lbs total buoyancy.

This could be achieved by two pontoons 12 feet long by either 20" square or 24" diameter - they would be maybe 15 feet long overall with a bit of taper on the ends. Add three or four cross-beams that fit under the egg's frame and you've got a practical solution, with a cross-section like the attachment (each bar at the bottom is one foot).
I'm glad the ol' "wave a red flag" maneuver worked!
It works on my engineer husband, too- it's just that in his case, he answers so very thoroughly.
While I may come away with a better understanding of some principle of physics,
I'm so distracted by the details that even I can't remember what my original question was.
Those numbers are exactly what I'm looking for as a practical starting point!
And the drawing is very much how I (hazily) pictured the pontoons to be.
We got started on this subject due partly to the fact that we own several (small) pontoon boats of the type in Scott's picture, and seeing them leaning up against the Trillium....
Well, you know how it is!
It's actually beginning to seem a lot simpler than it sounds.
A framework that perhaps pushes in to receivers on the trailer frame, with inflatable pontoons attached upon arrival.
I wonder if one could back in to the water and then inflate the pontoons, raising the trailer clear of the waterline...

Thanks!

Francesca
__________________
.................................
Propane Facts vs. Fiction:. Click here
Tow Limit Calculator: Click here
Francesca Knowles is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-31-2011, 01:02 PM   #15
Senior Member
 
Trailer:
Posts: 787
Froggy, please see the attached snips from a 1937 Modern Mechanix plans book. If anyone wants the whole of these plans as a PDF, then pm me - but remember to give your email address as the 2.7Mb PDF is too large to send via this forum.

And please notice in the second illustration how the lady is waving wildly on the deck - this is because her husband who is supposed to be steering the outboard round the back has sat down in the lawn chair to read the sports pages.....

Backing the trailer into the water and then adding the floats/pontoons doesn't work well - the water needs to be more than 15" deep for the pontoons to float so by then water is coming in the trailer door and all the chassis has been soaked.

One rather impractical idea that I had to get round this is:
- reverse trailer down slope into water until just the tyres (and not the brake electrics...) are in the water;
- put on thigh waders and walk into water;
- set up axle stands in the water;
- put long planks on seabed behind wheels with ends on the axle stands;
- reverse trailer wheels along planks to end;
- add pontoons as trailer is now in deep water.

Not reversing off the side or the end of the planks would be a stylish addition to this procedure.
Attached Thumbnails
1937-MM-Barge-1.jpg   1937-MM-Barge-2.jpg  

1937-MM-Barge-3.jpg  
Andrew Gibbens is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-31-2011, 01:31 PM   #16
Senior Member
 
Francesca Knowles's Avatar
 
Name: Francesca Knowles
Trailer: '78 Trillium 4500
Jefferson County, Washington State, U.S.A.
Posts: 4,669
Registry
Hmmmm
Are the brake electrics a major concern? It seems like those could be waterproofed somehow...
I'm surprised and impressed by the British unit- It looks so tall for its width. I thought we'd need to spread out more for stability's sake. That whole bottom of the trailer must be a flotation chamber.
Flotation under the Trillium could be the answer...

By the way, I loved the narrator of the video on the subject of the brakes:
".....just a bit of grease on the brakepads, and off you go! (into the water)"
I think that's the first time I've ever heard anyone say to put grease on brakepads!

thanks!

Francesca
__________________
.................................
Propane Facts vs. Fiction:. Click here
Tow Limit Calculator: Click here
Francesca Knowles is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-01-2011, 10:20 AM   #17
Senior Member
 
floyd's Avatar
 
Trailer: 2004 13 ft Scamp Custom Deluxe
Posts: 8,520
Registry
There was a show on television not too long agofeaturing this.
Check it out...

http://changingears.com/rv-innovatio...otorhome.shtml
floyd is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-01-2011, 10:38 AM   #18
Senior Member
 
Francesca Knowles's Avatar
 
Name: Francesca Knowles
Trailer: '78 Trillium 4500
Jefferson County, Washington State, U.S.A.
Posts: 4,669
Registry
Thanks, Floyd!
I tried to order one, but they're a little behind in production.
Guess I'll have to keep trying to make a Trillium Float...
I've made some progress with the propulsion system!
What do you think?

.

Francesca
__________________
.................................
Propane Facts vs. Fiction:. Click here
Tow Limit Calculator: Click here
Francesca Knowles is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-01-2011, 10:42 AM   #19
Senior Member
 
honda03842's Avatar
 
Name: Norm and Ginny
Trailer: Scamp 16
Florida
Posts: 7,517
Mississippi Caravan

There used to be a caravan trip where you put your rig on a river barge and traveled down the Mississippi, stopping at various places along the way. Unfortunately it's been discontinued or it would be my first caravan trip.

Norm
honda03842 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-01-2011, 11:57 AM   #20
Senior Member
 
floyd's Avatar
 
Trailer: 2004 13 ft Scamp Custom Deluxe
Posts: 8,520
Registry
Quote:
Originally Posted by Francesca Knowles View Post
Thanks, Floyd!
I tried to order one, but they're a little behind in production.
Guess I'll have to keep trying to make a Trillium Float...
I've made some progress with the propulsion system!
What do you think?

.

Francesca
Stop over, we'll cut the handle off that sucker and mount a Small Block Chevy!
floyd is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
eggcamper


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
I want one of these for my Egg.... cpaharley2008 Modifications, Alterations and Updates 1 06-15-2011 09:36 AM
My Egg Perry Mac Donald General Chat 1 07-12-2010 09:30 PM
SOLD-2006 EGG CAMPER EGG CAMPER Pat B Ohio Classified Archives 9 01-18-2009 08:43 PM
New Egg Joanie General Chat 27 02-28-2007 04:40 PM

» Upcoming Events
No events scheduled in
the next 465 days.
» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 02:24 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.