345 mh Body on a pontoon boat

[Jenniflow]

We are seriously considering taking the body off our rusty 345 and putting on a pontoon boat with engine built for the purpose. Does anyone have any thoughts abut whether this would cause problems with the body? For operating on a river? just wondering.

Thanks!



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[dkottum]

There's some marine engineering needed to ensure it's stable. Our neighbor here at the lake built an enclosed metal living structure on pontoons. It sat anchored out there for some time, then one day his teenagers had a group party on it and managed to flip it upside down. They were very lucky no one was injured or drowned. Had quite a time getting it flipped back over so they could pull it out of the lake.

[Jenniflow]

Good thing we don't have teenagers!

But I take your good point. I'll look into that, thanks.


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[idroba]

I love the idea. I have always thought it would be fun to have a pontoon barge to put my Airstream on to use it on a lake as well as on the road. A roll on, roll off unit that is.

[Air Dog]

The aerodynamics of an airstream coupled with the speed of a pontoon boat....


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[Jenniflow]

Predictably, I'm not the first one to think of this:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f161...ml#post1073703

This is clearly a trailer. We're trying to imagine separating an AS moho from it's chassis for a new life on the water. But how to protect the floor from damp?

And can the steering, engine and transmission be repurposed to power the vessel?

[idroba]

This would be anything but a casual conversion. The engine might possibly be re used but no other drivetrain or steering parts.

I would guess that at a minimum you are looking at a $20,000 job.

I am not a boat person however, but boats are more expensive than even Airstream Motorhomes....LOL.

[Landrum]

Just get one of these

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Za63ltkMGGE

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[Jenniflow]

Isn't that amazing! I've seen this video. There are a some very interesting amphibious vehicles out there now but they ain't cheap.

I'm thinking this is a good way to repurpose something, but I'm not exactly sure how. Maybe if we don't try to use the engine and steering and just settle for an outboard of some kind. Not sure how you'd see where you were going though. Minor problem.

If you take the body off the chassis, what you end up with is a coach with a floor, and a step up and then the driver's and passenger's chairs and the doghouse hole where the engine used to be. Or maybe what I should do is slice off the body just behind the cab and sell the chassis and front end to someone who could use it! Then I'd have an open end in the body that would more easily allow passengers to get out onto the pontoon deck.

[Isuzusweet]

Pontoons?

Naw, I'm trying to come up with the wing swept area needed to get my 310 airborne. That way I don't run into pirates on the high seas and can overfly the US and Mexico on my way down to Belize. I may have to get FAA certification however, or run the risk of being mistaken for a UFO and shot down by some Tennesse red neck.

[Air Dog]

Originally Posted by Jenniflow

Isn't that amazing! I've seen this video. There are a some very interesting amphibious vehicles out there now but they ain't cheap.



I'm thinking this is a good way to repurpose something, but I'm not exactly sure how. Maybe if we don't try to use the engine and steering and just settle for an outboard of some kind. Not sure how you'd see where you were going though. Minor problem.



If you take the body off the chassis, what you end up with is a coach with a floor, and a step up and then the driver's and passenger's chairs and the doghouse hole where the engine used to be. Or maybe what I should do is slice off the body just behind the cab and sell the chassis and front end to someone who could use it! Then I'd have an open end in the body that would more easily allow passengers to get out onto the pontoon deck.

Anything is possible! The body does uncouple from the floor. You could put it straight on the deck.

If you want to pilot it from the existing drivers location you will have pretty limited visibility compared to the normal pilot house of a boat. Docking and awareness of the vehicles around you would be a challenge.

The 454 is a common marine engine. The mariner versions are a dime a dozen unlike the fuel they guzzle.

Roof decks on pontoon boats are a real attractive feature. Tough to do with the AS body.

I think you should consider using the body on a twin hull hydroplane with jet drives.

Picture a smaller version of this...




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[Jenniflow]

Yes, that is Eggzactly what I should do, except why stop at 1, we have another 80s era trailer. Why not yoke them together, strap on those jet drives and your seatbelts!

I'm starting to think that if I do this it would be mostly for the purposes of using the Airtoon as a very local vessel, like just pulling it out of the slip and anchoring it out at a local island for some more private time and freedom to make noise, not really navigating up and down the river with it. Often it would just be an outbuilding/writing studio. So the visibility wouldn't be as much of an issue. Then we'd have to have a good-sized seating area outdoors. Could put a deck somewhere on top, just supported by something else. But then that would make it harder to appreciate the shape of the trailer. Hmmmmm.

[Jenniflow]

Or maybe take the cab, turn it upside down and make a big chair out of it on top. Supported separately of course.

[bkahler]

Originally Posted by Jenniflow

Predictably, I'm not the first one to think of this:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f161...ml#post1073703

This is clearly a trailer. We're trying to imagine separating an AS moho from it's chassis for a new life on the water. But how to protect the floor from damp?

And can the steering, engine and transmission be repurposed to power the vessel?

Based on what I found while dismantling the 1986 345 I don't think you want to attempt to separate the shell and floor from the truck frame. My suggestion would be to remove the truck chassis suspension components from the frame and use the truck frame as he main structural point.

From my recollection of the assembly process there is a grid work of 1"x2" steel tubing that is laid down on the truck chassis. This grid work is prefabricated, set in place on the frame and welded into place. The shell is built as a complete separate unit including the wood floor. At this point I don't believe the in interior skin is installed.

The complete shell is then picked up and set into place on the grid work that has been welded to the truck chassis. Around the peripheral of the shell at the bottom channel long bolts are used to fasten the shell to the outer perimeter of the grid work. Then 1/4" self taping screws are used to to fasten the wood floor to the grid work throughout the interior of the shell. However, that's not all of the fasteners used. Airstream then followed up with nails. About every 8" on each 1"x2" tubing cross member you'll find a nail, the type with twisted fluting that sort of makes it act like a screw and helps keep the nail in place.

I wish I would have had a "cuss jar" handy when I found out about the nails. In order to remove the wood floor I literally had to use a cutting torch to burn the heads off of every nail (and self taping screws for that matter). I was not a happy camper!

THAT is why I highly recommend keeping the shell attached to the truck frame. Lots less work and the structure will be extremely rigid.

I'm not sure when Airstream started using nails in the assembly process. I know my early Argosy motorhome has a totally different floor fastening system. I've not pulled up enough carpet in the 1984 310 to know if nails were used. You might get lucky and your's might not have the nails. Even so, removing the self taping screws and all of the perimeter bolts is still a chore. To get to the perimeter bolts you have to remove ALL of the interior skin along the floor all the way around.

Brad

[Jenniflow]

Brad, you just saved us a big headache! Thanks!

I'm perfectly happy to keep it on the frame. I was a little nervous about relying on the floor and the aluminum to be all it had to be. The frame has a little superficial rust but should clean up well.

Now all I have to do (!!) is convince my husband that this is worth doing. Actually, I'm not sure myself yet that it's worth doing, it depends on how much it costs to assemble the 'toon part.

I'm waiting for a quote from u-fabboat.com. I suspect it will be too high for us, but my friend told me about them and I figured it's a place to start. Just crossing my fingers. I'll let you know what I find out.

[bkahler]

Jenni,

I would have hated for you to start the process of trying to remove the shell from the truck frame and then find out about the nails. I see your's is an 86 as well so I would be shocked if nails weren't used in the construction.

I understand why Airstream used them, as I'm sure they makes things a whole lot more rigid, but I'm also sure Airstream never planned on people trying to take them apart

If the pontoons end up costing to much you could always use a couple of logs

Sounds like a neat idea and if you end up doing it you'll obviously have to post pictures as you make the conversion.

Brad

[Jenniflow]

I was vaguely starting to think about logs instead of pontoons! I imagine they would add a lot of weight, but that might be just what's needed for stability. It's not like we're going to operate this thing at high speed. I did just see a pontoon boat with a 115 HP engine, designed for waterskiing! Would you really use a pontoon boat for waterskiing? It just sounds absurd.

I think I will research the log option, if the pontoons turn out to be too expensive.

Of course there are a lot of used pontoon boats on the market now, but most of the ones I've run into so far are too short or too expensive.

[bkahler]

Actually I suggested logs more in jest than anything

I would think pontoons would need to be at least as long as the coach is so I'm guessing you're looking for 35' or 36' pontoons.

Here's one that's 32' long and would definitely be cool to set your 345 on!

Stern driven!

I'm guessing that somewhere online you should be able find out what a bare chassis Chevy P30 chassis weighs. That would go a long way in helping you determine what size pontoons you would need.

Brad

[Jenniflow]

I love that! Now I'm torn. Hmmmm

Oh, and don't worry, I knew you were joking about the logs. But I have a tendency to question assumptions, so I figured I'd just see how much they weigh. I'd need a big engine but if I use the 454 ... But it's probably way too noisy and inefficient. I like to reuse things when I can but maybe that's something someone else should reuse. Like someone going to Burning Man.


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