How come you can't buy a folding trailerable pontoon barge?

I love larger boats, like house boats. Obviously little boats are nice, and really every boat has a purpose.

I'm just wondering, how come you can't buy a trailerable folding pontoon barge?

Something that would fold out to 12-16 ft wide, and 30-40 ft long?

And a ramp on the front?
A guy could winch a travel trailer onto it.

What about a folding tri toon, with engine in the middle pontoon, along with waste water, generator, fuel, etc, so you can hook you're camper up and use it as a houseboat?

The only down side is that you'd need to haul the boat to the water, then the trailer, but at least it could be done with a regular truck; and it could be awesome!

 

These pictures sort of depict what I mean....

 

I've seen a snap or bolt together pontoon platform boat you can buy/ I will try and find the link and post it. Here is one for barges http://www.bargesystems.com/pictures.htm will keep looking. Here is another http://www.drycreekindustries.com/Pontoons.html goggle modular pontoon boats or modular barges. And one more http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=1842564888b8ab57afe1d4530f4c6e24

 

Because no manufacturer sees a profitable market (yet) for such a vessel?

Steve

 

Use inflatable pontoons and you could probably put the whole thing on top of the RV.

 

Do you mean "snap together" in the sense that you'd need a forklift or crane?

What I'm getting at, is that I can't see a reason this couldn't be done in a way
that doesn't require extra equipment to launch the boat.


Maybe I'm wrong, but I think a trailerable larger pontoon "ferry" would be a total hit.

 

I thought about that;

Add the frame, outboard, inflateable pontoons, and you'll probably already be overweight.
Plus no way of launching it.

 

Having 2 loads to transport has a drawback, but for some people might be a ton more practical than getting load permits etc.

Plus, if you already have a camper, you wouldn't need to ALSO have a houseboat cabin to look after, just the trailerable barge, which should also be easier to store.

 

Cool links!

But what I meant is a unit the would unfold using hydraulics or winches, so that even 1 person could launch it quick and easy.

 

click on my handle then on my Gallery for my take on it.

I haven't worked out the fine points of launching and the first 4 bolts to make it together enough for the rest of assembly.

Probably just add weak auxiliary 'scissors' just to spread at least one end of the hulls after floating off launch ramp.

I'm trying to create a whole standardized system, like tinker-toys, aimed at largest easily legally trailer-able, containable parts, but with FAIRLY easy and quick assembly, but fully up-gradeable to extreme strength specs for heavy work.

 

Why does it even have to come apart in the first place?

 

Kinda been there done that, at least to plans, for a much smaller version for a motorcycle pulling a trailer. You need inflatable pontoons really, the trailer frame is also the raft frame, the bike rides on the trailer. Built for float trips, fishing and camping, you can leave home, go fish and float down a river and you don't need anyone to pick you up, just reassemble and ride home.

The trailer really should be more than 6' long and 4' wide to trailer behind a bike, the trailer can unfold to 8' by 12' if really needed, but the weight comes into play as well. Inflatable pontoons would do it, any hard shell toon will be a problem folding up or carring as it would be a heighth problem as trailered.

Not built or attempted due to the price of the inflatable pontoons sufficient for such a craft, not that 5K is high for a versitle boat, but for experiment, I shelfed the idea.

 

Comes apart for transport and "ad as you go" flexiblity.

In my gallery I show a regular cat, but also a cat with added center hull.

You could have the beams hanging over the sides, extending platform in any direction.

Mix and match.

 

The Viva 27 was a sailing catamaran that folded in half for trailering, was launched that way, and set up very quickly. Maybe an idea or 2 here:

Steve

 

Another design previous was very similar.
I think there are a few designs that might work better.

How about a flatdeck trailer, and the pontoons rest on the deck, and hydraulics push them out and down for water use?

What about the design in my "build a monstrosity" thread?

That sucker would be 46x16, and still trailer legal, permit free!!