trailerable unfolding houseboat

Discussion in 'Boat Design' started by humanscale, Nov 29, 2014.

  1. PAR
    Joined: Nov 2003
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    None of this will pass muster in Canada or the USA, which has been my contention from the beginning with this approach. This stuff works in places where there's no over sight, but without compliance and certification, you're not going to get a registration or title, particularly on a vessel of this size.

    Simply put, you can debate crazy hinge ideas all day, but eventually, you'll have to show a certificate of origin, engineering sign off or similar, just to be allowed to put an outboard on it and apply for a registration. Once you tie the over the road suspension to it, now you have double duty with the regulatory hoops you'll need to jump though.
     
  2. myark
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    myark Senior Member

    :( Yawwnnnnn
     
  3. whitepointer23

    whitepointer23 Previous Member

    Be careful with myarks advice. He does not explain how to pass a Canadian roadworthy test

    <insults towards another person removed>
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 1, 2014
  4. myark
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    myark Senior Member

    I understand you said fresh water, you can float them of if wanted and manhandle them to inside boat or boot of car but if not worried about planning I would leave them on and yes they can be made to automatically come out of water but best to keep simple and within budget.
    With your twin hull system and you are not looking at performance its best to build the wheel structure in the hull sides to act as mud guards and keep the width down also you can take wheels off and plug boxes in like do the folding barges so they can plan.
    Also just leave them on as fresh water will do no damages if grease is compact.
    The damage is not so much while in the water it’s when they are exposed to air is when corrosion acts and as far as low to ground that’s the beauty about torsions as why they build up market horse float trailers or racing car trailers and with stones hitting bottom of hull well that’s a getting a bit over board for example I place a 13 ton digger on my 10.x 4.8 folding trailer barge that has only a 4mm tread plate deck that has 4mm sheet strips cut 60mm wide and welded 80mm apart meaning the aluminium is well within the tyre tracks and vey ridged.
    I did have a 5mm bottom for common sense reasons.
     

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  5. myark
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    myark Senior Member

    The torsion suspension are low to the ground but have nothing to snag if plugged into the hull as you mays see in the picture when towed over a large edge with Honda bike there was no problems at all.
    It’s just a house hold trailer but becomes multi-function and when I do not use it stays inside the bedroom stood up for a cupboard.
     

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  6. myark
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    myark Senior Member

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  7. Poida
    Joined: Apr 2006
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    Poida Senior Member

    Hi Humanscale

    I did not intend to imply that your idea was unsound, it is just that it seems to me that when you want pop up and slide out etc it is for speed in putting up and pulling down and you would compromise on structural integrity for a long term dwelling.

    Some members have commented on regulations which of course you already realise, you would have to comply.

    So lets dwell on that for a while. If you do assemble the house boat as I suggested ie by transporting the components on a trailer, all you would need to do is build and register a flat bed trailer. Or, buy an old beat up trailer to procure the registration plate etc and build a new trailer and attach the plates from the one you bought.

    Next, you register the barge that you are going to assemble the structure on. Shouldn't be illegal as the dwelling is not a permanent fixture. No different than a barge with a caravan on it.

    That's my two cents worth.
    Question: You have an outboard at the stern, where do you intend to steer it from?

    Poida
     
  8. myark
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    myark Senior Member

    Humanscale states
    4. Would regulatory bodies be a PITA for getting this road-legal. I'm in Ontario, and they love their regulations here.


    I do not live in Ontario as I live in Thailand and China so seen its your countries rules and your back yard its best to ask them for yourself, I do not know the world boating rules as each countries different but common sense also draws the line on what is practical ,
    I have sold a Myark trailer barge pictured below to the USA some 17 years ago and did not have any problems with rules which was on the Canadian border,

    Also sold the 10.X 4.8 folding trailer barge pictured below that was fully surveyed to the Australian Government and had no problems at all, in fact they asked for another one just 4 months ago but I am too busy on another project to help them and turn this down to maintain my freedom.
    I did give a link to you for Admiral Boats and pictures of their crafts for you to find out road rules as they do not have any problems naturally.
    As you may read silly comment about hinges and so on that makes me laugh how stupid negative people are,
    With that attitude they will be still running around in wooden boats.
     

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  9. humanscale
    Joined: Nov 2014
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    humanscale Junior Member

    I'm thinking of a bow mounted trolling motor like this, perhapbs a bit bigger. Would this be sufficient to provide steering in Ontario cottage country?, serving like a bow thruster? The pilot would sit in a chair at the bow and manually steer using this, and have a small terminal that would also control the larger stern motor (thurst) [​IMG]
     
  10. humanscale
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    humanscale Junior Member

    Thanks for the realism. I realize new designs often face difficult regulatory hurdles, and it is often hardly worth it for the innovator at the end of it all. For example, as a homeowner, I've realized that the city is not set up for people who want to do things a bit different, and it is frustrating when good ideas die. I'm sure it is the same, perhaps more so when, talking about new vehicles for the road and fresh water lakes. However, I like the idea of focusing first on finding a better way from an engineering and design perspective, that fits within the legal dimensions. But, you are right, the legal/regulatory issues perhaps worry me the most in turning ideas to reality.
     
  11. humanscale
    Joined: Nov 2014
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    humanscale Junior Member

    I read about this boat online when thinking about my design, but think that it is too complex to incorporate a cabin structure with the middle section that unfolds. Unfolding this thing out might be tricky. My "Concept #2" pushes a smaller 3' pontoon out from the side along telescoping sliders, but I currently think that my "Concept #3" is simplest of all (with float out of middle pontoon).

     
  12. humanscale
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    humanscale Junior Member

    Admiral Drive have gone through the regulatory hurdles with their float trailers, there is a template for what design specs are required for trailer integrated into the boat. So, I think it can be done here in Ontario, and I will look closely at that in the future, but for now I'd first like to focus on the other aspects of the boat itself.

    [​IMG]


     
  13. humanscale
    Joined: Nov 2014
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    humanscale Junior Member

    modified concept #3. thanks for your suggestions, I think it is easier to partially submerge the middle pontoon once the entire boat is launched, and then slide it out (from the bow probably). Reflecting this, I have modified the previous "launch and set-up scheme"
     

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  14. gonzo
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    gonzo Senior Member

    Check the regulations before buying anything from someone like Myark. His answer to regulation and structural problems is "As you may read silly comment about hinges and so on that makes me laugh how stupid negative people are".
     

  15. myark
    Joined: Oct 2012
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    myark Senior Member

    I do not offer to sell Myark water craft for sale for over 17 years and still are not for sale like I clearly mentioned in this post and others, also I have built to full marine survey standards for passenger boats and commercial on many times including contract labour manufacturing modified patrol craft in Australia and in NZ modified and certified roadworthy trailers.
    Humanscale is asking my advice many times such as his last message states about submerging the middle pontoon I suggested to him and possible other ideas I have to offer at no cost.
    It’s called innovation and yes I come across lots of negative idiots "bully’s"
     
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