Pontoon Boat Doubles As A Camper
When the small vinyl roof on his pontoon boat ripped and began leaking, Rick Plunkett replaced it with a bigger, stronger one made from sheet metal siding. Roll-up vinyl sides drop down to convert the pontoon into a camper, and on front is a sliding curtain made of clear vinyl. The roof quickly folds down for storage.
Plunkett also equipped the pontoon with a handy fishing rod table.
Three 3-ft. wide sections of screwed-on sheet metal were used to make the roof. It measures 8 ft. wide by 10 ft. long and is attached to the bottom part of a steel building garage door, which is supported by 6-ft. long legs made from 1-in. square, heavy gauge aluminum box tubing. The legs are U-bolted to the pontoon’s handrail and set inside short lengths of box tubing, with one side cut out. A short bolt runs through the tubing and leg to form a hinge.
Plunkett bought new upholstery vinyl to make the camper’s sides, which roll up onto lengths of pvc tubing that bolt onto the roof. When lowered, the sides attach to the pontoon’s handrail. He installed a big half-moon window in each side by cutting a hole in the vinyl and then using a sewing machine to sew in a zipper removed from an old tent.
The heavy-duty, clear vinyl sliding curtain on front slides back and forth on a horizontal wire located near the roof. “The vinyl blows around in the wind a lot and I don’t have a way to secure it at the bottom yet, so the only time I use it is when I’m camping. I roll it up and clamp it onto the wire whenever I’m out on the water,” says Plunkett.
The fishing pole table is made from 2 sheets of 3/8-in. thick lexan separated by 2 1/2 in. spacers, and is designed to hold 4 fishing rods at an angle. Plunkett drilled four 3-in. dia. holes in the top sheet and four 2 1/2-in. dia. holes in the bottom sheet, with the 2 sets of holes slightly offset.
“The table top holes can also serve as cup holders,” says Plunkett.
The entire table is supported by a 3 1/2-in. dia. steel pipe that sets inside a tapered metal base bolted onto the floor.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Rick Plunkett, 577 Campbells Ferry Ln, Albany, Ky. 42602 (ph 859 472-9367; replunkett577@gmail.com).
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Pontoon Boat Doubles As A Camper AG WORLD When the small vinyl roof on his pontoon boat ripped and began leaking Rick Plunkett replaced it with a bigger stronger one made from sheet metal siding Roll-up vinyl sides drop down to convert the pontoon into a camper and on front is a sliding curtain made of clear vinyl The roof quickly folds down for storage Plunkett also equipped the pontoon with a handy fishing rod table Three 3-ft wide sections of screwed-on sheet metal were used to make the roof It measures 8 ft wide by 10 ft long and is attached to the bottom part of a steel building garage door which is supported by 6-ft long legs made from 1-in square heavy gauge aluminum box tubing The legs are U-bolted to the pontoon’s handrail and set inside short lengths of box tubing with one side cut out A short bolt runs through the tubing and leg to form a hinge Plunkett bought new upholstery vinyl to make the camper’s sides which roll up onto lengths of pvc tubing that bolt onto the roof When lowered the sides attach to the pontoon’s handrail He installed a big half-moon window in each side by cutting a hole in the vinyl and then using a sewing machine to sew in a zipper removed from an old tent The heavy-duty clear vinyl sliding curtain on front slides back and forth on a horizontal wire located near the roof “The vinyl blows around in the wind a lot and I don’t have a way to secure it at the bottom yet so the only time I use it is when I’m camping I roll it up and clamp it onto the wire whenever I’m out on the water ” says Plunkett The fishing pole table is made from 2 sheets of 3/8-in thick lexan separated by 2 1/2 in spacers and is designed to hold 4 fishing rods at an angle Plunkett drilled four 3-in dia holes in the top sheet and four 2 1/2-in dia holes in the bottom sheet with the 2 sets of holes slightly offset “The table top holes can also serve as cup holders ” says Plunkett The entire table is supported by a 3 1/2-in dia steel pipe that sets inside a tapered metal base bolted onto the floor Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Rick Plunkett 577 Campbells Ferry Ln Albany Ky 42602 ph 859 472-9367; replunkett577@gmail com
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