The Round About

[Martinup]

You are welcome to come by just PM me and leave me a phone number to set a time. I had to move my shop yet again to Cloverdale.

Martin

[Martinup]

Hi all:

We had a great Saturday applying more structural fillers body filler and working out details. Just thought I'd share some with you.



I am still at it and progress is coming along nicely. Some parts of the prototype will become plugs which will be used to mold fiber glass parts and reduce weight. The first trailer will still be quite heavy. There is a lot of work to do in order to make the Dam Gathering which is our plan this spring.

In order to make it ready to use and a test drive, so to speak, we have opted to do it in stages. The rear end with all its moving parts will be completed and molded parts will be produced. The main body will be finished and ready for use. The goal is to use it for the one trip and get an idea of what needs to be tweaked. We are building it with the intention to take molds from various sections and later produce parts that can be built into a final version of a much lighter trailer / pontoon boat in the end.

As I complete the build I will be able to finalize the Axle position. After our trip to the Dam Gathering it will then disassembled to produce the remaining molds and then in turn parts. The final goal is to produce version that will incorporate a catamaran type structure with an RV body on it.

When I weighed the steel frame with axle and spare tire way back when, it came in at 780 # which is too heavy for me. I opted for the 3500 lb. torsion axle.
In the end I can replace much of the steel frame with a fiber glass and wood structure . . . the pontoons will become the foundation for the entire body.

My thoughts are that a good sized single steel tube, "the tongue”, connected directly to the axle will need little or no perpendicular bracing. Just picture how most boat trailers are built.

Thanks for reading and I'll update with pictures.

Spring is on it's way,

Martin

[mezmo]

Hi Martin,

I was wondering what was happening with this build. Good
to hear you are still working on it. Sometimes circumstances
dictate a different schedule than was first envisioned.

Good luck as you work towards completion.

Cheers,
Norm/mezmo

[Martiangod]

Must say you will have one of the more unique trailers on the planet.
Bob Vila eat your heart out, his is a cad drawing, yours is actually coming to fruitician.
Your trolly top, would be cool if it was a separate peice that could raise and lower onto seals for a full length roof vent.

Absolutly steller Martin

Build On !!!!

[Martinup]

Hi Norm:

You are right about circumstances change a build schedule.

I've also grasped that when you don't push too hard and kind of let ideas tumble around and ponder things around in your conscious & sub conscious mind, new ways of doing things and or making things come to you. To give you an example I searched and studied other peoples builds on this site and all over the net. Looking at how other people present and go about their builds is a valuable resource from which to draw upon. What happens for me at least is I will wake up first thing in the morning and I periodically come up with one of those, " AH HA Moments " . . . That's how I can do it! I also find that some time it happens when I am driving. Call it whatever you like, “Lateral thinking or Left Brain Right Brain thinking".

Another circumstance that changed what I wanted to build came when we were at the Dam Gathering last year. We wondered around camp site's dry dock area where they store all there pontoon boats for the winter. The Staff were preparing the boats for their upcoming spring launchings. They were very gracious and let us look around inside a few different boats. Seeing them on land and in the water got me to thinking and wanting to combine a Trailer that can function equally as well as boat and as a trailer.

Reading Hillman’s build, " Airstream Knock off Build", ( Check page 5 or there about), helped me solidify what I wanted to build as he is doing something similar to what I am building in a different way using different materials. I hope he is still working on his build and decides to share what he has come up with.

I am grateful for other people sharing their work and am having a blast building our own build.

All I can suggest to others is let it flow or as John Lennon sang " Let it be".


Martin

[Martinup]

Your trolly top, would be cool if it was a separate peice that could raise and lower onto seals for a full length roof vent.

Absolutly steller Martin

That great idea is ironically perking around already in a slightly different format . . . as front and back roof doors to get in and out of the interior cabin when it is on water. I have to build some kind of a swim deck off the back as well as a small forward lounge deck. I also planning to incorporate removable cat walks down both sides of the boat. . . approximately 16" wide. Along the upper areas of the roof there will be hand rails to hang on to when traveling back and forth to hang onto. Being that the out to out width is now 84" wide when traveling on land these decks would make it far too wide.

Thanks for the compliment,

Martin

[Martinup]

Hi all:

Well lots of progress in the last while. Wayne has been at the body work with diligence and skill. He has been laminating 1/2 " foam tapered pieces that I cut to build up the low spots. Then layers of "Gip", ( fiber glass structural putty ), and "Bondo", to put the Round in, " The Round About".

Here is Wayne working on one of the rear pantries, ( rear quarter panel section ) of the trailer.



Here's me admiring his jet boat. I look forward to taking a ride in it this coming summer.



Here are some more pictures of the body work:







It is lot of work to smooth out the plug to get it ready to make mouldable parts. It is coming together nicely and rewarding to see it take shape.
It is coming up on two years to get the first one built. I look forward to being able to pop out one of these babies in 4 to 6 weeks. Time will tell if other people like my concept enough to purchase one for themselves.

My dream is to become, " A Trailer Racoon ", . . . manufacturer of a dual purpose Trailer Boat.

What do you think?

Martin

[KCStudly]

I think that tunnel rammed big block chevy powered boat looks like a lot of fun! Should be good and loud, too, with those headers.

Good progress on the camper, too.

[Martinup]

Hi KC:

Yes it is nice. he says it is some where between 500 to 600 horses and can move that boat along at around 85 miles per hour which on water is much slicker than cat sh#*t on a hot tin roof.

And for those Cat lovers out there Just remember that no cats where harmed my attempt at humoring you.

Martin

[Martinup]

Hi all:

I found this neat link on trailer boats:

http://www.admiraldrive.com/FT2069.html

Does anyone know of other sources of information or links to amphibious type pontoons that have permanent wheels in them. I have been googling airplane pontoons and the like. Specifically the ones with wheels on them so the plane can take off on water and or land.

I see that this is a special application as the wheels would complicate water travel ( perhaps make it slower ) and also the bearing in the hub would have to be water proof so as not to seize up from rust and corrosion on land.

Thanks,

Martin

[Martinup]

Hi Steve:

I haven't gone there. Is the sea plane base airport on land in Langley. I know that sounds like a dumb question but there is the Langley airport right on the Fraser HWY. Is that the same place?

Thanks for suggestion. As usual it is sometimes a hunt and peck until I find some expertise on how to do it stuff and or what parts might work?
I have been studying buoyancy calculations and stuff like that.

If you have a contact please PM me.

Thanks,

Martin

[Martinup]

Thanks Steve:

Check this video out. I was so blown away by it I contacted them and I am hoping they will share some of their knowledge on propulsion.

[youtube] http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=wMk ... =endscreen [/youtube]

Way Kewl stuff,



Martin

[droid_ca]

http://www.seajetcapsule.com/
that is a cool video
here are some pics that are in my pictures that might give you some ideas as well

[Martinup]

Hi droid:

Neat pics.

You have gotten me curious anymore info on those pictures. They come out too small. I myself have to size my own pictures bigger to somewhere around 800 x 600 pixels is what I think works on this site? ?

thanks,

Martin

[droid_ca]

sorry I don't even remember where i found them but there was a little video I believe I'd just take the pic and do a google search might find some more info on them