(The Puffin) New Tiny Trailer

[steve wolverton]

Wow! I just spent three days reading (most) of this thread! The Puffin is the type of trailer that intrigues me! I do have a couple questions. 1) Did you insulate the walls, floor and roof? 2) I see your site is up, but no content, what is your estimate for the plans and info that you indicated that you might be posting on the site?

Thanks Tear Dreamer.

I have no insulation in the Puffin. I have a headliner installed, but no insulation.

As for the website, I really have no idea if I'll ever get around to working on it.

I'm about to do more mods to the Puffin. I'm going to drop the rest of the floor. I'm going to have to pull the camper off the trailer, weld on a new bracket so I can drop the floor all the way across to the door. It should be cool. I'm hoping to do this over the Christmas holidays.

FWIW - 5200 + miles on the camper now and 44 nights sleeping inside, and it's not a year old yet.

[steve wolverton]

After seeing Spinnernut's tandem hookup with his tear + cart and his tear + BBQ grill I started thinking about tandems. Since I built my camper very light, I have enough tow rating in my 4 cylinder SUV to tandam a small boat.

I sent a few emails and phone calls, and I found a 1961 Larson All-American 14 that I'm going to pick up in Oklahoma this weekend.




It has a 1960 Merc 600 Dockbuster on it too. That should be interesting.

I'll get a hitch installed on the Puffin in the next few weeks, and I'll post some pics of the tandem as soon as I get it hooked up. I'll now be able to take my bikes (up to 4 on the roof rack), camper, and boat on my camping trips. Camping, hiking. biking, boating, waterskiing, fishing...

[asianflava]

Don't know if you saw Charles' setup to tow the black tear with the motorcycle trailer. He put some friction sway control bars on the rear trailer, "just in case"

[steve wolverton]

Don't know if you saw Charles' setup to tow the black tear with the motorcycle trailer. He put some friction sway control bars on the rear trailer, "just in case"

I haven't seen that - do you have any pictures? I don't know much about sway control, but it seems like fairly inexpensive insurance as I really wouldn't want two trailers walking on me.

Is this something like you're talking about? http://www.redtrailers.com/ShowItem.asp?id=40010

Ok, I think I get it now. It's sorta like a steering damper for a trailer?

[asianflava]

I think that's the same one he had....Either that or a Reese. You may want to PM him since I don't have much experience with them either. I only know about antisway and equalizer hitches because we were considering a larger trailer at one time (gasp!).

[doug hodder]

Steve...what a great little glass boat you got there! I picked one up in 2000 mostly for the engine, as the hull was shot, but that is going to be a real fun toy...Love the engine on it! doug

[Juneaudave]

That will be a nice boat!!! Better stock up on elbow grease though!!!!

[Mary K]

Very Cool Steve!! You should paint it to match the Puffin!!

Keep Us posted on your progress

Mk

[steve wolverton]

doug hodder - You picked up a Larson in 2000, or a small glass boat? What kind of motor did it have?

Juneaudave - Plenty of elbow grease ready for this project. My first boat rebuild was a lot more difficult (I hope) than this one, and I pulled it off in less than 1 month. This boat seems to have all of the hardware, and it appears to be in much better shape. The first boat was missing hardware, had a hole in the back, needed transom, fiberglassed the bottom, build a windshield, etc.


My first rebuild

Mary K - Yup, I am going to paint it to match the Puffin and the tow vehicle. It will have a black deck (I love black boats) and white sides with black stripes.

[doug hodder]

I found an old glass boat that was hammered, the bow was just jam packed with beer cans and trash, transom was tearing out, hull bottom was separating in a number of places. It did have a really nice Mark 58A merc on it however. I used the engine and then gave the boat and trailer to someone that wanted to repair it, it's still not done. There is a web site for old Mercury outboards, lots of specs on them, I just can't remember it's name however, but I'm sure you've probably found it. That's going to be a fun boat! PS....absolutely a beautiful job on the first boat resto!!!! Doug

[angib]

Steve, that's a gorgeous combination!

That era of Mercury is pretty unique as like some of the two-stroke bubblecars, I think that motor doesn't have a reverse or neutral gear - instead, like the bubblecars, it has two sets of contact breaker points so the engine can be started in the forward or reverse direction - so none of that cavalier steaming towards the dock and then giving it a burst of reverse to act as a brake.

Here's a spares source: East Coast Marine Service - Merc 600

Andrew

[steve wolverton]

doug hodder - Thanks Doug, but I wouldn't call it a restoration as much as a rebuild. I didn't use original paint colors on it, and some of those resto boat guys believe that's sacrilege.

angib - Thanks Andrew. I think it's a nice combo as well. That motor doesn't have a transmission, but a direct drive. If the motor is running, that prop is spinning. You're right about the reverse, the engine actually runs backwards for reverse. Cool stuff! The throttle is pulled back to "neutral" where the engine shuts off. The throttle is pulled further back, and a button pressed on the controller that starts the motor in reverse. I find my docking is not nearly challenging enough, so this may be the excitement I need in close quarters.

Thanks for that link. The oldmerc site has a lot of good stuff, but the prices are a bit much. I guess that's expected for a motor that was built only in 1960. The guy I'm buying it from bought it from another at a boat meet. He said the previous owner told him it ran, but we'll see how that pans out.

[MrBuzz]

Steve;
Learned my lessons on old boats years ago...did a rebuild very similar to your first one. The brand was "Winner" which was ironic because everything about that rebuild and even using afterwards was a huge PITA!!
How about some pix of the Puffin dinette?

[Tx River Rat]

Steve
I love the puffin and your work.
Since you like building so much try one of these



I really enjoyed this thread
Ron

[steve wolverton]

How about some pix of the Puffin dinette?

Yup, I need to get some new ones up for you. I don't have my camera with me (left it at work) but I'll try to get some soon.

Here's a couple old ones.


Table raised


table dropped and cushions placed over the table to convert it to bed

Tx River Rat - Those are really cool, but I think my new boat project will have me tied up for a few months.