Camper tops?

[ZK]

I realize I'm extremely new to this forum, but this is a topic that I've been kicking around all winter...

If you haven't seen my new member post, I'll say it here, I've got a 1981 16' Silverline Catalina tri-hull open bow with a 75HP Johnson outboard.

I like the boat, and I am an active yacht club member (all powerboats, and mine is the smallest). A yacht club approximately 20 miles north on Lake Michigan has a big party every year, all weekend long, and a lot of members take their boats and go. I've been there before, but not for the party, and only on my boat to go there and see the sights and come home.

Now, my boat is very small, so I don't take her out in bad weather, even though I have been on the lake in breaking three footers. I didn't enjoy it, but I did it, and it's done.

But with the size of my boat, I'm extremely limited by weather on where I can go, if she was larger, I probably would be able to go out when the waves are over eight inches (HAR!).

The name of my boat is Size Doesn't Matter, which was named during a contest, because I tend to take it anywhere I want, size be damned.

And this year, I'm taking my boat to this yacht club party. I won't get there before anyone else, as it will take me about 3/4 of a tank of fuel, and atleast 45 minutes to get there. Everyone else has a 20 minute ride, tops.

I want to make a camper top for this boat, but I'm not really too sure how to do this.

My plan only involves a large blue tarp, and snaps to snap it to the hull. I can't really figure out how to put a zippered door in there, and it probably won't be possible to snap it to the hull once I'm inside.

The boat has an open bow, and really no storage to speak of, I've got a railing right above the gunwales on the front, and I wanted to make the plywood sit right on the gunwales on either side, to kind of close in the bow, and have a flap that would go between the consoles and below the walk through windshield.

I'd make that lockable, it's not that I don't trust anyone, but I'd feel better if I could lock stuff up while I was at this dock.

Then the camper top would go from the base of the windshield (no peekers!) to the back of the boat, but I don't really know how to support it. I've only been able to think of PVC.

The boat came with a bimini top that went from the top of the windshield to the middle of the back. And I haven't used it since I bought the boat, the top is extremely low, and I'm a big guy, it's difficult to move around when it's on. So I want the camper top a little higher.

Anyone have any ideas on how to use this PVC, so that it's removable while under way, but stable while the top is on?

And any better (but still cost effective) idea on the ole blue tarp idea?

And has anyone done this before?

 

[scoutabout]

Re: Camper tops?

Welcome aboard, ZK -- sounds like you are an enterprising kind of boater! Your dilemma reminds me of the overnights my dad and I used to do in our 15' foot runabout. After a day of boating, we'd tie up, have a bbq on whatever dock we happened to land on, watch the sights, then when it came time to hit the hay we'd fold down the two back-to-back seats and literally snap the boat's tonneau cover down overtop of the boat. You'd never know anyone was on board, except for the corners we left rolled for air flow. Not exactly the Hilton and zero headroom, but real fun for us when I was a kid.

Anyway, if you have a bimini, I'd look at starting there for your base structure. Try to lengthen those side poles to get yourself some height (if I'm reading you right, there isn't much). Once you have the bimini at the desired height you could pull the blue tarp (or two) over top and fasten to the sides. Won't stand much wind, probably, but it would be better than nothing. From purely a storage point of view, your idea of laying plywood over the bow might work, although it would be a pain to travel with if anyone was along for the ride and you had to stow it.

Now, if you have some cash you could get the kind of structure made that you see on pontoon boats. Basically a tall, end-to-end convertible top with big windows. My neighbour has one on his 'toon and, come end of season weather, he and ten of his closest buddies are toasty as can be with that thing up. Anyway, good luck and keep us posted on your musings. One other idea...is there anywhere to just pitch a tent near the boat?

 

[ZK]

Re: Camper tops?

One other idea...is there anywhere to just pitch a tent near the boat?

I don't know if I'm enterprising, or cheap... Either way, I guess it's out of necessity.

If it's nice outside, I wouldn't care if I just folded the seats down and slept. Changing clothes and everything, THAT would be interesting.

You brought up a good point though... I thought about a tent, yes, there is a place I can put one, but this event sees about 3,000 people over the course of a weekend. Most of them on Sunday, I want to be out of the way, and with the size of my boat, I can dock anywhere, the tent, might be in the way. Besides that, you need special permits for that kinda stuff around here, and I don't want to get anyone in trouble, least of all, myself.

I never thought about just bringing the cover with, and snapping myself shut in there. It has two poles, one front, one rear, and it's canvas. It'd keep the water off me, probably keep me warmer, and it's brown, so no one could see through it. When rolled up, it is kinda large, but I know it'd work. No room, but really, I'm sleeping on a 16' boat, what can I really expect?

 

[ziggy]

Re: Camper tops?

i'm thinking scoutabout is on the right track. though i don't know how ya'd do it cheaply. my last boat was a 16' trihull. it had full enclosure. my main top was more convertible than bimini i think. just picture a reg. soft top for any ol trihull. that's what i had. the front of the cover snapped to the windshield, had a frame that came up up taller than the windshield. the back of the top came down to the gunnel and snapped on to it for rear support. the back of the soft top was a big u with a full zipper from side to side. i had a snap on cover for the bow or a small snap on cover for under the center window if i didn't want to full enclose the bow. the soft top was the base for the rest of the enclosure. side windows were zippered at the top of the windows. snapped onto the gunnel. then a zippered on to the soft top back that slanted back to the rear deck. it was snapped down all around too. basicly, the sofotop had a zipper on three sides. back, port and starboard. full enclosure... i never slept on that boat, but think it wouda been possible for sure. i used the carry aboard tent idea when i was over nighting on that boat cause i wasn't hip yet..... or.......

you need an aristocraft with a sliding hardtop. don't provide me with much headroom, but it sure is toasty inside.

i enter and exit through the vertical sliding center panel. the back panal is snapped on to the top and to the deck all around.

good luck with your project. i hope it works out good for you. once you get full enclosure, you'll find a whole new experience.. keep pursuing the idea...
folding out to lounge seats and sleeping under full cover is the cats meow for sure.. especially when it rains in the night...

 

[ZK]

Re: Camper tops?

Alright, the company I work for shares space with another company. They are a contractor supply company... The salesman there I know very well, and he gave me really good ideas...

First, I get a discount there, and plan on buying a few things from them... But here's the idea...

I don't know the exact dimensions of my boat, I'm just winging it for now, someday I'll get them exact... But I'm going to make this all one piece...

A tonneau like cover that snaps to the hull and goes over the rails in front, the rest of the cover will be folded underneath, so I can get to where I need to go and unroll it out.

Then it'll go over my windshield, for privacy.

Then it'll hit two supports, one in front, by the seats, and one in back, as far back as I can get it, just before the motor.

The forward support will either be conduit, or PVC, prolly PVC. And allow the top to be five feet tall. The rear support will be only four feet tall... I wanted enough room that I can move around, but instead of making a peak in the middle that would allow rain down the sides, it'll move water down the back, if it does rain.

The doors will be zippers on the sides. The salesman at this supply company showed me these zippers they make for contractors that have adhesive, so you just put the zipper where you need it, and cut, and bang... Door...

So I'm getting a 30' X 40' tarp for like $34. I realize it's much larger than I need, but I've never done anything like this before, and I'd really hate to get to the end to realize the port side is four inches too short.

The zipper kits are $4 a piece, so $8 there.

And the snaps, I'm just going to buy a bag of 100 female snaps and the tool to do it, that's like $20.

Now here's where it gets interesting...

I have no idea how to seam anything.

I can't seam pants, tents, or camper tops for boats.

So my idea was to cut the tarp to size, fold it over about two inches, and Gorilla glue the **** outta it.

The salesman goes: "Why not just iron it?"

We were both unsure how well that will work. So I'm going to cut up a tarp I have, and iron a seam, and see if it works. The girlfriend's gonna be pissed when she sees all this blue plastic on her iron, but I don't care, I've got to do this.

Then this salesman showed me something more interesting... They have 12 mil clear plastic. It's thin enough that I can work with it, but thick enough that it's sturdy and durable.

I plan on cutting several "U" shapes in the tarp, then seaming some of this clear in there, with the cut part inside, like a tent, so I can open and close windows in this thing.

Then the idea went crazy...

I saw the pictures of Ziggy's boat...

Why make a cover, if you can't use it more... I can add a few more vinyl panels over the windshield, and roll them up, then I'll be able to use the cover during bad weather, and still drive my boat, hopefully.

With one piece of tarp over the whole boat, it reduces my chances for leaks anywhere. The only seams will be well below the gunwales, and I'll have to make flaps to cover the zippers. But I'll make this, then test it with the hose in the driveway.

 

[5150abf]

Re: Camper tops?

I have actually built a camper top, probably alot more complicated than what you are doing as it has zipper doors and windows and involved ALOT of sewing which I had never done before either.

I started with a bimini top and 2 boat covers, I work for a boat company, the frame was $7.50 scrap price and the covers were obsolete and free.

What I came up with has 4 sides that zipper together, you can put down 1,2,3 or all 4 sides if it is really nasty and 2 zippered doors and being a bimini it folds flat for transport.

I would suggest you start this project with a pencil and paper, you said you don't know the exact dimenisons of the boat, that is critical, I have found if you can't draw it on paper you probably aren't going to be able to build it.

I had mine built on paper before I ever touched any actual material, it required alot of redraws but it work like I wanted it to the first time, I have designed and built alot of stuff and it all started on paper and it all worked the first time.

You have a good jump on design but you need to get it on paper to see if it will work, you can find flaws on paper and redesign and only waste a sheet of paper.

The other thing I noticed was you wnat to use PVC pipe, what are you going to do with it when the boat is underway, is this going to be assembled after you reach your destination?

Not trying to discourage you at all just pointing out possible problems.

Here is mine.

 

[ZK]

Re: Camper tops?

I've got a few drawings on how I want it designed on paper, I just haven't gone to the garage yet to get measurements. I'll prolly do that tomorrow.

I don't have access to any cheap canvas, that's why I was thinking of a tarp. I made a canvas for an old pop up camper I had once, and that got kind of expensive, but it was an exact replica of the original canvas.

The PVC would be easy to disassemble, as it wouldn't be glued or anything, just fitted together.

 

[rozerdemit]

Re: Camper tops?

Pickup trucks are used to haul around cargo, but sometimes you're hauling cargo that you don't want exposed to the elements in the open bed of your truck. It's situations like these where you need to consider buying a pickup camper shell.

Camper shells cover the bed of your pickup truck and provide a protective roof over whatever you're carrying around. Not only are they useful for protecting cargo from the weather, but also secures it from being stolen if you need to leave your haul in the truck for an extended period of time.

 

[Philster]

Re: Camper tops?

This thread is from LAST year.



Welcome. Stick to current stuff.

 

[NYBo]

Re: Camper tops?

Pickup trucks are used to haul around cargo, but sometimes you're hauling cargo that you don't want exposed to the elements in the open bed of your truck. It's situations like these where you need to consider buying a pickup camper shell.

Camper shells cover the bed of your pickup truck and provide a protective roof over whatever you're carrying around. Not only are they useful for protecting cargo from the weather, but also secures it from being stolen if you need to leave your haul in the truck for an extended period of time.

Welcome to iboats.

You do realize this is a boating forum and this thread is about a camper top for a boat, right?