Pontoon mod

ralphl

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jun 2, 2010
Messages
223
Awhile back there was a thread about modifying pontoons but I can't find it now, so I'll post this here.

Like so many, my 20-ft. Landau turned out to be 18-ft. of usable boat and two wings sticking out back that hold the gas tank and battery. That seemed like really wasted space, so we picked up two large, polymer cutting boards (2'x4'x 1/2 inch) and four sticks of 1 inch aluminum tubing from Lowes, along with a pile of really pricey stainless nuts and bolts. Here's what we built.

We now have a 2 foot x 8 foot work station across the back for preparing lunch or cleaning fish or setting up rods & reels. It also shades the battery and the gas tank, and I can still access the battery, engine and gas tank through that opening in the rail. I was going to hinge it across the back brace instead of locking it down, but I can't see working on the engine out in the water, and I gas up at the dock or on the trailer, so for now it's bolted down solidly. I guess if I ever need access, I can hinge it.

Don't mind the mess in the pictures. Those towels are to protect the new carpet while I tromp around with my muddy feet.

The buckets you see hanging from the rail come from the feed store. They are designed to hang on a corral fence to feed horses. They are bulldog tough for about $14 - great for sponges, spare oil, anchor rope, whatever.
 

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BBDAWG

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jul 9, 2010
Messages
41
Re: Pontoon mod

Great mod Ralphl..
I am struggling right now (today) trying to figure out how to utilize that same space. I like the looks of the tubing and the plain white topper. The SS hdw just makes it look much nicer.

Thanks for the idea!!
 

ralphl

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jun 2, 2010
Messages
223
Re: Pontoon mod

double click on the pic and it will enlarge bigger for a close up of the hdwre..
 

Boss Hawg

Lieutenant
Joined
Apr 9, 2009
Messages
1,433
Re: Pontoon mod

Excellant idea & job-
I'd love to do something like that but my "pen" doesn't extend the entire length like yours :(

BOAT001.jpg
 

BBDAWG

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jul 9, 2010
Messages
41
Re: Pontoon mod

The back of my boat is very similar to yours Bosshawg and I want to utilize the space above the fuel tanks and across the engine, just to hide the tanks and mess. Now, I'm thinking of spanning across the front and back of the engine with the aluminum pipe or some angle then decking over it and using some uprights to support the top just using the extension where the fuel sit now.

What do you think?
 

ralphl

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jun 2, 2010
Messages
223
Re: Pontoon mod

extend out from the side rails back to the corners, add an extra inside length to get you right over the corners by the tanks, drop two legs down than span accross the boat over the existing back rail and again over the tanks and youre there. Add two more legs and a couple of inside top braces to stiffen it up. Should work fine
 

rheine

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Sep 13, 2008
Messages
81
Re: Pontoon mod

Ralphl,
Nice setup. Where did you find the giant cutting boards. Are they HDPE?
 

ralphl

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jun 2, 2010
Messages
223
Re: Pontoon mod

HDPE - I have no idea. It's the kind of cutting board material you see everywhere. Should be pretty indesctructible. I'll run out and check the label tomorrow (it's raining tonight), I think it has a website listed for the manufacturer. I found mine at Scheel's sporting goods in Rapid City, South Dakota. They are the biggest I've ever seen and were in the fishing department. They had several sizes, but these were the biggest. At 2 ft by 4 ft, the two of them fill the space perfectly. I haven't found them at Cabelas or Bass Pro or anywhere else, but I'll bet on on-line search would turn them up. I'll get you the website tomorrow.
 

VaGent

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 14, 2008
Messages
221
Re: Pontoon mod

I've never seen those hanging containers you have on the stern rails either. Mind telling me where you found those too?

I'm using 3/4 inch AZEK (PVC lumber)for the rear sun deck which will wind up looking a lot like yours. I found 1-1/2 aluminum square tubeing & I'm in the process of building it now.
 

ralphl

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jun 2, 2010
Messages
223
Re: Pontoon mod

Ralphl,
Nice setup. Where did you find the giant cutting boards. Are they HDPE?

Cutting boards from the label - Pro Series 24x48 processing board www.apoutdoors.com in St. Cloud, MN

The hanging containers are 12-quart feed buckets for feeding horses from a corral fence. The sell for about $14 at the local feed store. If you don't have a feed store or ranch store, just Google horse feed buckets and you should be able to find them on-line. They are the handiest things on a boat since pockets on a shirt.
 

rheine

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Sep 13, 2008
Messages
81

ralphl

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jun 2, 2010
Messages
223
Re: Pontoon mod

I paid about 125.00 for the two boards, about 100 for 4 sticks of 1in alum tubing and the stainless 1/4x20 screws at lowe's ,maybe another 25 for the angle braces and a new sharp drill bit. $250 total and a few hrs work bought another two feet of boat and a very handy work area.
 

VaGent

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 14, 2008
Messages
221
Re: Pontoon mod

I bought a sheet of 3/4X4X8 AZEK from a lumber yard here for $140.00. Its PVC lumber that is sold in sheets. I built my pontoon console using it & will have enough left over to build my sundeck very similar to what you have now. I got what they call "drop cuts" of 1-1/4" 1/8 thick wall for a total of $65.00 & the SS bolts cost me another $9.80. I'll have a little more to pay as I am going to have my sundeck frame welded together.
 

jeffybear

Recruit
Joined
Aug 24, 2009
Messages
2
Re: Pontoon mod

Really nice, makes for alot of extra space, space that can always be used. Looks to me to be a really good place for a grill too....and I can see my daughter laying on it to get tan:D
 

mike243

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Apr 3, 2009
Messages
123
Re: Pontoon mod

the girl will be great ;) but leave the grill @ the front of the boat,no need to burn the boat down with the gas tank rite under the grill :eek: mike243
 

Silver Eagle

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Mar 16, 2010
Messages
852
Re: Pontoon mod

the girl will be great ;) but leave the grill @ the front of the boat,no need to burn the boat down with the gas tank rite under the grill :eek: mike243

I've been thing of doing something with my open space in the rear .Only my boat is all padded in the rear and top. You can't see my fuel tank. I still have an open area around the motor.I was thinking of adding a couple of small fuel tanks back there.Maybe build a rack to carry my supplies with.I made a boarding ladder out of a six ft alumn. ladder.I cut the hinges off and the back so the front and top is still there.I put a piece of pressure treated wood on the bottom. 1x6 . I use this to get in and out of the boat at loading areas. and sometimes if the water gets to deep to use the regular latter .
 
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