Would you buy a pontoon that didn't have seperate air chambers ?

[luckyjr]

No air chambers with EZ entry in the rear to get inside for repairs. Also a drain in the rear, pull a plug to drain the toon like a standard boat plug.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Would you buy a pontoon that didn't have seperate air chambers ?

Nope. I like having the redundancy of chambers. Makes me feel warm and fuzzy. I have no issue with drain plugs. In fact, the PO added them to my barge, apparently because he was too cheap or lazy to have the leaks properly repaired. The problem with a "standard boat plug" within the context of a pontoon boat is that a pontoon boat is not a "standard boat". Just my opinion.

 

[luckyjr]

Re: Would you buy a pontoon that didn't have seperate air chambers ?

Would you get that warm and fuzzy knowing if I took a shotgun and blew a hole in each chamber of your pontoons in the middle of the lake, you would actually have more boyance and floation than you had before I used the shotgun.

 

[EGlideRider]

Re: Would you buy a pontoon that didn't have seperate air chambers ?

Would you get that warm and fuzzy knowing if I took a shotgun and blew a hole in each chamber of your pontoons in the middle of the lake, you would actually have more boyance and floation than you had before I used the shotgun.

?????????

 

[luckyjr]

Re: Would you buy a pontoon that didn't have seperate air chambers ?

View attachment 121553
I am working with a company to build a proto type pontoon boat with I/2 moon shaped 11 1/2" radius plastic encased styrofoam floatations 7' long. This floatations will be inserted and fill the inside of two 26" dia x 24' pontoons.

The inside flotation will out last the aluminum pontoon itself. But, if something were to happen and water entered the pontoons, the floatation cylinders inside would actual have more boyance than the aluminum pontoon itself. The floations would add 82lbs per toon. The 26" dia toon will make up for the extra weight. The floatation insde can be replace if damaged with the EZ entry pontoon. The pontoons you see on eBAY ARE SECONDS from the manufactures, They have trouble repairing minor damage to pontoons during the manufacturing process and can not sell them as new . Heating aluminum is tricky and mechanical repairs are better served. With this design, the pontoon would actually be stronger, repairs would be more accessable and safety would be better IN OUR OPINION. A commercial with todays air chambers design and this new design should best shown with the shotgun test. If not, it would get some laughs.

 

[cemcrae53]

Re: Would you buy a pontoon that didn't have seperate air chambers ?

Luckyjr help me out with your math. I think you will have the same water displacement with or with out the foam in the pontoons. Also you will have 162 lbs more weight with foam inserts than without them. Since all other variables are constant how do you more bouyancy with a hole in the log????

 

[luckyjr]

Re: Would you buy a pontoon that didn't have seperate air chambers ?

Luckyjr help me out with your math. I think you will have the same water displacement with or with out the foam in the pontoons. Also you will have 162 lbs more weight with foam inserts than without them. Since all other variables are constant how do you more bouyancy with a hole in the log????

The weight of plastic coated styrofoam is less than the aluminum pontoon. Remember, water weighs approx 63lbs a cubic ft so bouyancy is more on items weighing less when displacing the water. A sq inch of aluminum does not float but plastic coated styrofoam does. More bouyancy

 

[lncoop]

Re: Would you buy a pontoon that didn't have seperate air chambers ?

Well lucky, I'll say this. Your posts are always entertaining and informative, which after all is why we're here., but I think if I saw someone throwing down on me with a scatter gun my pontoons would be the least of my worries. You're obviously an innovator, which is cool. I'm glad I could get the ball rolling for you. Now, I have full coverage, so if you want to shoot my boat go ahead. All I ask is that you don't do it while the Coops (or anyone else for that matter) are aboard.

 

[luckyjr]

Re: Would you buy a pontoon that didn't have seperate air chambers ?

Incoop your always a gentleman and I enjoyed your post. I just like thinking out of the box and love to learn new things. The challenge is about the only thing that gets my juices running at 70. I have learned alot about pontoons here. A very knowledgable group who definitly keeps you in line. PS In Texas, all we carry are 357 magnums.

 

[The_Kid]

Re: Would you buy a pontoon that didn't have seperate air chambers ?

No air chambers with EZ entry in the rear to get inside for repairs. Also a drain in the rear, pull a plug to drain the toon like a standard boat plug.

Yes, I would, and I already have. My 90 Playcraft already has 2 out of 3 of those. Each toon is a single foam filled air chamber with a drain at the rear. I don't see why anyone would want to get inside to make a repair, much less trying to find a welder that would be willing to crawl into a 26" tube to make the repair.

 

[luckyjr]

Re: Would you buy a pontoon that didn't have seperate air chambers ?

Pushing out dents machanically with radius tools from the inside is very simple. This would benefit manufactures mostly. You don't need a welder to do this. We are working on the design of rear entry but my thoughts are a rubber gasket and 1/4" aluminum rivets type of arrangement double sealed. Need entry drill out the rivets and replace them when finished. My welders had to go inside smaller pipe than 26" to back gouge their welds and weld the back of each seam. You can fix holes in your toons with aluminum rivets from the outside.

The keyword here is plastic encased styrofoam (no water absorbsion) bare closed cell styrofoam can absorb 3 to 4 % water. Lot of weight.

 

[coleman kayak1]

Re: Would you buy a pontoon that didn't have seperate air chambers ?

Unless they were foam filled, heck no. I have broke a chamber on mine before and no doubt would've been swimming had it not been for multiple chambers.

 

[luckyjr]

Re: Would you buy a pontoon that didn't have seperate air chambers ?

Unless they were foam filled, heck no. I have broke a chamber on mine before and no doubt would've been swimming had it not been for multiple chambers.

how bad did it go down where you broke the chamber. If you were fully loaded would it have stayed up? No, I don't think so

but with this new system it would stay up even if you were loaded to full capacity. The max water allowed to enter would be 2 inch but all of the floatation inside that toon would be activated and they have more bouyance.

 

[5150abf]

Re: Would you buy a pontoon that didn't have seperate air chambers ?

Have you ever actually pushed a dent on a toon out because I have and you can't actually do it, the metal is just to thick, you can get some of it but never all and normally end up with a bunch of small dents instead of one big one.

I just don't see the advantage of having a boat you expect to sink, the foam in the tubes adds no flotation unless the tube is almost completly full of water, with the tube intack it is just weight since the tube is providing the flotation.

I geuss I just don't get it, it seems like alot of extra weight and expense for a problem most peole will never have, I would be really worried about the pop out end cap too, seems like a failure point to me.

And I disagree, you could rip the entire bottom out of one section and still float fine, if it is a 6 chamber boat,2 nose cones and 4 tube sections, the boat might list pretty good but would never sink completely, also the tube would take on very little water even with the bottom gone.

Take a glass and sick the open end in water, you will get a small bulge of water but that is all unless you vent it then it will take on water.

It just seems like alot of extra material and expense to solve a problem that isn't really a problem, I have built pontoons for 24 years, around 100,000 boats, and can't remember ever hearing about ONE of them sinking, we have had them take on quite a bit of water but never have they sunk.

Certainly not trying to start anything but like I said I just don't get it.

 

[cyclops2]

Re: Would you buy a pontoon that didn't have seperate air chambers ?

You need more protection. Just ask the companies selling protection.

 

[luckyjr]

Re: Would you buy a pontoon that didn't have seperate air chambers ?

Irish, i always like hear your thought because you been there done that. Being a old ex faber myself, I think the tube will take less manhours. Do you build the cans on auto turning rolls? Do you xray girth and long seams? The chambers/stiffners how many hours to fit and weld out one?

I realize aluminum has no memory that is why I suggest radius hydraulic tools from the inside. The toon will only allow 2 inch of water to enter.

None of them sinking I am not sure, but It just takes saving one family for all of this to be worth it. It is just a safer way. imo

With no rain here in Texas, the lake are really really down. You never know when your going to hit something even in the middle of the lake.

This new type toons and the new aluminum stud floor connected to the aluminum cross members by many 1/4" rivets, might actually lower the cost of pontoon boats.

Here a little type of toon my company built

 

[5150abf]

Re: Would you buy a pontoon that didn't have seperate air chambers ?

Holy cow, what size engine do you run on that thing?

No xray machines at Bennington, the only real weld test we do is my air check guy runs them up to about 10 12psi, if they pop there is a problem if not they are good, the last one to let go was the one at the top of this forum so we have run thousands of boats since then.

My guy can baffle a boat in about 10 minutes and that is installing and welding 3 baffles and an endcap.

I certainly wish you luck, just don't take too many of my boats away from me, I hate laying people off.

When they started talking about elliptical tubes I wasn't real sure about them either and they have worked our really well

 

[luckyjr]

Re: Would you buy a pontoon that didn't have seperate air chambers ?

Irish this is fun for me a company contacted me. !0 minutes, well drop my jaw 25ft of welding alone. Yea, put a 7.5 on that one. We built bigger than that one until the boys in washington gave Korea the money to make us retire.. They can build them for 50% of what they cost us. They have state of the art equip that Washington gave S korea the money to go first class. Oh, what a world we live in now days.

 

[coleman kayak1]

Re: Would you buy a pontoon that didn't have seperate air chambers ?

how bad did it go down where you broke the chamber. If you were fully loaded would it have stayed up? No, I don't think so

but with this new system it would stay up even if you were loaded to full capacity. The max water allowed to enter would be 2 inch but all of the floatation inside that toon would be activated and they have more bouyance.

We hit a partially submerged log at around 10mph. A remnant of a branch which was sharp pierced and tore about a 4" hole in the front starboard toon chamber. We had 4 people on board, just had everybody move to the port rear of the boat and we headed back. We didn't try to go fast or nothing but we made it alright. Would've been harder with a full load, but I think still doable.

Cause we redistributed the load, the whole boat moved down rather evenly, all about 4" as I recall.

Just my two cents, but for my money I would have multiple chambers

 

[luckyjr]

Re: Would you buy a pontoon that didn't have seperate air chambers ?

thanks for the update. Glade everything turned out ok. You always wonder what if it happens what is the first thing i should do. Moving the weight may help someone down the line. .
I was fishing a long time ago and there was a boat about 50 yards away doing the same. All of sudden, we hear yelling for help. There were 3 guys hanging on to a big igloo chest with no boat in sight. They forgot to put in their plug.