PVC "Under-Cover" Boat Structure

[l008com]

For the past 5 years or so, I've used these two giant heavy wood structures I made one year, to put on my boat, under the cover. This is to keep the snow and rain sliding off during the winter instead of puddling up. But the wooden structures are heavy and awkward to maneuver. Plus they're tough to store during the summer when the boat is in use. I just ordered a new cover and I want to build a new structure too, with PVC. It will be much lighter but also with what I'm thinking, I can also make it flattenable, so I can just hang it on the back of my shed or something.

So I have a pretty solid design so far (i was actually in home depot today scoping out all of their PVC sizes and joint types). I basically want to make a giant cross, with a 4" tube going across the tops of my windshield, and a long 1.5" tube going from the windshield to the motor (only about 8 feet). The 4" tube's primary purpose is to BE round. I don't have curved windshields, I have hard-edged windshields. And I think if I don't put something rounded under there, the windshields will tear through the cover much sooner. Here I'll try to draw a visual aide:

So here's my problem. I can't figure out a good way to connect the thick piece to the top of the windshield. It's round so it's not going to balance. But it has to be solid on there so the rest of the tubes can hang off of it. I'm also not entirely sure how the back is going to go. If I'm just going to rest it on the engine housing, or if I'm going to run a tube straight down to the floor. I'm going to be doing a little winter driving with this cover on there, so it has to at least be solid enough for that. All of the pieces that spread out to the sides of the boat are just going to be 1" tubes that rest on the sides. So I just need some clever way to hook up the main resting point.

 

[Ray1958]

Re: PVC "Under-Cover" Boat Structure

Cut a slot in the PVC tube to interlock with the windshield, the same could be done at the transom. Consider a couple through holes in the PVC to tie down to your cleats if indeed the plan is to travel with the structure in place.

Ray

 

[l008com]

Re: PVC "Under-Cover" Boat Structure

But the bit tube is going along the top of the windsheild. Do you mean cut a whole section out the long way, so it was basically a 4 foot wide letter "C"? That's going to make it hard to use fitting to join the other pieces together. Or did I misunderstand.

 

[Ray1958]

Re: PVC "Under-Cover" Boat Structure

No you did not misunderstand, I did. I cannot see the pics here at work. You can make it into a C channel but this would for certain require a line securing it to the front cleats. You may consider clips holding the PVC to the windshield, or one or two pieces perpendicular to the windshield with a notch, then tying it off to the cleats.

Ray

 

[sea wolf]

Re: PVC "Under-Cover" Boat Structure

But the bit tube is going along the top of the windsheild. Do you mean cut a whole section out the long way, so it was basically a 4 foot wide letter "C"? That's going to make it hard to use fitting to join the other pieces together. Or did I misunderstand.

Are sure you want to rest the structure on the windshield? If you get a heavy snow load, especially if it's wet stuff, the windshield may collapse or bend under the load.

 

[l008com]

Re: PVC "Under-Cover" Boat Structure

Hmmm. I don't have an answer to that question. Let me ponder it for a bit. The idea of the tent shape is that the snow will fall off, but it should stick for a while.

 

[oops!]

Re: PVC "Under-Cover" Boat Structure

the trick of pvc frames is to have a very long pipe from the tip of the bow to the transom.....the height of the tube should be 3 feet off the top of the windsheild frame.

a really big arch.

then use specificaly cut pieces to support the arch...these supports run from either the top of the gunwhales or from the deck it self.
under the supports...use small pieces of ply wood as feet.....so the pvc does not make indentations in the deck.

you dont need to glue the pvs together.....just pressure fit....that way stowage is easy

 

[Alwhite00]

Re: PVC "Under-Cover" Boat Structure

At the windshield area could you just put an elbow there with another bigger size pipe running to the floor? I would possible put one in the middle and at the transom also. That way you have no weight on the windshield. Or possibly make three "A" frames to support the long center pole - That would be better yet.

LK

 

[bick]

Re: PVC "Under-Cover" Boat Structure

Just keep the tubing higher than the windshield... no need to put it exactly on the windshield frame. If your concerned about the frame damaging the cover, buy some cheap home pipe insulation or swimming pool noodles to use on the windshield frame.

 

[Starman8]

Re: PVC "Under-Cover" Boat Structure

Consider a hybrid method.

Build 3 letter "I" type framing member walls out of 2x4, place one between the front seats and the dashes, place one midship, and one at the back wall.

The floor now supports everything like stick frame construction. Run the main ridge out of PVC longnitudanly, and from there, you can branch out PVC rafters.

I have a 4 way method, works for me, but probably not everyone. The best method is indoor storage$$, then shrinkwrap.

I built 4 framed members, bow where the plates run left/right, between console and front seats, midship, plates run front/back, then aft runs left/right. The plates have scrap carpet for friction.

The Sunbrella travel cover gets placed on, as it cinched tight, that is part one. Then I take a utility poly tarp and cover the boat, and start wrapping it with twine port to star and under the hull until it is tightly sealed. That is part 2. The appearance looks like a shrink wrap would with framed members.

Part 3 is an oversized poly tarp that actually wraps the entire trailer, boat, and outboard like a huge shroud. part 4 is the luxury of having a set of pines that are like a tent mother nature made. Most of the snow and rain gets slowed down, like in a forest.

Prop each hatch, lid, storage, etc open a little, put a dryer softener sheet(BOUNCE) or whatever brand to repel the mice, and screen off the drain hole

 

[mommicked]

Re: PVC "Under-Cover" Boat Structure

With all of the various sizes and fitings, Ts, 45 junctions, and reducers,etc; the possibilities are endless w PVC frames. I made mine freestanding w 2" heavy pvc, one long ridgepole stem to stern. I used 5 inverted Ts w 2' stabilizers on each end of top of the upsidedown Ts for the bases, 5' pipes and and 3 Ts connect the bases to the ridgepole, w 90 fitings on the ends of the ridgepole. The risers on the ends are shorter, they sit on decks above the floor. If you can get it tall or steep enough alot of snow will slide off the tarp when pulled tightly. Also I bounced, or beat on the snowcovered tarp to knock the snow off. If you make it strong enough you could use long tiedown straps over the ridgepole accross from side to side and hooked to the trailer to hold up to heavy snow. As said before once assembled to your liking you can glue some pieces together to make put up/take down easy and fast.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: PVC "Under-Cover" Boat Structure

IMHO you are working WAY too hard.... two uprights, say 3" or 4" diameter a couple feet taller than the windshield with flanges on the ends, rope forward, aft, and to trailer on both sides or angled to cleats and you're good to go.

 

[sea wolf]

Re: PVC "Under-Cover" Boat Structure

IMHO you are working WAY too hard.... two uprights, say 3" or 4" diameter a couple feet taller than the windshield with flanges on the ends, rope forward, aft, and to trailer on both sides or angled to cleats and you're good to go.

Yep, that's pretty much how I did mine, but I used 2 x 4's. I drape a tarp over everything making a tent & I'm good to go. I also spray the tarp down with silicone which helps to waterproof the tarp & allows the snow to slide off.

 

[PiratePast40]

Re: PVC "Under-Cover" Boat Structure

Here's something really simple and it works:


Don't completely seal it up to allow for ventilation and prevent moisture buildup.

 

[striper2101]

Re: PVC "Under-Cover" Boat Structure

I have been using the same PVC frame on my boat for 10 years and it has held up great. I have two recommendations, first, use atleast 2 inch PVC tube because is will bend under the weight from the snow. Using this thickness keeps it from bending too much. Second, press fitting the tubes into the different unions is fine, but under extreme weight, it will not hold. What I have done is to pressure fit the tube into the union and then drill a hole all the way through both pieces. Then I take a piece of 12 guage copper electrical wire and run it through the hole and twist. This way the pieces cannot come apart but it is not permanent so you can reconnect each year. good luck.

 

[l008com]

Re: PVC "Under-Cover" Boat Structure

Here's what I whipped up:

Look close and you'll see the missing PVC fitting because the company I bought them from, forgot one
But these two 'boxes' work very well. Especially the short one that goes in the front. The bigger one might need a little more side support. The cover I got has a lot of slack back there. And due to the very stupid way the cover is cut around the motor, I can't just make the big section taller to take up the slack, because it won't be much of a cover if the back is wide open to all of the squirrels and raccoons.

Anyway, here's the big issue. It's not PVC related but it is related to the cover. Now that I have these structures on the cover, the cover is being pulled even tighter. The corners of my square windshield are really putting a lot of pressure on the cover. I need something I can put on the corners of my windshield that will deflect the cover, so the cover is pushing against a smoother surface, rather than being pulled tight over a sharp corner. Any ideas?

 

[John_S]

Re: PVC "Under-Cover" Boat Structure

Foam pipe insulation has worked for me to keep tarps from ripping.