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Pontoon cover...designed for an RV

Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2019 7:51 am
by onlybillhere
Hello all! so even before I took possession of my pontoon I knew I needed a cover for it. I was looking through this forum and one member used an RV cover instead of a pontoon cover and it got me thinking. I just need a cover for when my pontoon is here at the house, I do not plan on driving with the cover on. So searching website after website I came across this one from Amazon of all places: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BY ... UTF8&psc=1

I have a 21' Party Barge so I needed a cover at least 22' long.
I had to make some kind of canopy so the cover would lay on and allow the rain and leaves to fall off of it. I used 1/2" pvc, some clamps, and boom...a canopy is made (I have to get some pics of it).
The cover has a zippered side that lines up with the side door of the pontoon perfectly.
This works for me, may not be for everyone, but for the cost of the cover and the pvc parts I'm still a couple hundred dollars cheaper than what a cover specifically for my pontoon would have cost...and I can get in with the cover on and still do work inside.
BTW...I have a fan under the cover to help circulate air. The cover is breathable and keeps the rain out but it still gets warm under there in the Florida weather.
Here are the pics:
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Re: Pontoon cover...designed for an RV

Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2019 8:45 am
by BobL
Is the cover "breathable"?

My main concern is mildew forming on the seats. My first cover (came from Bentley) did not breathe worth a crap and I was always fighting mildew. The covers that came with my South Bay and Xcursion were breathable and I have never had a mildew issue.

I'm looking of for a better solution now because the only time I use the cover is when it is on my covered lift and I am getting tired of snapping the thing down each time. I think one of these would work and no snaps required (would figure a way to tie it down to the pier for high winds).

Re: Pontoon cover...designed for an RV

Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2019 8:57 am
by onlybillhere
BobL wrote:
Mon Jul 08, 2019 8:45 am
Is the cover "breathable"?
The cover is breathable (at least it says it is) and there are some "vents" on the side also to help with airflow. Adding the fan underneath will help but I understand no everyone will be able to put a fan under there.
The cover comes with some adjustable straps at the bottom of the cover that you can snap together under the trailer to keep the cover secure.
This isn't the most expensive RV cover available, there are some that have more features but for what I needed it to do it was a good fit.

Re: Pontoon cover...designed for an RV

Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2019 7:24 am
by curtiscapk
Nice work! need pics of your frame. :nana :nana :nana :nana

Re: Pontoon cover...designed for an RV

Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2019 9:05 am
by onlybillhere
So here is a quick pic of the inside of the cover, the pvc has started to bow so I might have to make some changes, maybe add some supports that sit on the deck.
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And here is how I attached the pvc. I used 1" pvc and attached it to the fence. The 1/2" PVC just slips into the 1" PVC and is easily removed.
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I'll probably make a new version, something more sturdy, but since this was the first attempt I don't think it turned out bad.

Re: Pontoon cover...designed for an RV

Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2019 10:53 am
by curtiscapk
that was going to be my exact plan as well!
Nicely done!

Re: Pontoon cover...designed for an RV

Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2019 11:04 am
by onlybillhere
i'm switching over to 1/2" metal conduit so I don't have the issue of the pipes bending. I think with the weight of the cover plus the width of the pontoon the PVC was just not rigid enough to hold up. I think the metal conduit will be better. I will update once I get it changed out.

Re: Pontoon cover...designed for an RV

Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2019 8:10 am
by bansil
Great idea, i like it :thumbsup

Re: Pontoon cover...designed for an RV

Posted: Tue Jul 16, 2019 11:05 am
by onlybillhere
ok...so here is take 2! I replaced the pvc poles since they couldn't hold up, they just started bending under the weight, so I used 1/2" metal conduit and bent the pipe to how I needed it.
The conduit came in 10' long pieces and I kept them that long so that the cover doesn't touch the ground anymore.
I also added another set of brackets to the side to give the conduit more support.
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so far much better. still some tweaking needs to be done but overall a better system.

Re: Pontoon cover...designed for an RV

Posted: Tue Jul 16, 2019 3:02 pm
by Marc K
Looks like that will work! I was wondering about PVC sag when it rains.