cancel
Showing results forย 
Search instead forย 
Did you mean:ย 

Switch to houseboat?

TNGW1500SE
Explorer
Explorer
Has anyone ever considered switching to a houseboat? I'm getting tired of these 50 buck a night campground fees. Everyplace we go there's a nice lake to stay on free. W'd stay for a month or so. I'd have to pay for pump outs, maybe a launch fee or two, run a generator some but other than that, why not???? Once I sold the class A and put that down on the boat, the savings in CG fees would pay for the boat wouldn't it?

Something like this:
31 REPLIES 31

p220sigman
Explorer
Explorer
Hopefully this wasn't you...

drsteve
Explorer
Explorer
IdaD wrote:
Buying a boat to save money is an innovative approach.


That's putting it mildly.
2006 Silverado 1500HD Crew Cab 2WD 6.0L 3.73 8600 GVWR
2018 Coachmen Catalina Legacy Edition 223RBS
1991 Palomino Filly PUP

Grit_dog
Nomad III
Nomad III
Bottom line, it doesnโ€™t make sense to use as a camper on land. From towing to marine specific outfitting, if you want a camper, get a camper. House boat, get a house boat.
Think something as simple as leveling jacks or sewer dump or, access/egress, or the fact that pontoon type boat trailers arenโ€™t good to tow.
Some things just werenโ€™t meant to be put together. Like a peanut butter and ham sandwich. Itโ€™ll still make a turd but it wasnโ€™t meant to go together....
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5โ€ turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold

IdaD
Explorer
Explorer
Buying a boat to save money is an innovative approach.
2015 Cummins Ram 4wd CC/SB

Lightning55
Explorer
Explorer
Up until the last few years, I was an avid boater. It becomes a lifestyle and I admit that I really miss it. Although RVing is not inexpensive, boating has become very expensive, especially larger boats. Berthing fees, marina fuel costs, insurance, maintenance and repairs just got to be too much for me. My 5th wheel trailer has provided great family recreation and we will continue it but I often long for weekend outings on the water. Wish I could do both. Anyway, I don't think you are going to save money by owning a houseboat.

Veebyes
Explorer II
Explorer II
BOAT: Break Out Another Thousand. Enough said on that one.

Nobody has marketed a successful trailerable houseboat yet. Think rapid depreciation on cost price. Without permits it needs to be less than 8'6" wide. Boat plus trailer weight adds up quick. A truck for the job is needed to get up steep boat ramps.

Boats are not cheap to run. It does not take much of a boat before you start measuring fuel consumption in gallons per mile instead of miles per gallon.
Boat: 32' 1996 Albin 32+2, single Cummins 315hp
40+ night per year overnighter

2007 Alpenlite 34RLR
2006 Chevy 3500 LT, CC,LB 6.6L Diesel

Ham Radio: VP9KL, IRLP node 7995

magicbus
Explorer
Explorer
Deb and Ed M wrote:
My first thought would be how boring it might become? How restrictive it could be, depending on anchoring/riparian laws. And having kept a boat at a marina for a few years, how stunningly expensive it could be for repairs, services, etc.

Having done it... sold a 36 foot DP and bought a 49 foot trawler and traveled all of the East Coast I have to agree on the โ€œstunningly expensiveโ€ part of boating. I had 30 years of on water experience and 70,000+ miles of North America Rving. I wouldnโ€™t trade either experience for anything, but there are big differences. IMHO boating, while much cheaper for overnights and free for water and pump outs, makes up for it big time in storage and repairs.

And then thereโ€™s the stress factor. RV have a crisis? Call for service and check into a hotel. (I never experienced this bad a crisis, but Iโ€™m pretty handy). Boat water pump dies... canโ€™t pump out the waste tank... engine dead. Bigger deal!!!

Loved the boat. Loved the experiences. DW asked how we simplify. Sold the boat, bought a Class B. Aaahhhh. Simplified.

Dave
Current: 2018 Winnebago Era A
Previous: Selene 49 Trawler
Previous: Country Coach Allure 36

valhalla360
Nomad
Nomad
JaxDad wrote:
Why choose one or the other?

Clicky-clicky.


http://www.trailerable-houseboat-for-sale.com/index.html

I did come across an interesting option that eliminates the biggest issue with being trailerable (too little beam to be roomy). They also appear to have it set up for use as an RV...even includes a small slide out.
Tammy & Mike
Ford F250 V10
2021 Gray Wolf
Gemini Catamaran 34'
Full Time spliting time between boat and RV

Chum_lee
Explorer
Explorer
JaxDad wrote:
Why choose one or the other?

Clicky-clicky.



That's an interesting idea and probably the most practical one I've seen so far. (as far as converting a normal RV for aquatic use) What does one do with a 60' long, 16' wide hull (a barge really) when you AREN'T using it? It's a little oversize for most fresh water marina slips. Can you trailer that hull? Hummmmmmm. Economic lake rentals? (just add your RV)


Chum lee

JaxDad
Explorer III
Explorer III
Why choose one or the other?

Clicky-clicky.

Gjac
Explorer III
Explorer III
Retired JSO wrote:
We were boaters back in the 90โ€™s. With our 30โ€™ cruiser, we travelled to the Bahamas in 1993 for 10 days Green Turtle Cay and Marsh Harbor. $45 a night at Green Turtle and $52 a night at Marsh Harbor. Fuel cost from NE Florida, $1800+. Until, 1997, every weekend on the St Johns and Nassau/St Maryโ€™s River. No camp fees while River camping but fuel about $200 a weekend plus $150 a month docking fee. Camping is, by far a lot cheaper than boating.
We did this also out of Miami in the early 70's and 80's on my fathers 31 ft Bertram, it was a lot of fun. Bimini, great and little Isaacs, diving and fishing.We just anchored on the lee side of the small islands. Gas was the biggest expense a lot more than a MH and campground fees.

Gjac
Explorer III
Explorer III
If I was going to do what you want to do I would get a trailer able cat type pontoon boat like this https://www.catamarancruiser.com/8x31-lil-hobo-trailerable. It would offer the best of both worlds. You could tow it with a truck to a CG and use it like a trailer and when there is a lake you slide it off the trailer into the water and find a quite cove to sleep and fish in. When I camped at Lake of the woods in Canada they also rented these types of boats at the CG and people would sleep in them over night as well as fish.

Retired_JSO
Explorer
Explorer
We were boaters back in the 90โ€™s. With our 30โ€™ cruiser, we travelled to the Bahamas in 1993 for 10 days Green Turtle Cay and Marsh Harbor. $45 a night at Green Turtle and $52 a night at Marsh Harbor. Fuel cost from NE Florida, $1800+. Until, 1997, every weekend on the St Johns and Nassau/St Maryโ€™s River. No camp fees while River camping but fuel about $200 a weekend plus $150 a month docking fee. Camping is, by far a lot cheaper than boating.

drsteve
Explorer
Explorer
We vacationed on a rental houseboat with three other couples on Lake Cumberland in Kentucky. It was a good time. BUT....

We used a lot of fuel for both the boat motor and the diesel generator. Cumberland, like many lakes in that region, is an impoundment with very steep, rocky banks and few level places to get off the boat, so you're on board for the duration. Our rental was 65' long and 15' wide. We saw privately owned boats that were floating palaces, up to 100' long and with three decks. A trailerable boat is of course much smaller and more restrictive.

Bottom line, it was fun, but it seemed like it would get tedious after a while. And no way is it cheaper than RVing.
2006 Silverado 1500HD Crew Cab 2WD 6.0L 3.73 8600 GVWR
2018 Coachmen Catalina Legacy Edition 223RBS
1991 Palomino Filly PUP