A few days back I was talking about a School Bus on a barge. Which would be expensive for an old barge. A power plant to take it under way would be signifigantly expensive too.
I mentioned to Dan that I'd once almost bought this little RV built on a VW Bug. They were wanting $1200 bucks for it but the engine was harmed by their not knowing to seal the engine compartment so it would ventalate properly. I figured that if i could get it for $1000 that would be reasonable, but then I just gave up on it. I wish I hadn't now. I got to thinking about building a wooden barge for it to ride on and began to realize it could have been done with a 50 hp outboard.
When I looked in the engine compartment I noticed this electric fan like schoolbus drivers have on them during the warm months and on the inside of the windshield to help defrost it in the winter. They figured it would help cool the VW engine. They hadn't panned off the motor so the top side was sealed in the motor compartment and the fan could suck in outside air and vent properly to cool the motor. So I figured the motor was running hot most of the time and damaged. With the motor open to the road beneath it the faster the vehicle travels the
air is pressure is lower under the motor and the fan can't draw air against that low pressure area, thus it needs to be sealed off so that vents to the outside can provide the intake fan with air to blow thru the
engine.
The guys who put this together were cabinet makers and quite talented. They got their plans for it from a Mechanics Illustrated magazine. Except for their not understanding the proper air flow for the cooling of the engine it was nearly perfect. I could have probably overhauled it for a couple hundred bucks and had a dependable motor.
Maybe even go with a 92MM jug kit to get some more torque and an aux oil cooler later. On the left side was this door where you could open it and pull out your camp stove and sink to cook outdoors if it was too hot inside. Just park so you were on the shaded side or out of the wind. Otherwise you left the stove in place in the kitchenette and cooked inside. Neat.
I can now imagine drifting on the little houseboat/barge down the Ohio River while living in comfort in the evening in the interior of the RV. There was no bathroom or shower in it as the guys who built it just used it for over night fishing trips. There were two beds in it for 2 kids & 2 adults, the kitchen area and some stowage. But a guy could always pull into a Flyin J truckstop and get a shower or use a roadside rest for the bathroom when traveling in it. But for an 8X10 RV it was just enough. Headroom was cramped a bit, but with some canvas awnings
rigged on the outside a deck chair would be all it would take.
But I figure it would be nice on a small barge boat so you could travel by water and drive off to explore the local area lands for awhile before backing back on the barge to resume the water travel. With a motor bike packed along you'd have everything you needed for some sight seeing or grocery getting. Even find a facility to get a shower & shave.
Plans from Robt. G. Riley Entp.
MiniHome: A VW Bug Motorhome With Sleeping and Camping for Four
Re: House Boat and why I want one. 
Linear Mode
