Nater Potater's Build Thread

Great posts and it's a bummer the PO was clueless in his maintenance. Fortunately you spent the time to catch them and correct them, so it should be good to go! I hope so anyway! Hope you got to enjoy it somewhere this summer and are back up at Lake Pend Oreille! (If you aren't from the PNW, the correct pronunciation is Lake Pond O-ray! Stay tuned and we'll clue you in on the correct pronunciation of Sequim!)

Trailer bearings and getting tires every 5 years is a pain. I thought about the two tires every year or every other year, but it just didn't work. It seems like my front or rear two get the abuse and the middle axle just floats along. I replaced ALL of my bearings and seals two years ago. I have had the trailer for 15 years and figured 13 years was a good run and it was time. No point stretching out the inevitable and would rather do it on my time, not on the side of the road somewhere. I even keep my trailer parked indoors and they still don't last much past 5 years! I guess driving when it's 90 plus degrees out isn't exactly the best on them either.

I just replaced the down solenoid on the port engine. Haven't tested it yet, so I HOPE my diagnoses was correct. The old one didn't work, so I'm pretty confident that was it. It's going back in tomorrow! Replacing the trim/tilt fluid at the same time. I'm overdue and should have done that years ago.

We were scheduled to re-do the interior and halted it as my company was sold. I've since retired and that MIGHT be on the list this year. We'll see how comfortable we feel redoing the interior of a 33 year-old boat! Is it worth it? Does it make sense or should we look for something newer? Meh, too much to think about now!!

As far as the RV, I think if someone made a boat/RV in one unit I'd buy it! It would have to have the performance level of a Sea Ray in the water and the wintering/insulation capabilities of the Arctic Fox for winter or summer use! Someone should design it and make a mint! LOL!!


Congrats on the boat Nater!
 
Jim, I know of a few guys that get a few more years out of their tires by painting them in tranny fluid. One has a large horse trailer with living area. He paints on the fluid and parks with the tires on boards with heavy plastic over the wood. Said the dirt, gravel and concrete will suck the oils out of the tires over time. I'm not to sure if it works or not. But I also thought about the rotation of the tires for ease of funds. But after I had tires separating at the end of last summer, I had to buy all 6. I did the spare too. Those were all from 2009 when the trailer was sold new.
 
Hmm, your theory makes sense. I always have tires blow, separate or whatever when I think I can get a sixth year out of them. I thought parking inside would help. Nope, planned obsolescence is what it is!
 
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Getting 13 years out of the Carlisle tires shocked me. So that is what I put back on. I did go from a load range D to an E. I hope I get more than a few years out of them.
 
Easy fix for the trailer tire life, Place trailer on jack stands when not in use and store tires in 55 gallon drums flooded with nitrogen. Tires will last forever:)
 
Looking forward to following your progress. Any inside pics?
None of the inside, as we're actively focusing on just getting the engines and outdrives up to snuff. In the meantime, enjoy this shot of one of the upturned tree stumps from back in November '20.
Root-Ball.jpg


I'll look at getting some inside shots this week.
 
I'll look at getting some inside shots this week.
All good Nater. Was just curious. Like seeing the variety of layouts with the different models.
We started going through all the structural and power on ours when we picked it up 8 years ago but stopped there and went fishing. Intentions were good to change layout in the cabin, but honestly, will likely be replacing the power again before tackling that. :)
 
None of the inside, as we're actively focusing on just getting the engines and outdrives up to snuff. In the meantime, enjoy this shot of one of the upturned tree stumps from back in November '20.
Root-Ball.jpg


I'll look at getting some inside shots this week.
That’s one heck of a root system!
 
07/16/22 - Risers and flappers are back on/in! What a nightmare! The new-style flappers didn't want to play nice with the exhaust pipe, so had to be "modded". 'Story of my life...
Old-style flappers:
IMG-2699.jpg


New-style bare frame on the right just before the butcher job and the only thing available anymore (I searched the world over...)
IMG-2722.jpg


"Fixing" the current-style so as to fit into the exhaust pipe:
IMG-2721.jpg

For some reason, I never got a picture of the completed flapper as installed, and I'm not about to take everything apart just to get that picture. Maybe after this season when I go to winterize will the risers come off to inspect the flappers. Maybe...

Well, as mentioned earlier, the blackwater tank was the one item I really wasn't looking forward to, but we have to have a working toilet. After all, that's one of the must-haves for buying the boat we did. I rigged-up a plastic 5 gallon bucket with two PVC fittings in the lid that allows the waste to run in through the first port, while a shop vac applies vacuum through the second port. As expected, the shop vac will suck the bucket flat in a matter of seconds. Knowing that would probably happen, we use just the pumpout and reserve the vac for when the hose is disconnected from the transom. Once I found the hidden switch for the pumpout (thanks again, PO!) the poop began to flow. That's after making sure the diverter valve was toggled so as to not kick the effluent all over the ground where the admiral happened to be (she was tending to the bucket; her choice). That diverter valve is buried behind the water heater through a hole just bit enough to get my skinny arm into, and no telling which way it has to be for going to the waste port. I can only assume it wasn't left so as to pump overboard. Score! After a bit, it became pretty obvious that the flow seemed pretty slow, even for a diaphragm pump. Maybe they're just that slow. My fear is that the outlet in the blackwater tank is partially plugged. Once I get enough fresh water run through, I think I'll find myself disconnecting the hose from the bottom of the tank to check for obstructions. Come on, shop vac!

Diaphragm pump (not a macerator!)
IMG-2733.jpg


Diverter valve. Hm-m; I wonder which way the lever should go?
IMG-2734.jpg


Separator:
IMG-2732.jpg


Cam-lock off the transom pumpout port:
IMG-2731.jpg

Keep in mind that this camlock fitting is over six feet in the air, just waiting to puke brown water all over us! It's a bit of a song and dance party.

We're really starting to build momentum after having met these major hurdles. There's still the question of the A/C and generator. That's going to require rigging up cooling water to the units. Hopefully, that'll happen this week. Stay tuned!
 
Hey Spud, you have delved further into your boat than I ever did with Beachcomber.
Kudos to you for having the knowledge and tools to do that work.
 
Following along, good to see someone else sweating it to make everything right ;)
 
Nate, I got some food grade white 55gallon drums from a brewery. They hold malted barley. Anyway, they are perfect for a pump out tank. I dump in a clean out along the side of the house.

If you would rather one of these, let me know. I'm sure I can get you one or two around the valley.
 
Flappers are over rated, threw mine away years ago.
I wondered about that. It would seem that the left bank of the port engine would have already succumbed to water ingestion if it was really a thing. Honestly, I'd already made up my mind that if they did go away on their own, then good riddance!
 

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