HOUSE's 14' Crestliner V-haul MOD (photos added)

[jasper60103]

6 questions:


4) Gas Tank: Now that the back section is removed, I think I'm going to keep it in the back and build a storage compartment and back fishing platform next to my back seat. Do you think it's worth putting the gas tank up front to help lighten the load?

I moved my battery forward and it made a big difference, esp since I normally fish alone.

 

[HOUSE]

6 questions:
4) Gas Tank: Now that the back section is removed, I think I'm going to keep it in the back and build a storage compartment and back fishing platform next to my back seat. Do you think it's worth putting the gas tank up front to help lighten the load?

I moved my battery forward and it made a big difference, esp since I normally fish alone.

LOL I wish I had read that post before I just painted THIS! doh!
-Maybe I can put my batteries behind my front fishing chair
Thanks for the reply!

 

[Brine]

1. Gluvit https://www.marinetex.com/gluvit.html

2. If your reasoning for painting the outside is more about leak protection than cosmetics, use Steelflex https://www.fascoepoxies.com/ Regardless of what you decide to use, you need to remove all loose paint. This may or may not mean you are sanding down to bare aluminum.

3. If the transom is soft, I'd replace it. If it's sound, but cosmetically unappealing to you, sand and paint/stain and spar urethane.

4. I'd rather have the tank in the back. Just me.

5. A ball peen hammer and a sledge will install 3 rivets provided you have access to the back of the rivet.

6. Sounds like you have a plan

 

[HOUSE]

Brine, that Gluvit stuff is exactly what I was looking for! Amazon seller has it for $45 bucks. Does that sound about right? I think I can paint it on the areas where my hull is riveted together instead of coating my boat's entire inside area. Thanks for the tip.
You got me thinking about my questions today...I think I'll wait on painting the outside since it is just cosmetic. The gas tank area in the back might serve as a good fishing platform so I think I'll build it back there. The transom wood is old but holding so I'll reinforce it with a good solid inner piece of plywood. I needed to hear someone else's opinion.

-I'm still scared about the rivets though. Do I just drill a tiny hole through the boat first and then punch the rivet through? Sorry to sound so stupid, but I've never seen a rivet gun before. I'll youtube it tonight. I want to rivet the aluminum crossbeam into an L-shaped bracket on the side of the hull, a little higher than where my benches were placed. Do you think 3 crossbeams/L-brackets can support the weight of the front fishing platform? I'm thinking I'll still have to build the frame down to the bottom of the boat in the center.

Thanks again everyone for the replies. I'm heading out to my garage now to mess around with it :shock:

 

[LonLB]

I bought my Gluvit from a seller on Ebay. Wholesale Marine I think it was. Price was $42 to my door. Watch shipping costs, because some places charge a pretty penny to ship it.

 

[Brine]

I think you're right about where to apply the Gluvit. Just hit all the seams/rivets from the inside. No need to cover the whole bottom of the boat, and that price is what I'm use to seeing it for. Like Lon said, make sure to check out shipping costs.

I don't know that I have clarity on your rivet application ~ pics would help. There are two kinds of rivets (primarily).

Pop rivets and Solid Rivets. Pop rivets are installed with a manual operated hand tool ($20 at Home Depot), and are typically only used above the waterline (like for attaching aluminum angle/sheet etc...) I have seen them used below the waterline in conjunction with 3M 5200 Marine Sealant.

Solid Rivets are installed by hitting the head of the rivet with a hammer/pneumatic rivet gun/air chisel) while holding a heavy piece of steel/sledge hammer/bucking bar on the backside of the rivet that the tail of the rivet "smushes" against until tight. If done properly, solid rivets once set do not need any type of sealant, but in your case, it would provide a little bit more insurance that the rivet is water tight.

The dome shape of solid rivets have a matching shaped tool that is inserted into a pneumatic rivet gun and would be the way to go if you are trying to match existing rivets cosmetically, but a ball peen hammer should allow you to accomplish the same thing (just takes longer) without beating the rounded head of the rivet flat (as might happen with a regular hammer)

You can also use nuts/bolts with some 3M 5200 if you think the value of using the rivets isn't worth the hassle.

Post some pics of where you're trying to drill the holes if you get a chance.

 

[arkansasnative]

I noticed nobody really answered your question about the seats so i figured id put my 2 cents in... If you dont mind spending a little extra money i would highly recommend the high back tempress seats! they're so comfortable me and my girlfriend sat in them in my living room floor just to watch tv one day! The BPS spring classic sale is coming up soon so if you can hold out a little bit longer they might go on sale... i bought mine on sale last year. My way of thinking is i don't mind spending a little extra money on things that can be transferred to a newer boat. (Seats, Fishfinder, Motor, Etc...)

heres the link to those seats... last year i think i got them at like 65 a piece
https://www.basspro.com/Tempress-HiBack-All-Weather-Boat-Seat/product/52421/-1018916

 

[HOUSE]

Man, this forum is amazing. Thank you so much guys for the replies...it's giving me the false confidence I need to really get in there and convince myself that I have a clue what I'm doing! lol

okay, the rivets are definitely above the water line. I'm going to use them to secure L-brackets to the sides where my benches used to sit (only a little bit higher up). I'm going to try and place 3 reinforcing 55" aluminum crossbeams under my front deck. One in front of my cooler/live well, the second under my front seat, and the third up near the front of the boat. I just don't know if those 3 beams alone will support all of that weight, so I might end up building a wooden frame under them to help spread out the weight. I'll try and paint a quick picture on my lunch break here at work.

I love those chair suggestions. The look like a warm leather recliner, hehe. The only consideration I have with them is that my friend's aunt works at Bass Pro and she can get me 40% off anything BPS brand! I was leaning towards their high-back chair, and like you said I think it is definitely worth splurging on the better models since I can re-use them.

Thanks again guys.

I've ordered my gluvit last night from West Marine, so I'm going to scrub my boat down tonight and apply that stuff this weekend. Once it's down, I'll paint the inside to block out UV light and start working on the decks! The back deck should go fast...I just have to cut out a matching transom piece and build the frame for the rod holder and storage. I'll bug you guys again once I get to the front fishing deck. That is going to be the most interesting part due to all of the storage cabinets.

cya in a week!

 

[HOUSE]

here's my rudimentary layout for the aluminum crossbeams (red). The L-brackets (purple) will need to be riveted to the hull above the waterline. Will 3 crossbeams support a chair and my weight or should I add vertical supports down to a piece of plywood on the base below the front deck?

 

[HOUSE]

I just got done sealing the entire insides with Gluvit...feeling kind of dizzy hahaha. I was surprised that one can was enough for all of the joints. I think it was 50 bucks well spent. I'm going to throw a coat of paint over it like the can suggests in 48 hours. I'll post pics after the paint job when it's looking nicer on the inside.

 

[Decatur]

I don't believe my hull has any leaks, but I'm going to apply Gluvit to the inside to be sure. Hopefully I'll never need to Steelflex it!

 

[HOUSE]

Here are some pictures of the Gluvit and what it looked like after I sealed and painted it. I covered it with silver Rustoleum paint and it really made the inside of my boat look new.

I was afraid to remove a rusty screw on the bottom so I just coated over it and I'm pretty sure it's not going anywhere:

front:

back:

-Tonight's project is to find a way to build the frame into this back piece of transom wood and hide the gas tank. The transom wood is not perfectly vertical, so I'll need to find a way to cut the 2x4's at an angle or shim some L-brackets to support my back fishing deck. I wish I wasn't such a rivet-pansy! I'm scared to poke holes in the hull :roll:

 

[atuck593]

It's comming together nicely...I have a 14' Starcraft V-Hull very similar to yours. Was the Gluvit easy to work with? I am debating on using it or not? Did you have more than enough to cover the joints, because I would like cover some of the floor around the rear bench too? Any help is great...it's torture up here in PA with the weather and all not being able to start.

 

[HOUSE]

It's comming together nicely...I have a 14' Starcraft V-Hull very similar to yours. Was the Gluvit easy to work with? I am debating on using it or not? Did you have more than enough to cover the joints, because I would like cover some of the floor around the rear bench too? Any help is great...it's torture up here in PA with the weather and all not being able to start.

Yeah, I'm in Ohio so I'm feeling you on the cold! We had a taste of warm weather last week and it's back to cold rain today, grrrr. I had to open my basement door and allow some heat to get into my garage just to keep from freezing to death while I worked on the boat.

That Gluvit stuff was awesome...I just poured the catalyst agent that came with it right into the Gluvit container, mixed it up for 3 minutes, then started painting it on. You have 90 minutes before it gets too hard. I had enough to cover every single rib in my boat's floor with just a little bit left over to hit some spots on the bottom of my boat where joints are. The fumes are horrible though, I actually had to throw my contacts out because I felt like they were coated with mace when I put them in the next day. I wore a mask and had the garage door open too! Nasty stuff...make sure you wear gloves. I bought some cheap nitrile gloves from Walmart's auto section for 5 bucks that worked fine.

I'd really suggest spraying it with silver paint afterward. It says it will protect if from UV light, but it also holds the paint really well and made the boat look 10 times newer.

more pics tomorrow when I start the actual frame...good luck with the Gluvit!

-House

 

[atuck593]

Thanks I think it will be worth the money, time, mess, and smell for the Gluvit as I plan to put a floor and decks in the boat. I don’t want any leaks under there. Your right the weather last weekend was just enough to get your hopes up at least until trout season rolls around…but then winter came back with a few inches of snow on Monday. I did see a few guys though brave the high water from the snow melt last Friday and make a valiant effort to get their boats out and a few casts in on the Susquehanna River. I look forward to seeing your progress with the boat since we have similar set ups, especially with your framing for the decks. I want to find the best way to maximize strength but keep the weight down.

 

[HOUSE]

I blew another $60 bucks at Home Depot last night, lol, it sure goes fast!

-I bought a cheap rivet gun LINK: (https://www.homedepot.com/Tools-Hardware-Hand-Tools-Fastening-Tools-Rivet-Tools-Rivets-Rivet-Tools/h_d1/N-5yc1vZapud/R-202061308/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053)
-5mm aluminum rivets LINK: (https://fp.vendaria.com/vpop/VpopViewer.html?uid=100204004&iid=AddpfzvImumvmKvJJIIKfwKILumLKv&bg=FFFFFF&nm=BZOpener&err=0&title=&pf=t&fr=t)
-eight 2x2's
-20 small 1inch L-Brackets (corner braces)
-8 larger 1.5inch corner braces LINK: (https://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=202033938)

I could not believe how expensive those freaking L-Brackets/braces were! The 20 pack for the wood joints cost $8, but the 8 larger ones that I plan on riveting to the side of my boat for the deck support were almost $4 for a 2pack. 40 bucks for some bent metal! lol.
I was looking for a 20pack of 2inch braces similar to the ones used in Crappie_Slayer's build. I need to go to Lowes instead and get some StrongTie braces. I found them online after I got raped at Home Depot:
https://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay?partNumber=97194-72913-A23Z&catalogId=10051&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=1115047
or maybe these: https://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay?partNumber=96871-72913-A21Z&langId=-1&storeId=10151&productId=1114951&catalogId=10051&cmRelshp=rel&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1

As to the actual boat, here are my 3 most recent photos with the gas tank finally mounted and floor board screwed in place:

Questions: The largest rivets they sold at Home Depot were 5mm (3/16?) aluminum rivets. They do not sell steel rivets in the store, and I don't know if I should even use steel ones on the aluminum hull. Do you guys think the ones I got will be strong enough to hold those braces to my boat? (I will have vertical 2x2's to help support the weight.) Also, I've never riveted anything before, do I just drill a small hole through my boat first and then pop in the rivet? It's above the water line, do I need to seal it with 5200 or epoxy? Should I put something between the strongtie and the actual boat aluminum like rubber or a sealant? I will search the forums, but any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

*Next projects:
1) cut a board with my leftover plywood to go under that gas tank for support.
2) cut another board to go under the cooler and attach it to the main plywood for support.
3) rivet the side braces and attach the 2x2 framework.

 

[HOUSE]

I'm starting to see progress finally I finally dedicated a complete afternoon to the boat and had a blast in the process. I found an old mp3 player that had my old work out songs, so I fired it up and this is what I got done:

1) My first rivets! I was kind of nervous drilling holes in the boat, but it ended up being much easier than I expected. (I removed the duct tape):

2) Side braces. I used the L-braces that I riveted to the hull to fix side braces to the frame. I used cardboard and a scrap 2x4 to make these exact. Getting the top level was a real pain in the butt. I had to bend the braces with a vice:

3) Side framing/rails:

4) Starboard storage compartment complete:

*Notes:
I think the biggest thing holding me back so far was my inexperience with woodworking. Today I just said "screw it" and started cutting wood and screwing screws. I loved it and realized that most mistakes can be fixed or redone. Thanks to everyone so far that has replied to my questions, I feel like I'm actually making progress now. Next up, re-mount the back brackets (too low), finish the rear fishing platform, & finish the portside rod-holder & frame. This is going to be a challenge because I need the lid to be about 6ft long! I would have started it last night but I ran out of screws! :shock:

 

[HOUSE]

Updated floor plan schematics (based on available frame locations):

-Red=framework/support:

 

[Ictalurus]

=D> =D>
Looks good house, congrats on your first rivet. That boat is gonna be sharp.

 

[acedog1234]

nice looking boat. how did you make those floor plan drawings