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anmilsurp
Samba Member
Joined: May 12, 2010
Posts: 77
Location: Tukwila Washington
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 Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 2:49 pm Post subject: |
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| LittleThunder wrote: |
| It wouldn't be too difficult to repro those boats but the tooling cost might be a bit much. First, you'd need the original boat to use as a plug for the mold. Then you'd have to make that boat perfect, every scratch, nick or imperfection would have to be smoothed out and the whole gel coat polished to mirror finish. It the original has been painted, that will all have to come off. The material cost for the mold would be around $1000. Fiberglass, reinforcing framework for the mold, wheels to roll it around. With all of that tedious handwork involved, I'm guessing a few thousand in labor costs. What might be easier would be to find a boat that's close in size and graft on a flange that fits in the rain gutter. For that you'd have to make a mold off of a decent VW roof. Anyone know if that repro mold from the 80's still exists? |
If I wasn't so physically shot, I could make a mold in under a week. I've done it before more than once, just not on something quite as large as this. It isn't nearly as complicated as you make it sound, HOWEVER you do have to take into consideration the number of units you'd be expecting to sell. I don't see many of them selling in the short term, so you'd have to count on long term sales to recoup the cost of making the mold. Plus, how much could you make on one when the shipping cost on something so large would make up such a large percentage of the total cost. Then there's the issue of people making their own molds off your boats without permission and selling copies locally. |
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campingbox 
Samba Member
Joined: November 14, 2000
Posts: 10196
Location: Petaluma, CA
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| Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 3:02 pm Post subject: |
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| crofty wrote: |
| Clara wrote: |
I believe the guy who repro'ed them in the eighties owns the molds and the rights to making the boats.
We can talk to him. We were talking the other day of taking him the boat to do the fibreglas repair. This hot summer weather makes me want to go out of the water. :D |
DO IT! I have a great book about fibreglass repairs (for boats) if you want to borrow it. What is it that needs repair? Hull? Transom? |
The boat has some holes in it, has had some previous patches which are not all that well done, and the old gelcoat is pretty worn. I will probaby just hand it off to the guy who reproduced them back in the 80'ies to have it soda blasted inside and out, repatched, have the wood transform replaced, and to have it re-gelcoated. Sure, I could learn fiberglass repair but I would need a larger shop, room to store it while it was getting worked on, and the blasting equipment. I will likely just hand it off to get done, and will pick it up finished and hand the guy a check. Or, it might just sit on top of the flipseat until someone either talks me out of it, or I start working on it. I really like it and would have fun fixing it up but I have way too many projects that I would rather work on. |
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crofty
Judas of the North
Joined: August 09, 2000
Posts: 19672
Location: Land of Whine and Phonies
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| Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 3:07 pm Post subject: |
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| campingbox wrote: |
| crofty wrote: |
| Clara wrote: |
I believe the guy who repro'ed them in the eighties owns the molds and the rights to making the boats.
We can talk to him. We were talking the other day of taking him the boat to do the fibreglas repair. This hot summer weather makes me want to go out of the water.  |
DO IT! I have a great book about fibreglass repairs (for boats) if you want to borrow it. What is it that needs repair? Hull? Transom? |
The boat has some holes in it, has had some previous patches which are not all that well done, and the old gelcoat is pretty worn. I will probaby just hand it off to the guy who reproduced them back in the 80'ies to have it soda blasted inside and out, repatched, have the wood transform replaced, and to have it re-gelcoated. Sure, I could learn fiberglass repair but I would need a larger shop, room to store it while it was getting worked on, and the blasting equipment. I will likely just hand it off to get done, and will pick it up finished and hand the guy a check. Or, it might just sit on top of the flipseat until someone either talks me out of it, or I start working on it. I really like it and would have fun fixing it up but I have way too many projects that I would rather work on. |
I hear ya. I had a 59 red fish for a while but ended up selling it- boats are a lot of work. As it was explained to me "they are a hole in the water you throw money into".
_________________
Your Vanagon sucks, Stop waving at me.
| HamburgerBrad wrote: |
I slept on crofty's tent once. I passed out drunk from two bottles of Everett's brother's wine. |
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campingbox
Samba Member
Joined: November 14, 2000
Posts: 10196
Location: Petaluma, CA
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| Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 3:09 pm Post subject: |
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These were reproduced back in the 80'ies. A local guy here has the original molds (warped), some new molds he made, and has approval from the guy who made them back in the '60'ies. He knocked them off back in the hey-day and he was dissapointed with sales.....the majority of them got sold off to people who did not even own buses to people who just wanted boats. I think Jeff Walters bought one from him at a SOTO meet. I know there used to be a white OTW camper who had one sitting on top of it, I believe that bus is in Europe now.
I personally do not want to get involved with reproducing them. They are kind of goofy, and I think the best part about them is that they are rare. If another 20-30 of them were made I personally would appreciate the originals even less.
Assuming they were reproduced for resale, they will be cost-prohibitive to ship, bulky to store until they are sold, and I can guarantee most people saying they want one will dissapear when it's time to seperate themselves from the cash. We have all seen it before..... |
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campingbox
Samba Member
Joined: November 14, 2000
Posts: 10196
Location: Petaluma, CA
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| Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 3:13 pm Post subject: |
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| crofty wrote: |
| campingbox wrote: |
| crofty wrote: |
| Clara wrote: |
I believe the guy who repro'ed them in the eighties owns the molds and the rights to making the boats.
We can talk to him. We were talking the other day of taking him the boat to do the fibreglas repair. This hot summer weather makes me want to go out of the water. :D |
DO IT! I have a great book about fibreglass repairs (for boats) if you want to borrow it. What is it that needs repair? Hull? Transom? |
The boat has some holes in it, has had some previous patches which are not all that well done, and the old gelcoat is pretty worn. I will probaby just hand it off to the guy who reproduced them back in the 80'ies to have it soda blasted inside and out, repatched, have the wood transform replaced, and to have it re-gelcoated. Sure, I could learn fiberglass repair but I would need a larger shop, room to store it while it was getting worked on, and the blasting equipment. I will likely just hand it off to get done, and will pick it up finished and hand the guy a check. Or, it might just sit on top of the flipseat until someone either talks me out of it, or I start working on it. I really like it and would have fun fixing it up but I have way too many projects that I would rather work on. |
I hear ya. I had a 59 red fish for a while but ended up selling it- boats are a lot of work. As it was explained to me "they are a hole in the water you throw money into".
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That is very true. The bigger the boat, the bigger the hole. I think boats which can be pulled out of the water and stored indoors hold up really well long term. This one is even better because not only does it store on top of a bus, but it takes up no extra space and it even cures issues like leaky subhatchs, leaky sunroofs, etc when the bus is parked outside. I love boating, and sailing....but have too many irons in the fire to buy one for myself. I wish Brian Piercy would have left his sailboat up here a bit longer..... |
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catfish54-46
Samba Member
Joined: December 20, 2008
Posts: 120
Location: bayville, nj
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| Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 3:23 pm Post subject: |
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Break
Out
Another
Thousand! |
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DanM
Samba Member
Joined: June 07, 2002
Posts: 1330
Location: Falls Church, VA
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| Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 5:29 am Post subject: |
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I grew up near salt water rivers/inlets, so a boat that stored on the roof of a bus always seemed like a good way to rust out the rain gutters to me. Cool idea though.
There was a write-up in a Small World magazine I have from '66 (I think). I'll see if I can find and scan it. |
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j.pickens
Samba Member
Joined: December 03, 2002
Posts: 9789
Location: Exit 7, New Jersey
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| Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2010 7:01 am Post subject: |
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| campingbox wrote: |
I can guarantee most people saying they want one will dissapear when it's time to seperate themselves from the cash. We have all seen it before..... |
I hear you.
I'd love to have one, though.
_________________
Founder and Chairman Emeritus, ECMSAS
BBX BBXII and BBXXI Long Distance Award Winner
| BeaterBarndoor wrote: |
i wish more people would actually drive their vws rather than just talking about what they have in the garage. |
| Red Fau Veh wrote: |
If you've seen one sunroof swivel seat kombi, you've seen them all!  |
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DanM
Samba Member
Joined: June 07, 2002
Posts: 1330
Location: Falls Church, VA
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| Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2010 5:35 pm Post subject: |
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From Spring 1966 Small World:
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bushaus
Samba Member
Joined: November 18, 2007
Posts: 809
Location: Long Beach, Calif
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| Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2010 6:39 pm Post subject: |
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| DanM wrote: |
From Spring 1966 Small World:
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$395 in 1966 was like $2k today?? No wonder so few were made and sold.. 
_________________
1967 13 window walkthru bus
1965 Karmann Kabriolett beetle
| hitest wrote: |
| Even if completed, the abarth's gonna belch spluey all over your Eriba. |
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epayne611
Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2011
Posts: 316
Location: Orange County, CA
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| Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2015 1:29 pm Post subject: |
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These boats are so awesome, love the way they fit the drip rail. I wonder if the mold that was used to repop them in the 80s is still around?
Would love to get my hands on one of these. |
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Unclebon
Samba Member
Joined: May 07, 2009
Posts: 42
Location: WA / AK
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| Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2015 4:37 pm Post subject: |
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A couple years back i emailed this co: http://americandreamtrailers.com/
and asked about if they could make a boat to fit atop my bus. They responded with a yes, that they would just need some measurements. I picked up a roof rack soon after and never pursued this endeavor, but someone else should. |
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epayne611
Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2011
Posts: 316
Location: Orange County, CA
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| Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2015 10:42 pm Post subject: |
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There was a couple with an American Dream trailer/boat at the last OEBC spring picnic. Stopped and talked with them a bit, then checked out the website. Sweet setup but pretty expensive too. I will give them a call about just making a boat.
Found these pics on another thread and in the gallery, from pacific raceway over 10 years ago:
Trailer looks American Dream, boat looks like a Waterfarer. |
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campingbox
Samba Member
Joined: November 14, 2000
Posts: 10196
Location: Petaluma, CA
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| Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2015 9:26 am Post subject: |
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| epayne611 wrote: |
Trailer looks American Dream, boat looks like a Waterfarer. |
Yes, this particular boat is an 80'ies reproduction of the Waterfarer. I think the bus/boat/trailer combo was sold to Europe not long after that photo was taken. It's been gone from the PNW for quite a while.
Original sales brochure from 1966:
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cdennisg
Samba Member
Joined: November 02, 2004
Posts: 20271
Location: Sandpoint, ID
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type2rescuemaine
Samba Member
Joined: March 04, 2016
Posts: 336
Location: Maine
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| Posted: Sun Mar 17, 2019 2:49 pm Post subject: Re: Vacation Waterfarer Boat |
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| cdennisg wrote: |
| If someone can bring the photos over for posterity that would be good. |
Here ya go.
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dames
Samba Member
Joined: May 09, 2012
Posts: 79
Location: uk
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Bulli Klinik
Samba Member
Joined: January 16, 2005
Posts: 2078
Location: Bulli Klinik, Colorado Springs
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| Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2019 7:44 am Post subject: Re: Vacation Waterfarer Boat |
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Now that's good livin'!
_________________
I've never met a Bus I didn't like.
Mike K
Bulli Klinik
Colorado Springs |
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Douglas Denlinger
Samba Member
Joined: May 23, 2003
Posts: 1381
Location: Arizona's version of the east coast
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| Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2019 8:43 am Post subject: Re: Vacation Waterfarer Boat |
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I'll comment on the price, as the boat was listed on EBAY several months ago and have seen much better pictures. The gel coat is seriously compromised. Would cost thousands to recoat correctly. As cool as a boat is, the price needs to drop several thousands before it is practical to purchase and restore correctly.
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Transporter Restorations
Upholstery Haus
Active 23 Window Samba Collector/Restorer,since 1986 |
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Who.Me?
Samba Member
Joined: July 14, 2014
Posts: 2206
Location: UK (South)
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| Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2019 8:47 am Post subject: Re: Vacation Waterfarer Boat |
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| Bulli Klinik wrote: |
Now that's good livin'! |
Good grief, they made a meal of that. Next time; maybe the tall guy could let the short guy have the stern, seeing as how the bus has a convenient step sticking out the back. 
_________________
Andy
Looking for info on my truck's history. Are you from Campbell California or nearby. Do you recognise it? ... http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=636786 |
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