Regardless, it’s an interesting idea that shows how building a tiny living space on water can be as easy as building one on wheels, maybe easier. Instead of pontoons you could use large steel drums, or even big pieces of styrofoam, though being in the water for a long time would probably put a lot of wear and tear on those materials. Sure, a house boat isn’t for everyone, but maybe you want a special place to retreat on the weekend so you can float away from it all.
If you’re looking for a pontoon houseboat for sale, you can turn to common marketplaces such as craigslist or work with tiny house developers to build the barge that can support your home. Many developers will build out the frame for you and provide you with the buoyant tubes to support the house floating. Combined with a small furnished tiny house, weighing about 5,000 pounds. The average pontoon boat weighed approximately 2,200 pounds.
#BUILD YOUR WILD SELF PLAY FULL#
This is because they are primarily polyethylene rotomolded pods full of air and then an additional foundation to support the house and the engine. The actual barge that the houseboat sits on is extremely lightweight. The average pontoon houseboat weighs 7,500 pounds. These homes have grown in popularity due to their low cost to build and are cheaper to insure than a traditional boat, even when using a traditional engine. Pontoon houseboats have become more popular over the past several years as individuals are looking for dynamic living situations that allow them to live on a dock and travel around a lake or pond without having to leave the comforts of their homes. Whereas catamarans and trimarans are common boats used to sail around the Caribbean. The difference between the two structures is that a houseboat serves primarily as house-first (see images below) and therefore are less accessible for ocean travel. Since the costs of construction tend to be low, creating a DIY houseboat Difference between Pontoon Boat and Pontoon Houseboat:Ĭommon examples of pontoon boats include catamarans, or a trimaran with three hulls.
The frame then tends to be constructed using lightweight steel or plastic for support. These buoyant tubes are often constructed using abrasion resistant PVC and nylon with aluminum. Pontoon houseboats are tiny homes designed to sit on top of a flat foundation and supported by buoyant tubes.