Make That A Combo...To Go

A Combo Cruiser Houseboat Comes Home from MI to SC

I don't need another boat. I don't want another boat. I can't afford another boat. My own boat still needs loads of work (and $). I have no business even looking at another boat, but there's that time when we see a boat, like an attractive woman, and you think, "I'd really like to get next to her."

I resisted until she didn't make the reserve on eBay. She is a 40 year old, one owner, classic Combo Cruiser houseboat – a real gem. I wrote to the seller and asked how much he wanted. He said 5k. I told him I'd like to drive 700 miles and just have a look. I didn't have the slightest idea what I'd do after the look; I just had to get close to that boat.

About 100 miles into the trip to see her, I was called to learn that my daughter had labor pains. I hustled home. A few days later I was made a grandfather for the second time - her name is Melanie...she's a doll.

So in the meantime, I'm in touch with a fellow boater who already owns a Sea Camper houseboat that needs restoration. I remind him how this little Combo Cruiser is all original and functional. My buddy hints that he might be interested in this jewel, recalling that months ago it was listed on eBay for 10k but there we no takers. I told him I could get it for 5k. I could hear him smile over the phone.

Because I just had to somehow get close to this classic Combo Cruiser, I told my buddy I’d go up and bring her back to my house if he’d buy her. He said, “Deal!” That’s when the six-day, 1,400 mile adventure began.

The trip up was routine. I took a couple seats out of my van and put the cot and porta-potty in. I fixed my Honda 2000i generator to the trailer hitch in back so I could run the van’s window unit for naps or overnights. I also took a basic set of tools. And because the listing said the trailer needed new tires, I took 5 brand new mounted tires with me. Then Tuesday morning, my dog Merlin and I began our 700-mile journey to Sodus Michigan.

I was introduced to the boat on the morning of June 26 2013 as she sat proudly in a nice comfortable old barn. 

The seller had thoughtfully loosened all the lug nuts in preparation for my new tires

Various old tractors and other stuff you might expect to find stashed away from years of family collecting accompanied her in the barn, but I learned that some of the stuff was auction purchases from nearby places and would be listed on eBay.

As I set out my tools in preparation to make the trailer road ready, the seller wheeled out a huge fan and directed the breeze my way. The first thing I learned was that the tires/wheels I brought wouldn’t fit. I had assumed since the picture showed a 5 lug hub, that the 5 lug rims I brought would fit, but I neglected to consider that the trailer was 40 years old and a lot has changed since then. By now the owner joined the seller and they quickly got on the horn to find tires – they did and the tires would be in Thursday morning. These are not your everyday tires. They’re 6.90X9 on split rims. That means they need tubes and I later came to find out they also use ‘flaps’ – a rubber band of sorts that goes between the tube and rim…I guess to keep the rim halves from pinching the tube when they are assembled?

I pulled a hub to check the bearings. The bearings were in much better shape than I anticipated, but on the 3^rd wheel I found a race that was questionable. So the seller and I set out to drop off the old tires at Goodyear and then on to find bearings and seals. The bearings had numbers so they were no problem but we covered an awful lot of ground looking for the seals. 

An local auto parts store sent us to NAPA. The NAPA guys measured the seal and got out their catalogs – they came up with a stock number but it would be 3 days to get the seals. The NAPA guys then referred us to a seal specialist shop that might have them in stock. The seal specialist guy cross-referenced the stock number but it would also be Monday before he could get them. He suggested a nearby independent auto store. I had the seal specialist guy write down the number so the next store could look them up easier.

At this new store I showed the guy behind the counter the number, thinking it could save some time. He said, “That’s our phone number!”,  but he did use the measurements to look up a part number in his catalogue.  He had one seal in stock but could get the others tomorrow. They had 2 of the inner bearings and one outer. I decided a full set would be best so I told him I wanted 4 of everything.

I went back to the barn and worked on the lights and brakes. Well I worked on the lights. The brakes were beyond my technical/time limits for this trip:

a)       these were tiny brakes and all the shoes were shot

b)       the little wheel cylinders were pretty well now a single piece of rust

c)       the drums would need to see a lathe before they were usable

d)       the brake lines from the axle to the backing plates were copper – not rubber; the entire hydraulic system would need to be replaced

e)       the cap couldn’t be removed from the master cylinder

I’d need to get her home without brakes. I wondered how much weight I’d be towing/stopping?

Merlin and I slept in the van and got an early start collecting parts the next morning. The bearings and seals came in on schedule except they had only sent 3 new seals. This didn’t matter because one was already in stock, but the counter guy was mad that he might have disappointed me if he hadn’t had the 4^th one. I returned to the barn and installed the bearings and seals.

We went to pick up the tires (which were promised to be ready) but they couldn’t be mounted because the old flaps tore and the store didn’t have any of the correct sized flaps on hand. They called around. They could get them in Monday. Monday? Bastards! What to do now?

It was about 4:30 and I had an idea if it wasn’t too late. The counter guy, Scott, who got me the seals and bearings, was one of those go to guys. I made a beeline to the store. Scott enlisted other store workers for ideas. One of the guys said to call a place about 15 miles away. Scott called – they were closed but someone answered the phone – they had the 9” flaps. I could pick them up tomorrow at 8am.

When I arrived at 8 and told the lady at the ‘flap’ desk what I was there for she called a worker and I followed him into the back room. He stuck his head under a counter and down into an old cardboard box, then began rustling and finally launched over his head what looked like a big old black dusty rubber band. He kept digging and found three more, but only two ot the next 3 were 9”. I took all four.

When I got back to Goodyear, they had salvaged one flap and mounted one tire, I presented them with the flaps they needed and they said everything would be ready by noon at the latest.

I went in at about 11am to see about the tires. They weren’t ready. A big rig had pulled in and my work got bumped. In an hour or two they said.

When I called at 2 they said there was one left to do, but it might have to wait until Monday. They became well aware of my displeasure and at about 3, I got a call saying they were all ready.

I mounted the tires on the freshly bearinged hubs/spindles; Merlin and I would be on our way the next morning, Saturday.

Saturday morning we founda gas station with a truck scale on the way to the highway. I weighed the trailer just for kicks – 5380lbs;  that didn’t include tongue weight. 

On this very short jaunt to the scale, every time I applied the brakes, the trailer slammed into the coupler due to the missing brake fluid and unadjusted brakes. This was going to be a long ride home with all this slamming. Something had to be done. Maybe drill a hole in the coupler/frame and use a bolt to keep it from moving? I had the generator and drill and bit…but maybe I could rig something temporary until I got hold of a bolt. My temporary fix lasted for the whole 700 miles.

Small 2X4 zip tied in place to prevent coupler movement

About 350 miles into the trip, my TPMS -- T(ire) P(ressure) M(onitering S(ystem) showed I had a slow leak in one of my trailer tires. 

This was the tire with the odd valve stem – the other 3 had curved stems, this one had a straight stem. I got off the interstate and found a one man repair shop. There were 4 guys in the tiny cluttered ‘office’. I just stood there for a while as they jawed and finally the guy behind the desk looked at me.

I told him I thought I needed a patch on a tube. He said he wouldn’t take the tire off the trailer, but if I brought it to him, he’d have a look. I did and he did.

The tube was fine. It was the stem that was leaking. And the guy noticed that on the tube it said, “NHS”, which he said meant Not for Highway Service…it was a lawn mower tube.

He called around. It would be Monday before he could get a new 9” tube. At this point we pumped up the spare trailer tire and thought it might work, but found out it had the wrong bolt pattern for the hub. I asked if a can of flat fix might seal the tiny crack in the stem and when we tried it, it worked. To be on the safe side, we put a small hose clamp on the stem to hold the leaking rubber in place. Merlin and I were happy to be on the road again, and each celebrated with a double cheeseburger.

After the cheeseburgers and a nap we hit the road again. It was getting dark and traffic was thinning and we were enjoying the highway. I texted my wife, “We’re 100 miles out, be home soon.”

About ½ hour later my TPMS alarmed again. This time it showed 2.3psi – A blow out! 

We quickly pulled off the Interstate well onto the shoulder. The leaking valve stem was broken completely off, being held to the tire by just a tread. Seventy miles from home and now this. I knew we could get things worked out on Monday – we had plenty of food and water for us both.

I have Boat/US Trailer Club Towing so I had nothing to lose by calling them. They took my info and said they’d get back to me. In the meantime I took the spare tire apart – the one that had the wrong bolt pattern. 

Boat/US called back with info on nearby tire shops but said they couldn’t get a tow until Monday, but they’d keep working on it. I was considering just turning in on the cot in the van when they called again. “We have been in touch with a service truck that passed you on the side of the road, but he says there’s no way he could tow you – you’d need a lowboy.”

About 20 minutes later that service truck pulled in behind me…actually it was a pickup truck. He told me even with one of his regular tow trucks he couldn’t get my rig up on the bed…”too long and too close to the ground,” he said.

I showed him the tire I had taken apart, suggesting that the tube in it might be used in the flat tire, and I could have the flat off the trailer in less than 10 minutes. He was unresponsive as he started back to his truck.

The next thing I knew, he had opened the back of his truck and started a gas powered air compressor. He then drug out a floor jack and was headed back to my trailer with the jack, air hose and an impact wrench. From then on I just held the flashlight and he did the rest.

He took off the flat and disassembled the rim, then put the rim into the tire that I had taken apart. Then he inflated it and mounted the wheel. Merlin was glad to be on the road again.

 A few hours later we arrived home safe and sound with the delightful little boat behind us.

And for a while anyway, my boat, Big Duck, will have company.