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ok i've done some rough calculations for the build,
most RVs are 9ft wide, you probable need the same wide on each side for stability, that makes a raft around 27ft wide. lets assume you do a plastic barrel drum floated raft, the average 55gallon drum is 880 millimetres (35 in) tall with a diameter just under 610 millimetres (24 in)
laid on their side that's approx 14 barrels wide and 17 barrels long. At 208litres each that gives a maximum bouyancy of
208kg x 14 x 17 = 49504kg
An RV weighs around 6000lb loaded (27ft)
=2750kg
the average weight of a house is between 80,000 and 160,000 pounds, you will build it much lighter than that. 80,000lbs is approx 36000kg. If you built it at half that weight the RV+house is around 20000 to 25000 kg, so maybe only 2/3 to half the number of barrels are needed.
These are very rough estimates to get the ball rolling, let me know if you think they are wildly off.
I keep wondering about barrel configuration, should they be single stacked or double stacked...
ooo ooo single stacked catamaran
oo oo double stacked catamaran
o o
ooo ooo triple stacked catamaran
oo oo
o o
for a more v shaped hulls. triple stacking could lift the structure even further out of the water.
a trimaran, 3 sets of barrel pontoons running the length of the rafts would give the house structure a central support so that maybe wise.
More professional designs use custom fibreglass hulls, catamaran and trimaran options seem popular.
