Company:
SugarHouse Industries

Project Details

Fabric 1

HarborTime
Producer/Manufacturer: Glen Raven Custom Fabrics LLC
Primary Use: Main Fabric

Fabric 2

Sunbrella
Producer/Manufacturer: Glen Raven Custom Fabrics LLC
Primary Use: Main Fabric

Fabric 3

Phifertex Standard Mesh
Producer/Manufacturer: Phifer Incorporated
Primary Use: Secondary Fabric


Design Name
Doug Johnson; Nick Eloff

Design Company
SugarHouse Industries

Graphics Company
SugarHouse Industries

Project Manager Name
Doug Johnson

Project Manager Company
SugarHouse Industries

Installation Name
Parker McKay

Installation Company
SugarHouse Industries


Please describe the project specifications

SugarHouse Industries designed, patterned, fabricated, and installed a custom shade top and full soft enclosure for a 22-foot pontoon boat.

What began as a request for a snap-on travel cover evolved into a much more versatile project. The customer wanted to protect the boat during travel and storage, but also hoped to use it as a comfortable place for the family—including young children—to camp, fish, and spend extended time on the lake. A conventional boat cover could not meet all of those needs.

Working with a frame designed and built by the customer, SugarHouse created one integrated textile system that can be reconfigured for shade, weather protection, privacy, ventilation, fishing, travel, and storage.

The completed project includes one waterproof shade top and a removable enclosure composed of front, side, and rear assemblies. The shade top measures approximately 164 x 111 inches and required approximately 12.76 yards of HarborTime fabric. Because of its size, the top was constructed in three carefully aligned fabric sections.

The enclosure required approximately 38.13 yards of material, including Sunbrella fabric, Phifertex Standard Mesh, and 20-mil clear vinyl. Its major patterned sections measure:
Front-center section: approximately 86 x 53 inches
Left and right front-side sections: approximately 70 x 43 inches each
Side sections: approximately 53 x 81 inches
Rear-center section: approximately 81 x 87 inches
Rear-left section: approximately 64 x 47 inches
Rear-right section: approximately 66 x 34 inches

HarborTime was selected for the top because its waterproof construction sheds water and provides the durability needed during storage and travel. Sunbrella gives the enclosure lasting performance and breathability while allowing the panels to roll compactly when opened. Clear-vinyl windows preserve visibility from inside the boat, while Phifertex mesh sections improve airflow during camping and extended days on the water.

Every feature was designed around how the family planned to use the boat. Exterior zippered privacy panels provide protection during storage, while interior privacy panels create a more comfortable camping space. Screened rear sections provide ventilation, and zippered rear access allows the family to fish without removing the full enclosure. As conditions change, the panels can be opened, rolled, removed, or secured out of the way.

The customer-built frame presented the project’s greatest challenge. Its size and shape differed significantly from a conventional pontoon framework, leaving no standard pattern or attachment system to follow. SugarHouse used a Prodim Proliner to create a digital template of the frame to capture its geometry and developed completely custom patterns for the top and enclosure.

The patterns were laid out and cut on an Autometrix cutting table. The three top sections were joined with carefully sewn and topstitched seams, integrated zippers, and bound edges. Multiple hook-and-loop straps were positioned along the frame bars to distribute the load and provide additional stability during travel.
Once the top was complete, each enclosure component was individually patterned to the boat, frame, and adjoining panels. The sections had to align precisely with the clear-vinyl windows, screened areas, privacy panels, zippers, and attachment points while remaining easy for the customer to open and reconfigure.

What sets this project apart is not one individual feature, but how many functions were successfully incorporated into one coordinated system. The finished project serves as a travel-ready shade top, weather barrier, ventilated fishing enclosure, private camping space, and storage cover. It transformed an unconventional customer-built frame into a practical, adaptable environment that gives the family greater comfort, protection, and more ways to enjoy their pontoon.


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