Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I have a question about constructing my teardrop.

My goal is to build a lightweight teardrop that is aerodynamic and well insulated. My priority is going to be on trying to make it as light as possible.

I am wondering what would be the best materials and strategy for the envelope would be. I was thinking of a thin layer of plywood, glued to 1" foam board, glued to another thin board on the interior. Then adding resin and fiberglass to the outside and staining the inside.
Would this be a good path?
Would it be lightweight?
Is there a better way to make a lightweight teardrop?

Another thought was to build the envelop out of 1" foam bard and then wrap it in fiberglass. But I imagine that would cost more money. The finish would need additional work too. If I didnt have the plywood there I would need to sand, fill, paint the outside shell and the inside would require some kind of treatment.

Thanks!

2" foam covered in canvas, sealed with ordinary house paint. Skip the wood altogether. Light and well insulated.

Pmullen503 wrote:2" foam covered in canvas, sealed with ordinary house paint. Skip the wood altogether. Light and well insulated.

"Poor mans fiberglass" Right? I have heard about that. Doesnt the finish end up rough? Would it need bondo and sanding in order to be painted and finshed?

Does the cloth does the same job as fiberglass but cheaper right?

actually better than fiberglass. Wont degrade in the sunlight near as quickly and fixing it takes a coat of pain and done

No you need to do none of that. Paint it. If the rougher texture isnt to your liking, wait till it cures completely (look up full process) then paint over it more.

Get close to completely filling the weave (after a few days dry time) sand it smooth then spray on a final coat of pain.

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Before you go down that route, you have to really think through your fixings. You can't just screw a bit of wood to the walls, so all your galley and shelving need to be completely buttoned up in advance.

I suggest you invest in a copy of the Teardrop Builder's Shop Manual. It goes into great detail on how to build the cabin using sandwiched construction.

http://www.campingclassics.com/shopman05.html

Once you've got your general construction figured out, you can decide how to finish it off.



Tony

tony.latham wrote:I suggest you invest in a copy of the Teardrop Builder's Shop Manual. It goes into great detail on how to build the cabin using sandwiched construction.

http://www.campingclassics.com/shopman05.html

Once you've got your general construction figured out, you can decide how to finish it off.



Tony

Interesting. I didnt know anyone had written a book on this. Kinda steep at $50. Is it worth it? Have you read it?

Thanks!

jimbo69ny wrote:

tony.latham wrote:I suggest you invest in a copy of the Teardrop Builder's Shop Manual. It goes into great detail on how to build the cabin using sandwiched construction.

http://www.campingclassics.com/shopman05.html

Once you've got your general construction figured out, you can decide how to finish it off.



Tony

Interesting. I didnt know anyone had written a book on this. Kinda steep at $50. Is it worth it? Have you read it?

Thanks!

Absolutely worth it! Consider the cost of your materials, and the time you'll invest in your build. $50 isn't really that much in the scheme of things. (Also, consider how much time Steve Fredrick put into writing it, and you may agree it is a reasonable price for him to ask.)

It has certainly saved me more than $50 in material by avoiding mistakes and failed experiments.

Tom

Tom&Shelly wrote:

jimbo69ny wrote:

tony.latham wrote:I suggest you invest in a copy of the Teardrop Builder's Shop Manual. It goes into great detail on how to build the cabin using sandwiched construction.

http://www.campingclassics.com/shopman05.html

Once you've got your general construction figured out, you can decide how to finish it off.



Tony

Interesting. I didnt know anyone had written a book on this. Kinda steep at $50. Is it worth it? Have you read it?

Thanks!

Absolutely worth it! Consider the cost of your materials, and the time you'll invest in your build. $50 isn't really that much in the scheme of things. (Also, consider how much time Steve Fredrick put into writing it, and you may agree it is a reasonable price for him to ask.)

It has certainly saved me more than $50 in material by avoiding mistakes and failed experiments.

Tom

+1. The cost of scrap can really add up. If you use 1/4 inch birch plywood skins, each 4 x 8 sheet is $47, and a 4 x 8 sheet of 1 inch pink foam is $21.
So scrapping one panel is way over $100.
Then there is your time. Following good instructions is much faster than standing there scratching your chin wondering if your method is going to work.

I did not know about Fredricks manual until it was too late, we did it the hard way.
Don't do as we did, buy the book.

jimbo69ny wrote:

tony.latham wrote:I suggest you invest in a copy of the Teardrop Builder's Shop Manual. It goes into great detail on how to build the cabin using sandwiched construction.

http://www.campingclassics.com/shopman05.html

Once you've got your general construction figured out, you can decide how to finish it off.



Tony

Interesting. I didnt know anyone had written a book on this. Kinda steep at $50. Is it worth it? Have you read it?

Thanks!

It is steep. I used it extensively during my first build and occasionally referred to it on 2 & 3.

I'd recommend a departure from his wall construction and use 3/4" plywood for the skeleton instead of 1" boards. Much quicker construction.





Tony

I'll second or third or whatever the manual with a few notes.

For me it was worth it just for the info on how to build the hatch. The info on building the doors was good but I bought doors. It's hard to justify building when you add up the cost of window, latches, hinges, etc. Plus the time to build them. I have a few hours total dealing with doors and done.

I'll say the manual needs an update. If you are going to build a woodie it's a must have. There is no info on skinning with aluminum, fiberglas, PMF. And nothing on building with foam other than using for insulation. The other info on AC and DC power, plumbing, cabinets, is the minimum to get you by if you know some what you are doing.

Todd

Interesting. I am leaning towards using foam board and wrapping it with fiberglass. The book doesnt cover that? What about aero? Does it cover that?

jimbo69ny wrote:Interesting. I am leaning towards using foam board and wrapping it with fiberglass. The book doesnt cover that? What about aero? Does it cover that?

Nope, nope and nope.

T

KTM_Guy wrote:I'll second or third or whatever the manual with a few notes.

For me it was worth it just for the info on how to build the hatch. The info on building the doors was good but I bought doors. It's hard to justify building when you add up the cost of window, latches, hinges, etc. Plus the time to build them. I have a few hours total dealing with doors and done.

I'll say the manual needs an update. If you are going to build a woodie it's a must have. There is no info on skinning with aluminum, fiberglas, PMF. And nothing on building with foam other than using for insulation. The other info on AC and DC power, plumbing, cabinets, is the minimum to get you by if you know some what you are doing.

Todd

I'll second that. If someone writes a similar manual on building foamies, I'll buy it (even if we never end up building one) just for the information.

Tom

tony.latham wrote:

jimbo69ny wrote:Interesting. I am leaning towards using foam board and wrapping it with fiberglass. The book doesnt cover that? What about aero? Does it cover that?

Nope, nope and nope.

T

So it doesn’t cover anything I want to build. What does it cover?