Hello from Metro-Detroit!

[dodin]

Hello all! I have been reading lots of posts here on tntt and I finally have an account!

My planned build is not a tear drop camper at all, it's a slide-in truck camper. Boyfriend and I bought an old tiny camper meant for 6 foot beds and it fit right into our '97 single cab Tacoma. It's riddled with water damage but its got plenty of usable parts like jacks, windows, and a door.

After much deliberation I plan on building it from the ground up again. I haven't decided materials yet, so many pros and cons. I thought I'd include a list of some methods I'm considering:

Classic Wood Frame, XPS Foam insulation, Plywood interior and exterior paneling
--PMF exterior
--Fiberglass exterior
--EPDM Roof and Aluminum sheet exterior
Foamie, XPS Foam Reinforced by either PMF or Fiberglass

Classic Woodie PMF pros:
--Cheap
--Common
--PMF flexible with expanding and contracting wood
--Minimal fumes
Classic Woodie PMF cons:
--Lots of effort and prep
--Can leak over time
--Smooth finish nearly impossible
--Seams sit proud

Classic Woodie Fiberglass pros:
--Tried and true by boat builders
--Seamless finish is relatively possible
--Essentially waterproof
Classic Woodie Fiberglass cons:
--Fiberglass cracks and damage more likely than flexible PMF
--Over 2 fold the price of PMF
--Fumes and environmental hazard
--Potentially will undergo stress due to wood expanding and contracting?

Classic Woodie EPDM x Aluminum pros:
--Tried and true classic RV and TD construction
--Hard sided vehicle
--Waterproof
--Looks manufactured, thus higher resale value
Classic Woodie EPDM x Aluminum cons:
--EXPENSIVE
--Corner moldings and trim are prime places for water intrusion and damage
--Possible EPDM delamination
--Aluminum dents, painted aluminum essentially can't be corrected

Foamie x Woodie with either PMF or Fiberglass exterior Pros:
--Almost entirely waterproof in and out
--Relatively Cheap
--Lightweight
--Easy to sculpt and shape curves
Foamie x Woodie w/ PMF or FG cons:
--Not a lot of examples I've found online thus far
--All mounting points for camper ex. Jacks, Ratchet Straps, Windows, Roof Vent, Door, Floor, etc. require wood, so kind of not a foamie.
--Not certain about it's strength
--Question: If foam is made of plastic, wouldn't it have a high coefficient of thermal expansion?

So voila! Essentially this is a summary of my research in very broad terms.

Thank you for your time! If any threads come to mind about said points I've mentioned, please direct me to them!

[QueticoBill]

Welcome!

[dodin]

Thank you!