reaver wrote:My build has commenced!!
We started with the floor. I used 2x4 for the framing, 1/2 in ply for the bottom, and 1/4 birch on the top. The voids are filled with 1.5 inch foam insulation
23Sojourney45 wrote:reaver wrote:My build has commenced!!
We started with the floor. I used 2x4 for the framing, 1/2 in ply for the bottom, and 1/4 birch on the top. The voids are filled with 1.5 inch foam insulation
I have a question, since your top ply is 1/4 birch, how did you bolt your floor framing fully assembled to your metal chassis frame? 1/4 birch isn't too thick. Did you use carriage bolts, elevator bolts, or hex bolts? if you used hex bolts, I'm assuming that you didn't countersink them since its 1/4. I'm at this stage as well (long break of not building) and I'm trying to figure out how to attach the whole floor assembly to my metal frame chassis. I would use carriage bolts but I remembered reading that they're basically stuck there forever. They're hard to remove in the future if for some reason you need to remove them. Thanks.
working on it wrote:aggie79 wrote:Did I read right that your floor will be insulated and the bottom plywood will be 3/4" thick? If so, the 3/4" plywood is overkill. You really don't need much in the way of fasteners to attach the teardrop shell to the frame. I used self-tapping trailer deck screws that go directly into the 2" tube steel frame.
- I didn't insulate, but installed my floor in two stages, with two types of fasteners, making a 3/4" floor from two different plywood sheets.
- 1)The base, a 4'x 8' sheet of 1/2" birch plywood (it sat unused in my wood storage shed for 10-15 years, very dry and hard), was centered on my 50" wide x 97" frame (original was 50" x 60", rectangular tubing added), with 1" frame showing on the sides, and 1" on the rear (the front was set flush with the frame). I used eight 3/8" carriage bolts to the original frame tubing, at the old front and rear tube, slightly countersunk to not have the bolt heads protrude too much above the plywood.
- 2)Then, I applied a full, thick coat of Titebond 2 adhesive to cover the birch base, and placed a sheet of 1/4" Lauan over it, using Tek screws to secure it to the perimeter of the frame. I started at the back, working forward, pressing out the glue with a roller as I went. I used around 36-38 screws, if I remember correctly. I sat some feed bags in the center, to hold it flat, and let it dry for a week or so.
- I probably didn't need to do the double-layer floor, but, after countersinking the carriage bolts, I needed to cover the heads anyway, so the Lauan was an afterthought, which brought the floor thickness to 3/4" (nominal), to match the plywood thickness that I was going to use for the remainder of the build. I used the birch, just to use it up, and had planned to use linoleum to finish the floor, but I liked the grain of the Lauan, so it became my floor surface.
I had always intended to screw down the perimeter, so that served the double purpose of securing the top sheet, also. Looking back, I would've just used the perimeter screws, but I was in overkill mode, so why not use two methods of fastening down the floor?- 1/2" birch plywood base, with carriage bolts
- top sheet screwed and glued on; drying out
- finished floor, stained, polyurethaned
I have a question, since your top ply is 1/4 birch, how did you bolt your floor framing fully assembled to your metal chassis frame? 1/4 birch isn't too thick.
23Sojourney45 wrote:reaver wrote:My build has commenced!!
We started with the floor. I used 2x4 for the framing, 1/2 in ply for the bottom, and 1/4 birch on the top. The voids are filled with 1.5 inch foam insulation
I have a question, since your top ply is 1/4 birch, how did you bolt your floor framing fully assembled to your metal chassis frame? 1/4 birch isn't too thick. Did you use carriage bolts, elevator bolts, or hex bolts? if you used hex bolts, I'm assuming that you didn't countersink them since its 1/4. I'm at this stage as well (long break of not building) and I'm trying to figure out how to attach the whole floor assembly to my metal frame chassis. I would use carriage bolts but I remembered reading that they're basically stuck there forever. They're hard to remove in the future if for some reason you need to remove them. Thanks.
tony.latham wrote:I have a question, since your top ply is 1/4 birch, how did you bolt your floor framing fully assembled to your metal chassis frame? 1/4 birch isn't too thick.
His floor has a framework made from 2x4s and perhaps 6s. Something similar to what I advocate for but I use 3/4" framing.
Tony
reaver wrote:
I haven't actually attached the floor as of yet. But, I have brackets that are bolted to the frame (I found some simpson strong tie brackets that are exactly the right dimension). I'll drill up through the bracket, poking through the floor on the inside. I'll then counter sink the bolt into the floor, and then place plastic caps on top, covering the bolts. I designed it this way, since I wasn't quite sure exactly where my mounting brackets were going to be placed. I'll glob the hole with sikaflex sealant when I run the carriage bolt through, sealing the hole up.
.
reaver wrote:I'm going to counter sink the bolts into the 2x4,so I'll be drilling completely through the 1/4 in ply. It's held on by copious amounts of pl premium adhesive, and 2 inch staples. It's not coming off.
Now, the question is, do I want to switch to XPS for the roof? R 7.5 vs R5.6...
tony.latham wrote:Now, the question is, do I want to switch to XPS for the roof? R 7.5 vs R5.6...
You'll sleep with the windows and vent fan cracked. You'll never notice the difference in R value.
Tony
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 8 guests