Thrifty Alternatives ..Building Foam Campers

[pete42]

Sitting outside the VA hospital where I just spent 3 hours waiting before spending 2 minutes with doctor and 10 with technician getting my CPAP machine adjusted,
I got to talking to an older couple (84) who had to quit winter camping in Texas over close to Mexico border due to his failing health
he too was complaining about the cold here in Ohio it's 33 degrees not much wind I felt kind of sorry for them
she was so skinny it looked like a big breeze could blow her over sweet couple.

I still think a foamy would be well insulated keeping cold out and warmth in GPW sure you don't want to try and then do a report?

[linuxmanxxx]

I still think a foamy would be well insulated keeping cold out and warmth in GPW sure you don't want to try and then do a report?

It's foam very capable of trapping heat or cold so what's there to try? Ice chests have kept food cold or hot for decades so not sure what you might want here??????

[GPW]

Pete , send the old couple over and we’ll stick them in the Foamie for a while ...

[linuxmanxxx]

Pete , send the old couple over and we’ll stick them in the Foamie for a while ...

Would that be putting them on ice or on thaw lol

[GPW]

If they’re coming from Ohio, probably Thaw !!

Really , I think 2â€

[eaglesdare]

i've said this before, but if its cold outside, the inside of the foamie will be cold. if its hot outside, the inside of the foamie will be hot.

the foamie will keep the temp the same as the outside temps. meaning if its cold, its cold. if its hot, its hot.

you will need a heater and/or a/c. depending on your season. my first trip out, the maiden voyage was in the lower 40's. like 42, with rain. it was so cold and wet, not fun. it was the 2 adults and the one grandchild in the bunk bed. with the 3 of us it was still freezing cold. but once the son, (who mostly slept in the car) but once he tried to sleep inside the tear with us, so with 4 it was stifling(sp).

[GPW]

Same with any insulated structure .... without some outside influence (heating or cooling ) it will stay the ambient temp. ! Insulation just keeps the generated heat or cooling much longer ...

Eagle , ever walk into a barn in the dead of winter ? .... the more cows , the warmer it is .... sometimes gets downright HOT !!!

[SubaruDave]

What kind of heater do most people use inside a foamie? Usually when I get cold I just pull the blanket over my head and take deep breaths, within minutes I'm usually pretty warm.

[GPW]

BTW , got the cabin suspended above the trailer now (on temporary 2X2s) and the door Does open ... just barely missing the fender bolt head on top ... a single replacement carriage bolt with shallow rounded top should solve that problem ...

Working on the mounting system now ... Due to the width of the foam , we have to use an alternate bolt up .... can’t just do the edges to the trailer frame as usual ...

[GPW]

A good blanket (s) or a decent sleeping bag is always welcome ...


Here’s the way I’m thinking we have to mount the cabin ... to the cross members ...

[DJT]

GPW,

Looks like that should be plenty strong. Nyloc nuts? And how many bolts in total?

[Treeview]

Be sure to use stainless steel fasteners or compatible fasteners, when using any treated wood.

The rules changed a few years ago with the new treatments.

I'd even consider isolating the trailer with some sort of nylon/plastic sheeting that won't rub and wear.

Easier to use cedar or maybe even plastic wood for those exposures.

[GPW]

DJ, 15 bolts total , 3 on each crossmember lock washers , fender washers , and thread Lock which might (?) help preserve the threads long term .... I was even considering painting the black nasty stuff over the threads of what’s left exposed ... may be overkill... Don’t think the floor will ever go anywhere...

Tree, I so have some plastic tubing for isolating the bolts through the PT wood ... I got the SOS old galvanized carriage bolts ... and already got the PT 2X4s... fait accompli !!

[eaglesdare]

my heater is a lasko ceramic element heater. it works great inside the foamie. one time it got so hot it turned itself off. but i need a smaller unit, this one is too big and akward in the foamie, takes up too much room.

[atahoekid]

I am going to use a propane powered Olympian Wave 3 catalytic heater. It is safe to use indoors but also has warning labels to not use it in sleeping quarters. It puts out a lot of BTU's so I should not need to run it for very long. I plan to use it as a pre-heater before we crawl in for the night and after we wake in the morning. Not during actual periods of sleep. Between the heater, the Fantastic Vent, and judicious use of the slider windows, I should be able to regulate the inside temperature in all but the hottest environments. Since the foamie is essentially a styrofoam cooler on wheels, air flow will be crucial to temperature regulation. OH and PLEASE remember that sleeping in an airtight teardrop of any construction can be fatal. Always sleep with an opening to fresh air of at least a few inches. There's an article posted as a sticky about air tight teardrops somewhere in one of the topics. Take the time to read it for your own health and safety.