Skinning ideas ...
Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2015 6:09 pmGreeting all. I am currently in the middle of an "off road" trailer. Its actually a utility bed for a truck that a farmer welded to a home made trailer frame, beat the heck out of it and the posted it on craigslist. The center section is hollowed out now, and I am getting ready to start framing the "cabin" area. I have read a lot on this forum about how airtight trailers can kill you. I was wondering what would be a rugged exterior without adding back the nearly 400 pounds I have already stripped off of the trailer?
What I have learned so far:
Filon: Works great with pro results. Need lot of hands to get it right.
Canvas: A way to water proof plywood sheets. Not really understanding the benefits vs skinning with wood.
Woods: Traditional and fairly easy to work with, but can add a bit weight.
Fiberglass: Good product, but can be high cost.
Aluminum: Another good product, Expensive
Attached is a pic of the current state of the trailer.
The "cabin" area is 8'2" x 4'1/2". A bit snug, but the wife says she'll be fine.
Some of my concerns are the large flat front getting a lit of wind at 60mph and cost of materials. I will be framing with steel tubing that came with the trailer (not pictures), mostly because I can weld steel. My welder isn't setup for aluminum and I have no experience with it. Oh, and I will be raising the interior height by 18" above the side boxes. As the framing gets closer to completion I am starting to look at skinning this thing. So far I am looking at fiberglass, aluminum panels or wood, but I would open to anything. Any advice would be most appreciated.
What I have learned so far:
Filon: Works great with pro results. Need lot of hands to get it right.
Canvas: A way to water proof plywood sheets. Not really understanding the benefits vs skinning with wood.
Woods: Traditional and fairly easy to work with, but can add a bit weight.
Fiberglass: Good product, but can be high cost.
Aluminum: Another good product, Expensive
Attached is a pic of the current state of the trailer.
The "cabin" area is 8'2" x 4'1/2". A bit snug, but the wife says she'll be fine.
Some of my concerns are the large flat front getting a lit of wind at 60mph and cost of materials. I will be framing with steel tubing that came with the trailer (not pictures), mostly because I can weld steel. My welder isn't setup for aluminum and I have no experience with it. Oh, and I will be raising the interior height by 18" above the side boxes. As the framing gets closer to completion I am starting to look at skinning this thing. So far I am looking at fiberglass, aluminum panels or wood, but I would open to anything. Any advice would be most appreciated.