djdawg wrote:Thank you for this thread...I was wondering about using Luan for skinning a teardrop as I used it in my hot dog cart. I like working with it because it's inexpensive and easy to use. (and easy to bend to a certain extent)
I too have had a few spots bubble and I hate it. I had painted my cart so I thought a decent exterior paint would keep this from happening but apparantly not. However it was some time between skinning the cart and when actual paint was applied so who knows. I appreciate your experiment and when I finally move forward with this I'll do the same.
You mentioned something about applying something else as a final coat....do you think this could be an exterior paint? Would that do the trick?
Most epoxies are not UV resistant and need something else applied over them that is UV resistant. The more you do and the better the quality of products that you use, the better your results should be. This goes for whatever paint you use, too. (For mine, I ended up using a type of boat paint.) Also, it is especially important to coat all cut areas, joints and plywood ends very well as, if moisture can find a way to wick in, it will; and, the cut ends offer many opportunities for this to happen.
Damage can occur that is caused by road rubble, tree limbs, sun baking.....If "it" can happen, whatever "it" is, it will. If the paint on your car gets chipped or scratched, you touch up the paint to prevent rust. Metal takes a lot longer to break down than plywood. Do the best you can and be diligent in repairing any damage found. Provide shelter for your trailer, if you can. That's the best that I can tell you.
Best wishes on your build, DJ.