Bama5150 wrote:Very interested in seeing how you tackle the big window.
Bama5150, building the large window is the one part of my build I'm approaching with a bit of trepidation. I "think" I have a plan and how I'm going to go about it. I've been thinking and planning about it for quite a while so I better have it right by this point. I'll be using 1/4 inch polycarbonate (Tuffak AR is the PC which has an abrasion resistant coating and UV protection). I would have rather used glass but that's not going to happen it being such a defined shape which is not something readily found on the shelf. I found a local powder coating vendor who has a large oven. I'll heat up the PC and drape it over a form I'll build which matches the outside radius of the trailer. I'll create a lip using the outer roof sheathing with the aluminum skin on top and use a locking gasket to hold the window in place. I've attached an image of the locking gasket. At least this is my "plan of action".... I'll keep you posted as I get to doing it.
mnswamp wrote:why not cut the wall at full height and notch for the stringers in CAD instead of blocking (or maybe in addition to blocking? Just curious,
mnswamp, I suppose it could be done that way but in thinking about your comment there's probably 2 reasons I can think of to not do it that way. One is if you cut notches in the CAD and CNC them in your parts you're kind of locked in where the spars go. I wound up moving my spars a bit from the original CAD when I got to installing them. The other thing is a lip is needed (kind of a little shelf) so you have a surface to lay the headliner and some meat to nail the headliner in place. If you cut in the notches as you suggest, I'd think you start to loose a lot of meat in the middle panel. I actually wish I had left more of rabbet to lay the headliner. So doing the construction as most do it, and adding the blocking, just helps to lock it all in place. Keep in mind I've not done this before. This is the way I did it and I just followed what I've researched how others have done it before me.
Thank you both for your comments and interest.
John