Thrifty Alternatives ..Building Foam Campers

[GPW]

Weight does seem to be critical to a lot of folks ... For instance ... Yesterday some roofing guys came over to fix the roof vent on the house ... Had a leak , due to the old flange being plastic , rather than Lead (my bad)... Anyway , mid fix , one of the guys asked me where the camo trailer was that he’d seen in the photograph ...... (what photograph? ) Now apparently the guy that came out to do the estimate , had taken a pic of the Foamie while he was here , unbeknownst to me , and showed it around the shop ... So after the roof was fixed , both guys came in the studio and spent at least 20 minutes examining the trailer and talking about how this would make a perfect hunting trailer/ blind for them ... Being roofers , once I explained the basics , they knew exactly what was going on . and apparently really liked the idea of the light weight (and low cost) as they could easily place it in the back of a pickup , or on a boat ... My guess is they weren’t going to put it on a trailer ... Just haul it to where they were going and then leave it ..
When they left , the main guy said he was going back to the shop and grab some foam he had to start on his build ... I wished him well and told him to be sure to visit us here for more ideas ... With the opening of hunting season less than a month away , I’m sure there’ll be some foamies at the camps this year ... They both did seem very excited... I told them to let me know how it worked out ....

So I guess now we maybe should explore the idea of Gun ports on our Foamies ... just for the hunting crowd ...
Ps. I forgot to tell him it wasn’t Bear proof ...

[eaglesdare]

no gun points for me. not in the hunting crowd.

[chartle]

TOWM , That’s Cool !!! Nice test !!! I don’t believe Epoxy loses Any weight ..

There maybe a little solvent in the Epoxy but not much. I only say that because it smells a little.

I bet GG maybe gains weight because it absorbs water.

I have a scale that measures down to the 10th of a gram and fresh bottle of GG. x 2

If we need a finer measure my wife works in a lab with finer scales.

[Tiredoldwhiteman]

[quote="eaglesdare"]"...weight is not only an issue due to gas, but to tow capacity."

Indeed. That would be one of my major concerns with weight. My vehicle is limited to a maximum towing capacity of 1500 lbs. Still, at $3.50+/gallon, every drop saved is money in the pocket...

[chartle]

weight is not only an issue due to gas, but to tow capacity. i only have 1000 lbs tc.

I'm thinking of a Foamie that might weight 500 lbs loaded.

My two choices right now for a TV is my wife's 2003 Saturn VUE that has max tow weight of 1,500 lbs but can barely get up the hills around here or my new Elantra with a max tow weight of 750 lbs or 1,500 with trailer brakes.

The HF trailer weights around 250 I think. So is it even possible?

Now there will be

no water tanks, well at least not filled

No 20 lb propane (we use maybe 2 green bottles maybe less if switch to all LED lighting instead of our small single mantle lantern) or none if we go somewhere with hookups. Also may make room for a 5 lb bottle.

Maybe a small 12v sealed Gell cell for a minimum of led lighting

No fancy oak cabinets, but I do want a galley with storage so I'm thinking of using various aluminum skinned panels that are used in the sign making business like Alumalite or Alupanel. I would either paint or veneer the panels.

There has to be room for a cooler, I would like to make a hole for it in the galley but I guess it could go in the TV, it would help the tow weight but not the gross vehicle weight.

It will be a 5 foot wide by I think around 8 feet long and 4 foot high. One way to maybe save weight is instead of a real queen size mattress, like a full size foam, go with an air mattress at least until we get a new vehicle for my wife.

So Am I crazy.

[eaglesdare]

mine is a 5x8 foamie. with memory foam mattress it weighs approx 500lb total. i forget the exact. but the frame weight around 265lbs. the rest is the foamie.

no propane, no water tanks, bare just the shell with mattress.

using an air mattress vs memory foam i doubt will make a whole lot of difference. the mattress i have is a queen, 35-50lbs? would much rather have this than the air ones. not because i don't like them, as i do. but mainly because of the ease of use. i have a habit of arriving very late at night, 11 - midnight time frame. so all i have to do is get out of the car and jump into the tear. i do not have to find the pump and then blow up a mattress.

so to answer your question i doubt with the size you want, you will get it loaded at 500lbs.

you could try using less wood than i did, but since i really have very little wood, i would doubt that will make much difference either. that will make some however, just not enough to reach that 500lbs loaded.

[eaglesdare]

oh i carry my cooler in the car also. my food box is in there too.

about the only thing i carry in the tear is my tarp, poles, hammer, well all kinds of stuff that you bring for camping.


i will also say that i loaded the foamie when we evacuated for irene. it was loaded! i could feel the difference. and yes we did have a hard time going up hills and coming to a stop.

you can do a very light weight one just not sure about one loaded at 500lbs.

you could also build a galley from the foam. you really don't need the wood because from the sounds of it, you are really loading it up with a full kitchen. so no need for that kind of extra support. but you could use a flat piece of wood for a counter.

good luck with your build.
my car doesn't go up hills very well on its own either. i so relate to that. i know i can be driving 60-70 and hit the mountains and my car drops down to 40 and that is pushing it.

[eaglesdare]

off topic: hubby and i are going to disney in 2 weeks 2 days! alone, no kids!!!!!!! and no we are not taking the foamie. we will be staying at a resort hotel. however, we are telling the kids we are going camping, so we will be hooking up the foamie and taking it to a friends house.

[GPW]

If they ever find out ... Ruh Roh !!!

[Tiredoldwhiteman]

Please see my comments imbedded and in bold.

I'm thinking of a Foamie that might weight 500 lbs loaded.

My two choices right now for a TV is my wife's 2003 Saturn VUE that has max tow weight of 1,500 lbs but can barely get up the hills around here or my new Elantra with a max tow weight of 750 lbs or 1,500 with trailer brakes.

The HF trailer weights around 250 I think. So is it even possible?

Now there will be no water tanks, well at least not filled

I just weighed a No. 2 plastic water container (2 gal) and it came in at 2 lbs (its an old one if that has meaning.)

No 20 lb propane (we use maybe 2 green bottles maybe less if switch to all LED lighting instead of our small single mantle lantern) or none if we go somewhere with hookups. Also may make room for a 5 lb bottle.

I think LED lighting is the way to go EVERYWHERE, home included. We're doing one fixture at a time (those little buggers can be expensive). The 5 lb bottle will come in at 6 lbs (propane plus container).

So now you're up to 8 lbs!

Maybe a small 12v sealed Gell cell for a minimum of led lighting

Excluding the trailer, this is likely the heaviest single item on your list coming in anywhere between 55 and 70 lbs (I saw one on-line that weighed 59 lbs and one at 66 lbs).

Take the heaviest estimate for the battery for margin-of-error's sake and you're still well below a hundred pounds, now nudging 78 lbs.

No fancy oak cabinets, but I do want a galley with storage so I'm thinking of using various aluminum skinned panels that are used in the sign making business like Alumalite or Alupanel. I would either paint or veneer the panels.

That's a fantastic idea. I wish I had thought of it...Mind if I borrow your idea? I promise to not break it.

According to: http://www.harborsales.net/Portals/0/do ... e_Spec.pdf, Alumalite presses the scales from 0.78 psf for 6 mm and 0.99 psf for 10 mm stock. That's pretty darned light for what it does...

The 10 mm stuff might even work for shelving. I'd say this may very well be the "ideal" lightweight cabinet material for the whole TT business.

The Alumulite could be lightened further with lightening holes strategically placed.

There has to be room for a cooler, I would like to make a hole for it in the galley but I guess it could go in the TV, it would help the tow weight but not the gross vehicle weight.

It will be a 5 foot wide by I think around 8 feet long and 4 foot high. One way to maybe save weight is instead of a real queen size mattress, like a full size foam, go with an air mattress at least until we get a new vehicle for my wife.

So Am I crazy.

I don't think you'll have any problems keeping it well below 750 lbs. So far, with the HF trailer and, excluding the Alumalite, the above noted items, you're only up to 328 lbs. That leaves plenty of room.

[eaglesdare]

did i misread? i thought the question was a build of 500lbs loaded including frame?

that is what my answer was to.

[chartle]

1. Now there will be no water tanks, well at least not filled

I just weighed a No. 2 plastic water container (2 gal) and it came in at 2 lbs (its an old one if that has meaning.)

2. Maybe a small 12v sealed Gell cell for a minimum of led lighting

Excluding the trailer, this is likely the heaviest single item on your list coming in anywhere between 55 and 70 lbs (I saw one on-line that weighed 59 lbs and one at 66 lbs).

Take the heaviest estimate for the battery for margin-of-error's sake and you're still well below a hundred pounds, now nudging 78 lbs.

1. I was thinking of using some of the 2 to 3 gallon jugs with spigots that you refill at Walmart. Really thin and light

2. I wasn't talking anything near that big. Whats your definition of small? Here is mine.



Wanted to post a link but its not working right but here is the description.

Guardian # DBG-1212 or equivalent. Sealed lead-acid battery. 5.95" x 3.85" x 3.7" high. Non-spillable. Operates in any position. 0.25" quick-connect / solder terminals. Weight, 9 lbs.

[GPW]

For camping we don’t really need as much as most folks have /tow ... I fondly remember my earliest camping days with a BS (Boy Scout) Pup tent and a candle in a can, couple candy bars ... Didn’t even need a trailer

My current “ electrical systemâ€

[eaglesdare]

i have no electric inside my tear. i used the same, a very long extension cord. i use the t&ttt keychain light to find stuff once inside the tear,( btw that has come in handy a million times already!), a flourescent lantern, and/or those glow in the dark night sticks. more than 1/2 the time its the glow sticks, because the flashlight batteries are dead and the lantern is burnt out.

i remember my college days, using a real campers back pack. if i coudn't carry something in there, it just didn't go. we did lots of hiking, mainly on appalican trails.

but i am still pretty simplistic even with the tear. i use a cooler, and another box that has my food, and cooking utensils. nothing fancy in there either. i do bring an electric skillet, and i do carry a bag of charcoal with light fluid.

i will be going thru all the stuff that i store in the storage of the tear though. i am going to remove a lot of it, because i have gone several times this year, and have never used 90% of that stuff. i will keep the things that i have used, and get rid of the rest. that will lower my wieight a bit.


btw: the temp is 52 right now. brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[Tiredoldwhiteman]

Whats your definition of small?

I was thinking along the lines of a full-size 12v gel cell battery...Heavier use, for sure...9 lbs is great...What are the amp-hrs rating? Of course, if all you're going to use is occasional LED lighting it hardly matters.

Regardless, at 9 pounds for the battery, that's a gain of an easy 50 lbs...

Good deal, f'shore!