Thrifty Alternatives ..Building Foam Campers

[bonnie]

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 !!

Weren't you going to countersink those bolts? I seem toremember a picture of bolts epoxied to squares. Mybe another thread. Looking good. Will you put someort of spacer gasket between the trailer and the trailer body?

[linuxmanxxx]

Hey GPW go to lowes in the special fastener drawers use the elevator bolts with the lart flat head surface area and you won't have to worry about doing anything inside the cabin cause when you torque them they will pull into the wood a slight bit and give a smooth surface and the larger head spreads the load on the wood rather well.

[Wolffarmer]

Lowes has elevator bolts?

I got mine at a place in town called A.M.I. Sort of a local mechanical tool and bolt dealer. If was to get them online would have cost almost $20 for 10. I got mine for $4.41 at AMI.

I got 3/8x1.5 inch in zinc plated. They stock 1.5 and 2 inch length, in Zinc. that I know for sure.

And it sure can't cost much to ship, not like those internet robbery stores

Randy

[atahoekid]

When I was mounting the floor to the frame, I thought about using elevator bolts. I too, never knew that Lowe's carried them. I went to Fastenal and they wanted a young fortune for them. So, Never Mind. I used carriage bolts instead. They won't present too much of a problem for me since my floor is actually the floor of the storage area.

[Wolffarmer]

I figure that for $0.44 each I am going to use elevator bolts.

Summer of 2010 I also learned that that AMI place had Althread at less than 1/2 of some other places. And I needed about 5 sticks of the stuff.

Randy

[bonnie]

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 !!

Weren't you going to countersink those bolts? I seem toremember a picture of bolts epoxied to squares. Mybe another thread. Looking good. Will you put someort of spacer gasket between the trailer and the trailer body?

[GPW]

Bonnie , just regular carriage bolts , the heads will be hidden under the padding and wall to wall carpet ...
Just the 2x4 spacers , and the black nasty stuff ... That’s all really ..

[mikeschn]

No messages in this thread today! You can't be done...

Mike...

[Wolffarmer]

No messages in this thread today! You can't be done...

Mike...

Not done, to cold outside and to broke.

Randy

[linuxmanxxx]

I have 2 brand new texsport the lodge SUV tents that we use for the microcampers to attach over the doors and make an additional dressing living area available for sell be perfect for the foamies and teardrops to use.

$135 each shipped to your door in the 48 lower states. My contact is in my signature if you are interested.

I also have many of the twist to open doors that have the slip outlet for you to pull your electric hookup cable out and connect and these are $10 free shipping to lower 48.

[NonProfit]

OK, I was just going to build a regular ole TD and then found this thread and read every page (well, I read the first 50 and then started skimming.) Not sure what I'll do now...thanks for the ideas...

[crumbruiser]

Welcome to the comunity! I had the same idea you had until this..... I've changed my mind several times and still don't have my mind made up.
Frank

[eaglesdare]

welcome nonprofit!

i must say that i am all for you building a foamie. but i just might be a bit biased.

[GPW]

Biased , Nooooooooo !!! Convinced !!! I think those of us that have built these (and especially the ones who have camped in them ) will attest to the many benefits of a Foamie trailer ...

NP, Crum , Having already built a wooden TD before the Foamie , I can only say It’s the Lightest , Cheapest (1/4 the cost of the wooden one, and that’s including the trailer ) , and Easiest (no special tools or skills needed ) way to make a nice comfortable camping trailer, that I’ve found anywhere ... Lives Outside with no garage or covers (unlike the wooden one ) ... no problems... as something like this is supposed to do ... and at ~ 500LB. I think I could tow it with a SMART CAR ...

[crumbruiser]

500lbs? Able to be sculpted, after building up layers of course and 1/4 of the price for wood!
I really think a 5'x10' or 5'x11' would be ideal!
Frank