Almost finished and I'm concerned my TD is looking rougher t

[tscarbroughdc]

The title says it all. But can I clean up some of my sloppy handiwork after I get this thing built?

I'm also worried that it's not going to be water tight.

Did anyone else have these concerns when they were building?

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1386989957.523022.jpg (68 KiB) Viewed 832 times

[rand_98201]

Honestly I havent started my TD build yet but I know from past experiences when I have built other projects,mainly race cars.That I almost always had a similar type of worry.Keep plugging along man you will be ok.If nothing else you may end up fixing a few goofs youve made here and there.Thats no big deal.

[48Rob]

T,

I can only speak for myself, but when I am doing a project, there is an unending battle raging most of the time.
I want to move forward, see progress, and get it finished! However, I know deep down that I MUST take my time, pay attention to all the details, and do the very best job I am capable of.
It is easy to make yourself believe that you "can come back later" and fix little things, but in reality it rarely happens.

If you have concern about leaks and other issues, please post them so we can try to help.
Not much sense in building a trailer that will leak and self destruct in a year or two...Pretty hard on the ego too
More common than you might think with homebuilt trailers...

No reason to build less than you are capable of, even if it is a rough box, but in the end, you should be proud, and dry.

Rob

[Roo Dog]

Wot Rob Sed.
RD

[Glenn Butcher]

Yes, I'm currently worrying both 'watertight' (no leaks upon us inside) and 'waterproof' (no soaked wood to rot). We live and camp in Colorado, which is pretty dry, so 'watertight' should be relatively easy, I'm thinking; plenty of trim and seal products available to effectively build 'watertight' to amateur tolerances.

'Waterproof' is my big concern, because I've seen instances in my own home where even a well-designed structure component can get and stay wet due to unforseen circumstances. I'm going to skin my first build with FRP, and I want to make absolutely sure water can't find it's way under that to rest on the plywood. CPES seems to be the thing to use, and paying attention to the 'watertight' construction...

If you have a hard time getting your structure to not leak, you may eventually consider fiberglassing. Relatively easy to do, lots of literature on the techniques, and it'll deftly handle the joints and corners.

All the above from someone who hasn't built yet, so take it for what it's worth...

[crazycyclist]

Skin it with aluminum. On the top use outdoor carpet glue to hold it in place. On the sides use rubber cement. Fastenal sells good stuff but it costs more.

Use Edge Trim. Caulk the edges under the trim. When putting in screws in the trim, insert the screw, remove the screw, caulk the hole and then re-insert the screw the final time. Don't use silicone caulk as silicone eats aluminum over time. I recommend Trempro 626. Also available from Fastenal.

Aluminum also covers a multitude of blemishes.

[crazycyclist]

BTW, I am also very happy with my Continuous Gear Hinge for my doors. Very solid and weather seals the front edge of the door.

Here is one source I googled.
http://www.doorware.com/specials/help-c ... hinges.cfm

[eamarquardt]

"You never have the time to do it right the first time but you always have the time to go back and fix it."

Learn from this experience and, as many have, build a second one building on what you learned this time. That's how life works.

Don't despair, building teardrops isn't in your DNA. You gotta learn it it from someone else or by doing. Such is life.

Cheers,

Gus

[48Rob]

Don't despair, building teardrops isn't in your DNA, you gotta learn it it from someone else or by doing. Such is life.

Cheers,

Gus

Great quote!

Rob

[eggsalad]

Mine looks pretty rough, too. Perhaps about as rough as yours.

I guess it's all about attitude. I feel my trailer is as good as I could have built it. Mine has proven waterproof enough, because the build took place outside, and it has rained.

This is what mattered to me...

[a] will it successfully do what I set out to do? (Yes, I can sleep in it safely and securely, and it tows okay.)

[b] will *I* be able to look at it and use it and be happy and proud of what I built? (Yes. While I know there are craftsman here whose work would put mine to shame, *I* know I did the best I could, and that's good enough for me.)

[working on it]

Do you plan on storing it inside or outside? The prospect of constant exposure to sun, wind, and rain should determine how you cover the trailer: paint, aluminum, filon, FRP, etc. And how you prepare the surface before you do so, is probably more important. In my case, I chose a polyurethane base coat, with heavy-duty exterior (farm equipment proven) acrylic enamel top coating (and all seams were joined beforehand, with Loctite PL Premium Adhesive, water-proof, and well recommended here). I had read, and asked many questions, about others' experiences with these, and I had used both in different applications before (but not on a larger scale, like a trailer) with success, so I chose what I knew from the prior usage. I had used epoxy, but not well, and aluminum was not in my plans, so there it was. Another decision maker: exposure to the Texas Sun, 24-7 and 365, would destroy normal paint, degrade FRP or plastic, and Texas hailstorms would dent the aluminum, IMHO. The decision was also made easier since I had a garage bay for storage! I've only had my trailer out for one weekend so far, barely exposed to rain (mostly covered with a canopy), and returned to the garage thereafter, so I can't say what lies ahead long-term. But, I followed the precedents of others that had used both, tested over many years, and liked. I also have the back-up plan to overcoat all with Durabak (a bedliner type of coating) if any "major" signs of deterioration may surface (I expect to touch up minor flaws, here and there, since I am a poor painter). And about your concern on "looking rougher" than you expected: I wanted my trailer to look rough, and home-built, as I had always wanted to try a "Popular Mechanics" type-build, after reading them for many years. I also appreciate the efforts of the unskilled, but diligent workman, whose imperfect creation means as much to him as anothers' gem. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

[Martiangod]

Take a standback, picture in your mind, then assess what to do to acheive,
I think we all hit a point on our build where we question like you are, sometimes a nap in the trailer will get you past.
Some paint, some trim, makes a world of differrence. It looking good just not complete.
Your at a point where you can focus and complete some things, as you complete smaller things, the big picture does
Not seam so unubtainable