remove roof screws?

[Greg Barrick]

Good evening everyone. Building my 2nd tear (modified campster 12) and had a silly question. (Not silly to me) I'm planning to cover the roof with 1/8" ply/paneling and paint it for now. (Aluminum or FRP later this year.) IF I used screws to hold down the 1/8" roof for assembly, do I need to remove them when the glue is dry, fill & sand or leave the screws in??? (will it work?) Then what about when I go to finish cover of aluminum or a plastic?
Hope to have it "campable" and water proof in a month. Will finish it up during the summer. My old "cubby" TD, I stapled & screwed on the edges (some staples on the spars) covered with aluminum and held down on the edges with aluminum "trailer edging" and screws.

[Woodbutcher]

I used staples on my 1/8th inch plywood. The legs were 1/2 long ,1/2" crown and were coated staples. Seated them just below the surface. Then I covered them with a touch of bondo. Sand it all smooth and you can't see them under my epoxy paint. I have never had any work back out.

[doug hodder]

I've done a number of aluminum clad trailers over wood substrate like this. I typically remove all the screws once the glue has cured. That way, I don't have the problem of shooting a staple into it through the aluminum skin or trying to run a screw through the trim cap and hitting a screw left in. Just what I do.

For what it's worth...I'd just do it now like you plan in the future...down the road it will be much harder to skin it. And the big thing is...will you actually do it later or blow it off? There are lots of trailers that didn't quite get finished like the builder thought they would, cuz they put it off. Others opinions may vary. Doug

[Greg Barrick]

Thanx so much for the info, Wood Butcher & doug Hodder. Much appreciated. (And I feel better, now.) I have a feeling I may paint the sides. I will know tonite, but I have a source for "free" aluminum to do the roof with. I can only get it in 4' width, so I'd have to run a seam down the center. (6'-4" wide) Am I correct in assuming I could use can use most any "paneling" for a substraite under my roof aluminum? That's what I did on my Cubby and had good results.

[Jim Edgerly]

Greg, the only problem I see with leaving the screws in is if you have an "alignment" problem when you go to screw down your aluminum top. If you drill a hole in the aluminum intending to put a screw in and you hit one of the screws left in from holding down the plywood you have a real problem. I know where I did not intend to screw through the aluminum top on mine I left the screws in the wood.
Jim