Wood sided trailer is having issues. Suggestions wanted

[MatTech]

For what it's worth I've been in contact with Liquid Rubber up here in Canada about their products for use in my trailer build and they have been extremely helpful so far. Their customer service has been top notch and we have emailed back and forth over a dozen times. They are sending me dried samples of their products made specifically for me but I haven't received them yet so I can't comment on them.

If I were you I would find out what the product you have on your trailer is made of and ask them if they have something that would bond to it. They make some incredible claims of both elasticity and durability, I'm specifically looking at their polyurethane deck coating. Its uv stable and comes in colours.

Doesn't cost anything to ask questions and they would probably send you a sample too if you want. The product I'm looking at is $300 Cdn for 5 gallons and they have geotextile membrane to embed into the coating for extra strength.

If you're not in a hurry I should have my samples in a few days and will post a report in my "alternate adhesives for PMF" thread over on the foamies page.

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[lacofdfireman]

For what it's worth I've been in contact with Liquid Rubber up here in Canada about their products for use in my trailer build and they have been extremely helpful so far. Their customer service has been top notch and we have emailed back and forth over a dozen times. They are sending me dried samples of their products made specifically for me but I haven't received them yet so I can't comment on them.

If I were you I would find out what the product you have on your trailer is made of and ask them if they have something that would bond to it. They make some incredible claims of both elasticity and durability, I'm specifically looking at their polyurethane deck coating. Its uv stable and comes in colours.

Doesn't cost anything to ask questions and they would probably send you a sample too if you want. The product I'm looking at is $300 Cdn for 5 gallons and they have geotextile membrane to embed into the coating for extra strength.

If you're not in a hurry I should have my samples in a few days and will post a report in my "alternate adhesives for PMF" thread over on the foamies page.

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Thanks. I’m in no rush so keep me updated if you don’t mind. Thanks.


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[lacofdfireman]

Have a question for y’all. Obviously I’m ina situation that sucks but as I find a way out of this I do have a few questions about what I’m looking at doing. One thing I’m considering is using either aluminum or sheet metal to cover over this. I know I can buy edge molding to hold in the sheets along the top but what kind of an edge molding would you use on the angles of my trailer going side to side? Like from drivers side to passenger side along the front under the window? I have no idea how you would hold those edges together and I’d imagine making that bend would be pretty tough to get it to long up perfect. I figure I’d have to cut the sheets like I did the pieces of plywood? Or how would I do this?


Also what thickness of Aluminum or Plywood should I be looking for? I’d like to get some quotes but have no idea what thickness I’d need or could get away with. I’d like to go light as possible since my trailer is already heavy.


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[MatTech]

I racked my brain with a lot of the same questions in my planning stages. My plan was to skin with aluminum originally and overlap the sheets at any joints so as to not use any moulding. I originally thought about using coiled painted aluminum that is normally used for fascia as it bends very easily with a brake which can be rented fairly cheap. In the end I scrapped the idea as the fascia material is far too thin and any small impact causes a penetration (.020" thick). Also the widest I could source the coils was 24" which would make a lot of ugly joints.

In my opinion terminating sheets of any material be it EPDM, FRP, or metal flush with the next sheet (at corners or seams is a failure waiting to happen. Most of the big manufacturers build all their trailers like this and the only thing stopping water running down inside your wall is moulding with butyl tape underneath. This is one of the reasons I stripped my camper to the frame as the moulding at the wall roof corner was letting water into the walls and rotting them out. The previous owner attempted to remedy this with tens of pounds of caulking to no avail. I can't decide if the big manufacturers do this because it's easier to install or if they are planning obsolescence into their units so you will eventually buy a new one.

If you do end up going with metal siding ensure that you account for overlap at least at horizontal seams. I also tried to source thicker aluminum but then ran into the problem that most sheet metal brakes which you can rent are only rated for very thin material and you will damage them bending thicker stuff. Some suppliers can pre bend material to your specifications but it will cost more.

The other problem with moulding at the wall roof joint is that the moulding will always sit proud of the exterior skin creating a lip that water must go up and over before being shed to the ground. This means that water will inevitably sit at that joint and anything but a perfectly applied sealant will eventually leak. You can also get fungus issues with stagnant water sitting on your roof.

There's a lot to think about with a good waterproof metal skin but it can be done with careful planning.

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[John61CT]

There are incredible adhesive / sealants these days, 3M and Sika being leading vendors.

Just how flexible vs adhesive strength vary for every goal, use of quality butyl rubber for embedding screwed fittings.

Marine forums are great places to get practical advice on them.

Do it right and only once, with say a 10-15 year lifespan goal should be very doable.

[Woodbutcher]

In the picture below you can see two ways of doing seams. I overlapped the sheets about 1.25 inches. The screws are stainless self tapping, and pre drilled in the overlap sheet. Where the diamond plate is attached I used an insert molding without the side leg on it. It gets screwed on and the screws get covered by the black filler strip, (sold in a roll) and both work well. Start at the rear of the trailer on the sides if you need a seam and work forward. That way the overlap faces the rear and you don't drive rain into the seam. I used a Latex Elastomeric caulk under the overlap. That never completely dries and will move with the expanding metal.

[MatTech]

In the picture below you can see two ways of doing seams. I overlapped the sheets about 1.25 inches. The screws are stainless self tapping, and pre drilled in the overlap sheet. Where the diamond plate is attached I used an insert molding without the side leg on it. It gets screwed on and the screws get covered by the black filler strip, (sold in a roll) and both work well. Start at the rear of the trailer on the sides if you need a seam and work forward. That way the overlap faces the rear and you don't drive rain into the seam. I used a Latex Elastomeric caulk under the overlap. That never completely dries and will move with the expanding metal.

That's a very clean looking install! I'm guessing you park the trailer with a slight slope to the rear to shed water in that direction?

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[halfdome, Danny]

A friend of mine built 44 teardrops using the stainless steel screw method woodbutcher used.

This is how I do my roof seams.
Since the last piece of aluminum sheet edge faces rearward, the leg of this aluminum trim also goes rearward to cover the edge of the sheet.
I too use RV insert molding for the profile.
I use 3M VHB tape on my overlapping aluminum sheet to sheet seams, holds like a weld.
Danny

[Woodbutcher]

My roof is rubber, I park it level, without any issues.

[lacofdfireman]

Some great ideas and replies. Thank you. My concern is this edge right under my front window. Do I cut the sheet metal or aluminum at this edge or try and bend it there. I know the window will help hold the aluminum or sheet metal in place also just concerned about this angle. Not sure how to approach it. Originally it is sheeted with 2 separate pieces of plywood then the edge was filled with bondo and sanded. But not sure if I should try and bend a single piece around that edge or cut it into two pieces like was done originally.

This is the corner and edge I’m talking about.



Also along the top should I bend the top piece from the front angle and overlap over the roof piece 6-8” from the front or put the 2 sheets (roof and front) together right at the top corner?

Also nobody has suggested what thickness sheet metal or aluminum they would use to skin this trailer in. And how much heavier would the sheet metal be than the Aluminum. I really want to keep my same paint scheme that I have now. And I think sheet metal would be easier to paint than aluminum?

Thanks everyone for the help with this.


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[halfdome, Danny]

Some great ideas and replies. Thank you. My concern is this edge right under my front window. Do I cut the sheet metal or aluminum at this edge or try and bend it there. I know the window will help hold the aluminum or sheet metal in place also just concerned about this angle. Not sure how to approach it. Originally it is sheeted with 2 separate pieces of plywood then the edge was filled with bondo and sanded. But not sure if I should try and bend a single piece around that edge or cut it into two pieces like was done originally.

This is the corner and edge I’m talking about.



Also along the top should I bend the top piece from the front angle and overlap over the roof piece 6-8” from the front or put the 2 sheets (roof and front) together right at the top corner?

Also nobody has suggested what thickness sheet metal or aluminum they would use to skin this trailer in. And how much heavier would the sheet metal be than the Aluminum. I really want to keep my same paint scheme that I have now. And I think sheet metal would be easier to paint than aluminum?

Thanks everyone for the help with this.


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If I were doing it I'd put the front piece on last and do a bend at that angle and adhere it with the white foam VHB tape.
It would be nice if that front corner, from the frame up to the roof + 2", ( two bends) were one continuous piece of aluminum to ward off freeway driven rain.
Years ago one of the members made a sheet bender out of 2x4's but can't remember who it was.
You'll need to clamp a 2x4" over the area continually with the tape for 36 hours to make it adhere, and shim any gaps under the 2x4.
Use denatured alcohol to clean the mating surfaces for a correct bond.
I use two strips of the 3/4" wide VHB tape.
I have no idea what lies below that corner and if it could stand up to the pressure of clamping.
If you don't clamp the overlap then use stainless steel screws about every 2' or so.

I'm sure sheet metal will be considerably heavier and harder to work with than aluminum.
I use .030 thick aluminum and have in the past used .050 on a continuous roof as it was the only thickness available in a 5' wide sheet.
On my roof I've always put 2 layers of glued together 1/8" Baltic Birch plywood from the front to the galley hinge, so your 1/4" plywood should work, good luck.
Danny

[lacofdfireman]

Some great ideas and replies. Thank you. My concern is this edge right under my front window. Do I cut the sheet metal or aluminum at this edge or try and bend it there. I know the window will help hold the aluminum or sheet metal in place also just concerned about this angle. Not sure how to approach it. Originally it is sheeted with 2 separate pieces of plywood then the edge was filled with bondo and sanded. But not sure if I should try and bend a single piece around that edge or cut it into two pieces like was done originally.

This is the corner and edge I’m talking about.



Also along the top should I bend the top piece from the front angle and overlap over the roof piece 6-8” from the front or put the 2 sheets (roof and front) together right at the top corner?

Also nobody has suggested what thickness sheet metal or aluminum they would use to skin this trailer in. And how much heavier would the sheet metal be than the Aluminum. I really want to keep my same paint scheme that I have now. And I think sheet metal would be easier to paint than aluminum?

Thanks everyone for the help with this.


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If I were doing it I'd put the front piece on last and do a bend at that angle and adhere it with the white foam VHB tape.
It would be nice if that front corner, from the frame up to the roof + 2", ( two bends) were one continuous piece of aluminum to ward off freeway driven rain.
Years ago one of the members made a sheet bender out of 2x4's but can't remember who it was.
You'll need to clamp a 2x4" over the area continually with the tape for 36 hours to make it adhere, and shim any gaps under the 2x4.
Use denatured alcohol to clean the mating surfaces for a correct bond.
I use two strips of the 3/4" wide VHB tape.
I have no idea what lies below that corner and if it could stand up to the pressure of clamping.
If you don't clamp the overlap then use stainless steel screws about every 2' or so.

I'm sure sheet metal will be considerably heavier and harder to work with than aluminum.
I use .030 thick aluminum and have in the past used .050 on a continuous roof as it was the only thickness available in a 5' wide sheet.
On my roof I've always put 2 layers of glued together 1/8" Baltic Birch plywood from the front to the galley hinge, so your 1/4" plywood should work, good luck.
Danny

I actually have 1/2” Baltic Birch plywood on the front, roof and back. 1/4” on the sides only. Thanks for the information on thicknesses. I really appreciate it. Would it even be possible to paint the aluminum like I have my paint scheme? What about using the Raptor liner on the aluminum first like I have on the wood now then paining the Raptor liner?


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[lacofdfireman]

Some great ideas and replies. Thank you. My concern is this edge right under my front window. Do I cut the sheet metal or aluminum at this edge or try and bend it there. I know the window will help hold the aluminum or sheet metal in place also just concerned about this angle. Not sure how to approach it. Originally it is sheeted with 2 separate pieces of plywood then the edge was filled with bondo and sanded. But not sure if I should try and bend a single piece around that edge or cut it into two pieces like was done originally.

This is the corner and edge I’m talking about.



Also along the top should I bend the top piece from the front angle and overlap over the roof piece 6-8” from the front or put the 2 sheets (roof and front) together right at the top corner?

Also nobody has suggested what thickness sheet metal or aluminum they would use to skin this trailer in. And how much heavier would the sheet metal be than the Aluminum. I really want to keep my same paint scheme that I have now. And I think sheet metal would be easier to paint than aluminum?

Thanks everyone for the help with this.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

If I were doing it I'd put the front piece on last and do a bend at that angle and adhere it with the white foam VHB tape.
It would be nice if that front corner, from the frame up to the roof + 2", ( two bends) were one continuous piece of aluminum to ward off freeway driven rain.
Years ago one of the members made a sheet bender out of 2x4's but can't remember who it was.
You'll need to clamp a 2x4" over the area continually with the tape for 36 hours to make it adhere, and shim any gaps under the 2x4.
Use denatured alcohol to clean the mating surfaces for a correct bond.
I use two strips of the 3/4" wide VHB tape.
I have no idea what lies below that corner and if it could stand up to the pressure of clamping.
If you don't clamp the overlap then use stainless steel screws about every 2' or so.

I'm sure sheet metal will be considerably heavier and harder to work with than aluminum.
I use .030 thick aluminum and have in the past used .050 on a continuous roof as it was the only thickness available in a 5' wide sheet.
On my roof I've always put 2 layers of glued together 1/8" Baltic Birch plywood from the front to the galley hinge, so your 1/4" plywood should work, good luck.
Danny

I actually have 1/2” Baltic Birch plywood on the front, roof and back. 1/4” on the sides only. Thanks for the information on thicknesses. I really appreciate it. Would it even be possible to paint the aluminum like I have my paint scheme? What about using the Raptor liner on the aluminum first like I have on the wood now then paining the Raptor liner?


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[Graniterich]

I use .040 aluminum, about sixty pounds a sheet

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[lacofdfireman]

After all this time I just keep going back to I need to pull the exterior skin off the trailer and resting the entire trailer. Not sure how I’m going to do this without destroying the entire trailer but I think it’s going to be the only way I’ll have peace knowing I sealed the wood. I’m going to have to figure out a way to remove each screw that has been counter sunk and bondo’d over. Anyone have a way to do this? Would Baltic Birch like I have now still be ok to reskin it with or should I find some other plywood that has more sealing properties already in it? If I did use Baltic Birch I figure I’d want to seal it with Deck seal or something like that to make it waterproof or at least water resistant. Then at that point I’d probably repair with some Glidden gripper paint that everyone seems to think is good.

I’m just not sure I want to put something as heavy as Aluminum on this trailer. I’m probably adding 250lbs at least skinning in Aluminum. The trailer is already heavy at 1400lbs in my opinion.

My only other consideration would be Filon or FRP. But I think the Filon is pretty expensive. One guy told me I’d be looking at at least $700 in Filon before trim. I could reskin this entire trailer for maybe $250 in Baltic Birch.


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