Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I found these garage door panels that are 3/4 foam insulated. They have a 1 3/4 rib so I decided it would make a good place to run wires. The only draw back is the floor will be 3 1/4 thick when I top it with 3/4 plywood.
Sure does look good, and it should shield my wood from water. Any body seen these used or do you see any abvious problems before I bolt them down? Thanks for the advice on how to bolt to the trailer. My pictures are in my album. Haven't learned how to post them here yet.


Thanks John

John...not saying yay/nay as to use of the panels but do have a couple question/concerns...1)why use 3/4 ply...1/2 should be sufficient and if you fill the voids with pink/blue foam, you could probably use 1/4" ply...2)the seam/joints in the panels...are they totally(I mean totally) waterproof...if not you will want to seal them thoroughly or you may find them(panels) collecting/holding water and rotting out the floor...other than that, if YOU like 'em...use 'em
madjack

I'm with MJ,

Seal the joints well, insulate and use 1/4" ply to top it off and you'll be fine. Heck, with a cavity like that you could run in-floor heat

-Greg

The panels have a rubbler bead in the groove where the lock together
but I am goin to apply plenty of sealer. Also if I leave the cavity empty
and I did get a small amount in somehow it would not contact anything.
I made the trailer out of 3/16 and if the floor is 3/4 I know it's heavy.
But the way it looks and feels I may not need stabilizers under the front.
You can move around on the trailer and it does not sway any.

Thanks guys for the thoughts,and suggestions John

John,

The panels take care of the insulation factor. Now you just need something to screw your sidewalls into.

I would keep the 2x2's that you have on the side, that gives you lots of meat to screw the sidewalls into.

But you see how you have all the end pieces cut up into little pieces? I would make the ends 2x2's also, and don't cut them up. Butt them inside the side pieces.

Then take the long 1x2s and butt them inside the end pieces. It's easier, and I think you'll like the results better.

Mike...

P.S. Subfloors are typically under the floor, not above them. (I consider your garage door panels the floor!)

Yea, Mike

I have been back and forth on which way would be the strongest.
To make it one 2x2 across the back and front I would have to notch the
strengthening rib on the panels. I will probably run two more strips of 2x2 from the front to the back where my plywood seam will be . I left a 3/4 ledge for my sides to sit on and I will bolt through the 2x2 and sandwich the panel between it and the frame, with plenty of sealer. My goal placing the panels flat side down was super waterproofing the bottom. I plan to run my aluminum over the frame on the out side. The bottom of the walls sit on the trailer and bolt to the 2x2. The thing I am concerned about is by the time I take a 4 ft side and cover the trailer floor and add a mattress the interior may be short. When I priced aluminum 4x10 .032 was $54 5x10 .050 was $162 this is the only two choices from this supplier. So Monday I look for another supplier. Very costly additional ft. But in the long run it may be worth it. Especially
not to her my better half say it's too close in here.

I am not going to get to work on it again until monday. Thanks for the idea I will give it alot of thought over the weekend.



Thanks John

This is how I would do the design you have... the red ones are the 1x2s. Notice how I have them inbetween the green end studs?



So why didn't you use the scheme I have setup in the Generic Benroy plans? Just wondered...

Mike...

John

My 24' X 24' home shop is made of door panels. They are the older ones that are 2" thick, they changed to the thinner ones about 8 or 9 years ago.
The seams are watertight only in the upright horizontal position, otherwise use a lot of caulk in the seam.

I would also "stud out" the floor like mike had described. I used plywood that I had and made my floor out of 3/4" ply, 2x2s, insulated and topped with 3/4" ply. Knowing what I know now, this is way too strong and way over built and way too heavy. Once you build your "Torsion Box" (Body) you will have a strong solid structure. The biggest thing that your floor has to do is have something to connect the walls to, and something to put your bed on.

PS The thicker the floor the shorter the interior height will be. (Four feet from the bottom of the wall , fastened to the floor and the top is outside of the roof. Interior is minus the floor thickness and minus the ceiling thickness)

Mike

The red 1x2 you are showing in your drawing on my trailer are 1x2 ribs built molded into the panel. Each end sits on a 2x2 steel frame. If I cut this back to frame the end all the way across then the ribs will fall short of the 2x2 steel frame rest only on 3/4 foam. I have it exactly as you have drawn it but the ends of the ribs being cut would weaken the ends of the panel.

Thanks John