Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hi Im Martin Neylan. I am a new member.

I am in the process of starting to build an 8x5 Benroy teardrop. The literature I have found so far calls for 3/8 inch sides. However, from some of the comments on the forum, constructors would build lighter teardrops. Has anyone built a teardrop with sides from 1/4"(7mm) ply? I was wondering whether there would be enough purchase for the screws?

What are your thoughts

Thanks and have a nice day

Martin

Martin,

All of the builds I've seen using 1/4" are framed and sandwiched.

i.e. 1/4" outside skin, 3/4" firring filled with EPS insulation and then 1/4" inside skin.



Rick

What he said although you can use 1/8 inside. Just make sure you frame for you cabinets and make the bulkhead and forward cabinet solid.

My camper uses 1/4" sidewalls. I don't have them framed, and they are not insulated. My camper is taller than a Benroy, but has the roughly the same shape.

Your stiffeners will be the door frames, rear bulkheads, and windows. You shouldn't have any problems using 1/4", and it will be much lighter.

I'm currently working on a commercial Aliner Alite resto.

The walls are 1/16" aluminum skin on outside,

Bonded to 3/4" styrofoam insulation as a core with NO wood banding,

Bonded to 3/16" inside paneling.

That's it, nothing more!

VERY LIGHT WALLS!

Cheers,

Coop

Hey coop - on good meal of beans and the sides are coming down!

SaGR wrote:Hey coop - on good meal of beans and the sides are coming down!

SaGR-

BUT at just over 600lbs. for a 5'-6" X 8' floor space that's like 7' high when erected into the A, it's hard to beat for the lite weight!

Here are pics, as bought:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9294676@N0 ... 767822808/

Cheers,

Coop

From Bob Vila.com:

"An easy way to estimate how much a stack of plywood will weigh is to figure about 25 lbs. per 1/4 in. of thickness. For example, one 4x8-ft. sheet of 1/4-in. plywood will weigh about 25 lbs., 1/2-in. about 50 lbs . . . . "

So the difference between 1/4 inch walls and 3/8ths walls would be about 12 pounds per full sheet of plywood used - The walls of a typical tear comprise about 3 sheets of ply at most (and probably less) so you would be saving all of 35 to 40 pounds at the most

I'm kind of a 'lightweight freak' but I would rather try saving 40 pounds somewhere else as opposed to having flimsy walls which could allow the whole 'box' to flex. I would consider a minimum of 3/8ths ply as 'weight well spent' if you're not building a composite wall and expect just a single thickness of ply to last for the life of the tear. Actually, if my walls were not going to be composite and I was going with just a single thickness of ply, it would be 1/2 inch for me

Don

hi Martin,

now there's least 2 Kiwis hereabouts.

And I know that there's one or two other locals looking to buy.

David

My woody teardrop has sides made of 1/4" luan plywood from Home Depot, (actually measures 3/16") and all edges are strengthened with 3/4" pine members, often inside and outside. I ran a horizontal member 1/2 way up to take any flex out of the panels and so far, it is solid as a rock. No interior skin, just a very thin side wall. Doors are built the same way. You can see this method in my construction pics in the URL below.

Roly, So Cal woody guy

So if there is no insulation? Do you get cold? I am new to the forum and have been reading a lot. My husband and I are in the planning stages of a 6 x 10 frameless with a bathroom. We are in New Brunswick, Canada and we will be using the camper mostly in spring and fall. Without insulation would we be warm enough with a small heater or do we need to insulate?

Cindy

I didn't know you had spring and fall in Canada I thought it was winter and slightly warmer.

Styrofoam is cheap and easy to work with I'm just in Indiana and I put
1 1/2" in the floor and 3/4 in the sides. Roof may be a problem since it's all lexan. Hopeing for solar gain in the winter I guess !

I've been thinking the same thing, but for a different reason. I have been thinking about building the walls out of 1/4" and then wrapping then entire trailer in fiberglass to add rigidity. Then it could be sanded smooth with a DA and a longboard, then painted with auto paint to match the tow vehicle.

Would two layers of 'glass on the walls and roof add enough rigidity to make up for the thinner walls? How much weight do you think this plan will add?

My sides are 1/2" and I went with 1/4" for the top. No insulation. Feels pretty solid. There are lots of things in the build that will tie it all together and make it a strong build. Just make sure it's square!


Barb

57plymouth wrote:I've been thinking the same thing, but for a different reason. I have been thinking about building the walls out of 1/4" and then wrapping then entire trailer in fiberglass to add rigidity. Then it could be sanded smooth with a DA and a longboard, then painted with auto paint to match the tow vehicle.

Would two layers of 'glass on the walls and roof add enough rigidity to make up for the thinner walls? How much weight do you think this plan will add?

Putting two layers of fiberglass cloth over ¼” plywood with epoxy will not make it more rigged. It’s what’s in-between the walls that will give it rigidity. The glass cloth and epoxy will just make it water resistant and add weight. ½” plywood will weigh less than the ¼” ply, two layers of glass and epoxy. Now if you use fiberglass mat and one layer of cloth it will make the plywood more rigged. But the cost will be very high unless you can get the glass and epoxy at super discounted prices. With glass mat the weight will be even higher. With glass mat and cloth you only need the plywood as a mold to lay the glass onto.

Chuck