Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hi all , I need some input for my skin. I am going to cover the top with 1/8 " hardboard ,then put FRP on top of that with adhesive. I have my spars 12" apart , they are 1 1/2" x 3/4" poplar . My question is should I glue the hardboard to all the spars & side tops ,then screw it down ? Or would screws every 4 " to 6 " be enough without the glue? I am wandering if the screws could possibly come loose later . Am I worrying about nothing here or what ? Thanks in advance for all the suport.

Hi Bardo,

If it were me I would glue and screw the top down. Maybe use a brad nailer and clamps where required. You only need to hold things together till the glue cures. Once the glue is cured the mechanical fasteners do very little so just use as many as you need to hold things in place. Use a waterproof glue too.

Mark

I have only used hardboard for an outdoor project once and it fell apart. I covered it with galvanized sheet metal and soldered the edges.
The bottom was open so the humidity turned the hardboard inside to mush. If I were going to use hardboard I would glue it and screw it about every 8”. There are several sources for 1/8” plywood on the site. It is more expansive but will hold up to high humidity much better.
Chuck Craven

Boodro wrote:Hi all , I need some input for my skin. I am going to cover the top with 1/8 " hardboard ,then put FRP on top of that with adhesive. I have my spars 12" apart , they are 1 1/2" x 3/4" poplar . My question is should I glue the hardboard to all the spars & side tops ,then screw it down ? Or would screws every 4 " to 6 " be enough without the glue? I am wandering if the screws could possibly come loose later . Am I worrying about nothing here or what ? Thanks in advance for all the suport.

Hey Boodro,

I'm passing thru Toledo Saturday morning. Will you be awake? Do you want to show off your build progress?

Mike...

Boodro...........when in doubt screw it and glue it!!! you can always back the screws out after it has cured, prior to skinning. Just my opinion however. doug hodder

Hi Boodro,
I got to agree with everybody, especially the falling apart part, hardboard is made mostly of the crushings from sugar cane, you can smell it when you cut it, the short thin fibers want nothing more than to absorb the moisture that has been squeezed out of it and turn back to mush. Luan is a far better choice in skin material, especially if you want to keep the project, and if not ,your reputation, hope this helps. teetom

Hey all , thanks for all the input. I have something else to think about now! Decisions,decisions! Oh well ,thats what its all about I guess. Hey Mike , if ya want to stop by that would be great if ya have time. Let me know when you will be coming thru & we'll get together. I'll let ya'll know what choice I go with on the top skin. The only trouble is i just finished puttin on the hardboard tonite! . Oh well I should be able to reuse it for templates or something.