Another fiberglass question

[starleen2]

Time is approaching for the next build; however it must wait until after a move. This has given some time to scratch down a new design. However I wish to explore a possibility of fiber glassing the roof. Project 1 was a plywood roof primed and painted with exterior enamel – worked reasonably well with only two seams. Project 2 had only one seam that was prepared as the first – It soon leaked and developed a shallow spot that served as a tiny reservoir to collect water. The sun did it job and the paint began to bubble. Later a tin roof was added to solve the situation. Now As I come to project 3; I wish to construct the roof using ¼ ply then sealing with fiberglass cloth and epoxy, overlapping the side joints thus sealing the roof to side, reinforcing with fiberglass tape along the edges. By doing this I hope to eliminate any edge trim (such as used on pervious projects). It is not my intention to glass the whole camper, just the roof section, then applying epoxy to remainder of the camper to seal the ply and then paint. Checked out RAKA.com and unsure about what cloth and epoxy to use, how many layers would be sufficient? Any suggestions?

[Juneaudave]

Starleen...not sure how wide you are going...but one layer of 4 oz or less plain weave will do the trick. I'm using a 3.5 oz cloth and there isn't any reason to reinforce the edges with tape...Juneaudave

[Lynn Coleman]

Hi S. Stewart,

We fiberglassed our roof using the cloth, not fibers. You lay down the resin, put on a single layer of cloth and add as many layers and you deem necessary on top of the cloth. One layer on top is sufficient but more make it smoother. It's an easy process and we're quite happy with the results. We glassed over a year ago and it hasn't leaked.

Hope that helps.

Lynn