Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

My son and I were talking about the work that was done on his car after he was involved in an accident and he said when he got it back it smelled new again for a long time. He asked them what they did and he was told it was the glue that made it smell that way. Does anyone "in the car business" know what glue they use that gives a car the "new car smell"? That would be easier to take than varnish!

It's the glues and silicones.

Steve

Auto parts stores have scented spray's you use in the interior of your car, and one of the scents available is "new car".

Strange question I guess, but we picked up our new teardrop a couple of weeks ago and the smell of glue and varnish will take your breath away. Too intense to sleep in, that's for sure. Anyone know how to remove this godawful stink so we can use the trailer? We have tried baking soda, then open charcoal, then candles . . . leaving all the doors and hatch open. The teardrop is one of the Pleasant Valley Yoder Toter Hunter-like 5X10s. The overall quality, fit and finish, etc., is excellent. A great teardrop . . . with the smell of a hundred dead mice in it.

Hey Spyderhead.

I picked mine up yesterday. Keith specifically said it would need to have the doors open for a few weeks while it cures. I think the answer for this one is time.

-Ben

P.S. I told Keith we had traded some emails. He said you were a really neat fellow. He described you to me as well and I think I might understand your nickname "spyderhead"

I was just about to ask what the cure time was on spar urethane, but it looks like you just answered my question... a few weeks...

Mike...

Thank you for your answers on this question of the smell in the new teardrop. It is not a big deal, but as usual with this board, I have learned something.
I have to tell you that - if it had not been for this website - my wife and I would never have gotten into our teardrop trailer. Just "lurking", reading posts, and learning was a big factor; then, when time came to order ours made, there were people there to answer questions about Yoder Toters, Pleasant Valley, etc. Don't know about you, but the very first time I ever saw a real teardrop in real life was when I picked mine up in Ohio a couple weeks ago.
Thanks.

Bad news for you, mine's over a year old and still smells of varnish if I leave it closed for just a few hours. I've left it in the garage for a week at a time open with a fan blowing, and it still smells. I don't really mind or even notice it, but it's just another thing for you know who to bitch about.

This is kind of related. I had the same problem with a full sized TT.

http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=7940

I run these fans all summer. On the road, parked in the yard and at the campground.

Fabreeze it.

I have made toy boxes, cradles and other things for the grandchildren. I have very fussy daughters who were afraid of the odors . I started using a MinWax water-based Polycrylic finish a few years back. I now use it on all interior areas of a teardrop. I apply from 4-6 coats. Being extremely fast drying I usually allow an hour between coats and I lightly sand between coats. Any odor is gone in just hours. One other point my sides and head liner are completely finished prior to assembly and usually have a day or two to air out. The galley is also completed and the finish done prior to is being installed. No finish work is done inside the tear after assembly unless some touch up is required. I used to use a polyurethane glue but have since switched to Titebond 2. By doing these things I've eliminated the greatest amount of the odor

I also use MinWax Helmsman Spar Urethane but only on the exterior.

An Ol Timer wrote:I have made toy boxes, cradles and other things for the grandchildren. I have very fussy daughters who were afraid of the odors . I started using a MinWax water-based Polycrylic finish a few years back. I now use it on all interior areas of a teardrop. I apply from 4-6 coats. Being extremely fast drying I usually allow an hour between coats and I lightly sand between coats. Any odor is gone in just hours. One other point my sides and head liner are completely finished prior to assembly and usually have a day or two to air out. The galley is also completed and the finish done prior to is being installed. No finish work is done inside the tear after assembly unless some touch up is required. I used to use a polyurethane glue but have since switched to Titebond 2. By doing these things I've eliminated the greatest amount of the odor

I also use MinWax Helmsman Spar Urethane but only on the exterior.

Ol Timer,
I'm glad you posted this. My wife gets migrains and chemical odors can set them off. You helped me avoid a mistake.
Do you use the MinWax water-based Polycrylic in the galley too?

One thing that works in coolers that smell is to wad up newspapers and leave it in them when they are closed. We always store ours this way. You might try that in the teardrop.



sid n side

<------ The "new" smell went away after about 5 weeks. The smell was coming from uncured Helmsman Spar Urethane. After about 3 weeks of it, I decided to speed things up by running the air conditioner for about a week, since I had just finished installing it and wanted to test it out, dehumidification seemed to be a factor in getting rid of the smell. After that I kept the windows opened. Now I keep a few incense sticks inside with the TD closed up, and it smells really nice. Probably could dehumidify with heat just as easily. I'd take out the mattress (it could absorb the odors) and hang a high wattage light bulb inside for a few days would probaby work well.

Steve

Answer to Rampage

I use nothing but the Polycrylic inside. If you look at the latest trailer in the avatar I think that you can see the nice gloss finish. This is with 4 coats. I use 6 coats on the sidewalls , headliner and galley. Because the wood used is dark, the finish here was clear. Other woods can be tinted first with a minwax stain.

Someone else sent me a message asking how I could build my galley completely outside of the tear, on a bench, and then put it in the tear. I simply build it to be 3/4" narrower than the tear's inside width. It is slid inside thru the hatch opening. Much like installing a door or window, I now use tapered shims at 4 points on each side to align the unit leaving a 3/8" gap on each side which is then covered with a strip of trim.

Old and arthritic, with 3 back operations and two new knees, dictated that I design a tear that is virtually built and finished inside out. It took hours of brainstorming, then many more on the CAD to get what I have today.