Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Besides the plywood, im gonna need roof ribs and sides support studs for mounting everything to. I was considering just useing pine but I thought Id ask t he experts to see what was recommended. I want what ever I use to be strong and support the counters and shelves with out cracking or screws pulling out. any advice.

Tom

They make this stuff called "Glue"....

Just get something like "liquid Nails" that stays sort of soft and has a bit of flex.... IF glue is to rigid it just breaks away from the wood....

Using this glue stuff along with mechanical fasteners makes a pretty good connection.

And yes pine or fir is ok.... The inexpensive hardwoods would probably be better though...

Dale

I used pine for the interior wall studs and cabinetry, and poplar (from the big box stores) for anything that was load bearing.

Dean_A wrote:I used pine for the interior wall studs and cabinetry, and poplar (from the big box stores) for anything that was load bearing.

Same here. Pine for framing and spars, poplar for where hinges would be.

Hi Tom,

Most pine won't be adequate for roof supports.
It would be fine for side wall studs.
Always pre drill for screw holes to avoid splitting wood, no matter what kind you use.
Straight grained Southern Yellow Pine is very strong, though probably not common, if even available in Oregon...

Some of the pine/fir species available there may be strong enough?
Check with local sources, a mom and pop lumberyard will know the answer.
Hardwood as was suggested, is the best bet for strength.

You look like a good sized fellow (compliment) so an easy test would be to place a piece of whatever wood you choose for the ribs on a couple supports at a 4' span.

The rib should only be a few inches off the ground...
You should be able to stand in the middle without it breaking.
It will deflect, perhaps several inches, but shouldn't break.

If it does, it needs to be a little larger, or you need to use a different wood.

Rob

Sidewalls I used pine except for the door hinge area and the door frame, Tasmanian Oak there (local hardwood). My roof spars are a mix of hardwood and pine, where there is a single spar it is hardwood, where the spars are doubled up there is one of each.

Basically if there are decent spans with no additional support or anywhere that additional strength is critical (like the hatch hinge) I went with hardwood. The rest is pine to keep the weight and cost down.

Cheers
Steve

Tom,

I used 4/4 Poplar ripped to 1 1/2" for all my ceiling spars. Poplar is lightweight and strong, and very affordable. If you have access to a table saw, I would just buy some rough cut 4/4 poplar from Crosscut Hardwoods (2344 W 7th Pl, Eugene, (541) 349-0538) and rip it down to whatever width you want...

Let me know if you have other questions about where to get materials or parts locally, because I'm just on the other side of the River...

Sawyer

Western red alder is commonly available in the NW. Usually cheaper than pine and hold screws better.

dave

I'm building a teardrop with insulated sandwich walls and an insulated ceiling. I uses big box store 1 by pine for most of my wall framing. I used popular for the hinge sides of the door frame to better hold screws. I used a table saw to rip 2x4s to the sizes I needed for roof spars. They're stronger than cheap pine and it saved money.