Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I found an adhesive that I think fits the bill for the aluminum siding.. It is quite pliable, in fact it stays rather rubbery and tacky, and it waterproof. I applied it as a test and now that it is cured I think it has the properties we are looking for.

It is called Henry 663 outdoor carpet adhesive and is readily available at Home Depot for $12-$13 per gallon. It easily trowels on, cleans up easily, and that gallon goes a long way!

I updated my site with more details... I'd be interested in what the more experienced builders think of the stuff.

I do think it is a better option then using contact cement.

Don't know if anyone has suggested this or not, but the adhesive I have been thinking MIGHT work well for aluminium is the stuff they use to install windows in cars these days. I think it's some kind of urethane (not sure tho). The thing is, this stuff never dries out, heat has very little effect on it and it sticks to about anything, really well too and it comes in caulking tubes. The only real drawback I can think of is getting it spread out. It's pretty thick and tough but I think if it was spread in small beads and troweled it might work fine. You really wouldn't have to cover the whole area, just strips 10-12" apart.
All I know for sure is if you have ever tried to remove a windshield from a car you already know how sticky this stuff is!
Anyone know anything more about it?

I don't know if it is exactly the same thing, but I've used similar stuff, only out of a can. spread it on with a notched trowel, make sure you clean off the interior of the aluminum with lacquer thinner, or acetone, as any oil will impede bonding. Doug Hodder

Hey Nitetimes,
Now days car windshields are installed with urethane.
It is stong..so strong that the roll over/ crush strength of a car is higher because of this adheasive.
It is pretty tough to gun, most installers use an electric caulking gun or at least a high ratio gun.
Sound good so far?....
Just one problem with automotive urethane... It won't stick to wood worth a darn.
Prior to te advent of automive urethanes... Windshields were installed with a rubber butyl tape or with locking rubber gaskets with and without garnish mouldings.

Tony,
I think you may have stumbled upon something with that carpet adheasive. Have you done any tests to see if it has the flexibility and strength to retain adheasion with the expansion and contraction of the aluminum skin?

Dean in Eureka, CA wrote:Hey Nitetimes,
Just one problem with automotive urethane... It won't stick to wood worth a darn.

OK, my bad, that's the part I wasn't sure about. I have seen it being used when I had a windshield installed. The guy didn't use an electric gun but I think he might have had it in some kind of warmer.
Maybe shoot a good coat of automotive clearcoat on the wood first, but then you're still back to that, 'gettin' it outta the tube' thing.

Aah well, it was just a thought.

I'd say don't shoot an automotive urethane on top of the wood, It'll soak in and you won't have $hit to bond to. Brush on Varathane as it is a lot thicker, cheaper and will seal the wood. Automotive clear coat is really pricy stuff, it's meant to shoot on top of non porous surfaces, for a top coat. I shoot lots of it. It's strictly for appearance and durablility, not for any substrate work unless you have a deep wallet. Just my opinion. doug hodder

I use a lot of it too (on cars), never tried it on wood tho. So I have to put something on first if I do wood sides before I can clearcoat it? I was kinda hoping to stain it and clear it. Or will the stain seal it enough?
I am planning wood sides and halfway up the front then aluminium roof and hatch. Then clear the whole thing to keep down the maintainance on the alum and wood.


planning=subject to change

Nitetimes,
Yes they do have warmers that help with the viscosity issue, but I never liked using them.
All the urethanes that I used required two primers that the pinchweld and glass got coated with. I also used one brand that used two glass primers.
There are primerless urethanes out there but I've never used them. My brand of choice is/was Essex.
After what the insurrance industry did to the profit margin in auto glass replacement, I got out of that side of glasswork.
Occaisionaly, I'll replace a windshield for venison... But that's about all the auto glass I do any more.

Dean in Eureka, CA wrote:
Tony,
I think you may have stumbled upon something with that carpet adheasive. Have you done any tests to see if it has the flexibility and strength to retain adheasion with the expansion and contraction of the aluminum skin?

It is extremely flexible so I think expansion will not be an issue. I played with some that squeezed out the edges after letting it cure overnight.

It was sticky and would take whatever shape I molded it to ...this is after it had cured.

It holds well enough too... a small amount (cured) between my finger and thumb held together and was quite strong. I could pull my fingers apart but the stuff stretched double or triple it's length before letting go of my thumb, then went back to it's original shape. Over a surface area the size of my teardrop, thats quite a bit of strength.

One of it's recommended uses in boating carpet.

Hey Tony,
There was a great debate some time back about this issue and the general consensus from that discussion was... You could get by with gluing the sides, but it was best to float the roof skin dry with just mechanical anchoring around the perimeter.
I had considered trying Mono on the roof skin, another "glazier unfriendly" product, a polyurethane with tenacious adhesion but, my tests showed that product didn't stick to wood very well, just a bit better than automotive urethane.
This is real encouraging news, because I've been concerned about "oil-canning" on the floated roof skin.
If that stuff does pass the test on the roof skin... I nominate you for the T&TTT Product Use Award.

Dean in Eureka, CA wrote:Hey Tony,
There was a great debate some time back about this issue and the general consensus from that discussion was... You could get by with gluing the sides, but it was best to float the roof skin dry with just mechanical anchoring around the perimeter.
I had considered trying Mono on the roof skin, another "glazier unfriendly" product, a polyurethane with tenacious adhesion but, my tests showed that product didn't stick to wood very well, just a bit better than automotive urethane.
This is real encouraging news, because I've been concerned about "oil-canning" on the floated roof skin.
If that stuff does pass the test on the roof skin... I nominate you for the T&TTT Product Use Award.

I have no idea about roof skin. I'm using .060 thick aluminum for my roof area and I would not trust this stuff to hold anything that thick in place all by itself. I had planned to float my roof. I've only got insulation and spars on the roof and no plans to cover the roof with anything except aluminum skin, so there is not enough to hold on to up there.

Oh OK,
I will have two layers of 1/8" ply on the exterior, which will cover the the spars and insulation.
Don't get me wrong... I wasn't thinking about just gluing the metal skin down on the roof. I'm thinking of the glue just as a way to prevent "oil-canning".

I'll ask...What's oil-canning?

I think that it's the buckling that the aluminum does as it flexes in and out like the bottom of an oil dispenser.

Georgeandpat wrote:I think that it's the buckling that the aluminum does as it flexes in and out like the bottom of an oil dispenser.

That is indeed what oil canning is. It can be quite disconcerting at 15,000 feet in an all metal glider in moderate turbulence. sorta "tonka-tonka" noise sort of fing