Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I try to be very careful not to get wet wood but it looks like I must've gotten some or something. When I finished framing one wall, I noticed it was out of alignment by 1/4 inch. "No biggie" I thought. So, I set it aside and continued on to the next side. When I went back to the first wall and lined the two walls together, I discovered that things had gotten worse! Now, the whole back end of one wall is out of whack by 1 & 1/2 inches, reaching for the sky! My neighbor came over and we stood the wall up and tried to square her to the frame. It was like a see-saw. If I pressed my end down, his went up and vice-versa!

My neighbor suggested that I attach a ratchet strap from corner to corner and tighten it down to straighten the whole thing; but, I'm afraid that will mess up the perfectly aligned door. (The thing starts going out just past the door and continues to get worse all the way to the back corner.) Not only that; but also, what’s to keep it from bouncing back to its old crooked form once the strap is removed?!

When something like this happens, I just have to walk away for a while...In this case, it's been a few weeks! But, I can't stay off the project forever. Gotta get with it if I want to camp this year!

So, what are some suggestions? Should I pull off top and bottom boards and replace them with new boards? Should I ratchet it and see what happens? Or, should I jump up and down on it and cuss and then build a bonfire and start totally over?!

Thanks, in advance, for your expert advice.

If it's just the stick frame, I wouldn't worry. Once you have glued on the ply, and insulated it and mounted it to the floor, and attached the ceiling struts, it should line up straight. What thickness ply are you using on the outside and inside??

S. Heisley wrote:I try to be very careful not to get wet wood but it looks like I must've gotten some or something. When I finished framing one wall, I noticed it was out of alignment by 1/4 inch. "No biggie" I thought. So, I set it aside and continued on to the next side. When I went back to the first wall and lined the two walls together, I discovered that things had gotten worse! Now, the whole back end of one wall is out of whack by 1 & 1/2 inches, reaching for the sky! My neighbor came over and we stood the wall up and tried to square her to the frame. It was like a see-saw. If I pressed my end down, his went up and vice-versa!
My neighbor suggested that I attach a ratchet strap from corner to corner and tighten it down to straighten the whole thing; but, I'm afraid that will mess up the perfectly aligned door. (The thing starts going out just past the door and continues to get worse all the way to the back corner.) Not only that; but also, what’s to keep it from bouncing back to its old crooked form once the strap is removed?!

When something like this happens, I just have to walk away for a while...In this case, it's been a few weeks! But, I can't stay off the project forever. Gotta get with it if I want to camp this year!

So, what are some suggestions? Should I pull off top and bottom boards and replace them with new boards? Should I ratchet it and see what happens? Or, should I jump up and down on it and cuss and then build a bonfire and start totally over?!

Thanks, in advance, for your expert advice.

I sounds like the bottom has warped. Can you clamp it to the frame and then screw it down?

Edit.... Got a pic??

John wrote:

...sounds like the bottom has warped. Can you clamp it to the frame and then screw it down?

Hi, John:
Thanks for your replies. Yes, the bottom is warped but it may have pulled the top board out as well. I tried unscrewing the top and bottom boards to see what would happen and nothing happened. The whole thing just stayed where it had been, even when I lifted that bottom board away from the rest.

I'm using 1/8" ply inside and out. Yes, I could clamp it down and screw it; but would the screws and glue hold it down when my neighbor and I couldn't keep it down? Also, that would mean I would have to glue the ply to it after it was up instead of before, which I think might be a bit more difficult...? I just don't know what's best to do.

S. Heisley wrote:John wrote:

...sounds like the bottom has warped. Can you clamp it to the frame and then screw it down?

Hi, John:
Thanks for your replies. Yes, the bottom is warped but it may have pulled the top board out as well. I tried unscrewing the top and bottom boards to see what would happen and nothing happened. The whole thing just stayed where it had been, even when I lifted that bottom board away from the rest.

I'm using 1/8" ply inside and out. Yes, I could clamp it down and screw it; but would the screws and glue hold it down when my neighbor and I couldn't keep it down? Also, that would mean I would have to glue the ply to it after it was up instead of before, which I think might be a bit more difficult...? I just don't know what's best to do.

If your plywood is cut to the proper dimensions, you can glue and screw your stickframe to it by forcing it to follw the straight lines. Once everything is glued together and screwed down, you should be fine. ( if you glued it together straight.)
Of course, you can also remove the warped piece and replace it ,and screw the outside ply to it before it has a chance to warp again......

Another thought...Recheck your measurements......

Still thinking....
If you start to glue and screw it down to the ply at the front, and then slowly work your way to the back,glueing and screwing it down straight, forcing it to follow the proper curves, you should be O.K. Once screwed to the ply, she/it will not go anywhere.....

Thanks, John!

I am having a slow night here. Is your stick framing warped? I am having trouble with the concept of 1/8" ply warping.... If it is just clamp it to the frame and wet it with really hot water. If it is the frame- - - start over!

I know that sounds hard but I have some warped framing that just never did go straight. I tossed it in the scrap pile. Remember this is the foundation for you walls. I don't think you can't rely on thin ply to pull it in/out.

Miriam C. wrote::o I am having a slow night here. Is your stick framing warped? I am having trouble with the concept of 1/8" ply warping.... If it is just clamp it to the frame and wet it with really hot water. If it is the frame- - - start over!

I know that sounds hard but I have some warped framing that just never did go straight. I tossed it in the scrap pile. Remember this is the foundation for you walls. I don't think you can't rely on thin ply to pull it in/out.

I disagree Miriam. If you have ply on both sides, and glued and screwed together, and then mounted to the floor, it's not going to go anywhere.
Just because wood warps, doesn't mean you can't warp it back.....

Sharon is saying it rocks when she puts it on the frame. This means the back is higher than the front. Or visa versa. You should be able to correct this without tossing it. If it was warped sideways, maybe not....but once screwed to the floor and to the spars, it should be straight, if the measurements are correct......!!

Micro469 wrote:

Miriam C. wrote::o I am having a slow night here. Is your stick framing warped? I am having trouble with the concept of 1/8" ply warping.... If it is just clamp it to the frame and wet it with really hot water. If it is the frame- - - start over!

I know that sounds hard but I have some warped framing that just never did go straight. I tossed it in the scrap pile. Remember this is the foundation for you walls. I don't think you can't rely on thin ply to pull it in/out.

I disagree Miriam. If you have ply on both sides, and glued and screwed together, and then mounted to the floor, it's not going to go anywhere.
Just because wood warps, doesn't mean you can't warp it back.....

I have to agree with micro469 on this one. I would be amazed if 1/8 inch ply WASN’T warped, and it’s not too surprising that the stick frame could have a few ideas of it’s own. Still, it shouldn’t require much force to bring it back into alignment, no? I wouldn’t get anything wet though. Since it doesn’t take too much force to get it back in alignment, it will straighten out as you build if you are careful.

First, make sure that you have a flat surface to work on, and I DON’T mean the garage floor, which is unlikely to be flat (did you build it on the garage floor?). Lay the stick frame down, slather the glue on it and glue and screw the plywood to it. It’s probably better to have at least 2 people doing that job. Put some weights on it and leave it overnight. I don’t know exactly about your construction, but I would then flip it over and glue in all of the rigid foam in, and by gluing I mean on all sides of the foam, not just the bottom of the pocket. Then I would trim the foam so that it was flush with the stick frame. Then I would, on the flat surface again to keep it true and flat, glue the other plywood facesheet to the foam and stick frame and glue and screw.
It will probably work without gluing the foam to all sides, and you probably don’t have to get the foam flush, but if you do it would be even stronger. The facesheets will now hold the stick frame true.

Also, as you put the roof on, galley wall attachment and other cross structure, it should help straighten everything out. Now, if you build the above composite panel on a warped surface it will be forever warped and you may or not be able to get it to come back in alignment; so, make sure you are working on the flat.

Of course you could take a couple of pictures so we don’t misunderstand and tell you something stupid. Is that basically how you are building your walls?

Can I make a left turn in the middle of the freeway???

Has the floor itsself been checked with a straight edge. Mine drooped at each end only slightly before I installed my walls. I supported all 4 corners of the trailer frame on 7 gallon plastic buckets and the 3/4" gap suddenly vanished.

Sharon,

I think you will find that the soft lumber at most places hasn't been kiln dried enough to prevent warping. You might want to try a hard wood, redwood, or cedar. I built my teardrop framing with oak, and out of all the pieces I bought, only one warped. Just look at the softwood frame as the pattern for what you want to build in good wood.

bobhenry wrote:Can I make a left turn in the middle of the freeway???

Has the floor itsself been checked with a straight edge. Mine drooped at each end only slightly before I installed my walls. I supported all 4 corners of the trailer frame on 7 gallon plastic buckets and the 3/4" gap suddenly vanished.

I thought she was talking out-of-plane -- that's why I ask for a picture, so I could confirm which direction the 'warp' was. See, the trailer wound be bending down, a warp would be something out-of-plane. What we have hee-ya is ah faileer ta come oon a cate

Now that I read it again, I'm thinking you are right and the wall is see-sawing on a curved floor. Your solution is perfect -- support the floor while you are attaching it and once it's together it should be self supporting.

bobhenry wrote:Can I make a left turn in the middle of the freeway???

Has the floor itsself been checked with a straight edge. Mine drooped at each end only slightly before I installed my walls. I supported all 4 corners of the trailer frame on 7 gallon plastic buckets and the 3/4" gap suddenly vanished.

Yep, woke up in the middle of the night remember that my frame was the thing that dropped. If it rocks on the trailer floor---check for square and level of both the framing and the trailer framing. You might not have to rebuild anything.

Course being the lady of the house you could take the thing inside and check to see if it still rocks.

Good luck, we're all pulling for you.