Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I didnt epoxy or use fiber glass cloth on my woodie before building it.. Yeah I know should have done the sides when it was laying flat but didnt. I have since decided epoxy my tear...
So I ordered from Raka epoxy and cloth for the roof. I ordered enough cloth for the sides also.. So here is the question.
How hard would it be to put cloth on a verticle surface? Is it necessary? Frank from Raka suggested I tilt the trailer. I could jack it up on the side I am working on it might help

Reddiver,

Good luck, with my limited expierence with epoxy and I also used Raka gravity really plays a big role. No matter how many times you try to smooth out the drips and if you think its tack dry it really isn't. You will leave it overnight to dry and the next day there will be drips, everywhere! If you can tilt it I'd go 90 degrees if possible that would work best, the top will be easier because most of it is laying flat.

Sorry I couldn't be much help.

Benzie

Unless you plan to stay in the privacy of your own home, I would certainly recommend that you cover your woody.

CD



someone had to say it

The best I can say (from my very little experience - one teardrop only) is

1. Plan for several THIN coats rolled on (vertical surface). I rolled on 3 coats.

2. Mix very small batches (especially if its quick drying) because as it thickens in the tray/pan/whatever you just can't roll it on thin enough to prevent sags/runs/drips. . . probably can't anyway - not completely.

2a. Make sure your measuring cups/containers won't MELT when filled with epoxy parts . . . what a mess! And you don't want melted plastic in your epoxy!!.

3. Be prepared to sand, sand, sand and sand any sags/runs/drips, that is if they really BOTHER you at all. I decided mine lent "character" to the build!!!

4. Yes, tilt if possible.

5. Can't help you with the cloth . . . didn't use it.

EDITED:
GEEZ, I didn't read the post closely enought . . . You wanted HELP with the cloth . . . Sorry.

g

caseydog wrote:Unless you plan to stay in the privacy of your own home, I would certainly recommend that you cover your woody.

CD



someone had to say it

But NOT with epoxy

caseydog wrote:Unless you plan to stay in the privacy of your own home, I would certainly recommend that you cover your woody.

Indeed. Is that where the term "tenting" comes from?

If you can---take the axle off and turn it on it's side........That will be easier. You might be able to use large straps and a come-along.

No I wouldn't do it but I ain't a big ole boy.

DON'T BREAK IT!

Miriam C. wrote:If you can---take the axle off and turn it on it's side........That will be easier. You might be able to use large straps and a come-along.

I was kind of thinking the same thing -- if you could detach the body from the frame it might not be too bad to tip on it's side. But having said that, boats drape the material over the top and down the sides all the time when they are building kayaks and what not. And in one of the boat tutorial I was looking at the guy did each side of the boat separately. Now, that's not exactly vertical though some of it nearly is; so, I'd say if you didn't get crazy on the epoxy you could probably do it straight up. I'm guessing this would be one of those time a helper would be a necessity.

I wouldn't try to tip it all the way over . That is a disaster waiting to happen . Maybe a jack and some milk crates to try and get it a little off vertical.. How many people use cloth on the sides. and is it worth it at this point do to my poor planning. I had originally planned on just spar varnish.

If it were me, I would use cloth on the top/front and roll epoxy on the sides with West system rollers cut in half on a mini roller. That's what I did...Dave

I didn't use any cloth.. I just covered it in epoxy and then Spar varnish.............Time will tell......

If your comfortable with how well it is built, lay it on a few milk crates on its side.... it will help the epoxy level itself and you'll have far fewer drips to remove later. If your concerned about laying it down then just tilt it and do your best.... If you get drips, its easiest to remove them with a paint scraper before its hard cured but not wet.

I used a scraper similar to this to remove drips in a few of my small boat builds. Do it when its not fully cured but not still wet. Then when its dried to the point of sanding the rest will be 10x easier. Thin coats if its upright.

RedDiver,

A little tilt would help the fiberglass cloth drape close to the side wall, reducing areas of the cloth from puckering up. Did you order roller covers (paint rollers) from Raka? They work well to spread epoxy on the wood and to push the fiberglass cloth down. It's probably best to roll on one thin epoxy coat and let it set up to "green" before putting on another coat to help lessen runs. I'd probably roll on an epoxy coat or two to soak into the wood well, and let it set up to green, before putting the cloth on. That should lessen air bubbles from forming under the cloth that you'll need to tip out (softly brush the air bubbles out with a dry bristle paint brush or a section of roller cover). Once you have the cloth on keep rolling on thin coats, about two a day, till you have enough coverage

Another idea is to roll out the cloth on a clean flat surface and let any folds in the cloth relax before attaching draping it on your wall. Sharp folds are hard to flatten once you begin covering the cloth with epoxy.

I would not tilt the trailer.... I would get some friends and lay it on its side.

Think about it... put a couple of old tires down, cover with blankets... get 6 or 8 people and lay it down... do the side..... then flip it over.

The hatch should not be a big problem.... for the front, jack it up as high as you can.

I once painted the bottom of my utility trailer by standing it vertically by winching the tongue up to a tree limb.....

be imaginative.

Just a thought, but how about using yacht varnish. I masked up all aread i didnt want covering , varmed the varnish , and sprayed it on with a spray gun. After several coats, ive got a rock solid finish, and only a couple of sags where i laye it down a bit thick. After all, if its good for a yacht at sea, a bit of rain on land shouldnt harm it