Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hey Gang,

The most frustrating thing I am finding about building a camper, is that every solution brings about 20 more questions, problems, or as we say in the therapy biz - "Opportunities to grow".

A fellow came over today to look at my progress and convinced me that I really ought to put in insulation and an inside board (sandwiching the insulation) before I put the walls on the camper. I was just going to leave the plain 1/2 inch ply wall, figuring that's all the original ones had, but he argued about the increased confort, noise reduction and structural integrity that would come with insulation and sandwiching.

OK, so I have no strength against peer pressue, we measured the width of my 1x2 framing at about 3/4", so I went to Home Depot and bought some of their pink 3/4" insulation, came home and started putting into the camper.

However, it is just slightly thicker than the wood framing. It is a very subtle, but noticable difference in width. It is very clear the 1/2" would have been too thin, but this seems ever so slightly too thick.

What to do? I was thinking I could just squish it in with the sandwich board, as it has a little give, but I am wondering if it will make the wall wavy or rippled?

2nd question - He suggested buying the Stabilit .0900 In. white FRP Wall Panel 4x8 for the inside wall (See picture below), because it is waterproof, lightweight, etc. Anybody else use this? What is the best way to work with it? I bought two sheets of the stuff but I'm still not entirely sure...



Stabilt panel comes in 4x8 sheet. It looks and feels like the stuff they use in bathrooms.

Thanks, Al in Asheville

Don't want to bring out that well used cliche often seen on this forum.... but; it's your trailer. Build it the way that makes you comfortable. The comment that you made about not being sure about it at this point would lead me to believe that you would really prefer another look. Just an opinion mind you.... if you're not totally convinced now, you may find yourself wishing you did it differently later. The FRP would be easy to keep clean and if a white pebbled finish is what you want, I don't see anything wrong with it. Again, that's just an opinion. Ahhhhh... peer pressure.... isn't it wonderful???

As far as the insulation thickness, I'm afraid I can't be much help there either. I seem to remember reading that others have had to make foam blizzards by sanding it to the appropriate thickness due to the same reason.

Now that I have been absolutely no help, I'll go back to my corner and continue reading.

tinksdad wrote:Now that I have been absolutely no help, I'll go back to my corner and continue reading.

Thanks for the response, I really do appreciate the feedback. There is a quality to some of my posts and exchanges that are really like "thinking out loud" and then someone hits the ball back, and "thinks out loud" back to me. I imagine, if you were in my garage workshop with me, and we were talking about this, this is just the sort of casual conversation we would be having.

And don't get me wrong, I'm not entirely averse to using FRP, either. There is something to be said for waterproof and easy to clean that is worth consideration when one has kids. The white color will lighten the cabin and make it seem roomier, I think. When I originally imagined the interior of my camper, I wasn't thinking of the 'shabby chic shower stall' motif, but I think it could grow on me.

In part, I am wondering the easiest way to work with it, how to cut it, how to fasten it, adhere it, etc....And, I'm still worried about the insulation too thick issue, too.

AL.

Al, if the insul is not sized correctly sized it could give you problems...I don't see any problem using the panels on the inside but I have question it's thickness...you state .900"s thick...that is nearly 1" thick which seems very excessive to me...is it actually that thick or is it .090 thick????
madjack

At this point in the game probably the easiest thing to do would be to make some thin shims the same width as the framing members and glue them in before insulating and skinning the walls to keep the FRP flat. While I was typing this another idea popped into my head - to maybe try 1/2' insulation in combination with different 1/4" kinds, like pink soft stuff or the shiny bubbly stuff or even the clear bubble wrap.

PS Do not use cardboard for the shims, if you choose this route, it WILL turn to mush and get moldy at the first sign of moisture.

Hope this helps.

the .9 threw me for a loop i do agree its most likely .09.
Could use wood shims, but to be honest the idea of that material inside my tear i would not. i have a freind who wanted to do taht in his bathroom i told him you want it to look like a bring your own sheets hotel.

Alfred, if you have a table saw, you can rip 2 by boards (2x4, 2x6, etc.) to make framing boards the exact thickness you need to match the thickness of your insulation. Cut up 2x4s can be very economical compared to buying 1x2s. Generally you can get four 1x2s out of one 2x4. Check the insulation boards for variations in thickness too. The ones I bought from Home Depot often vary in thickness by about 1/8" from one end of the board to the other end.

You have your answer in hand. Rip the frp into strips the width of the offending framing members and staple of hot glue them to the framing to "shim" out.Now your frame and insulation will plane out. I do agree the insulation make a big difference in several ways most were mentioned . I am very glad mine are insulated with the ridgid foam. As to interior design why should they care it's yours. Paint , wallpaper , carpet on the walls , paneling this forum has seen it all. Build what you want ! I have personally inspected 4 very well done builds and the frp was used as an exterior finish and they were beautiful why not inside?

Alfred:

About the insulation, it’s not that expensive to scrap what you've already cut. Or, if you haven't cut and applied it all, why not take back what you haven't cut and get your money back. While you're at it, take a small piece of wood left over from your framing with you. Then, you can match the board thickness to various types of insulation and be certain the one you purchase will fit. I suspect it would cost you less time and money to do that than to cut and add extra wood, not to mention the added weight of that.

Check a piece of unsanded frame wood to your sanded frame. If the problem is because you've sanded too much wood off the wooden frame, you can buy a thinner insulation or you might be able to either compress the stuff or sand the excess off (messy) before you seal it up. Or, assuming your frame is heavily sanded 3/4" thick, you could use 1/2" insulation instead. You can buy a spray glue that works with foam. (Ask for help finding it and tell them it's for Styrofoam.... I think they keep it in the paint aisle of Home Depot.) That way, you'd still have some insulation and the stuff wouldn't be flopping around inside the wall.

It's up to you, Alfred, but I know that, with your determination, you'll find a solution.

Alfred,

About the:

He suggested buying the Stabilit .900 In. white FRP Wall Panel 4x8 for the inside wall (See picture below), because it is waterproof, lightweight, etc. Anybody else use this? What is the best way to work with it? I bought two sheets of the stuff but I'm still not entirely sure...

My two cents worth of thoughts:
First of all, being waterproof isn't going to do much for you unless you use it on the outside of your teardrop and I'm not certain it would hold up against UV light or the sun's heat. It's not made for that purpose. If you put Stabilt on your inside walls and/or inside roof and you have a leak, the water could just lay there, trapped and cause some other problem. Build your tear correctly in the first place, so it doesn't leak. You can always paint the inside of your tear with a washable semi-gloss or eggshell type of paint. Then, you can use whatever color you want and touch up the existing paint or change the color whenever you want. Your home's bathroom walls are painted, aren't they?

If you want to appease your friend, maybe you could use some of the Stabilt as a backsplash in your galley area. (I think you glue it on. Ask what type of glue to use at your local hardware store.) That might be a good use for it. Take back any uncut pieces that you don’t use and get your money back on them.

Best wishes on whatever you decide.

I'd get some 1/8 ply and build up the framing with strips. I doesn't have to be perfect, and if glued, you are good to go , as they say.. and I'd spread glue profusely over the insul. that would make the wall more solid. I don't mean like paint it on, but a bunch of squiggles over the surface.

Hey Gang,

After sleeping on it, I am thinking I am going to take the FRP back and exchange it for some thin wood paneling. I am going to take a section of the camper wall with me, with a piece of the insulation and see if the insulation folks at Home Depot have any suggestions.

AL.

I used ferring strips that I bought at Home Depot for under a buck a piece. A 20 pack came in a bundle. I sandwiched masonite and dry erase board type panelling with the ferring strips and the pink insulation. The ferring strips were about 5/8 thick as well as the insulation. The insulation had (250) stamped on it. I had a perfect fit.

Hey Al, I used FRP on the roof outside & had no problems with it. it has been 4 years now with no fading,chalking,cracking, yellowing , etc. I used FRP glue on it. If you use it on the insidee It would be just fine. You can also use a white head screw on it. I used a piece as a back splash in my galley also. It cleans up real easy.It is very easy to work with as far as cutting & bending. Good luck with your build.

The beaded white foam type of insulation will compress more than the blue or pink. You might want to give it a try. It is messier though.