Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

which is better???
weight is not a issue for me
i can get 3/4" 4 x 8 marine grade ply for $35.00 sheet or i can get 1/2" 5 x 5 baltic birch for $16.50 sheet....5 x5 would be better for my benroy 5x 10 design but i want to make sure that whichever i get it is strong and will hold up....if 1/2 will do the job great but if 3/4 is better than i would want to go that route.... any thoughts.....thanks

If you are just using the plywood with no stick-frame, go with the 3/4.

Here is my modified Benroy skeleton. 3/4 Birch plywood sides with roof spars and the galley bulkhead holding them up.



CD

What CD said. If you are doing a sandwich wall, 1/2" is plenty (you could even do 1/4"). If you are doing a wall like CD's, 3/4" would be better.

I used 1/2" on the Generic ET, and it was plenty. If weight is an issue, you can use 1/2".



Mike...

mikeschn wrote:I used 1/2" on the Generic ET, and it was plenty. If weight is an issue, you can use 1/2".

I stand corrected

caseydog wrote:If you are just using the plywood with no stick-frame, go with the 3/4.

Here is my modified Benroy skeleton. 3/4 Birch plywood sides with roof spars and the galley bulkhead holding them up.



CD

cd ?
how did u anchor your wall to the floor
what is the distance between your wall and the back side of your tires
what did you use to cover the frame

1. The floor is 1.5 inches narrower than the frame, so the side walls sit on the frame, and attach to the floor with waterproof wood glue and screws about every six inches.

2. I wanted 15-inch tires, so I had to find a narrow wheel and tire combination. The wheels are 5.5 inches wide, and the tires are what fits on an old-style VW Beetle. I have about an inch and 1/2 of room between the peak of the inside of the tire, and the wall.

3. The frame on mine is exposed, and painted with a "speckled" Rustoleum paint that matches my rustic color scheme. When all the painting is done, I will run a bead of caulk between the wood sides and the frame.

CD

caseydog wrote:1. The floor is 1.5 inches narrower than the frame, so the side walls sit on the frame, and attach to the floor with waterproof wood glue and screws about every six inches.

2. I wanted 15-inch tires, so I had to find a narrow wheel and tire combination. The wheels are 5.5 inches wide, and the tires are what fits on an old-style VW Beetle. I have about an inch and 1/2 of room between the peak of the inside of the tire, and the wall.

3. The frame on mine is exposed, and painted with a "speckled" Rustoleum paint that matches my rustic color scheme. When all the painting is done, I will run a bead of caulk between the wood sides and the frame.

CD

it looks like u have a 2 x 4 that is bolted to the frame and the sidewalls are sitting on that 2 x 4..is that correct......also where did you get your door/window units ......thanks for the answers

Not to hijack this thread, but I'm leaning toward 19/32. Should be a nice compromise?

If 5x5 Baltic Birch would be better for your build, there's a place out in Yukon that carried it in 3/4in thickness when I was building my TD (Yukon Door & Plywood).

Toytaco2 wrote:If 5x5 Baltic Birch would be better for your build, there's a place out in Yukon that carried it in 3/4in thickness when I was building my TD (Yukon Door & Plywood).

thanks toy i will give them a call tomorrow and see what they say...i think that was about the only one i did not call...

I vote for ½ inch and make good joints. Stuff generally fails at the joints and not out in the acreage areas. You will save a lot of weight with the thinner ply (that’s why the sandwich of 1/8 and ¼ (or 1/8, 1/8) with a foam core is so attractive – it is great structurally – its light, and stronger than the solid ply.

My tear sides are 103" x 53", so I used two sheets of 1/2" Baltic birch for each side, then put 5/16" thick T&G knotty pine paneling horizontally on the inside. I used a good structural adhesive and small brads to attach it. It stiffens up the sides, especially the seam between the birch sheets. It's probably a little lighter than 3/4" ply would be, and we like the log cabin look on the inside. It's just another option to consider.
Sam