Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I drove 60 miles to the nearest Home Depot today to search material for my build. To my surprise they had .090"x4'x8' frp sheets; $55.99. I had never seen the product before but like it.
I would like to build sandwich panels separated with wood framing and insulation. I believe I can build my sandwich walls with 1/4" Birch inside and frp outside; the 4'x8' sheets will work for those. I would like to build wider than 4' but would prefer to have an un-seamed material for the roof.
I have read posts that referred to rolls of frp (or similar material). Where can I order it? The synthetic material should be fairly light, waterproof and rot resistant.
I am heading to Bangor tomorrow and will visit the Home Depot there to research product available.
Thanks for the help.
Barrie

I bought rolled 103" wide fiberglass roofing (frp???) from Bontragers in Constantine Michigan. I think it was $0.65 per sq ft. They do have an ebay store, so they will ship some stuff, but I'm not sure about something that big. Look em up..bontragers surplus.

If you use this, I'd definitely want some ply underneath it. At least 1/8. As I tend to overbuild everything, I've gone 1/4.

Brian

I checked the Bontragers website but wasn't able to search for items; not sure why. I would also be interested in salvage material if I can get the right stuff.
The 0.90" is very thin and, now that you mention it, perhaps it isn't strong enough to be the outer skin by itself without a layer of ply below it. I guess I could build the walls as originally planned and then apply this over the outer layer of plywood and use a flush trim router bit to trim it.
Thanks,
Barrie

Barrie-

http://www.rvsurplus.net/catalog/displa ... ct_id=1879

cheers,

Coop

Thanks!

Filon is not the same as FRP -- at least the FRP I used on my TD.

I don't think that fiberglass roofing is the same, either.

FRP panels are commonly used in construction of public restrooms and wet areas of commercial kitchens. That may give you a lead in the right direction.

CD

Thanks CD.
What thickness of FRP did you use and what was your wall construction method?
Thanks,
Barrie

Barrie-

Just so we are clear....

You wanna use this on the EXTERIOR?

FRP used in bathrooms, etc. isn't great with UV exposure & will be prone to degradation over time.

The Filon I linked is designed for RV exterior use.

Cheers,

Coop

hikingstaffs wrote:Thanks CD.
What thickness of FRP did you use and what was your wall construction method?
Thanks,
Barrie

I ordered mine at Home Depot in the color I wanted. I only used it to skin the roof. It is glued and screwed right to the roof spars. My build was focused on lightweight construction.

I don't know about UV resistance of this material. I store my TD in my garage, and try to camp in the shade for comfort reasons, so my TD is rarely in direct sunlight. The FRP has held up well for me, with at least a dozen camping trips with it.

CD

Thanks for the FRP UV issue. Although I will store the TD in my shed during the winter (when I'm not heading south) the UV stability is an issue for me.
There are a number of trucking companies based in my area and from time to time they have a wreck. If the trailer gets twisted they aren't repaired. I'm going to check on the salvage opportunities for the fiberglass sides of the aluminum roofs. Hmmm... the possibilities.
Cheers,
Barrie

Yeah...bontragers website leaves a lot to be desired! I'd still give em a shot...the price is about 1/5 of the other roll listed here.

Next question for everyone: If using Filon...what would you attach with?

I've seen a reference to outdoor carpet glue. Also, contact cement.

.09 inch skins are actually quite thick. On the cowling I did last year the outer skins were .4 mm (.016 in) and the bulk of the inner skins were just .2 mm (.008 in). It was 18 feet long and flies at over 200 mph!

The key is to use it only as a skin (foam or NOMEX core) with a core that is bonded to the skin.

If the core isn't bonded to the skin, then it is much weaker.

LOL... What was the cowling on? 200mph... I don't think my Jetta will pull my TD over 130...
What about the UV issue. Are you concerned about deterioration?
Thanks,
Barrie

hikingstaffs wrote:LOL... What was the cowling on? 200mph... I don't think my Jetta will pull my TD over 130...
What about the UV issue. Are you concerned about deterioration?
Thanks,
Barrie

It was for a helicopter It was graphite facesheets, but the failure was mostly skin instability. The allowable for glass would be a little less, but as you've noted road-going vehicles are a bit slower. Right now I'm thinking 1 ply on the inside (except the floor) and two plies everywhere else, but I will do some testing before I make the final commitment on sizing.

I was lucky enough to find a salvage yard that bought out a shower stall enclosure company's inventory. It was white FRP that was 6'8" wide.
I did the exterior walls, roof and the interior walls and floor. I bought all this for 108.00 dollars.
On the exterior surfaces I painted with Krylon fusion paint which is designed for plastic surfaces. Over the Fusion paint I then used a latex exterior house paint from sherman williams. The paint guy says the house paint will adhere nicely to the krylon fusion paint. coated in 07 and still holding up well.
Larry