Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hey

I was wondering about how good normal fiberglass insulation would do as compared to foam sheet. I can't find 1.5" foam inuslation, only 3/4", it will be to complete the front, top and hatch.

Has anyone just primed and then painted their tear? How did it hold up as compared to CPES/paint? Would you do it this way again? What kind of primer/paint would you reccomend?

thanks.

Pete Wilson

Pete ,you could always glue two sheets together, easy ...
Seems like fiberglass insulation would work as long as it was the kind encapsulated in a plastic bag-like enclosure to keep the water out ,in case you get a leak, would also keep the "itches" in ... and you'd have to attach it well on a vertical surface (cavity) so it wouldn't migrate (settle) down the wall later... ceiling should be no problem , keep it sealed.

... and of course , with most EVERYONE here preferring Foam , that might be the Best choice...

Unless you live in the desert , all wood should be thoroughly Sealed with a good penetrating sealer , several different ways to do that ... then primed and painted ... That works ...
No matter what paint you use , storing your trailer inside a garage or shed will help it last much longer ...

I don't think you will have any luck finding 1 1/2" batt insulation either it comes in 3 1/2" and 5 1/2" nominal. The air pockets are what makes it work squashing it in where these air pocket are no longer entrained your insulation value just flew out the window. The walls on Barn to be wild were 2 1/2" cavities I simply installed 3 layers of 3/4" blue foam. It is so easy to work with, just cut a touch oversize and it stays in place by itsself until you are able to cover it with your ceiling/wall material.

Hi Pete,

I put the 3/4" foam sheet from Home Depot in the Squidget when I built it in '06. It isn't the Dow blue foam, and I can't remember the brand right off. Like the Dow foam sheet, It has an R rating of about 2 1/2 to 3 for 3/4" thickness. Doubled for 1 1/2" walls gives you an R6 insulation. I'll be using it again in the Squidget PT soon.

I got a call recently from the man in Southern Texas who bought the Squidget nearly 2 years ago. It is nearly 5 years old now and he said the paint was holding up well, except for some blistering near the cargo hatch door in the lower rear. He thinks there may be some plywood damage from water getting into it. It's darned hard to keep water out around any opening you make in a wall unless you back seal the plywood and framing in that area and I didn't know to do that at the time. There has been no problem around the window, door or vent fan frames where caulk was used between the wood and the frames of each.

I coated all of the plywood skin with epoxy resin from Home Depot. It took a little more than a gallon to do the job. The plywood edges need to be double coated to make sure no water can wick into the edges. I also put aluminum angle on all of my plywood joints (where plywood met at angles). I beveled the edges where panels met on the sides or on the roof and put Bondo into the groove left by the two bevels and sanded it smooth. I don't know yet if I'll use angle aluminum again or just put fiberglass resin and cloth tape on the angled joints of the PT. But, I will seal the plywood with resin again and prime and paint it.

finally, I primed the Squidget with Zinsser Bullseye 123 primer as it states that it sticks well to slick or painted surfaces. For the finish coat, I painted with Glidden latex porch and deck enamel. Latex doesn't have quite as good a shine as oil based, but it's more forgiving against cracking with age as it's elasticity allows it to stretch and shrink with temperature changes. I used rollers or brushes (where rollers didn't fit) for all coatings. The paint finish was smooth and looked good, but only looks smooth if your wood is sanded smooth to begin with.

Others will undoubtedly have different methods, and good ones I'm sure. Consider them all and choose your methods to suit your needs.

Fiberglass, if it ever gets wet, holds water like a sponge. I wouldn't use it for that reason. Though if it ever gets wet there are other problems.

No opinions on paint, but I would undercoat with epoxy because it is a better moisture barrier.

wannabefree wrote:Fiberglass, if it ever gets wet, holds water like a sponge. I wouldn't use it for that reason. Though if it ever gets wet there are other problems.

No opinions on paint, but I would undercoat with epoxy because it is a better moisture barrier.

If I understand your statement about "fiberglass", I am assuming you are refering to wall insulation that is used in a house. In my post I think I used the phrase "fiberglass resin" when I meant epoxy resin. Maybe I'm just trying to confuse myself.

It's way past my bedtime anyway....nuff said.

The original post was in regards to fiberglas batt insulation. I've seen it in park style mobile homes that were being torn down. It had settled as much as 2 feet from the roofline in many places.

Hey

Yes, I was thinking about the bats of fiberglass insulation. I think I will stick to the foam insulation board for mine.

Pete Wilson