Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I work down in Columbus, GA at Ft. Benning Army base 4 days a week supervising the cabinet installation's on a 4-5 yr renovation project on the old family housing on the base. Due to a situation on the renovations I can get my hands on a lot of the old oak hardwood flooring that was installed 40 -50 yrs ago in some of the housing. I had the idea of taking a bunch of it and planing it down and refinishing it to make the walls for a new tear I'm thinking of doing this yr. Just curious as to what peoples thoughts are on this??

Cliff

ps: I'm getting it for free!!

I'll be there in a minute! Sounds great to me!

Sounds really heavy, which harkens to my build it like an airplane not a tank rant. And yes it would likely be beautiful.

Hi Cliff,

Tom used modern flooring for his build and it turned out awesome! Here's a link to his build:

http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=26988&highlight=silver+beatle

Why not use it especially planed down to about 1/4" or 1/8".

Cheers, Dave

A teardrop with history that will floor you...

I'd do it!

Rob

(I would rip or plane some weight off first though)

Thanks guys and gal!! I am going to plane it down to 1/2" and use it as the outside wall and have 1/4" ply on inside as the frame work so I can do a thin layer of insulation, then inner plywood piece that will be finished for the interior.

Cliff

I'd vote for using the oak too. But I would probably plane thinner to avoid too much weight. I started using oak and have since stopped that build in favor of a cedar structure that weighs about a fourth of the oak / pine build.

Free is my second favorite 4-letter word (beer is first). I would go for it!

Remeber that if you simply plank the sides you loose all shear strength - each plank can slide past the next one. Unless you glue them together.

But if you have 1/4" ply on the inside, that will provide enough shear strength, so you wouldn't have to go fitting diagonal braces in the framing.

I'd run over them with a metal detector or a real careful eye before I plane them. Your great free flooring may cost you a set of knives in the planer and the time to set it up. A trip to the architectural salvage guy if you have a lot of it...might finance some of a new build. Doug

Great minds think a like Doug or are they corrupted alike?? When I was talking to my co-worker that was the first thing we both mentioned was running it thru the metal detector before we start planing. I can't sale to Architectual Salavage guy because of form's I signed to work out on the project. I can personally use the material I get off the job but not allowed to sale as they have a contract with the demo company who sale the salvagable pieces and split the prfit with the project co-ordinating company. I can use the material for personal projects but not reselling. I do get alot of free material: plywood, 2x4's, conduit, besides other cabinet materials that I can provide including some ctop pieces that I have saved. So my next build which starts in a few weeks I hope to get done under $1000. I found my trailer today for $375 brand new, a 5 1/2 x 8 that was made for TSC for zero turn lawn mowers with a 2000# axle.

Cliff

It's probably 3/4material, so you could run it through a band saw and then plan it to 1/4 and glue it to 1/8 inch plywood. It would be heavier than you need, but it would look REALLY nice. I wouldn't consider it structural, but more decorative. Good idea on the metal detector.

I interviewed a restorer in Idaho who used knotty pine flooring as the interior skin. It is beautiful. She too had to keep the metal detector close but the look is awesome. read more here: http://www.overlandtrailer.com/2010/09/20/adventure-film-08-vintage-mood/

My only concern for hard wood would be the weight.

I was at Home Depot the other day and I saw pine and cedar tongue & groove about 1/4 " thick by 4" wide that is used to line closets. Any thoughts on using this to do the interior walls of the great tear restore?

Yep. I have mine already stained ti install as wainscotting in Amber Rose. Check the packages careful as I had to return 1 0f 4 packs because of splitting and other damage.