Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

What would you think of doing both the top, (like you did) AND the sides
using strips???

Maybe say 1/4 to 3/8th thick??? side by side glued, and fiberglassed?????

That is how they make Cedar strip canoes. My nephew made his that way and did white water canoeing. Then was mad that he had scratches on it. The modal of my tear, is strips of pine ½” wide by ¼” thick for the front curved roof and the hatch. It is quite strong even with out fiberglass and epoxy. I think it would work grate. I have seen a picture of a teardrop done that way for the roof and it looks supper. It would take some time but you would not have to worry about the plywood braking around the curves.
Chuck

Hmmm no comments???

thinking of doing the inside in strips too

longwise front to back.

Hey, Marck--everyone experiments here. If you have the skills and want to try, why not?

The only caveats I can think of is that I've never seen one done here like that...it seems like a lot of work...and in a lot of plans (like the Cubby), the solid ply on the spars is an integral aspect of the strength of the entire structure.

If strips can do the same thing, cool, but it's something to keep in mind.

I think that an all strip Tear is very possible. Jon Hoffsberger, from NH. re-did an older trailer totally in cedar. Search for the blueberry something?? If you wanted to build the sides in strips, just glue them directly to a framwork. Then you could insulate the walls and procede as if you were building in conventional sandwich method.
Cedar is lighter than ply of the same thickness would be. All the strength you need will come from the sandwich. I would, of course, do the outside in 'glass/epoxy.
P.S. I wouldn't hesitate to use 3/16" or 1/4" strips. Lots of strength in that sandwich!!!

Steve, I have already started doing a frame, exactly as I did the frame for the six-pack....the laminate technique.....here's a couple pics of how I did it.... The top "board" made from 1/8 laminates is 2 inches wide by 3/4 thick

Here it is on my "table"


Here it is clamped to the chassis to see how it will look.



Yeah Yeah I know... "why the yellow?"
I have already been asked that about 5 times... it's yellow because i had a gallon of yellow rustoleum and only about 1/3 of a quart of black;

Marck, I'm going to make my profile frame the same way. Any tips you want share? I'm planning to make it with a dowel jig like subterranean did. http://www.teardrops.us/userfiles/subte ... anean.html

2 points
#1 TAKE YOUR TIME!!!! don't try to force the thin boards around corners too fast, it's not worth the speed when you break every other board, AND you need to let glue set.

#2 don't be afraid to cut the "slices" (as my son calls them) thin... I wanted things to go faster so I tried going up to 1/4 inch like the six-pack is....just caused more breakage....cut the strips as thin as you need them to make the curves.


use enough glue, and take your time.....OH and be prepared to do quite a bit of sanding when it's all glued up

Thanks for the tips. I've done a little experimenting and have found that patience and thin strips are important. What type of glue did you use? I was thinking about Titebond III.

By the way, I like how your trailer is coming along.

There have been a few members that built strippers. I don't remember his name but there was a guy from Michigan who stopped by the forum a few months ago that had built a really nice strip tear and had plans to build a strip trailer that came to a point in the front and back, sort of like a canoe, if I remember right.

Another is this one built by NH stripper, a member.

I am using Titebond 3 as well as gorilla glue (for the first strip glued to the blocking frame)
also after I had the whole side done, I coated the sides of the laminate with a good coat of epoxy...allowing it to soak down into any gaps that might have developed between the strips....as a just in case, and a little extra strength

BTW that's a beautiful trailer you showed in those pics.

Wow, do you have anymore pictures of that stripper, George? It is beautiful!!

WarPony wrote:Wow, do you have anymore pictures of that stripper, George? It is beautiful!!

I wanted to see the stripper photos too! But, my wife won't allow it.

purplepickup wrote:Thanks for the tips. I've done a little experimenting and have found that patience and thin strips are important. What type of glue did you use? I was thinking about Titebond III.

By the way, I like how your trailer is coming along.

There have been a few members that built strippers. I don't remember his name but there was a guy from Michigan who stopped by the forum a few months ago that had built a really nice strip tear and had plans to build a strip trailer that came to a point in the front and back, sort of like a canoe, if I remember right.

Another is this one built by NH stripper, a member.

Yeah! That's Jon's Tear!! He overlaid cedar on the original sides/top.
I saw it at ADK's Spring Tear-Up. Very well done!!

Marck, what I would do next is clamp/glue strips to the frame. Once completed, sand the sides and 'glass em. You could fill in between the framing with pink or blue board, then do the inside, either stripped or sheet goods. Looks to me like you've got things well in hand!!