Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I was talking to a long time teardrop builder and told him I was thinking of using 1/4 walls .... he got up and said that is one of the things used to keep the weight down.
He showed me a pc of wood looking like expensive plywood. It was about and inch wide but it was made out of 1/4 inch pc's.

So I see all those pictures of frames out there like AsianFlave's Texas Teardrop which right now I see pictured in the upper right hand corner of my screen ( thank's Mike, thank's AsianFlava)

I could start with my 1/4 in side, take another 1/4 sheet lay it on top draw out the frame, where the doors will be where the windows will go where the galley go's if I have one, etc. Cut out the areas where reinforcement is not needed, where screws or brads can get a hold. leave maybe places where wires might go open. Glue the frame to the out or inside wall side (depending on how you want to work inside to out or out to inside.


I can cut out my openings on that side layered with
the inside 1/4 inch wall on top for the outside,
cutting with one stroke with Router, Zip, or sabersaw.

Now my 1/4 in sheets have a 1/4 inch reinforcement frame for the middle wall.
where it is needed and is now 1/2 in thick with first glueing in those places now I assume I needed reinfored wood and
after placing extra wire stiking out where I want.
I could glue the second sheet .... but first attaching the outside/inside sheet and center pc to the floor making sure all is alined.
with the 3rd 1/4 inch sheet now glued to the middle section
I will have 1/2 plus 1/4 inch equiles a 3/4 in wall with the weight of mostly a 1/2 in sheet.
I can then if I so wanted cut out pcs from left over 1/4 inch sheeting for shelf reinforcement sections so shelf reinforcement is there. which can be glued and screwed.

So 1/4 + 1/4+1/4 is not always 3/4 thickness.

Ron D.
Los Osos, CA

Ron,

Yes, that would be lighter, but my question is, how much lighter?

I read on here that 3/4" plywood weighs about 77 pounds per 4 X 8 sheet. Assuming you use 80% of a sheet, that would be about 62 pounds.

If 80% of a 3/4" sheet weighs 62 pounds, then 1/3 of that (1/4" sheet) should weigh about 21 pounds, but you have two sides, so that is 42 pounds, plus the portion of a sheet that is between them. Let's say you use 20% of the sheet in the middle, or 20% of another 21 pounds, which is 4.2 pounds. Let's say you use another 2 pounds of glue glueing the 1/4" pieces together. Now your built up 3/4" wall weighs 48.2 pounds.

So, cutting and gluing all the 1/4" plywood together saves you a whopping 13.8 pounds, or 27.6 pounds savings for both walls.

Is all the work and expense worth it? ( 6 pieces of 1/4" is more expensive than 2 pieces of 3/4", I believe)

Only the builder can make that determination.

I'm back from Vegas, at least I came back a few hundred ahead.

I figure that using 1/4in ply isn't worth it because the savings isn't too significant. Your insulation R-factor with 1/4 also isn't much. I am using 1/8in ply on my walls and floor with 3/4in insulation and framing. The roof will have 2 layers of ply on the top side.

Judging from my finished pieces, I figure that they weigh about 2/3 the weight of plywood. Is it worth the added complexity? That is up to you, I need to trim weight anywhere I can so that I can have the features I want plus be able to tow it with my vehicles.

I do not think I would weight that much.

If I cut the inside and outside about the same inside being a little shorter and the center sections would be about 2" deep around the peramiter. and about 2 inches around the doors

the like bing the ouside pc the "II" being the center pc plus glue.
____________________
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
II
II
II
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
____________________

at this time I do not know my weights
but most of my middle wall is not there and the inside pc
would glue to this using far less glue. it could be more solid where reinforcement is needed.

If you only use one board that is say a 1/2"
Did you add frame for galley and door
and where hatch rests then that is what you do.
but if you put an inside wall
will you use 1/4 or less and what will the middle pcs be made of.
I guess you lost me. or I lost you

now as what is they R-factor (insolation)
cost of wood vs cost of savings of gas in pulling??

now the 1/8 th on center frame makes more scence

Anyone else got an illistartion or example to add?

Ron Dickey wrote:I I guess you lost me. or I lost you

You're right! you lost me

asianflava wrote:I'm back from Vegas, at least I came back a few hundred ahead.

AF, What did you play and where? I going there Sunday. A few hundred bucks would buy me a lot of wood to screw up...er I mean together. I have to start cabinets soon.

Craps, Roulette, and Wheel of Fortune. My wife will play Roulette for hours. I sit with her and make opportunity bets (5 reds in a row bet black if you loose double up till you win) I'll build up a little bankroll then play craps. Again, I sit and wait for a hot shooter. Sometimes I loose it all and go back to the roulette wheel. The thing this time was I would stop playing when I was up. I had the best luck at Luxor and Hard Rock.

I usually frown on slots, but my wife and I and another couple each put a $20 into a Wheel of Fortune machine. The plan was to quit when we doubled. Well, we ended up hitting $400 so we split the $480 4 ways.

SteveH wrote:Ron,

Yes, that would be lighter, but my question is, how much lighter.

So, cutting and gluing all the 1/4" plywood together saves you a whopping 13.8 pounds, or 27.6 pounds savings for both walls.

Is all the work and expense worth it? ( 6 pieces of 1/4" is more expensive than 2 pieces of 3/4", I believe)

Only the builder can make that determination.

thank you Steve for your math.
Over the long hall yes I think it might in gas milage as prices go up.
If I lived in a flat state maybe not.
However my Galley may weigh more so i may help balance out. a self contained swing out or pull out siting on a pull down back deck.

SteveH wrote:If 80% of a 3/4" sheet weighs 62 pounds, then 1/3 of that (1/4" sheet) should weigh about 21 pounds, but you have two sides, so that is 42 pounds, plus the portion of a sheet that is between them. Let's say you use 20% of the sheet in the middle, or 20% of another 21 pounds, which is 4.2 pounds. Let's say you use another 2 pounds of glue glueing the 1/4" pieces....

Somewhere in this paragraph, I started reliving the "...red car left Detroit going south at 42 miles per hour..." story problems that I used to blow off in 8th grade math. I need to sit behind SteveH and copy his answers.

Thanks for the insite. There is a fine balance we need to strike between building too light and overbuilding the daylights (me) out of this project.