Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

newbie here, I am wanting to build a off road trailer using steel for the framing, my question is what would be the best way to secure the walls and roof? would screws going into the tubing with glue work or will they evetally back out? 1x1 tubing with 1/4 plywood????

Welcome to the forum!

There are many ways to skin a cat (or a TD); just start skinning.

One of our fellow Texans on this forum used just plain old liquid-nails to attach his aluminum to his steel frame, and it worked great.

Bolts with fender washers.

I tapped holes in my frame and secured the plywood using countersunk #12 flathead machine screws with loctite red. For any which are sticking out below the frame & exposed to the elements I did a quick brush coating of roof tar.

If you read his question, I think he's asking about wall and roof construction. Giant fender washers, bolts and other heavy duty hardware are going to look pretty bad. I'm still a noob also, but i I would think that there are some hi tech adhesives that would work to bond 1/4 ply to the steel frame work. Maybe Tek screws around the perimeter

I used olympic rivets from Vintage Trailer Supply

CarlLaFong wrote:If you read his question, I think he's asking about wall and roof construction.

Yeah I read it correctly, was just applying the same principal I used horizontally to vertical construction since it's steel stock. I should have been more clear I like the rivet idea better though for his application.

I was thinking about counter sunk rivits with a filler over them to cover them up, I like the red lock method to , thanks for some inpute

Or use 3M VHB tape, that is what they use on semi's that you see with out rivets. The viscoelastic properties also are more forgiving on different rates of expansion between frame and skin.