Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hi,
In few days I'm going to order the aluminum for my teardrop. Does anyone have detail pictures (or schematics) on how to install the aluminum and molding?
Also I'll be interested to see some hatches and how are they installed (I still have to make mine) and how to make the hatch as water proof as possible.

I saw this schematic (the top one). Is this the kind of molding should I get or right angle profile?




Thank you!

I have the same question. I hope someone can lead us to the place.

I thought someone would have posted by now, but since they haven't, I'll chime in.

The above detail is very similar to how I installed my aluminum. I used a different edge molding - the type that has a colored vinyl insert - and I used molding along the bottom of the sidewall too.

Or dare to be different and glue all your aluminum per my other posts on aluminum exterior using 3m 30NF contact cement and go get the ultra flexible UV resistant flextrim from Trimster where I get my trim I use on my campers and this is the corner molding I use. Just glue the flextrim with pl premium which is waterproof and strong as an ox and you are good to go and not a single fastener needed for any of this. I only used sheet metal screws to attach the laps on my roof and they are the only screws in all the aluminum on the camper.

ioan wrote:Hi,
In few days I'm going to order the aluminum for my teardrop. Does anyone have detail pictures (or schematics) on how to install the aluminum and molding?
Also I'll be interested to see some hatches and how are they installed (I still have to make mine) and how to make the hatch as water proof as possible.

I saw this schematic (the top one). Is this the kind of molding should I get or right angle profile?



Thank you!

I used this RV trim, and installed it as the graphic shows (Top and bottom both!). As Tom (aggie79) stated it has a vinyl insert to look pretty, got mine from Redneck trailer supply. It took the bends nicely. I tried annealing the first one and the second one, I just bent it over slowly and it was a breeze, even the tight radius of the hatch. If you get a right angle profile, you'll have a hard time bending it, you'd need to trim it and anneal it, and fight with it and then go get the otherstuff anyway It does have it's uses along straight lines though.

I also had my side plywood walls hanging down below the frame and used regular C channel all along the bottom as Danny noted. I didn't plan it but I had routered it and it just happened to be the perfect thickness.

What size molding should I get?
Here are the dimensions the RV dealer in my city can order:

When I was shopping locally, my only option was the 3/16 lip, this was the best too because remember, you will need to bend it, and a 1" overhang will be terrible to bend successfully and you will still have to trim it to get the bend anyway.

This is off topic, but I wouldn't use stainless fasteners. They are a great idea on paper, but in the real world they are weak, screws will strip and bolts will snap. I'm in the sign business and we only use coated torx head decking screws. For bolts I would just use galvanized and hit them with some paint or undercoating to seal them up after assembly. Just my $0.02

Big Dave wrote:This is off topic, but I wouldn't use stainless fasteners. They are a great idea on paper, but in the real world they are weak, screws will strip and bolts will snap. I'm in the sign business and we only use coated torx head decking screws. For bolts I would just use galvanized and hit them with some paint or undercoating to seal them up after assembly. Just my $0.02

I think most people choose stainless for the look but if one is using the vinyl insert trim, the screws are never seen so that would work great! Stainless got too expensive for me so I used "regular" ones, I think they were zinc. Still looked great after 2 years.