Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I'm doing my trailer with enclosed wheels, do you think it's a worthwhile idea to have my chassis builder put steel fenders on the frame even if I'm going to cover them in wood, or is the roll on tar goop or window trim rubber stuff good enough by itself? I figure the steel will keep some of the water blast away from the joints in the wood fenders and prevent gravel from eroding my protective coating. It might also give something for the fender skirt to attach to.

They would be be either smoothly curved or flat on top with angled front and back sides and would be covered on the cabin side, open on the outside. I wonder if this design might allow water to pool above the fender and against the wood. Whaddaya think?

I built one like that and just used 1x(xx) that fit the inside of the wheel well with the goop and it worked just fine.

On the Nomad, wood wheel wells...I coated them well with epoxy and glass cloth...then shot it all with a heavy coat of automotive undercoating. Doug

Mine are wood, sealed with oil based paint, and covered in undercoating.

Adding metal would help, but then you stand a chance moisture would get between the wood and metal, which is bad.
If you could embed the metal in a coating on the wood, it might work.

Rob

Mine are enclosed as well, being built on a tent trailer frame. I'm building wood boxes and putting chamfer strips in the corners because, on the last one, mud packed into the corners and held moisture. I'll be sealing the wood with PU and using spray-on bedliner to line it.

doug hodder wrote:On the Nomad, wood wheel wells...I coated them well with epoxy and glass cloth...then shot it all with a heavy coat of automotive undercoating. Doug

I did the same thing, except I painted using thick truck bed coating.

Okay, It looks like I can save myself some money and go with wood. Thanks!