Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

help, I have plywood walls in my cmper and I want to cover them with frp, (luan) what glue will work best for this?
I know the temperature will go from hot to cold inside the camper, so any advise? or recomendations?

I have been very impressed with "gorilla glue" products. It would be worth a try on a test piece.

I used the weldwood conact cement before and wouldn't recommend it to anyone. It is toxic stinks really bad and did a fair job adhering the frp. I switched to 3M fastbond 30NF green water based contact cement and have never looked back. Well worth the price it costs about 140 a gallon and takes about 1 1/2 to 2 gallons to do a complete tear. Simple to apply with either roller or just a cheap hvlp air gun from harbor freight easy to clean up and doesn't emit noxious and toxic odors in the air. It actually seems high but is cheaper than the weldwood in the long run as it covers much better area and adheres better too and is safe for foam inner insulation if you do insulated wall builds.

+1 for the 3M Fastbond 30 contact cement. I used it to attach foam to the interior of my aluminum walls.

It works as advertised with no stink and cleans up with water.

You can get a quart jug through a vendor on Amazon for about $50 if you don't think you'll need, or afford, a gallon. I used about 1/2 quart on my teardrop, but I didn't use 100% coverage on my walls/foam. I just applied glue around the edges and in the middle.

<Chas>

Here's a link to the recommended installation methods. Based on what they say, I'd think that the temperature extremes that the exterior of a tear could go through on a hot day, an adhesive would be a tough way to go. Over-sized holes with sealed screw or rivet might be a better way to go. But that's just my 2 cents. Doug

http://www.jensenbridge.com/files/FRP/F ... 0Guide.pdf

I agree, and am considering doing both, glue and a screw with a those white cap covers every 2 feet squared.

If you go out and get a good commercial grade contact adhesive you won't need screws but if you use any adhesives that the frp industry uses no it won't stay glued on at all.

universal_exports wrote:...I want to cover them with frp, (luan)...

Just so we're comparing apples to apples, I see those as two different things.
FRP (fiber reinforced plastic) is the Filon-type sheets of gelcoat, polyester resin and glass cloth/mat.
Luan is a generic name for inexpensive thin ply that can be made from a bunch of different tropical hardwoods, since lauan trees are nearly extinct in their native Phillipines.

I made a sandwich floor of ply & foam. I tried Titebond3, PL300, PL Premium, thickened epoxy, and finally PU (Gorilla Glue). I'm no expert but this is how they stacked up...
The PL300 went on both in the normal zigzag pattern and by warming it up and spreading with a notched trowel. I can tell where I used it because those spots have delaminated from the foam. I did use it at close to freezing so I expect that`s where much of the problem came from.
PL Premium - seems ok so far
TB3 - not nearly thick enough to ensure good contact.
Thickened epoxy - fantastic adhesion but a comparatively expensive option.
PU glue - I used this to fix the delaminated spots and it`s what I'll use when I build another one.

linuxxxman wrote:I switched to 3M fastbond 30NF green water based contact cement and have never looked back

Given that Steve's built a few, I'd try with this as well. KC Studly is still working on his frame but will be using it when he starts the shell - stay tuned.

...if you use any adhesives that the frp industry uses...

Do you know what products they use ?
I'd like to know what not to bother trying.

With so many items being added to my walls I opted to simply float my FRP panels.

http://cttraveltrailer.blogspot.com/201 ... plete.html

I imagine in a td floating the FRP might be easy.

Barb

FRP is very durable but it is heavy and if you penetrate it with a hole and a fastener the plastic punctured can be brittle and break out if enough fasteners aren't present to spread the load of the surface weight. I did one and then switched to aluminum due to its much lighter and easier to work with and now will do some builds using formica on the outside which is very light and durable and easy to work with and replace if necessary. Rumber sheets are also another thing people can start looking at for the roof and floor coatings as it's ultra hard durable UV stable and completely made from recycled plastic and tires. As you can tell I love thinking outside the box and looking at all possible solutions to weight, durability, and installation methods.

thanks for the replies, I will be using the thin 1/8 inch stuff from Lowes, no wood on it, just plastic.

@linuxmanxxx rumber sheets?

yes, frp is kind of heavy but it depends what you plan to do with it. and yes, drill holes, don't just put the screws through, like wood screws as if it were wood, the material will tend to splinter and warp. it is also flexible, and small impact resistant. (don't hit it with a sledge or a car though...)

I have had FRP on the roof of my TD for 7 years now & it has never chalked, splintered, cracked, yellowed or anything. I washed it today & it shines like it was new. Yes drill holes for screws. I used the stuff from Lowes as well , I did not think it was THAT heavy. It bends & cuts very easy. Don't run your fingers on the edge after cutting as it can be sharp. As far as glue I used a can of adhesive that was made for FRP from Lowes & I used a 1/4 inch trowel to apply it. you have full coverage that way. I used to have it on the sides , but I removed it & painted the wood. When I removed the FRP it was stuck very well, I had to pull very hard to get it off.Good Luck!

PCH it's available in lumber formed strips or what I'm looking at is the thinnest 4 x 8 sheets one side is shiny and the other is textured. Pricing I got was around 20 a sheet and up as it gets thicker.

Rumber Site