Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

After the adhesive for the top skin is laid down, do you guys use ratchet straps to keep the skin in contact with the glue and roof?

I have an air stapler that shoots a staple that is 1/4" wide by 3/4" long.
I put a staple every inch or so.
I have wood trim that covers up all the staples.

WarPony wrote:After the adhesive for the top skin is laid down, do you guys use ratchet straps to keep the skin in contact with the glue and roof?

You mean like this?

I also didn't use any type of contact cement except for some cheap stuff to hold the side skin in place while locating the roof and molding. After all the skin was in place, I then put the tear out side for the day to break loose the skin. For the most part, my skins are floating skins because of the different expansion factor between wood and alum. Just the way I did it.

Maybe to much information, but I used the Quote Tool so I would be sure to answer the question. OK George.

Have a good day.

Ira, your on the shelf for a while, I have someone else to play with

Gage, Have you ever heard anyone using the carpet adhesive 6" along the top edge to hold the roof skin in place while the rest floats? Being in Alaska it does'nt get all that hot here, maybe in the high 70's. I want to install my roof skin this coming monday...

Jim,

rooster wrote:Gage, Have you ever heard anyone using the carpet adhesive 6" along the top edge to hold the roof skin in place while the rest floats? Being in Alaska it does'nt get all that hot here, maybe in the high 70's. I want to install my roof skin this coming monday...

Jim,

Rooster...I used outdoor carpet cement on mine....worked great...and gives more working time than the contact cement...It will remain "squishy" for a couple of days...but so far has been fine....I troweled it over the entire roof....Doug

WarPony wrote:Thank you, Gage. That looks like what I needed.Your're a good and efficient replier.

Thanks for the flowers Jeff. I'll be sure to put them in water right away.
I guess I can continue on 'how I did it'. I stratched the straps from frame to frame without the hatch on. With the slight curve in the rear I only had to lay cross strips in front. Had to build a couple of them up so as to pull the skin tight to the ply under. The important thing is if you do it the way I did it. Be sure to attach the straps to the Frame, not the forward edge of the box. Do a pre-run first before you start working with the glue. It then should go smooth for you.

Have a good day.

My top skin has no adhesive. It's held in place while mounting the roof vent and installing the hatch hinge, otherwise it floats between the moldings. Wise to put something soft beween the aluminum and wood blocks to prevent scratching. I attached some clamps on the heavy oak rib to hold the ratchet straps.





Denny

Denny, on the bottom picture, how'd you get those aliens on the side of your tear?

WarPony wrote:Denny, on the bottom picture, how'd you get those aliens on the side of your tear?

I thought they looked like a couple giant squid from the Bizarro comic and they appeared as if by magic when the birch was sealed with varnish. Maybe I should have left the aluminum off of that side as a conversation piece or to scare off the bears.

Denny

Denny Unfried wrote:...........they appeared as if by magic....

I don't think they appeared by "magic" (enter whistling space music). You can cover "them" up but they are still there. KnowhutImean, Vern?

Thanks for the pics. I was worried about when you ratchet down the skin the straps and/or blocks will leave marks where contact is better made. Well, that gives me a good idea on how to go about doing it.
By the way Denny, you are very good with the computer work. You have great instructional pictures.

Good job, I know it helps alot of peeps on this site.

If anybody has a suggestion to my problem, I will be very grateful. I just glued the aluminum on my roof -- sort of. The construction is 1.5 x 1.5 spars x 5ft long. Then there are two layers of 1/8 plywood, glued with Titebond and nailed. I used outdoor carpet adhesive -- no solvent Titebond. My problem is that the aluminum skin (0.040) will not lay flat no matter what I do. There are up to 1/4 inch buldges along the edges. I have tried everything I can think of to get it to lie flat, but no progress. I rolled 100lb sand bags from back to front thinking that would roll out the buldges. Did it very slow, but no change. Pulled the whole mess up and reset starting from back to front, clamping the back and using a roller to advance the aluminum. No change again. Finally gave up and 6 hold down straps with 1x2 perpendicular at about 8inches on center and cranked it down. still have the 1/4 inch gaps in a number of places. I am considering tearing off the entire roof and laying the aluminum directly on the spars. If I ever build another, that is DEFINITELY what I will do. I see now there is no need for the plywood and it creates a big construction problem due to what seems to be different flatness of the materials. Anyway, I am very discouraged by the whole mess. Any suggestions? Anybody want to purchase a partiallyfinished 5ft x 8ft teardrop trailer with a small defect?

Jeff L.

PS New builders take note: Don't put plywood under the aluminum roof skin. Just glue the Aluminum to the spars and be done with it. What a mess.

Jeff, is the roof surface level or does it have dips in it? That is the only reason I can figure out why there would be gaps at the sides in certain areas. Wow, I think I am going to NOT skin my roof now after hearing the trouble you have had. I know my roof surface is not level in spots and I'm afraid that I may have the same trouble. Maybe the floating skin is the way to go for me. Let me know if I'm way off base on your build.

What thickness aluminum did you use?

JLaman,

Got any photos? It's hard to tell anything just from your description. However if the bulges are only along the edges, then just put your edge trim on and it should snug right down. I am assuming that you are using at least 1/2" x 1/2" angle for trim and screwing it down (or at least using the screw nails in it).

It could be possible that the aluminum that you are using on the roof was not perfectly smooth and even along the edges before you put it on the teardrop. Is your teardrop perfectly (or very near) square and are the sides plumb with the floor and roof? Just in case you don't know what plumb is, are the walls straight up at 90 degrees to the both the floor and the roof?

There are lots of variables that could cause this. I still think that you edge trim should solve the problem in a satisfactory way for you.