Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I want to use the above from a known box store. What type of coating should I use to bring a natural golden color. Another thing, is it possible to install first then do the finishing already installed since I am not planning on any stain?

Not worrying about odor...
TightbondIII and brads to install..

Thanks

Not knowin nuttin' I would make a satin finish polyurathane my 1st choice. and a marine spar varnish for a little more golden look as my 2nd choice. The poly has proven to be a bit more scratch resistant and a bit better waterproofer. What ever you do completely coat the wood at least once before installing to seal out moisture that might otherwise allow the wood to curl. By complete I mean all sides and cut ends.

Just my 2 cents

Even If I have excellent back supportfor attachment, shall we coat 100% polyurathane, front and back.
This is going into a cargo trailer.

There are a lot of great woodworkers on this board and I will defer to their thoughts.

However here is my spin......

Without knowing if you are in a moist wet climate like Louisiana of a arid dry climate like Arizona and without knowing exactly what product of engineered flat stock you are using I chose to defer to the worst case senario. Moisture if allowed will travel thru wood and actually erupt under the finish and blister the surface finish. Kinda like painting one side of a sponge then laying it in a puddle. A closed trailer in the sun will get to 120 easy add some water vapor and you have a steam room. You simply need to seal the other side you need not use the actual poly but a good sealer or even cheap paint will stop or slow down the moisture transfer.

I would use a sanding sealer on the face that will show, to allow a more even penetration of stain.
Pine, stained without any sealer, can be very blotchy unless it is clear Pine...unlikely at the box store.

I like Danish oil products, as I can mix different colors to get the look I want. You can of course mix other types of stain for the same result.
The best (only way for me) is to make a sample board of the material you will be using, mark it off in sections at least 6" x 6" with a pencil or sharpie, then try each color, or mixture of stain until you get the color you like.

Here are a couple pictures that show the sample board, and the results of taking the time to get it right.





Keep in mind that clear, non yellowing polyurethane will darken it a little more, and some types of "clear" finish can darken it by several shades.
Point is, it will have a protective finish when done, so use that same finish on your sample board, over the stain.
Note the sample board; there are 8 different color areas.
One is natural, no stain, just varnish, and the others are different shades of stain.
The lighter, and darker areas within each color are the difference between stain, and stain covered with varnish.

I would also seal all sides and edges as Bob suggests, and though it is not as thrifty, it is good practice to use the same material, and the same number of coats to keep things "even".

Rob

Thanks all.

One last question..

Even if its plank or 1/4 hardwood sheet, will titebond glue adhere if the surface has already been coated with several coats of polyurathane???

Unless you are applying it horizontally...I'd use a urethane tube type adhesive like the PL. It will give more squish for bonding and much less "running" as I'm sure that material won't be dead flat on the back of it, especially the individual type plank type. Titebond will work if it's the sheet type goods and you do it horizontally and weight it. Just my experience with it both in the house and in trailers. Doug

Titebond needs to get into the wood fibers for a good bond, If the wood has been coated with poly or any other finish, it has been, essentially, sealed. The Titebond won't work and the joint will, likely, fail, especially in a trailer where road vibration tends to rattle everything loose. Why would you coat the backside with poly? I understand the idea of weatherproofing everything, but if moisture gets through the outer skin and contacts the inside of the wall paneling, you're sunk, whether you coated the panels or not.

I would use Polyurethane adhesive, as Doug suggests.

It wouldn't hurt to rough up the contact patches with some sandpaper, and remember that Polyurethane is a moisture cure glue.
It needs reasonable humidity, or slight dampness to cure.
It is easy to use a damp (not dripping) cloth to wipe the contact areas, or use a misting bottle with water in it.

I've personally used Polyurethane on varnished surfaces, and haven't had any adhesion issues.

Rob

Why would you coat the backside with poly? I understand the idea of weatherproofing everything, but if moisture gets through the outer skin and contacts the inside of the wall paneling, you're sunk, whether you coated the panels or not.

Carl,

I can't answer the question for the OP, but I've done plenty of extra coatings on paneling and structural parts.

An example would be my roof spars/supports. They are exposed, inside the finished trailer, and it was much easier to coat them from the top down, instead of attaching the roof panels and then trying to coat them.
Same goes for the plywood panels that are also exposed from the inside.
It made a lot more sense to coat them on the bench, then install.

As for coating the back of a panel that won't be seen, it is the same as coating the top, and underside of a tabletop to prevent uneven moisture absorbtion.
Granted, plywood is not as "unstable" as a wide board, but it still helps.

Rob

If I were concerned with waterproofing the backside of the interior panels, I would do it prior to installation of the insulation and outer skin. After gluing the panels in, a nice heavy coat or two of poly, or whatever could be applied. I know that it is rarely considered good practice to use glue or adhesives over finish. That's why it's called "finish".
On a similar note, if someone was worried about some minor moisture intrusion into the void, why not black goop the inside before and after the foam board goes in? Nothing wrong with a bit of overkill

Carl,

Black goop, as in a tar type product would probably have a lingering odor...

Some people do coat framing and paneling as an extra measure of protection.
Though it obviously wouldn't help much in the event of a leak, it would help if there was excess moisture/humidity in the wall or ceiling cavity.
Hopefully though, a builder will research condensation and try to prevent excess humidity inside a trailer so it will never be an issue.

In the past, manufacturers tried to reduce the issues by adding siding vents.
Not sure if they helped, or hurt, as it could potentially allow humid exterior air to contact cooler interior panels/framing, though back then, since 99.99 percent of trailers lacked air conditioning, it probably didn't hurt.
The majority of the condensation issues they were dealing with were from winter time use of the coach, as in full time living.

Rob

Just thinking of different ideas. The tendency here, on this site, seems to be overkill to the max. If 18 gauge is good enough, 1/4 inch is better. If one bolt will work, use a dozen. If the exterior is properly built, from the correct materials, Moisture intrusion should not be a problem. That being said, I don't mind going the extra mile when building anything. Though I don't feel that it's necessary to coat internal surfaces, when I finally get around to my build, I'm going to coat the crap out of everything. It will only cost a few extra bucks and a few extra hours, so why not? Once it drys, black won't smell, especially when It's encapsulated inside of the void. Would I use it? Probably not. More that likely, I would just load it up with Kilz. It's a good, shellac based primer and is my go to stuff.