Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I'm to the point where I need to attach my interior lights and porch lights and fan. I know this will sound like a stupid question but what kind of screw or nut or bolt do I use to attach these to the Luan inside the camper and what do I use to attach the outside porch lights with the same kind of holes?

Thanks for your help!

Normally you would use a 1/2" or 5/8" wood screw but they are not going to stay in luan very long. You really need a solid wood backing for screwing anything to your walls.
What is the composition of your walls?

If you don't have any blocking or ply skeleton behind the light locations (...whoops!) is double sided tape an option? Perhaps some of the VHB (very high bond) from 3M will withstand higher temperatures encountered during summer storage?

If there is a void or foam where you want to mount them maybe a drywall anchor will work. Ive used the spring loaded type and they just spread the load over a larger surface, could work for luan but trial n error. The only problem is they need a rather large hole to feed in the anchor, if I remember right a 1/4 - 5/16 bit may have been what I used.

I'm so glad that I asked this question! I was so concentrated on the type of screw that I wasn't even thinking about the Luan NOT being able to support it!!!

My walls are just 3/4" plywood. The roof will have Luan and spars with a gap in between the Luan.

Maybe just taking a 1x2 that I used for spars and using a wood screw to drill through the Luan and into a 1x2 would work!

Looks like you have four mounting holes so you would need two pieces of 1X2 or one piece of 1X6 running between your spars. If you can still re-route your wiring, you can mount those lights on your 3/4" sidewalls near the ceiling. That's the way I mounted mine and extended my circuit wiring behind the cabin light through the side wall for the porch light (back to back).

You're going to want to use a pan head, round head or even a truss head screw that has no taper under the head (i.e. a flat head wood screw won't work... at least not well).

I like the truss head screws because they have a larger diameter head (better load spreading) that is shorter than a pan or round head (for a lower profile).

The pan and round heads are available at big box stores (in stainless for sure). The truss heads I got thru McMaster-Carr.

Screws into 1/8" luan could be iffy. You could sand the finish off where you are going to install the lights, glue a 1/4" or so (thicker) piece of wood to the luan, and screw the lights to the mounting block you glued onto the luan.

Just a thought.

Cheers,

-Gus-

Another option for a completed wall that has been discussed in foamies is to bore a hole and glue a piece of dowel in, giving a place for a screw to bite in, albeit into end grain.

i want to find an inexpensive source for LEDs and run some inside and outside and use something like Shoe Goo to install them in the corners of the TD All over

Thanks for the advice guys! This has helped me a LOT!

cjkrause wrote:i want to find an inexpensive source for LEDs and run some inside and outside and use something like Shoe Goo to install them in the corners of the TD All over

I got all of my LED's from superbrightleds.com.

I'd use a Pop Rivet!

The one on the right.



Happy Trails

Len

You know, I had thought of pop rivets, too, but I have not seen that style before. need to be careful of the force required to pull them, so as not to break the plastic housing of the light. Also, need to be sure the head of the rivet puller can get to the rivet around the guts of the light; looks like it might be a little tight.

Where might someone get that style of rivet?

KCStudly wrote:Where might someone get that style of rivet?

We use them all the time in the RV industry. They give us about a half a box with every Awning install kit, to attache the rail to the coach.. Of Course most Awning installs are replacements and already have the rail on. I just keep the extras.

I'm pretty sure you can get them at FassenAll. Maybe even Frank Bear at Vintage Technology's.

Happy Trails

Len