Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Is there any forseeable advantage to using fiberglass and fleece for skinning the roof of a tear? Probably even go as far as doing the sides in FG as well. Seems like It'd be a good way to save alot of weight, but I'm probably overlooking something.

bg wrote:Is there any forseeable advantage to using fiberglass and fleece for skinning the roof of a tear? Probably even go as far as doing the sides in FG as well. Seems like It'd be a good way to save alot of weight, but I'm probably overlooking something.

Hey BG,

I've seen the fleece method used for door kick panels and think that would be a great idea for a light weight skin. I would use a polyester fleece instead of cotton because the cotton would absorb huge amounts of resin resulting in pretty heavy product you are making. The benefit of fleece would be that you wouldn't have to have a plywood substrate to put the fiberglass cloth on. Just stretch the polyester fleece over the frame and roll or brush on the resin. I think I would still use a lightweight fiberglass cloth over the fleece to ad strength. Was that what you had in mind too? I like this idea, maybe some of the fiberglass "gurus" have some thoughts here, but I think you are on to something. Hope you do it, sounds like a great inovation in TD building.

Steve in St Augustine

That's exactly what i'm thinking....

I now fall under the typical 100 tongue/1000 gross that most everyone else does, and I do plan on a 4000 mile trip next summer.

It should work but the only thing I would be concerned with is the strength (in a couple places). Since you are using fleece, you are relying on the resin for almost all of your strength. The weave in the cloth is where fiberglass layups get most of their strength, some build sheets specify Biaxial weaves Triaxial weaves as well as fiber orientation. Weight might also be a problem if the fleece soaks up too much resin, you might be able to control that though.

On a trailer, there would probably be only a few places where this strength would be important. Maybe on mounting points for the body-frame and the hatch.

I just have limited experience though. Maybe some others can give better input from first hand experiences.

I'm going to still use atleast 1 layer, probably 2 of fiber glass matt. Seems like it'd make the curved roof far easier than anything else....

but what exactly is a fleece in this case? How is it different from a woven cloth, and how do you attach it to the frame before flooding it with resin?

-Greg

Greg M wrote:but what exactly is a fleece in this case? How is it different from a woven cloth, and how do you attach it to the frame before flooding it with resin?

-Greg

Greg,

They use two types of fleece that I know of for resin/fiberglass lay up. Either a cotton fleece or a polyester fleece. It is used sometimes for quick mold making. The high end custom stereo guys make door and trunk panels, etc with it too. It is just cloth, the advantage of it is that you can stretch it over things and clamp or tack it in place stretched tight. Can't do that with fiberglass cloth... after it sets up then you use the fiberglass cloth for strengh.
You could even do it with a bed sheet if you wanted to... That's my limited knowlege about it Greg

Steve

Steve is correct, the only advantage over say, the fleece over the bedsheet is that the fleece is stretchy. It will conform to curves without bunching up.

bg wrote:Is there any forseeable advantage to using fiberglass and fleece for skinning the roof of a tear? Probably even go as far as doing the sides in FG as well. Seems like It'd be a good way to save alot of weight, but I'm probably overlooking something.

BG,
Do I understand you to say that the fleece IS the skin? Used as Rocky and Steve C have said, as a mold, covered in woven 'glass cloth?? Sounds cool!!
I've been using thin ply and a single layer of 4-oz plain-weave 'glass. Plenty of strength, without all of the weight that I would think comes from the resin in the fleece or matting. Will it drip into the framing/insulation? Sounds interesting!!

AS far as the drip problem, I don't know.

But the fleece would essentially be the inner layer of skin, then covered by fiberflass matt on the exterior.

I've seen it used for consoles, door panels and etc, but an 8' tear will be a big undertaking