Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Building a 5'x8' Benroy on a northern tool trailer and am finishing up putting the trailer together.

I want to use a sandwich insulated construction for the walls with 3/4" plywood as the middle layer with cut outs for the insulation. I will be covering the teardrop in aluminum sheet.

With respect to the outer and inner skins for the walls, I am a little concerned about the total wall thickness when it comes to trim or when making a door or installing a manufactured door. I was thinking 1/4" on the outside and either 1/4" or 1/8" on the inside, so 1.25" or 1.125" total thickness plus the aluminum skin.

Is there a preferable standard wall thickness if you want to use the common aluminum trims or a manufactured door?

Floor will be 1by framing, 1/2" top, 1/4" bottom.

Roof will be 2x2 spars, 1/8" inside, 1/8" or 1/4" outside. I am not sure yet, 1/8" seems too thin but will 1/4" bend around the front?.

The floor and roof don't seem to be that critical, but I can see the wall thickness causing problems if common trims and doors won't fit.

Any guidance is appreciated. Thanks guys.

Wall thickness?



The far-drop is made from walls using 3/4" skeletonized AC plywood, and 1/4" subflooring (I highly recommend this stuff) on the inside and outside (1.25" thick). The closer almost-complete 'drop is made from 1/2" AC skeletonized ply, 1/4" subfloor ply exterior and 1/8" Baltic birch interior (7/8"). Both thicknesses are fine with Frank Bear's doors. (You might take a look at those doors sold by TC Teardrops too.) But you have to specify the thickness when ordering.

I find 1/8" roof thickness fine over foam. Plenty strong.





Tony

My walls are 3/4" birch and my roof is 2 layers of 1/8" birch. One layer is player is plenty but I went for ipact resistance. Falling branch could go right throuh 1 layer.

In Steve Fredrick's Teardrop Builder's Shop Manual, which I highly recommend, says that 1/8" on top is fine for teardrops that are sheathed with aluminum, but if one is building a woody, you should laminate a second layer of 1/8".

My old Hunter teadrop, that saw many a hail storm, had .063 on top with no plywood underneath. I think historically that's the way teardrops were built.

Tony