Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hi, This is my very first post! What a great forum! I have looked at several posts regarding what material to use to "skin" the top or sides. Filon seems very expensive and is not locally available as is aluminum. I was at our brand new Home Depot and noticed a .090 FRP beaded sheet that bent nicely and seemed very durable. I contacted the manufacturer and they indicated that it would not be hurt by sunlight or weathering. (See note below). I was wondering if anyone had used this type material and how it worked for them?

Regards,

Ramblerfan

"FRP, (Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic, White or beige): This surface is very durable, low cost, and comes in a smooth, or textured surface. 100% fiberglass free, waterproof, chemical resistant, mold, mildew, insect proof. Safe for animals, safe for incidental food contact (U.S.D.A), safe for outdoor use, and no odors. To see a sample of FRP, visit your local Home Depot store and ask to see the FRP wall surface ($28 per sheet)
"Yes it will hold up in the sunlight and weather just fine."

Hi Ramblerfan,

Welcome to the forum... you just missed a discussion we had yesterday on those FRP panels... you can catch that here...
http://tnttt.com/viewto ... 2080#82080

Also here are some more ideas for skinning the teardrop..
http://www.mikenchell.com/weekender/skinning.html

And please, remember to take lots of pictures cause Madjack loves to see da pics... Actually, we all do!

Mike...

Rambler,welcome to the board...as Mike said, the FRP have been used before...we have a member who is just gonna luv you, his name is Snopp Dougie Doug and he drives a '61 Rambler station wagon...as Mike said...take da pics..we luv 'em, pics of your build, pics of you, your shop, your dog, kids, car, backyard, neighbor(huhMike) and post 'em cause we really do luv da pics around here
madjack
Snoop Dougie and Rambler

I'm wondering about using the FRP Panels too... I thought Bev had said that there were problems with it, maybe it was a different product.
Courtney (brokenoffcarantenna) said she loved it, and pointed out that if scratched, the white color is all the way thru and not so noticeable but with masonite she used somewhere else, it got scratched and the dark under color showed up.

I will be parking my tear drop in the barn/workshop, so would it be okay to use the FRP on the exterior? I would think the "damage" would be in leaving it parked in the sun all day in our 100* August days!

Julie

Julie , I have my Dew Drop Inn covered with FRP,top & sides. It has been sitting outside for about 2 months now & I see no change in it sofar. I am in the process of doing a little R&D for the group on this very question concerning FRP. I will be reporting back periodcally on any issues that come up. I feel very comfortable that I won't have any issues. Some Think otherwise. I have found it to keep the inside of the Tear cool on sunny days this past fall. It does not get hot to the touch on the outside either.
Keep up the hard work everbody, SPRING is just around the corner!!!!

I've used FRP on several re-modeling projects, and really like it, but have never used it outside. I did have some srcaps lay outside for quite a while, and they seemed to get brittle with age, but they weren't attached to anything (don't know if both sides are UV resistant, or just the side that is supposed to be out, but this was esposed to the sun and weather on both sides). Not sure if who made the stuff I was using, I think that there are several manufacturers.

The stuff realy bends easily, especially when it is warm. We had some that got warped from the way it was stored, so we set it out in the sun for a while and it softened up and flattened right out.

Ramblerfan...welcome aboard....since you are a Rambler fan, you are already half crazy!!! now just take the final step...ahhhh, I see you have... keep us posted on your progress, we all love pictures, stories and whatever.... good luck on your build....and VIVA AMC....Doug

I used FRP as a ceiling liner on our Cubby. Loved the way it easily bent and makes the interior a lot brighter.

If I were to build a second tear, would seriously consider cladding the exterior in FRP. The aluminum is just too soft, IMHO, to be used on the exterior.

Guess I'm too lazy to keep the aluminum all shiny and free of scratches.

Larry

Thanks for all the responses on the FRP. It looks like it would be very easy to work with as well as look nice. I guess I should clarify that "Ramblerfan" is really for our local high school team.... "The Red Ramblers". I guess years ago, we didn't have a football field to play on and "rambled" about playing where we could. Rambler cars are nice too though!!! Thanks guys!!

Ramblerfan wrote:Thanks for all the responses on the FRP. It looks like it would be very easy to work with as well as look nice. I guess I should clarify that "Ramblerfan" is really for our local high school team.... "The Red Ramblers". I guess years ago, we didn't have a football field to play on and "rambled" about playing where we could. Rambler cars are nice too though!!! Thanks guys!!

ahhh yes, the much touted dangers of assumption ................................................

RamblerFan
I would check with the manufacturer again and ask if they are UV protected. I didn't think that they are.

Gerdo wrote:RamblerFan
I would check with the manufacturer again and ask if they are UV protected. I didn't think that they are.

There not. Over time the FRP will crack. Fade, etc. You have to either paint them or use something else to protect them from Sun damage. Other than that they work just great.

Bufordt

Priming and painting it on the exterior would work? I don't want my teardrop to be just all white anyway! .... And the beginning post says $28 per sheet, but at my HD store, the plain white was about $10 per sheet, the grooved stuff that looks like a tiled bathroom wall was more like $29 /sheet..

Either way, I think I'll use it on interior but not exterior. Is this the same thing that Lowe's has for about $16/sheet that is just called "wall panels" and is bendable but comes in colors and styles, like blue linen or leather look or anything other than looking like 70s paneling... ?

I'm sick of "Paneling" ..!!!!! It's all over my house!!!

Julie

oklahomajewel wrote: the beginning post says $28 per sheet, but at my HD store, the plain white was about $10 per sheet, the grooved stuff that looks like a tiled bathroom wall was more like $29 /sheet..

Julie

Julie,

I don't think the stuff you are looking at is FRP. FTP has a "bubble" texture and is very thin ( maybe 1/16"). I think you are looking at "Marlite"? It's pretty much hardboard with a shiney finish on one side, and if moisture gets under the fnish, it will swell and start to come apart. The cheapest FRP I have seen it is about $20 per sheet when on sale, but typically it's $29-$20 per sheet.

I used the FRP on the top of the tear and after I found it wasn't uv resistant, so I painted it with clear.
It was easy to work with and it's still holding up after over a year of use.
David Niver