Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hi All, I've been learning lots from this board while I toy with the idea of making my own teardrop. I've also been fascinated with high-efficiency/performance homes and building techniques and had an interesting idea of using Zip System wall sheathing/acrylic seam-sealing tape/liquiflash to create a water/air tight box that is mounted (method TBD) to the trailer.

The idea would be to eliminate water egress points as much as possible for the actual volume of the teardrop which would also allow for better insulation and temperature control.

I searched high and low on the forums and only found mention of someone using Zip for a floor, has anyone tried this?

https://www.huberwood.com/zip-system/wall-sheathing

This interview with Joe Lstiburek (one of the originators of high performance building tech) is a good primer on the advantages. Seems like Zip/taping in conjunction with a quality skin-job could create a great final product. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQvWWiUvuZo

ZIP has lots of resources themselves as well, super curious if anyone has any thoughts on this? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDKT8oT4lrU

It's an OSB product as you know. Great for sheathing a house, but not so good for a teardrop cabin. It holds screws poorly and doesn't like wood glues or epoxies.

Build out of exterior grade plywood and cover with epoxy (or epoxy/fiberglass if painting). The epoxy will soak into the wood and plasticize the upper layer.





Tony

So you're saying that because it's OSB and not a laminated plywood that the strength/build properties wouldn't be appropriate for the demands of building a teardrop cabin correct? It's obviously mounted to exteriors of houses, but I guess the shear/stress forces are far different when nailed to a stud vs a frame that sees torsion like a tear drop.

tony.latham wrote:It's an OSB product as you know. Great for sheathing a house, but not so good for a teardrop cabin. It holds screws poorly and doesn't like wood glues or epoxies.

Build out of exterior grade plywood and cover with epoxy (or epoxy/fiberglass if painting). The epoxy will soak into the wood and plasticize the upper layer.





Tony

So you're saying that because it's OSB and not a laminated plywood that the strength/build properties...

Build properties for sure.



A properly built teardrop needs to be in your will.

:thumbs-up:

Tony

If you read their spec sheets its also rather heavier than exterior ply.

Most tear drops don't have a 2x4 frame that will stand alone.

Also, the zip system saves labor cost, at greater material cost. Unless your paying for labor, it costs more.

OSB is a product of the otherwise unworthy WASTE from the lumber and plywood manufacturing processes

it begins as wood n bark chips that get coated w/ a water resistant(not proof) bonding agent and pressed into submission

if you doubt this comment take some and boil it for an hour

when the bonding agent has cured(IR heat) it is lay'd flat in stacks and shipped

it stays flat on the pallet virtually until it gets affixed to stud walls where it will remain flat ...

when OSB gets twisted in any direction/manner the bonds between the chips begin to break down

introduce moisture into the equation and the FUTURE OF YOUR LABOR IS GRIM

the introduction of sub-standard materials to your project is FALSE ECONOMY

these comments are based on personal experience and actual observations

IT'Z YOUR $$ & YOUR TIME

YOU DECIDE

sw

I would stick to proven methods unless you are planning to shift the paradigm by doing something lighter, stronger and easier. A ton of development have gone into the proven designs and you will likely never recoup your time spent going in a new path. New ideas are wonderful and make the world go around, but if your goal is to build a camper, build it right, build it once and enjoy.......or spend a lifetime shifting the paradigm.

That said. If somebody came up with a roto-molded pod similar to the CLC, I would buy it and leave my CLC in the garage. Its a freaking severe weather magnet.

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friz wrote:That said. If somebody came up with a roto-molded pod similar to the CLC, I would buy it and leave my CLC in the garage. Its a freaking severe weather magnet.

Are you sure it's the CLC Friz?

I mean, I've NEVER been camping on a Sunday when it didn't rain. (Often, most other days too, but ALWAYS on Sunday!) I mean, Boy Scouts in the Northeast, tent camping in Colorado, the tear anywhere we've been, with or without Shelly; I'm the common denominator. Just say'en!

About OSB, the only thing I've found we could use it for, other than sheathing a building when you're pretty much doing other things to protect it against the weather, is as shelf lining in our dry (New Mexico) basement. That was expedient because we happened to have a lot of it left over from our house build, and the rest was cheap. Note, even there, the (scrap) 2x4's support the weight, the OSB just keeps things from falling through.



Don't think I'd do that in New York, where basements are damp. (Maybe I'd varnish over the OSB, but it wouldn't be as good as "real" plywood.)

And Bill is right, OSB on a 2 x 4 frame will help keep it from racking, but that's about it. Teardrop walls are (usually) built differently than house walls.

Tom

"don't give me no plastic saddle - I want to feel the leather when I ride" Danny O'Keefe

gudmund wrote:"don't give me no plastic saddle - I want to feel the leather when I ride" Danny O'Keefe

Well......I'm riding a plastic bike and paddling a plastic boat.

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i've riden one of the pastique(recycled) saddes and it was surprisingly comfortable

just sayin' ...

sw

...is as shelf lining...

Tom:

Looking at your photos, I've just concluded that you are way over-the-top organized.

My shop? It's a rolling disaster at the moment.

Tony

Tom&Shelly wrote:

friz wrote:That said. If somebody came up with a roto-molded pod similar to the CLC, I would buy it and leave my CLC in the garage. Its a freaking severe weather magnet.

Are you sure it's the CLC Friz?

This last season alone, my camper rode out 70 mph winds and nickle sized hail in two separate events. When not camping my camper lives in a garage. It has seen hail 4 times in the 4 years I have owned it.

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tony.latham wrote:

...is as shelf lining...

Tom:

Looking at your photos, I've just concluded that you are way over-the-top organized.

My shop? It's a rolling disaster at the moment.

Tony

Actually those pictures were from about 5 years ago, right after I built the shelves. It does feel great to have everything organized! (I fondly remember that day.)

I remember cleaning up one more time before starting the teardrop and then....

Still haven't recovered (in terms of cleaning and organizing the shop). I'm saving that project for right after I finish cutting up the beetle killed trees. The good news is that neither project requires any major purchases*.

Tom

* Until/unless I decide I need better wood than my scrap to build workstations.