Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hello,

I discovered this forum and "Foamies" a few months ago on Youtube. I'm trying desperately to escape a bad situation and thought I might build one and travel for a bit. I'm fairly skilled but lack experience on building structures. I'm getting frustrated and overwhelmed and could really use some help.

This all started because I want to move somewhere warmer, but I have a little dog and don't want her to have a heat stroke. I refuse to live in another apartment. I'd rather be homeless. Tried saving for a house for years. Had the down payment, can't afford the payments anywhere I would want to live. So I guess I'm just going to be traveling... enter the Foamie Delusion.

I already had a 4x8 harbor freight trailer, so I thought I'd just slap some foam walls up and roll around in that. But I needed power for A/C so my dog and I don't die in the heat. So I designed and built a solar system thinking, "oh, I'll just slap it on the roof." But I need room to sit up right and work on my laptop, so I decided I'd make a vaulted roof.

Anyway, sorry for rambling. Basically, I have no idea how to frame this in such a way that the foam walls can support 80lbs of solar panels. My plan was 1.5" XPS foam with a 1/4" plywood interior lamination. Box jointed at all edges. PMF exterior. I was going to run some 2x4s across the 4' width like rafters to add rigidity, give an overhead storage area, and have something to maybe build a kind of truss to support the weight of the panels. It all sounded good in my head. But the more I think on it, I just don't know if it's going to be stout enough. Now I'm thinking of framing vertically with 2x4s every 2 feet, attaching those somehow to the rafter 2x4s... but then I'm like, maybe I should just frame the entire thing... and now i've defeated the point of the foamy. it's basically a micro house. i'm just so overwhelmed. It doesn't even seem worth the effort any more.

Has anyone tried to mount ridged solar panels to a foamy? Is this just destined to be a failure? I don't want to waste weeks of effort to find out the whole thing is unstable. I don't even know what to do from here. I already bought/built the solar system. Should I just buy a cargo trailer and try to convert? Should I buy an old camper and hope my POS truck can pull it? Should I just give up and get another apartment in the ghetto? I'm basically living out of a storage unit now trying to figure out what to do. At least I have power from my solar system.

Any advice, direction, posts, or articles you guys could recommend to help me understand how to build a stable structure or if it's even worth it would be much appreciated.

Many Thanks,

-Phillip and Cookie

PS: a post explaining how to post pictures would be nice if you could direct me. It's been a long, long time since I've used a forum like this.

PositiveFreedom wrote: I needed power for A/C so my dog and I don't die in the heat. So I designed and built a solar system

You don't mention how much expertise you have with solar systems, and A/C etc. but you need to know that it is very difficult to meet the power requirements of a true A/C system with solar panels and a battery, particularly those that fit well with smaller campers. A fan certainly, and certain types of evaporative ("swamp") coolers (that work in dryer conditions like we have in the Southwest) will work. Don't mean to discourage you, but want to make sure you are aware.

I don't have experience with foamies, so won't offer advice there. Whatever happens, hope your situation (you and your dog's) works out okay!

Tom

Foam with ply both sides is very strong. A portable stage like used for a concert in an arena is basically that, just supported at the corners of a 4x8. Will support 125 or 150 pounds per square foot . You might want blocking for attaching things but doesn't need 2x2 or larger for structural support. Stressed skin panels.

It depends a little on how you loads are distributed but on my foamy I ran a 2x4 down to the floor and attached roof racks to those. I've had 5 kayaks strapped to that while going 70 mph. Plenty stiff and strong.

With your panels, I'd worry more about hard points for mounting. The key concept it to spread the load out to the largest area. So an 1/8" ply plate inlaid into the foam of 12 sq-in will have more holding power than a 3/4" ply of 2 sq-in.