External finishes

[Steve F]

I'm slowly putting together my plan and am trying to decide on what would be the best type of external finish. My Jeep is pretty scratched up and does some quite serious offroad but most of this is typically after I set up camp. In saying that though there are some tight and scratchy trails I travel to get to camp. What would be the best finish for an offroad trailer given these conditions? I'm thinking a thin fiberglass/epoxy sheeting over the ply?

This is one of the trails to a spot I visit fairly often, and in this pic it is quite open



Cheers
Steve

[PaulC]

Steve, I've used fibreglass sheet applied to ply on mine. I buy the sheet from the importer here in Adelaide. It comes in 1.1mm or 1.6mm by 2.4m wide by whatever length you want. Not cheap but more servicable than the other finishes.
Cheers
Paul

[mightypan42]

There was a TD posted not long ago that was Line-Xed completely on the outside. I'd like to do that myself, but the cost would probly be too much for me.

[Geron]

I made my decision today for my second TD. I'm going to use Rot Doctor CPES to seal/waterproof the plywood then paint it.

I used aluminum skin on the first one.

Geron

[mikeschn]

I just bought a gallon of this stuff...



I'm going to test it, starting perhaps this weekend, and if it works well, I might coat my next teardrop with it.

Mike...

[A_J]

This stuff is a good and relatively inexpensive topcoat for rough service:

http://www.zolatoneaim.com/index.html

It comes in some interesting color combos

[Geron]

I just bought a gallon of this stuff...



I'm going to test it, starting perhaps this weekend, and if it works well, I might coat my next teardrop with it.

Mike...

I read the directions on a can of Garage Floor "epoxy" at HD and it indicated that it was not for use on vertical surfaces. They didn't have the Behr. Do the directions on Behr give any indication concerning veritcal surfaces

Geron

[mikeschn]

Yea, my can says the same thing (no vertical surfaces) I can't imagine why, unless there's a problem with runs.

Anyone have any ideas?

Mike...

[Geron]

Maybe you could turn the TD on its side, paint it, flip andpaitn the other side

Might be easier to paint the sides while they're flat before mounting.

Really, just doesn't make sense to me -- no vertical surfaces.

whatever,

g

[Micro469]

Maybe they just don't want you to use it for swimming pools.....

[brian_bp]

I think the no-vertical constraint is pretty straightforward - it will probably run before it dries. Floor are inherently horizontal...

[Wright]

Floor are inherently horizontal...

Are ya sure on that one???

But seriously folks... I don't see much wrong with pre-painting your vertical pieces, in a horizontal position... (like a floor )...

[Geron]

Floor are inherently horizontal...

Are ya sure on that one???

But seriously folks... I don't see much wrong with pre-painting your vertical pieces, in a horizontal position... (like a floor )...

I've never been dead drunk but twice. Them floors were NOT horizontal.

[brian_bp]

I agree, the horizontal thing is not an absolute for floors. Depends on the guy who built it, and how much of a bubble off level is okay... some of us are about half a bubble off.

[asianflava]

When the paint is applied, it is probably self leveling. Just my guess.