Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hi All,
Am working on insulating the new trailer. Finished the ceiling this morning and wanted to dive right into the walls but have hit a snag. The plywood on my walls is nailed to the z-studs. I pryed a little and they don't budge, the plywood wants to break and splinter and the nail doesn't move.
I didn't budget in replacing the plywood as I assumed that it would have been screwed and easy to remove and replace.
I may be able to bust up/remove just the top row of wood and slide the insulation behind the bottom row. Has anyone done it this way????

Thanx
Steve

steve I have to ask since I can't tell from the picture are the "nails" really square headed screws?

This is the first time I have seen nails in a cargo trailer
but in another post someone had wooden studs instead metal ones in his walls.
must be like Forest said "like a box of............"

pete

Can you use a grinder to get the tops off the nails so the plywood comes off? Then you can grind the nails flush with the z studs and turn the plywood over when you want to reinstall it.

Bruce

pete42 wrote:steve I have to ask since I can't tell from the picture are the "nails" really square headed screws?

This is the first time I have seen nails in a cargo trailer
but in another post someone had wooden studs instead metal ones in his walls.
must be like Forest said "like a box of............"

pete

I'm famous!

To the OP: Have you tried those moulding ply bars?

Like bdosborn, my thought was to use a grinder.

Johnnie

I would drill the heads off with a 135* split point cobalt drill bit (industrial quality). The bit just needs to be larger than the shank size. I do it all the time with screws.

WTH? I've never seen nails used in metal like that.. Start with a small piece if you can.. Once you get it removed it should make getting the others off a little easier. I would be very surprised if you get all the wood off with out messing up some of it..

Drill through a scrap piece of plywood first and then locate that hole over each nail head, so the drill doesn't skate around, and then use the twist drill to take the heads off the nails safely.

Not the best suggestion but you could drill large holes at the top of the plywood wall and spray in expanding foam insullation as an option to removing the nails and plywood. That, sadly, ins't of much help if you wanted to get behind the plywood to install wiring.

Just a thought.

Don

Tried prybar"....wood splintered up.......did the grinder thing and it seems to work best. Nails are sunk in pretty good so i'm gouging into the wood some and making alot of smoke but it works.
I think I'll continue on like this and reinstall the 3/8 plywood then skin over it with some luan to purdy it up.
The nail gun that they use must be alot of fun to use because the put a bunch of nails in.......

Got to go to Chattanooga tommorow on buisness......will get back on it this weekend. Got about 500 nails to go......

It will be worth it to have it insulated good and tight.....

Those sure look like square drive screws, did you try to unscrew one?

Yes, they sure look like square drive screws with some type of filler in the screw head.
I can't imagine using "nails" to hold plywood onto a metal studs.
Take an ice pick tool and clean out that screw head and see what you find.

Gadget Man

look here:
http://www.google.com/patents/US2009023 ... e&q&f=true

Well...I'll be damned.
I have never seen anything like that before.
Looks like a quick/easy way to save some time and money when building a trailer, but not taking any consideration to the owner who may have to make a repair after.

Sorry, I have no idea how you will get those out.

Gadget Man.

For sure nailed guys"........trailer is brand new, no crud or filler in the heads of screws, These were shot in with a hilti gun or something simular. I' ve got about 6 hours invested in grinding the heads off of these nails, got one 4x8 sheet left to go, i will get one more good pic of a nail in a wall z stud before i wrap this part of the project up.

Ps: my cordless dewalt drill would have made this 6+ hour job a whole lot shorter if it had been screwed.....