Hybrid Foamie Standie Toyhauler Build

[MatTech]

Well this weekend I've been forced into installing a heated tile floor in the basement bathroom so no physical progress on the trailer. Luckily I'm off this week and the tiling is almost done so I should get some done this week. What I was able to do while recovering from being bent over on my knees all day was make a basic sketchup model of the trailer so y'all will know just what the heck I've been talking about. The dimensions aren't all perfect for the placement of equipment but it will give you an idea what the plan is. I'm attaching screenshots and if possible will attach the sketchup file.

[MatTech]

In these two shots you can see the fold down couches which together make into the bed.

The other pic shows where all the mechanicals will be built into.

[MatTech]

Update:

I started putting the walls together to give myself an easier time than working with the panels. I had set up stands to work on each panel but reaching the center was a pain so I decided to put the framing together.

I started working on the truss design and I think they will work out great. The diagonal braces which will be under every other truss (4' OC) will be hidden in the cabinets. Trusses will be 2' OC.

My plan is now to skin with .032" 5052 aluminum sheet which will be adhered with VHB tape to strips of the same material screwed through into the framing. I wouldn't trust the VHB to hold directly to the foam so this is the plan I came up with. VHB is quite expensive but after a test run using aluminum fascia material and roofing screws, i couldn't stand the look of hundreds of fasteners. I paid $286 CDN for 3X 36 yard rolls of 1" wide 5952 tape on amazon and for that specific tape it's cheap. It's almost like amazon isn't aware of how much it's worth.

I will continue foaming the frame once the roof structure is in place and the front wall is framed. The extra rigidity should make installing the foam easier.

Anyway, I know you're all just here for the pics so here you go


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[Philip]

As heavy as your framing is. I don't think your going to need those knee braces. If your running rafters at the 2' centers.

[MatTech]

In all honesty you're probably right, they are mostly to keep the walls square with the ceiling since there won't be a floor until the cabin is installed onto the trailer. Also I wanted something rigid to prevent racking since the rear of the camper is actually a door and less rigid than a framed wall. The 16" deep by 16" tall full length cabinets in the top corners will completely hide them anyway so why not.



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[MatTech]

Another update.

I finished building and installing all the trusses and framed the front wall. It was a little slow going because I need to think like 40 steps ahead to make sure I frame out openings for anything going through the walls like vents.

I also did some playing around with 1/8" meranti plywood to see how light I can make my cabinet doors and what it would look like on the walls. Now it's back to the tedious job of routing out and installing the foam.

On a side note it's kinda fun rolling around the inside on my half chair looking around and thinking what it will be like when it's done.

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[MatTech]

Got some more pics for you guys. I bent up some corner trim and strapping out of the same aluminum I will be skinning with and installed it. The body is almost completely closed in with foam and the roof is sheeted in 3/8" ply.

I had to do a bunch of other little projects in order to be able to sheet the roof. I ran all the wiring that needs to be in the "attic" and installed the 1/8" luan ceiling since I figured that trying to put the wires through small holes while installing the ceiling afterwards would have been a chore.

Since the lights were wired up I figured why not use them to work in the body? Hooked them up to my lawnmower battery that is wintering inside the garage with a charger on it

In the one pic you can see the roof cutouts for the fridge vent and the shower vent. The ceiling in that space will follow the slope of the roof sheeting after I finish insulating. Should have plenty of headroom in the shower.

I will order the bulk of the 3003 H14 aluminum in .032" tomorrow and hopefully I can start skinning next weekend! On that topic, the exterior skin will be attached using VHB tape onto the 1.5" strapping pieces you can see in the rear side pic. Shouldn't be any visible fasteners whatsoever. I'm also integrating a drip edge into the seam at the walls and roof. The wall panel will be bent downwards for 3/4" at the top and the roof sheet will have a J bend in it to lock it over the wall panel. Should keep the bulk of the water from running down the walls.

Let me know what you all think.

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[Wolfgang92025]

Looks like you are making good progress. Should be pretty light and strong.

[MatTech]

Just a quick pic of the wall/roof joint detail that I bent up as a test piece today. By bending my roof and wall aluminum in this fashion it forms a nice tight joint at the corner requiring no fasteners and creates a very effective drip edge at the same time. One of the things that I remember I despised with the original camper body was that all the water running off the roof ran straight down the walls which put an unnecessary flow of water over many different seal points. Just asking for leaks in my opinion.

The unfastened joint should also give room for expansion and contraction of the aluminum through heating and cooling cycles. I may end up running a bead of caulking in the groove when it's all installed to prevent any driven rain from settling in the J bend while traveling down the road. I suppose I could also drill small holes at the base of the J bend before bending it to allow for drainage, I'll have to ponder that tomorrow.

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[MatTech]

Just to let you guys know I haven't abandoned the project or anything... The build is coming along fine but I'm taking my time making sure I won't run into problems down the road. The skin is almost all installed and I will soon be able to roll the body outside and put it onto the trailer frame.

I still need to do some welding on the frame to have anchor points for the walls and I need to pick a spot for the greywater tank. At the moment I'm starting to get concerned about excessive tongue weight. With the build being a toy hauler everything is up front, including 240lbs of 6V batteries and 2X 30lb propane tanks. I planned it this way thinking that while hauling the 1000lb terra jet in the rear it should shift a lot of weight further back. What I didn't plan for was my wife getting more and more keen on taking the rig all over the place camping with no toy loaded.

I've racked my brain trying to relocate weight to the rear to no avail. I guess I will just have to build it the way I planned and use a weight distribution hitch system when not hauling toys.

In the pics below you can see where the project is at currently. I have to rebuild 1 window and the exterior door as they were both full of rot and the door weighed close to 80lbs since the foam was saturated with water. On a side note that VHB tape is no joke, once its installed there is no separating those panels.

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