Knock off airstream build

[Hillmann]

I finally started building my first camper. It will be a standie with the basic shape of an airstream, only smaller. The inside dimensions are 9'6" long, 5'9" wide and with the drop floor 6 at the top of the curved ceiling. I didn't have a camera with me when I was working on it but before I started I built three 1/12 scale models of it. Here are a few pictures of the model that is closest to what it will look like.







I haven't decided on how I want to skin it yet though. Here are my options.

Option 1. Skinning it with aluminum coil stock attached right to the frame with no sheeting under it, then having the inside sprayed with insulation foam. I like this idea the most because it is the lightest weight and the spray foam would act at a glue to keep everything together and add a backing behind the aluminum siding. Although I haven't heard back from the local insulation company to find out how much it would cost.


Option 2. Skinning it with aluminum coil stock attached to the frame with sheeting under it only on the front. Then insulating it with sheets of Styrofoam and suing great stuff to glue the foam to the studs and skin. That won't be quite as strong as using the spray foam but should still add a lot of strength to the frame to keep it from racking. I think this will be much cheaper than using spray foam.

Option 3. Skinning the sides and roof with painted hardboard, and skinning the curves at the front and rear of the roof with painted canvas. I think this could look really cool with an aquamarine and cream paint job. And if the canvas curves were painted cream they would act as sky lights. The problem I come up with this method is it is heavy and I don't know how well the hardboard would hold up.

Option 4. Cover the whole camper in canvas with nothing under it. This would also allow me to do the aquamarine/cream paint job and would have a very unique look to it with its ribs showing through the canvas but I can't figure out how expensive it will be because I don't know how many gallons of paint it will take.

If anyone can suggest any other cheap and light coverings I would like suggestions.

My goal is to keep it as light weight as possible for several reasons. The camper I have now weighs around #1800 loaded, and I tow it about 500 miles a week and it is just too heavy to tow that much for my car. I am also building it so the camper shell can be removed from the trailer so I can use the trailer on its own and use the camper shell as an ice shack in the winter so I want to keep it light enough to load and unload by myself.

[pmowers]

Re: Option 1= You might be able to take the trailer to a location where they are spraying a house or other building and they just spray it there, rather than having to pay for the expense of a setup, since it is already in use.

[angib]

I think you need to try skinning your model framework with thick paper (or thin card), to see how easy it is to do without creases, as I see several points where I don't think you'll be able to get aluminium to fit the full-scale body. For example, the way the roof over the door increases in radius as it moves towards the centre is theoretically possible, but the shape of the line where it joins the rest of the roof is a nightmare.

[Hillmann]

Angib,
I am surprised that anyone looked at the detail of the pictures close enough to notice change in curve over the door. I actually built 3 models this one is closest to what the full size one will be except for over the door. I plan to keep the radius the same from the door all the way back and where it intersects I will cut a bunch of once inch tabs and rivet the two sections together. As far as where the curves of the roof meet the the front and back, I am pretty sure if I use 6 inch strips of aluminum and make a sunburst pattern I will be able to skin it with out wrinkling and keep the curve looking nice. It will look kind of like this, but with a wider strip running up and down in the center.

http://sierranevadaairstreams.org/memor ... derear.jpg

http://sierranevadaairstreams.org/memor ... llery.html

The front and rear curves are pretty hard to frame up the roof curve is 6 foot diameter, the front to back curves are anywhere from 5 to 3 foot diameter and the curves on the side walls are 2 foot diameter and they all have there centers at different points. The complex curves on the front and back are the reasons I had originally planned to skin the whole trailer with canvas.

[kinto]

i dig the models

regarding your idea about canvas... i paint when the mood strikes & have been stretching my own since my art school days 20+ years ago. but rather than using canvas anymore i always stretch muslin. it's thinner so A LOT easier to stretch (especially around corners, etc...)

the only catch is you have to use multiple layers of kilz/ paint (and probably epoxy in the case of a camper) to thicken it up afterwards. my paintings are obviously flat and it's significantly easier even in that application, so i'd imagine around the curves of your design it might make a big difference.

just a thought.

cheers!

kent

[Hillmann]

Kinto,
I've built two skin on frame boats and if you go slow and work it several times you can get canvas into pretty tight curves staying smooth. The skin on frame method leaves a very interesting look to the boats they kind of looked like a starved dog with all there ribs visible through the skin.

[myoung]

As you probably know, an Airstream actually has curves at the edges and corners, but has mostly flat surfaces everywhere else. For example, the roof of an Airstream is flat and covered with a rubberized membrane, not with aluminum.

This should be a challenging projects with all these curves and tight radii. The interior will also have to be finished with the same curved material. I would guess that the framing and materials involved in these intricate shapes will add to the weight. Boxes are simple, relatively inexpensive to build, and contain the most volume. I understand the desire for a more pleasing shape, but wonder in the small dimensions add a complexity that outweighs or runs counter to the volumetric and weight desires.

I love Airstreams and own one myself, but knowing a bit about what it takes to make one, I wouldn't recommend the effort to anyone without the metalworking and metal forming skills and tools to pull it off.

Good luck. Enjoy the journey.

[mezmo]

Check out whitefishpoint's Fiber-Stream build:

viewtopic.php?t=38961

Cheers,
Norm/mezmo

[DMcCam]

Hi Hillmann, Your design reminds me of the 1957 Airstream Bubble, very cool! You might take a look at how they solved the complicated curves back then. Perhaps even contacting someone who has restored one for help? Thank you for including us in your journey sir.

All the best,

Dave

[Hillmann]

To myoung,
I am not trying to be rude, but I have never seen an airstream with anything other than an aluminum roof. Unless you are talking about the squared airstreams from the 80's and early 90's, those I have no idea on how they are built, I have never seen one in person.

[Hillmann]

I worked on the camper this weekend, so far I have about 8 hours and $94 into it, and I have it framed except the side door, I ran out of straight 1x2's so had to stop. Right now the frame weighs about 100 lbs(I can lift it by myself pretty easy). The model I put pictures of had a rear door that was only 32 inches tall, which would work for my main use of fitting a laser in. When I was building it I decided to make it bigger in case I ever want to load a four wheeler into the camper. So I ended up making the rear door 4 feet tall and had to change the radius on the back curve from 6" to 2" to make room for the larger door. I don't really know if I like having different curves on the front and back but I wan't to keep the front curve as it is to make for less wind resistance.

I had planned to post pictures of my build but the batteries in my camera were dead and I wasn't going to run to town just for batteries, if it doesn't rain tonight I will take lots of pictures to show the progress I am making.

I am also thinking I may skin the trailer with 1/8 inch hardboard under the aluminum to hide some of the not so smooth cuts I made when making the curved ribs.

[Martinup]

Hillman:

Well you have the patience of job. My hat is off to you. I would advise you to take your hat off as well. Be prepared to lose a few hairs from the head scratching.

You are in for some fun. Speaking from experience . . . Through out the time clock
You are entering the twighlight zone where time and space don't exist and progress comes slowly.
What you are doing will be very rewarding after you Fiiiiiiinallly get it clad as I have, ( 90% in my case).

The hardest part is yet to come for you. Getting the roof sheathing to land and reconciling the sheathing on the tighter compound curves. A word to the wise, " Give yourself as much framing material to land the sheathing on. The simple curves are difficult enough. Where ever possible make things wider to attach the sheathing. Get yourself a case of the PL400 or the premium, if you can afford it. The large tubes. and two boxes of 5/8 narrow crown staples. You will go through it all. I move our trailer ( 20 miles ), to my new shop and the PL 400 held up well . . . nothing popped anywhere. I enjoyed watching people turn and take a look at something different.

I like your Idea of using 1/8" hard board. Get the flat finish, ( no sheen ) . You will need to fair and feather your seams later. I am not sure how the hardboard flexes over the tighter compounds but it sands easily and this will help at the edges. I used 1/8 " birch bilateral grain. Each piece has elliptical lines and curves which need to be fiddled with a lot to sit right. Try as you may the framing (spars and joiners) will move. Is youre deck level in every direction?

The only points are focus is the three dimensions (axis). I look forward to more of your pictures and how you make out. Take your time have a chair handy to think it though and enjoy it.

After all the hours I have put into the roof I am leaning towards epoxy and fiber glass instead of canvass. I found Dacron quite expensive but it would yield the nicest finish and paint job.

I hope you have decided to designate this a as a, " one use trailer". Re and Reing . . . the body off its frame is going to be a delicate matter. Unless you know something I don't. Keeping the weight down as always is a challenge. These shapes are amazingly strong though. I can rock mine pretty hard and it is getting tighter as I get more done. The interior cladding will add to it.



Sweet lines,

Martin

[Martinup]

Hillman:

Just a quik thought or suggestion:

Get a roll of tracing paper and trace out your shapes when they are flat and label them just prior to glueing them onto the roof. Remember there will be a lot of fiddleing with them.

Later you can think about alluminiun , FRP or some of the man other composites that are ou there . . . There are an awfull lot of materials available.



Martin

[Hillmann]

I didn't get a chance to work on the camper last night, I just pealed the tarp back enough to get a couple pictures of the frame.

Front corner

Back corner roof curve

Back roof, above cargo door.

Back corner floor to ceiling

Back of camper.

Front of camper

Front of camper. You can see the trailer I plan to mount it to in the background.

Testing how to overlap skin to get the curve.


You can see the tow vehicle in the background, a Subaru outback.

This is the method I plan to use on the corners. Each front corner will take 12 pieces of aluminum riveted together to get the curve in 3 dimensions from flat sheets. Oh, and my attractive model.

[Martinup]

Hillman and Your, “Model" :

Is she, that all good men know must be obeyed? . . . (wife?)

Thank you, “ trailer gods”. I just know god is a woman. Chuckle

Seriously I am so happy to have found a gold mine on your build, ESPESSIALLY the link and all that info on the Cruisette. Never knew anything about the Cruisette

I hope yourselves and my wife (another blessing God gave me) will be sharing much in the near and distant future. Yes I have found a true kindred builder.

I hope others will chime in and enjoy your build as much as I am.

Having a great morning knowing there I now have help in all the future decisions and, "best ways to tackle our own build,

Martin & Vicky,