The sawdust has kicked up.

[kd5edj63]

I have got a good start on a sunny october sunday It is similar (or will be) to the "weekender" With changes needed (or desired) for my trailer size. I have a good feeling I might be camping in this by Christmas time

[Chuckles]

Looks like a good strong start

How about some details... I was wondering how you were going to finish it? will it be a woody, painted, or aluminum?

I built a modified standy weekender with a glass and epoxy bright finish. It's nice not having to build a curved galley hatch.

Chuck

[kd5edj63]

I'll have a wood finish inside and paint with aluminum trim outside.

[aggie79]

I think your title is an understatement. What a fantastic start! At this rate you'll easily be camping by spring.

[kd5edj63]

Im currently working on the doors while the 2nd side graft is glue drying. I took Estabans advice and used some glass on the joint on the inside side. The outside I will use a filler of some sort. Probably short strand glass filler. I have a question on building the doors. I know they need to be slightly smaller than the door openings, but how much smaller. I assume I would want to edge the door and or opening in some sort of trim so the wood doesnt get raggedy after a while. If this is correct or a good idea, what do I use and how much should I trim the doors to make them fit well when finished. I plan on using the flexible T molding. Appears to be aluminum. Ive seen it used on doors here. I'll look at the other links Estaban posted in my other thread for the handles and hinges. Any door building threads would be welcome to post in here

[Esteban]

Hello sawdust,

I will stay away from offering door building suggestions as mine didn't come out well (enough). Other than do not store your doors leaning against something for a long time. Store them dead flat, maybe with weight on them. Mine warped as the inside wood frame dried out. The outside had fiberglassed 1/4" plywood, a 1" frame interior and insulation, and a 1/8" inside birch skin. The stresses/strength were uneven...so it warped...maybe more so because I didn't store them flat.

Fiberglassing (tape and epoxy) the outside plywood joint would be a good idea as it will be out in the weather and more susceptible to water intrusion and or cracking.

I think I read that you plan to use aluminum trim between the walls and roof. Good.

Or you could round them over a bit and fiberglass them (epoxy and tape or cloth - your preference) and skip the aluminum there.

Should I make or buy doors is a discussion in Construction Tips.

Grant Whipp has offered to email door making ideas and suggestions. You can call or PM him for them. He sells trim, windows, door handles and locks, and offset hinges. He has much more expertise and offers to share it. A good man I've done business with and met at a gathering...IRG near Eureka, CA.

E-mail: [email protected]
530-242-6452
10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Mon. - Sat., no Sunday calls, please !

[kd5edj63]

So Grant is a member here. Id rather give my business to a member here than some joe blow I dont know LOL.
I appreciate your help. Im sipping on a beer and thinking of ways to do the doors. Ive come up with some ideas. Im using the cutouts from the sides as the doors. Im pretty sure I want to go with a piano hinge for the hinges. I havent given the hatch a whole lot of thought yet. Im a ways off from getting that done, but I did notch out the sides for the hatch thickness plus allowing .25" for the gasket. I didnt want to have to do any notching like that after the walls are errected. I will not do alot of work on the walls like you advise. Im sure I will just create a buch of extra re work if I do that.
The reason I dont want to glass the outside of the splice is because I dont want a bump there. I would rather put a piece of painted trim on the seam if it looks to be cracking

[Esteban]

Glass is very thin if you use 4 or 6 oz. fabric. So thin it's lmost invisible. You can feather it out with fillers or a "bondo" type of filler...which should be up you alley. I suppose you could take a belt sander to the joint to sand a little wood away and then fill it with epoxy and tape...kind of like the indented edges of drywall. Once filled and painted it will not show.

I found a door making video I posted earlier I'll send you soon.
Ah, here it is He uses solid plywood and a piano hinge with his own way of water proofing it...with a bicycle inner tube.

[kd5edj63]

Thank you Estaban. You are a very big help. My next question (I will watch the video in a sec....) What kind of varnish for the inside. I have some minwax polyurethane that is for interior use, but I know TDs get alot of moisture inside. Do I need an exterior quality product. Im about ready to varnish the inside and edges of my doors
Edit. Great video. well worth the 15 minutes. Thanks Esteban

[Esteban]

I'm no varnishing expert. Interior varnish should be fine if it doesn't get much sunlight. Maybe do some testing on scrap to get your technique down. Scotchbrite between coats to take away nubbs and bubbles. Have you figured out where your cabinets, shelves, bulkhead, counter top, etc. will all go? If so tape those areas off, so they do not get varnished, then when you're ready you can nail or screw them on with glue. Most glues do not stick well to varnished wood.

I had forgotten about the door video. He shares a lot of good ideas, doesn't rush the video, so there's time for them to sink in better.

Did you see my tip to license the trailer ASAP? With just a floor and legal lights, etc.? It can save $$ and later paperwork hassles.

If your doors will be out in the weather interior varnish on their edges may not be good enough. Better to apply several coats of epoxy then varnish with a good marine varnish with UV protection. IF it all will be covered with aluminum trim that is extra protection. Like the video did...he had a tube of clear sealer under the aluminum trim I'd investigate if I were you. He's more of an expert than I am.

I am impressed with the boat builder who demonstrates varnishing over epoxy. I posted his videos in the skinning section. Andrew wrote a note that one layer of epoxy covers about as well as 3-4 layers of varnish. Epoxy base coat(s) with varnish top coats makes a lot of sense to me for a high quality job. Now that I've used epoxy I do not fear it. It's just different. And seems like a time saver compared to lots of varnish coats and lots of sanding between them.

[wyldesyde007]

Glass is very thin if you use 4 or 6 oz. fabric. So thin it's lmost invisible. You can feather it out with fillers or a "bondo" type of filler...which should be up you alley. I suppose you could take a belt sander to the joint to sand a little wood away and then fill it with epoxy and tape...kind of like the indented edges of drywall. Once filled and painted it will not show.

I found a door making video I posted earlier I'll send you soon.
Ah, here it is He uses solid plywood and a piano hinge with his own way of water proofing it...with a bicycle inner tube.

This video was an awesome share! I have been considering continuous hinges for my build and this answered my waterproofing questions

[Esteban]

This video was an awesome share! I have been considering continuous hinges for my build and this answered my waterproofing questions

Thanks. It impressed me too. There is an ongoing discussion Should I make or buy doors where I posted the video too. It's a great discussion. There is some concern that the video did not show a gasket between the door and the Z molding. I made notes from the video in that discussion. My conclusion is with the right size Z molding there would be room for a gasket too. Check it out and add your ideas.

I looked up DegaSeal 2000 too. Looks like a nice product made by BASF. it's a sealer and adhesive.

TNTTT is a great community of good people.

[kd5edj63]

I noticed too that there was no rubber between the Z trim and the T trim on the door. I think thats a fairly simple fix.
I did what you suggested with digging out a little wood at the joints and boy I have alot more confidence in the integrity. It was alot of work as glass sands like ass LOL. But Im glad I did it. I did some cosmetics are no one will ever know there is a joint there.
Yes I did see the tip on registering the trailer asap. Im not worried. It goes by weight and Im a long ways off from the next higher price tag

[kd5edj63]

I didnt get progress pics on that process (the glassing of the joints) because I was just too busy getting it done, but I can get some after pics later.
Im strongly concidering using glass resin in leu of epoxy in places, like edges of ply and such. Not in place of varnish tho. Just on exterior or surfaces to be painted. My trailer wll be painted. Not skinned

[kd5edj63]

Got my fantastic fan and door windows ordered along with 2 piano hinges. Getting samples of seals to figure out how I want to seal everything.