fast, cheap, fiberglass/ foam stressed skin panels

[saywhatthat]

. I've done it much work as I can on the table.
On glass found the lip that is formed with an angle hole works the best to lock the glass skin in. straight holes seam to let the fiberglass lift when placed in torque . So drilled holes for inter and exterior bond beam. making this somewhat a fiberglass skeleton frame.
as to make life easer and not having to do fiberglass work over head. I bounded part of inter beam on the table with fiberglass using self tapping screws to hold down tell cure. So when I add top panels can add PL Premium 28 fl. oz. Polyurethane Construction Adhesive to a shelf and not drip on to my hair
as this trailer / component are very weak but as you put it together all of that makes it stronger and stronger.
As fiberglass will shrink. This makes the 90 % interior bound beam shrink in on itself so when I bound the the roof on it it will be pulling the roof ,front ,back in to the wall may run a row of 1/8 rivets .making the inside bond beam for strength the outside for looks on out side
I pre-ground out where the bonding beam will go .
In the picture with the spring clamp that is how the roof will set on top of it so we'll give me a full 2.5 in of a bonding area on the in side

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[saywhatthat]

Had an hour to kill a few before the big storm came in. So i bonded the walls in .
I think this is the most important part for strength. As we all know fiberglass shrinks. so I had a bow in the panels I left the bow in the floor panel. relieve them in the wall panels but still a slight bow.
If you can get some one to help it would be nice. As this a one person show. To deal with the slight bow in the wall . I pushed with concrete blocks at the floor line. If you had help they use there foot
with the bow in the floor. I put down PL premium thin where interior fiberglass Bond beam was. thicker where the foam set. Don't worry if you have any gaps where the foam is you will be filling that up later.
When you glue floor down you can use self tapping screws to hold in place me then remove. I just use quarter-inch rivets with a big head. and levee ALL BY HAND. The rest will be 1/8. The trick on 1/4 is put down a 2 by 4 wood. Set riveter on top and push down with 2 hands. start in the center of the bow and work to one end. Then rest of the wall. That will pull the bow in wall and floor and make very strong. Putting your panels under load. When your finish with pod you will flip and run fiberglass

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[saywhatthat]

A question for structural panel gurus.
ON sidewall to top it has glass that cover the foam in a h pattern. with tight clearances and bound beam.
thinking just drop the top panels in they will not bend even with kerfing. Then fill with pore foam. Then shape foam. Then bound beam. in and out side.
If panel was out of square you wouldn't have to fight that. you not fight cross angles
What do you think?

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[saywhatthat]

would have a shell done today but I stripped out most of panels to do another Trailtop trailer . the structural panels I think is good for somebody that wants to build it fast and cheap .The different to structurally is like Superman ,Batman and Wonder Woman fighting Pee-wee Herman when he got the flu. tequila
The top just fall in on inside bound beam .
the panels were feathered as they were loose that way I wouldn't have to do as much work when they're tied to the pod
The different in the 2 is one .relies on fiberglass bonded to the foam. The other use the skeleton frame flexible skins with two different densities of foam. and blowing up like a football .
So will make new panels. and get back next weekend.

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[saywhatthat]

Had several people misunderstood what I said about the structural panels they're going to outlast anybody. Activate Angel investor at several RV repair shop. So I look at what's going to get messed up and and cost to fix
Had one panel that I did not cut up .So picture of front ,how I glue the premade interior bonding beam and foam makes life easer. inside with rivets you could use self tapping screws to hold down tell glue sets and removed but same amount of work . Thin glue on beam thicker where foam is . any gap will be back filled with foam before exterior bonding. Had to make individual panels because they wouldn't bend because of all the fiberglass woven. Even try kerfing. What nice can levee in the rain out side as I build. No rot are are twisting

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[saywhatthat]

After Scott's input I've decided to go with the bonding all the way around with an inner and outer bond beam. When looking at the stress diagrams it shows a weak point about 6 inches below the bond beam because the bond beam is a hard spot. with all the holes drizzl up with resin on a 4 to 6 '' grid you have bonded the inside to the outside skin so that hard spot doesn't mean anything.
To make it easier to build if you mistakenly cut the panels the wrong size or not square . You don't have to fight all the different angles. To make putting the top panels on easier. And making it so you can just match the bottom inside and then fill with foam and backfill with fiberglass on the top . A K BONDING beam. Side wall dam to push foam into any spaces. Foam trimmed ready for bond beam. Panels riveter on

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[saywhatthat]

Today finish the last large panel that goes up on the roof
Because of the way they're made out of polyester with wovening that will shrink as it cures putting down the outside layer first adding foam and then another inside layer it causes the panel to get a bowl shape
So when floor walls and roof are tied together there put under load not rigid, under load. Increasing resistance to vertical and horizontal movement. that's about 45 minutes of work installing that and most of that was grinding it back to feather out the exterior Bond beam .
Even the interior bond beam puts it under load
Had to add 75 lbs on the roof to to push out for side and front panels to line up .
In one of the pictures you see the bow where the clamp runs across the top . what nice about just tossing the panel up there with a gap that will be back filled with foam. Did not have to guess Or cut any angles.
Out side bond 2 layers 6 oz woven . That will shrink pull panels tighter.

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[saywhatthat]

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Got home tonight so though go out installed the back part . under 30 minutes
Need to start the doors. As this to be a low cost build. I think the cheapest way to do it will be go to the walls and move about a half an inch of foam where the where the door was cut out . Then use a Dye grinder so I can bond to fiberglass to not foam. then back fill with woven and 1/4'' chop strand. Then make 2 inch strips to bond in place for the the door seal. if not going for the cheapest route I made some door jambs for the trailtops would use them. But going for a low cost build.
What do you think

[saywhatthat]

walls installed just need to tape and feather out. install doors vent and shelves on the Shelf trailtop components for the flip up

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[saywhatthat]

STOP ,ARRÊTER Haltu !!!!!!!!!!
As this was meant to be a low cost build . So easy if you have trouble scratching your ear you can still build one of these.
I have been spoiled building Trailtop trailers that are actually designed to take an impact.
SO here the ARRÊTER. on the outside bound beam. if your Feathering something back that means you have to remove material you've already paid for and work on it. Then pant. if you were to use 2 in angle aluminum the cost would get expensive real quick going around the outer edge .As the inside Bond beam made out of fiberglass why not you the outside. The thing that makes this way a building so strong is the bow in the panels. of the same material you can't stand on a flat roof where a little bit of bow you can stand on it .
So new plan is a 1'' cap /bound beam with a semi-flexible angled fiberglass around the edge. Stills keep cost down . if you have trouble scratching your ear you can still build one of these. .you can use fully coated structural panels. does away with most of the mess from the ground back and no painting

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[saywhatthat]

If I did not changed my mind about going with a smooth Bond beam. I'd be done now.
I have to fill what I ground out for that Bond beam. the reason I changed my mind is that smooth Bond beam look so damn boring after building trailtop style pods.

for the bond cap I used aluminum angle as a mold .I like it better than steel because it's straight
The cap is 3'' on top 2'' on the side

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[saywhatthat]

Had a bit trouble putting top cap on because of the bowl shape of the roof . Added 20 concrete stepping stones to the top which are about 15 lb each. d over rear storage area 300 lb in an area 57 in by 48 in it did not move a bit .have not even added the bulkhead or the rear shelf in yet that will make it much more stronger . At this time.
To each plain try to flatten the roof out did not move a bit. So glued and rivet the side first . Then add 3 stepping stones on top of rail and work down running two rows of rivets on top one on the side

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[tony.latham]

Where do you run the wiring?

Tony

[saywhatthat]

Where do you run the wiring?

Tony

I have not decided. at first this was just a lark to build this way and was going to eventually cut up this for the skins. But after an engineer did a load and stress test on it kind of changed my mind about building this way.. Everything is under load. Because of the bowl shape of the panels
As they're just Rentals and fiberglass on the inside may run a track. The easy way would be make a u shaped 1/4 deep by 3/8 profile. Then route out a Channel with a tile bit . run the small wire shove profile over the wires in to the foam . Glass over then feather. Any large wire will be ran in a false wall back by the rear storage area
There a trailer being built off you book ( Building a Teardrop Trailer: Plans and Methods for Crafting an Heirloom Camper ) Having a hell of a time with the roof . because of the bowl shape in the panels . Even with the square top build had over rear storage area 300 lb in an area 57 in by 48 in it did not move a bit .have not even added the bulkhead or the rear shelf in yet that will make it much more stronger . At this time.
https://www.amazon.com/Building-Teardrop-Trailer-Crafting-Heirloom/dp/B083XVH9XQ

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[tony.latham]

There a trailer being built off you book ( Building a Teardrop Trailer: Plans and Methods for Crafting an Heirloom Camper )

I think you skipped over the plywood part.

Tony