Thrifty Alternatives ..Building Foam Campers

[mikeschn]

Eagle,

Are you planning on setting your walls on top of the floor again? Or are you considering bolting them to the side of your floor?

Mike...

Dang girl, that looks good. That's a standie foamie if I ever saw one. How tall are the sides?



Mike...

yup a standie for sure, at least i hope by the time its done. this one will take a while, must do as paydays and bills allow.
6 ft sides. i have plenty of head room. not sure about hubby though, he is 5'10", so he might have to bend his head.

oh i did not use anything to fill in holes in the foam. i don't honestly think its needed once the t2 and canvas is on. that is just my opinion though.

[eaglesdare]

i am thinking of going on the sides this time.

[mikeschn]

That's a very impressive display of strength!! Combined with a couple durable tough layers of canvas, it should be every bit as strong as a wooden teardrop with a thin layer of wood. Maybe even stronger!!! Can't wait to try it!

Mike...

Put on an exterior coat of TiteBondII over the fabric and then a coat of Kilz Latex. Fabric is on inside and outside curves. I stood on it for a couple seconds before I chickened out. Curve is very sturdy with very little flex. I am convinced this method would work well for a galley hatch with no additional supports, BUT I think some additional supports would be good to have. Not sure how weather extremes would affect it.

Now to look into a fabric (or rubber) hinge.

[GPW]

Just a question .... How light are these anyway , compared to a wooden one ??? I know they vary a lot but just an average weight would do ... sorta' ..

[eaglesdare]

all this talk about the strenght has me thinking..could you use foam for a floor? could you take the 2" foam and cover in canvas and apply that as your floor? maybe 2 coats of canvas? would 2 layers of canvas make it stronger?

[GPW]

Maybe a thin sheet of luan and a foam core , canvas on the bottom ... ??? My single sheet of ply is so Heavy , i have to get help to handle it ...and i'm Big .. grrrrr!!! Depends on how your trailer cross braces are and how many ... Maybe use Mike's dowel method for running the bolts through ...

Eagle , I think (but don't know for sure) that the foam floor would dent ...Maybe like the old van days with a foam rubber pad and some carpet over it , you'd never know ...

[eaglesdare]

ok i guess that would come under 'try it and see' i am going to try to use less wood this time, not that i used a lot the first time. but i am going to attempt even less. i plan to use wood on hard spots and only where needed. since i am not in a hurry this time, i can test things out a bit more to see what will work and what might not.

[mikeschn]

Just a question .... How light are these anyway , compared to a wooden one ??? I know they vary a lot but just an average weight would do ... sorta' ..

A wooden standie might weigh 1200 lbs. I`m thinking a foamie standie might be 600-750 lbs. That includes the larger wooden floor, a dropped floor, and a wooden platform for the bed with storage underneath, oh yea a kitchen counter with storage in the front!

Mike...

[swampjeep]

Eagle, I took apart a manufactured camper last summer, the floor was only 1/4 or 3/8 plywood over 1" foam, with an alum. skin on the under side, I think you could do the same, but replace the alum. with the canvas

[pat g]

Hey Guys,

Boy you've all been busy while I was working on my TD.

Mike,

You could probably fill those small recesses with almost anything that won't shrink since you are going to skin over them anyway.

Amazing how strong Hal's arch is!

SYOTR
Pat

[eaglesdare]

thanks! i will give this some thought when i get to that stage.

[TheDuke]

This foam approach really sounds good, but I wonder if a foam TD, even one with canvas skin, would be really sensitive to pokes from sharp objects like broken tree limb, etc.? Maybe go right on through! Also wonder if 3/4" foam, with canvas both sides, would be strong enough to sit on, like a bench? Anybody tried this with thin stuff?

TheDuke

[Cliffmeister2000]

I worry about the tree branch issue also.

[GPW]

Thanks Mike , that's good to know those weights ...

  Now for that tree limb business... (I do have experience with this )
1. A tent is not any better !!!
2. Don't park under trees !!!
3. Sheet steel on the roof might help !!! My Tiny CT is all Steel ...
4. Don't park near any Bears either...
5. Commercial RVs aren't any better .... My Jayco 20' TT has a roof made of 2" beadboard foam with 1/8" plywood (and not the good stuff) with the equivalent of a cheap vinyl tablecloth on top ... not even a rubber roof... Limbs went right through it .... small limbs... 10 holes ...

[GPW]

Duke, depends on a number of factors ... How long the bench is , and how heavy you are .... I'm 245lbs. so would need at Least 2" foam , skinned , on a 28" bench ...unless I went with a built up egg crate type of construction to make it strong enough with the thinner foams...and the further apart you put the skins the stronger the structure... It's all just backyard engineering eh ...