Thrifty Alternatives ..Building Foam Campers

[eaglesdare]

ok i have a question. could you put varnish/poly or tent water proofing spray on top of that completed canvas? by completed i mean done with the paint.

i was just wondering if that would give it any shine/luster, and an added bit of water proofing.

was also pondering getting my wood today, but since it is going to rain for the next few days i am going to hold off.

[eaglesdare]

Thanks Pat .... Yeah , the first time I tried to move it , I braced myself , bent my legs to lift from the waist... prepared to lift , and was totally surprised to find out it was a light as a feather , or rather a box of feathers ... Just roughly calculating , I'd say the shell is just under 100 pounds... as is right now ... So Easy for even an Old guy like me to deal with

yours has to be light. my shell i think is around 235 lbs. yours is smaller, and still is not covered with canvas. i still can't believe the differnce those rounded corners make. i am thinking about that for the second build.

i have to start playing the lottery.

[swampjeep]

i have to start playing the lottery.

I started playing (almost) regularly since my baby was born last year. I told my wife it's teh only hope of a retirement I have LOL

(I know, that's really no hope at all)

[mikeschn]

i have to start playing the lottery.

I started playing (almost) regularly since my baby was born last year. I told my wife it's teh only hope of a retirement I have LOL

(I know, that's really no hope at all)

There is hope. You just have to save a little every payday.

'enuf said!

Mike...

[GPW]

Rounded corners are good because they don't put any stress points on the skin , as sharp corners would ... look less Boxy on my particular build ..

Now to address that Size business... OK, it's small, but this was a step up from the first one .. The more we learn/experience gained, the bigger we can go ...
I can envision a 20' or better TT , with 6" - 8" Foam ...Intelligently designed, skinned , perhaps fiberglass on the roof ... fully equipped ... Nice paneling on the walls ... a proper ceiling,lights , entertainment , the usual things , and probably Half the weight of the Beast I have to tow now ... (and a tenth the price )

Remember this ???

" We've come a long way Baby !!!!"

[swampjeep]

so why do you think a 20' tt needs 6" or 8" and fiberglass roof? do you think the 2" and canvas are not strong enough for a 20' ?

[GPW]

No , not at all ... Just my natural tendency to overbuild most everything ... Just a projection of imagination ... With the real strength of the combined materials , I'd imagine you really wouldn't need anything over 4"... and that would be including a generous Safety factor .... Sure would be EASY to heat and cool eh ? Actually a 6' (inside) X 12-14' Standy would do me just fine ... Easy enough to do with the 2" foam ...
Concerning the fiberglass roof idea.... I live in the woods amongst MANY Trees, which constantly seem to be shedding limbs... A foam/canvas roof would be easy to repair (the foam localizes the damage to a tiny area , unlike wood which breaks and splits) , but at my age , I'd just rather not have to deal with it ...

[eaglesdare]

yes we have come a long ways, i started to reread this thread again. it was interesting reading. and all those questions i asked in the begining. so glad you put up with me gpw. i think i started in this thread in november 2010. did not order my trailer til end of jan. those few months inbetween was horrible.

[GPW]

Has it been that long , really ??? We Must have done a lot of talking ... Thanks for trusting me , you did SUPER ... !!!

[GPW]

Rained out .... Glad I got it sealed ...

[GPW]

Here's a tip ... If your canvas comes all folded with creases , like mine .... just wet it and toss it in the clothes dryer for a tumble ... Creases gone ... Saves having to steam iron it flat ...

[GPW]

If you can stand yet another tip...

One of the problems I always have when covering is cutting the fabric edges so they're Even ... So I'm making a tool that will allow me to precisely mark a specified distance for the overlap , producing a nice looking even seam ... Just some scrap wood and a pencil ... Difficulty level 1...
Just slide it along under the fabric along the trailer edge , the pencil makes the mark , then the pinking shears ... "professional" looking ... Might as well make them as nice as we can eh ???


Note , you could even make one out of scrap foam ... some use after all for those little pieces...

[Miriam C.]

GP could you put in support walls/bulkheads and use the 2" foam for a larger build"

[lm248]

:thinking: GP could you put in support walls/bulkheads and use the 2" foam for a larger build"

I sure hope so here is my sorta plan,,,,

I say sorta because I don't have a trailer yet,,,
So I will have to make some adjustments when I find something,,,
The only dimension that is somewhat fixed would be the width,
Les

[GPW]

Auntie M. , You know, with the proper structuring of the trailer interior with different bulkheads , shelves , cabinets ,arches (with curtains), etc. placed/glued in as to provide support the structure, you could make an incredibly strong trailer , with everything tied into everything else , providing inner support for the entire body as a unit... Unibody ... Then skinned on the outside , it would be VERY VERY STRONG !!!!!! yet still Light ...
just considering if you use panelling to skin the inner walls , you can skin the foam cabinets , shelves, etc. too , making everything even stronger... Shall we design some "structural" interiors... ???

Les , looks like a good plan to me !!! Should be very Roomy !!! Nice and simple to make too ...