Thrifty Alternatives ..Building Foam Campers

[pat g]

Looking Good GPW!

[DJT]

That looks pretty comfy! Just big enough for two to sleep. I'm seriously considering this size for my next one!

[GPW]

Thanks !!! If I had to do it all over again , i think I’d have made it wider ... 44â€

[GPW]

The little details ... got the weatherstripping on , not the straightest job in the world ,looks like it was installed by a drunken sailor but it seals nicely ... and found some “ Stair edging “ to finish off the floor edge ...
Also installed the other window , which is one of those front door peeper things ... Keeping it simple till I can find just the right window for the passenger side ...

[eaglesdare]

wowzersssssss. that is one fine looking foamie!!!!!!!

[GPW]

Thanks Eagle , I’m considering this one DONE , except for getting it on the HF trailer , which hopefully will be soon ...

[GPW]

Just a Final count .... With scavenging and using things I had , I’ve only had to spend about $300 to make the Foamie ... The addition of the HF trailer will Double this figure, and registration here will add another $100.00 to that ... So in the neighborhood of $700 total ... Ready to Roll (No AC yet) ... That seems Thrifty eh ? ...
And it’s light .. enough that I can still manhandle the cabin by myself ... The other day , I backed the trailer into the studio , tilted it and just pushed the cabin onto two furniture dollies ... for the finish work ... I’m calculating about 250lb. with all the stuff presently inside ... so add the weight of the HF trailer and we have a ballpark figure of the tow weight ... Should be like towing nothing behind my old 6 cyl Silverado ... Looking forward to the “shakedown cruise “ ... about a 50 mile trip( both ways) to the State Police office for my numbers and title ... Last time I made this trip was with the Big TD , (much Heavier ) driven on the Interstate@ 65 MPH , and that was No problem , so this should be a piece of cake ...


Now I have noticed one small problem ... 3 tiny bubbles on the roof , all over some holes in the Foam that I didn’t bother (missed ) to fill in before canvasing .. ... smaller than dime size , I plan on drilling a tiny hole through the skin and injecting a little GG ... That will take care of those ... Not bad after sitting out in our Brutal summer sun and storms all this time ... and really my fault for not making sure I filled in all the gouges in the the recycled foam The foam I used was pretty beat up , but Free... store bought foam will be in much better shape ... Just something to be aware of ... Where I completely filled the sides , etc. with spackle and sanded , there are NO problems whatsoever... I didn’t pay as much attention to the roof ... My bad !!! Just FYI ...

[tinksdad]

Now I have noticed one small problem ... 3 tiny bubbles on the roof , all over some holes in the Foam that I didn’t bother (missed ) to fill in before canvasing .. ... smaller than dime size , I plan on drilling a tiny hole through the skin and injecting a little GG ... That will take care of those ... Not bad after sitting out in our Brutal summer sun and storms all this time ... and really my fault for not making sure I filled in all the gouges in the the recycled foam The foam I used was pretty beat up , but Free... store bought foam will be in much better shape ... Just something to be aware of ... Where I completely filled the sides , etc. with spackle and sanded , there are NO problems whatsoever... I didn’t pay as much attention to the roof ... My bad !!! Just FYI ...

Considering the possibilities of damage from water intrusion with a wood based trailer, your issue is really minor and should be readily correctable. Not to make light of the matter; but it's just a reminder to the rest of us... "There is no such thing as too much prep work."

As far as store bought foam being in better condition, I'm not so sure on that score. Some of the stuff I've been looking at in Big Orange is pretty sad.

[mikeschn]

GPW,

Your foamie turned out really nice. Good job on the interior decorating too!

Mike...

Just some inside pics ...decorating





Still lots of room for more goodies...

[GPW]

Thanks Mike , that means a Lot coming from you !!!!

[atahoekid]

GPW,

That's one fine job. I'm amazed at the cost of the finished product. I think I spent that much just testing different ideas and theories.

Tinksdad,

You're very right about the foam panels. My stuff is pretty beat up from the store and then I keep adding "imperfections" by dropping stuff on it, moving it about, etc. It's definitely not the weight of the panel, it's the size. Seems my wingspan is getting shorter. I used to handle 4 x8 plywood by myself all the time without problems. Now it's a big PITA!

[Tiredoldwhiteman]

I've been following this (and many other) thread(s) on this forum, learning a great deal. I'm quite impressed with the accumulated knowledge amassed in one spot (ain't the Internets a good thing?)...

A question arose some time back (sorry I can't remember the poster) regarding the weight of adhesives, wet vs. dry.

The only applicable adhesive I have on hand is a couple of bottles of Titebond II so my test was limited to that only.

A one-ounce measure of Titebond II was dispensed and weighed both wet and dry.

The wet weight as shown on the scale was 1.1 oz which included the tare weight of the aluminum foil and wax paper; 0.1 oz) and the dry weight was 0.6 oz (the tare weight is assumed to be the same as the same materials were used.

The final jist is Titebon II will lose 50% of its weight.

[GPW]

TOWM , That’s Cool !!! Nice test !!! I don’t believe Epoxy loses Any weight ..

[Tiredoldwhiteman]

Travel trailer, Teardrop, etc. weight, I suspect, is growing more and more important as the price for fuel continues to rise.

And speaking of weights:

http://www.builderswebsource.com/_discBT/00000d75.htm

http://www.mcvicker.com/resguide/page011.htm

http://ebookbrowse.com/ge-1-weights-of- ... -d15997049

etal...

Foam board is only noted at the builderswebsource.com site where EPS is mentioned. Still, its good to have these values handy...

[eaglesdare]

you know i am surprised no one tested the wet vs dry til now. i remember that discussion. thanks for the test.

weight is not only an issue due to gas, but to tow capacity. i only have 1000 lbs tc.

again thanks for the test.