Thrifty Alternatives ..Building Foam Campers

[GPW]

Pete that works on certain foams ...
But I have used those abrasive coated foam sanding blocks which work Very Well on foam , seemingly never wearing out ...

[bonnie]

Thanks. I am always amazed at how taking time to do the prep works makes the final product look so much better. Though this will be my first 'big' building project. I quilt, so I know the ins and outs of prep work.

One other question, just to clarify, the floor to wall mounts are different from the floor to trailer mounts, correct?

Alas, I don't think the overall cost of the project will be as thrifty as yours and Eagles, but I can't weld and will have the trailer made to my specs.

bonnie

[GPW]

Yes , trailer to floor is different ... big bolts through the floor , and Big fender washers aren’t a bad idea ...
Quilts ... COOL !!! We Love quilts ... used to stop going through Miss. , some ladies would set up on the hwy. and sell their wares... we bought several , but over the years their prices sure shot up ... as if they belonged in a Museum ... The old ones are still just fine ... Lots of work , I know ...

[eaglesdare]

hmm floor to wall mounts? isn't that what gorilla glue is for? that is what i did, no mounts. was i suppose to use something else? now i know i feel better using my cinch straps to hold the foamie to the frame.

[GPW]

Eagle , you did bolt your floor to the trailer huh ???

[bonnie]

[Jiminsav]

has anyone used polyethylene foam to make a foamie..and what about using PVC pipe as a sort of frame?

[atahoekid]

Mel , I may need the small winch just to get the bolts off ... They are So Rusted ,they don’t look like bolts anymore ... they look more like meteorites... ... 6 on each side , 2 for the springs , 4 for the fenders (those fenders are STOUT , even my fat A can sit on them without deflection ) Thinking the liquid wrench idea won’t help a bit , maybe a long cheater bar would work , maybe just cut em’ off... or burn em’ off with a stick welder ... The galvanized metal around it seems dingy but un corroded ... and I already removed the winch and column when I cut the loooong tongue off ...
I’ll try to get some pics ...

Maybe a grinder? Crude but effective.... and sometimes leaves scars when the grinder goes where it wants to

[atahoekid]

[quote="GPW"]Here’s something more than a little OT , but shows what you can do with styrofoam ... It looks like this was made with skinned “bead boardâ€

[GPW]

Mel, am working on getting those bolts off ... first attempt will be with a socket and long cheater bar, failing that , the grinder ...

Jimi , lots of foams ... I don’t think anyone’s tried EPE yet (here) ... and then there’s the stuff car bumpers are made of EPP (expanded polypropylene )
Lots to try , experiment with ...
These less common foams can get Very expensive , but each offers unique properties ...

[GPW]

BTW, anybody know how to wash off an old galvanized trailer.. Guess I’ll just try some Spic N Span and a brush first ... If it cleans up, even a little bit , I won’t have to paint it ... Just more work as the trailer has survived “some timeâ€

[GPW]

Update: The consensus is that galvanized trailers should be left alone, they’re Supposed to look that way ... Well, that’s Easy !!! Thrifty too .

[tartosuc]

HI,
I got a bunch of sails that were put to garbage..its very thick and slick canevas, do you guy's think it could be used to re-do a roof? what kind of adhesive would you use with it?

[mezmo]

Hi GPW,

RE: Your rusted seized bolts on the galvanized trailer.

On the Aussie Vintage Caravan forum I frequent a lot
[ http://vintagecaravans.proboards.com/index.cgi ] they are
talking about soaking rusted items in molasses or a molasses and
water solution and it is supposed to give amazing results.

Why not try slathering on some molasses on one of the bolts/nuts and
covering with a plastic wrap - a la paint the stripping method - and see
what happens? At the worst, all you'd lose is a bit of time and a few
tablespoons of molasses.

Cheers
Norm/mezmo

[mezmo]

Hi tartosuc,

Since you have so much fabric available, why not try a test of using
some of it and cover a sturdy cardboard box or small box made of thinner
plywood [1/4in - 1/2in w/ inner corner blocks, beveled if possible]. You
could size it to be useful to carry camping items for you. Titebond II & III
glue is the most economical choice it appears. A couple of Foamlings/
Foamanistas here have already done such and were satisfied with their
results. At first blush, I don't see why it wouldn't work fine on the WA-WA.

Cheers,
Norm/mezmo