question about foam

[GPW]

Mixing pink and Blue makes Purple ... It’s all the same stuff so why not .... it all gets covered over later ...

[Jst83]

Question about foam, I'm in the middle of deducting my tear now and was thinking I'd put a thin layer of foam over the whole thing to help hide the PVC pipe bumps when I canvas. What's the thinest they make the 4x8 sheets in I've found 1/2" I found 1/4" but it's 4'x50' accordian fold and I'd rather have a solid side.

[GPW]

We’ve seen 1/2” , anything smaller is the FFF.. 1/2” would work well !!!

[dales133]

Hi foamie s! Once again my plans are evolving just like alot of first time builders.
I've gone for a strong heavy trailer with a subfloor also in steel and I'm starting to wonder if foam walls might be a good way to go.
I was going to use aluminium composite panel over 18mm ply with 1/8 ply inside and may still do but I'm starting to sway toward foam core and maybe canvas over ply outer.
It's going to be used off road a bit so what does the canvas wear like if scratched?
The other thing is I need to keep my wall thickness under 1 1/4 for the little guy doors.so what's the minimum foam I could use if I used timber frame stiffness in the walls?

[GPW]

Dale , we could make a lot of suggestions , but only You know what you want ...

Canvas, do you mean scratched or Gouged... either way the patching is pretty easy ...

Here’s the result of the sledge hammer test ... True !!! Only local damage ...

[dales133]

Thanks for the reply.
I'm realy starting to like the canvas idea and the texture appeals to me.
One of the main reasons for my total swing in design and cladding is I was going for a modern grasshopper/sawtooth design then fell in love with the benroy style and I picked up 5 4x8 sheets of stucco embossed aluminium sheet witch is a very old school caravan cladding material in these parts and it was cheap! (100 bucks)
It needs another old school finish to marry with it or it would look odd.

[GPW]

Since you’re going off-road , and since you already have the Aluminum ... How about a foamie shell , canvas covered , with Aluminum protection panels on the surfaces subject to wear/abuse ... The Aluminum panels would float over the surfaces , acting as a shield .. attached to the foam shell at a few dedicated "hard points" to allow for expansion contraction ... Light, yet protected from brush and rocks ... Since you know the intended use , might as well design the whole trailer just for that purpose...

About that trailer.... is that the low one with the steel mesh floor ... tailgate/ramp on the back ? ... Got any pics ?

[dales133]

I'll add some more pics over the weekend I hope but my build thread "here we go" has my progress so far.
What you've suggested is kinda where I'm heading.its not solely for off road use but I just want it capable for it.

[GPW]

Well now .... Dale , I caught up with your build thread... Nice looking trailer !!! I see now what you’re going for and I do think the foam , protected by the Al panels at high wear locations, would be very workable off road , and around town ... Light , durable outside , and easily repairable should something happen. Also thinking , if you’re going to use the foam for “structure" , for extreme conditions , you could easily double the foam thickness for much MORE strength in high stressed areas ... “ twice as thick is eight times as strong” .. The foam is the Lightest part of the trailer cabin , so can be used in excess with few penalties ... and Much better R values too , and as we say around here... a more efficient Beer cooler eh ? ... ...

[dales133]

Thanks for taking the time to Check out what I'm up to.
I'm getting some foam samples posted from melborne in the next few days, here's some specs .
Colour: Edge Treatment: Thickness: Width x Length: Density: Compressive Strength: Water Absorption: Blowing Agent: Environmental Rating: Installation Guidelines: Preparation: Installation: Planned with grooves on both faces Blue Butt edge 25, 35, 50, 75, 100, 120mm 600 x 2500mm 40 kg/m³ 400 kPa (min) @ 10% deformation 0.5% HFC Green Star Compliant,
It was copied from acrobat so it's a bit jumbled.

[dales133]

I was thinking of ply over the foam at this stage, probably no thicker than 1/4 inch though
Then canvas or aluminium or both over that more or less as you've Des ribed

[KCStudly]

If canvas over ply over foam, I really don't think that the aluminum would be needed at all, or the canvas would not be needed; at least not both. That would be a waste of time and money IMO.

I mean, if you are going hardcore wheeling, then damage will happen. A jagged rock or pointy tree branch. But unless you armor plate the whole thing, neither thin aluminum nor canvas will prevent that kind of damage.

I am building for moderate forest service road action. I plan to protect the lower front of TPCE with thin alum diamond plate to guard against stones being kicked up by the TV. I don't expect any serious issues, but will carry a patch kit including some pieces of canvas, a couple of small chunks of foam, my good old steak knife, my extending razor knife, some glue, and some adhesive backed foil tape (the later for small quick patches of minor dents and tears). In the event of a serious gouge or penetration, that should be all that is needed to get water tight again. Better repairs can be made back 'at the farm'.

[dales133]

Yea kc your dead right I shouldn't need both but I'm thinking of using this aluminium as much as a feature as anything else.
I'll use it either on the floor or the roof I haven't decided yet and then canvas where it isn't aluminium.
Are you going straight over foam with your canvas?
I'm going to use diamond plate in the subfloor storage area that should take most of the abuse if any.

[KCStudly]

Yes, I'll be putting canvas over my foam; TB2, canvas, paint with the diamond plate at the front for rock protection. I have 5mm ply on the inside because I wanted a more traditional wooden interior, but it is also a structural element adding a ton of strength.

[dales133]

How do you stop the timber frame showing through the canvas or is it one solid sheet of foam externaly?