Thrifty Alternatives ..Building Foam Campers

[Wolffarmer]

You know..... I have not had a beer in a long time. Thanks for reminding me. brb

Randy

[GPW]

You know Pat G posted almost 5K miles on his Foamie ... haven’t heard from him in a while ... probably still out camping ...

[Wolffarmer]

Randy burps

That was good. thanks for reminding me.

I can't remember PatG's build. will have to look it up

Randy

[GPW]

viewtopic.php?f=55&t=43987

[eaglesdare]

i have no idea how many miles i put on mine. i know i have 1 trip that took over 7 hours one way, at least 3 that was over 5 one way, a couple 30 mins away and at least one that was about 1 hour away.
we haven't really had snow this year, so i can say anything about that. that little bit we did had was gone within hours. but we have had the hot and some cold, just not the real cold that we normally get.
on one of those trips the one we took for our evac, i had the camper packed, not with camping gear, but irresplacable items. i even hate to admit this, but one of my little dogs was crated in there for that evac trip. my car was loaded down, the van was loaded down and the camper was loaded. i could tell the weight difference on that one because of the added weight.

[loaderman]

Has anyone glued say 1/4 ply on top and canvas on bottom of a 4x8 styro 1&1/2" thick and seen how much weight it can hold?
After seeing the paper on styro test I posted on another thread I am guessing it would be very strong.

If need to add 'joists' in the floor how about using 2'X8' styro and wrapping the 1.5" edge with canvas, so you have panels that you edge glue together then 1/4" ply on top and canvas or 1/8 ply on bottom.


Some interesting info an stressed skin panels:
"To make a comparison that will be readily understood, a common stock platform, using 2x4 for the framing members and ¾” plywood for the lid, will sag noticeably with a 150 lb. weight in the center if it is supported only at the ends. A 4x8 stress skin unit with a 2x4 frame with 8’ members on 16” centers and with a 5/8” lid and a 3/8” bottom will support almost 2,000 lbs. evenly distributed which is about 60 lbs. psf. or over 500 lbs. in the center before it deflects more than ¼”.

That is the essence of stress skin construction. A very high strength to weight ratio. In the construction industry, reduced weight usually means less materiel and less materiel means reduced manufacturing costs."

[GPW]

QUOTE: "That is the essence of stress skin construction. A very high strength to weight ratio. In the construction industry, reduced weight usually means less materiel and less materiel means reduced manufacturing costs."

Loaderman, that's pretty much the essence of this whole thread (s).. the reason Foamies are possible ... It's all about the SKIN !!! The skin is Everything !!!!

[atahoekid]

GPW said,

J
One of my bigger concerns for TPCE is that it will likely be stored out doors in our New England winters, sometimes with more than a foot of snow, sometimes with heavy wet snow, somtimes with sheet ice, and my roof is wider and thinner than yours. I will have double spars in front of and behind my vent fan, and the forward and rear cabinets frames will also provide support to the roof, but I may just end up building a frame work for a tarp to cover and shed the snow in winter (similar to how we cover boats here in the winter).

I live in the Sierra's so I share you concern about snow load. I don't think I would ever park any trailer, camper or rv outdoors where it is subjected to a heavy snow load. My fear would be a roof collapse. When you measure snowfall in feet as we do here, it's not worth the risk. Even if the roof doesn't collapse you might be causing problems to the suspension and or the tongue. I agree...create a shed of some sort. Protect your hard work and investment.

[GPW]

Mel, the sole voice of reason !!!
Although I’ve intentionally left mine outside to test the “weathering” , I would normally keep it in a shed or the garage ...

[eaglesdare]

i think i am just going to bite the bullet and get the 5x10 wood floor. at lowes (same brand/model) its cheaper in price and i get the 10% discount, so that will make it about the same price the mesh floor on would have been. i'll get rid of the wood, let the old man have fun with that and start my own floor.

[GPW]

Eagle , just an idea , you could get rid of the Heavy wood floor and replace it with something much lighter like Cedar ... (as in fence boards) Rot and Bug resistant , Light , Inexpensive , and we know how to waterproof it ... Black nasty stuff on the bottom will protect it further... Your “shell” will fit over and be supported by the Steel components anyway , unlike the intended purpose of the original wood floor (cargo) ... Go for it !!!

[eaglesdare]

Eagle , just an idea , you could get rid of the Heavy wood floor and replace it with something much lighter like Cedar ... (as in fence boards) Rot and Bug resistant , Light , Inexpensive , and we know how to waterproof it ... Black nasty stuff on the bottom will protect it further... Your “shell” will fit over and be supported by the Steel components anyway , unlike the intended purpose of the original wood floor (cargo) ... Go for it !!!

exactly!

[eaglesdare]

just made my second cup of tea and will finish that, shower and get out the door. hopefully later today i will have started.

[GPW]

I know how you girls like to shop ... but don’t get too excited... look it over carefully , check the date code on the tires , check the electrical and lighting, check for the right size coupler to fit your hitch ball ... Why Heck , check Everything , before you plunk the bucks down ... Make sure it’s EXACTLY what you want/need ... Remember , no whining later about something not right ... shop WISELY !!!!


ps. Be sure and check if the bearings have been freshly packed/greased... The HF trailer came only with a corrosion inhibitor and needed to be thoroughly cleaned in “Paint thinner†and repacked ... which I did ...
If this was not done , even towing it a short distance , empty, could cause some premature bearing wear ... The devil in the details , and all that ...

[eaglesdare]

now this will sound dumb, but how i am suppose to know that? if i ask the guy i am sure he is going to say yes. hmm, but maybe he won't. these trailers i believe are premade and shipped to the stores. then they sit there til some fool (me) buys it and takes it home.
the only thing in your list that i know of is the coupler is that i think this one does take a 2" which i do already have.

anyway now i have to put my outing on hold, my daughter is taking the car for awhile. so maybe i'll just wait til the old man is off work tomorrow and go down with him. i know he will love to go shopping with me, cuz thats when he gets lucky and can buy stuff also. i know i have to think of him too.