Generic foamie plans

[mikeschn]

Glen,

I'm not sure I want it to look THAT much like the original vehicle...

I just want to take some inspiration from the shape and the angles, to come up with a decent looking foamie.

In the process I end up with a simple shape, easy construction, rough canvas covering, and a foamie that people will want to build...

Mike...

[GPW]

OK... Just throwing some ideas in the conversation ...

Or, from the way back machine ... as a Foamie ... Thin paneling on the inside ... canvas outer ,

[mikeschn]

Hey Guys,

What did we decide was the best option for the floor on a 5x8?

If I could get a sheet of 5x8 plywood, I'd be done. But since all I can get is a 4x8 I'm going to have to make a sandwich.

So I'm thinking a sandwich with foam and joists in the middle. It would be very similar to a SIP. (structural insulated panel)

Then glue the walls to the floor in compression.

Finally, roll over the trailer and canvas the whole thing...

The last step would be to attach the canvased body to the chassis.

Am I missing anything important?

Mike...

[mikeschn]

Okay, this is really rough, but I wanted you guys to see what I have in my mind...



Mike...

[GPW]

Mike , our next is going to be a board floor ... any length, any width , we can get “clear” wood easily enough .... and most of all... Our all Steel cargo Trailer has a board floor that’s untreated and it’s in Great shape after all these years ... ( got roll flooring just laid on top, no glue ) Trailer has to be over 20 years old now ...according to the first owner. That’s with NOTHING on it ...
I’m thinking Nice clear Cedar a true 1” thick ... light , rot resistant , not that pricy ... can probably do a board floor for half the price of a plywood floor , and then we’d still have to treat the plywood ...
I’m starting to learn what works by seeing things that have survived "the long haul" ...

[peeler]

Mike , our next is going to be a board floor ... any length, any width , we can get “clear” wood easily enough .... and most of all... Our all Steel cargo Trailer has a board floor that’s untreated and it’s in Great shape after all these years ... ( got roll flooring just laid on top, no glue ) Trailer has to be over 20 years old now ...according to the first owner. That’s with NOTHING on it ...
I’m thinking Nice clear Cedar a true 1” thick ... light , rot resistant , not that pricy ... can probably do a board floor for half the price of a plywood floor , and then we’d still have to treat the plywood ...
I’m starting to learn what works by seeing things that have survived "the long haul" ...

there's a lotta old flatbed trailers with untreated wood in them, ive been told by some old school farmers that a lot of em used to save old motor oil/tranny fluid/etc and just slap a coat on that wood every couple years..... 40 years later some of em still got that same wood in them. i'm not a fan of handling used motor oil like that, but certainly theres more than one way to help the wood along.

i am a big fan of the local big box store's 2.5 (and 5) gallon jug of cheapo deck stain n' seal, its got a fair bit of linseed oil in it, and its under ten bucks a gallon. The color/tint honestly isn't great (which may be a reason why its so much cheaper than the good stuff) but for example our outdoor furniture (built from untreated pine), every couple years it wants another coat, but all that furniture stays in the yard all year, fully exposed to the elements 3 blocks off the beach. And its held up well, all things considered. No repairs required yet, all of it screwed with rustoleum powder coated screws, glued with gorilla glue, and bathed in deck stain every couple yrs.

[GPW]

Peeler , there’s a lot of Dogma here left over from the wooden trailer folks ... Things that they have learned from copying what others had done or what manufacturers had done ... Things that weren’t necessarily the best way ( as we’ve all seen) , but was the status quo ...
Foamies require THINKING , and an intelligent use of material , not super woodworking skills ... The more we Think , the more we learn , and the better we can make a trailer that suits modern day needs ...

[mikeschn]

Okay, how do you guys feel about the profile of the side walls?

Mike...

[GPW]

Mike , here’s a curious fact .... As an Artist we learned that the closer to the equator people live the more they culturally prefer Straight lines and sharp angles , the more North , the preference is for smoothly rounded Curves... I know that sounds strange , but it seems to be scientifically backed , and perceptible in the Art ......

[mikeschn]

Glen,

Are you saying I should add some rounded curves to this design?

Mike...

[GPW]

Seems like depends where ya’ live eh ??? I dunno ‘!!! Curves do make it much more complex , but maybe a little bit for the sake of aesthetics would be tolerable from a building aspect ... ? We do love the Weekender for it’s utter simplicity ... Even more so translated to a similar Foamie ... ( as submitted above ^ ) ... It’s always easier to add more (as we know) , but it’s difficult to take away ...

It’s sorta' like my upcoming “Zephyr" build where the curve is very gentle and foam bending is easily accomplished with weights and clamps ... a very simple build ... not for everybody ... But then we have MANY choices ... difficult to pick just one ... How about different classes of campers ... We already have Standy’s , Perhaps “Angular trailers “ and "Rounded trailers” ... and a generic shape for each , that might allow possible “alterations” to suit the individual user... ???

[mikeschn]

Okay let me do one with a little curve, and you can tell me what you think...

Seems like depends where ya’ live eh ??? I dunno ‘!!! Curves do make it much more complex , but maybe a little bit for the sake of aesthetics would be tolerable from a building aspect ... ? We do love the Weekender for it’s utter simplicity ... Even more so translated to a similar Foamie ... ( as submitted above ^ ) ... It’s always easier to add more (as we know) , but it’s difficult to take away ...

Meanwhile, I am thinking about what you said about floor boards... seems it would not lend itself well to building off the chassis unless you built a wooden sub-floor underneath the boards... I'm currently thinking about building the entire box on the ground, adding the canvas and paint, and then adding the chassis at the very end of the build.

Mike , our next is going to be a board floor ... any length, any width , we can get “clear” wood easily enough

Mike...

[dogscats]

Mike all your work is great and very helpful .Did I see the new look on star track Showing how very old I am

[GPW]

Mike , on our Foamie #1 (now “nookery” ) although we used a plywood floor ad built the entire cabin on two saw horses... We did have some cross braces on the bottom under the plywood floor where the trailer cross pieces were... Just bolted everything together and that was it ... Easy !!!

  See my Album pg. 23-24 for the pics

[mikeschn]

Yep, this is exactly what I was thinking...





I don't see the cross braces, but I can picture it!

Mike...