Thrifty Alternatives ..Building Foam Campers

[GPW]

As the days go by in the Sun , the dimples are gradually disappearing ... almost gone now , only leaving the semicircular white marks where the primer was exposed ... Going to be an EASY fix , just a tiny paint touch up ..... Glad I saved some of those colors ...
Self healing trailers , whooda’ thunk it ???

[GPW]

Latest pics of "The self-Healing” in progress ... Notice the strange patterns formed by the expansion of the foam , sorta’ looks like the surface of the Moon , made of green cheese ...
Not even summer temps yet when the foam will get up to ~ 140F (darkly painted areas.)... by then it’ll surely be drum tight again ...

[ghcoe]

I figured the sun would make them pop. Another selling point for hail prone areas......

[GPW]

As you can see by the pics , the cheap Wal Mart Exterior paint has lost it’s gloss , but still seals the canvas .... actually the primer is sealing the canvas and the paint on top is merely “decorative” ... Looks like it’s time for a quick paint job on the roof ... the sides are still fine ... May just re-paint the whole thing ... Perhaps a mural this time ... something like the original model ... This Foamie has been living outside in the weather extremes here for what , two years now ? Still “dry as toast” on the inside ... Worst part is that PINK HF frame ... Just doesn’t go with Camo ...

[Bogo]

Just a thought foe dent removal. If you laid a wet towel over the dents and then heated the towel with a heat gun would it steam enough? Would that steam raise the dimples? Just thinking out loud...

Steaming like that is for wood which will react with the moisture in the steam and expand. The foam won't react to the moisture.

[KCStudly]

Bogo, I believe the moisture is just there to spread and control the heat. The water in the towel will last a long while at the boiling point, which is generally at or below the point where the foam melts, so the water acts like a buffer to protect the foam from overheating.

The closed cells in the foam will expand when heated; it just has to be done gently.

[CharlieL]

circular saw to cut sheet goods. I use a 1/2 piece of MDF with a 1/8 th inch strip 16 inch wide luan attached under it, i made it wide enough to be used with my Dewalt circular saw and my Porter-Cable router. One side is used for the circ saw i just fastened it to the straight MDF edge , then used to saw to cut off the excess on one side,using the MDF as a guide, then the porter-cable Router on the other side of the MDF, now i have a straight edge that clamps right on the line i want to cut , no matter which tool i am using. No guessing where it will cut. from woodworking magazine, years ago.

CHARLIE

[GPW]

Thanks Charlie !!! You got a picture of that ? ( we love pictures !!! )

[CharlieL]

[url]i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff458/greenlantern1/IMG_7339.jpg[/url]
this what you're talking about?
From the Green Lantern build log.

[wagondude]

There you go. Cool fabric.

[GPW]

Huh ? What ? I thought we were talking about pictures of a guide for a circular saw ??? Lanterns , what the (your word here) ??? ...

[CharlieL]

NO, SORRY, NO PICS OF THE GUIDE, BUT WORDS SOMETIMES FAIL ME. lol AND MY TYPING IS FULL OF TYPOS AND ERRORS.

SOMEONE ASKED ABOUT FABRIC WITH LANTERNS ON IT. REMEMBERED THE green lantern BUILD. he HAD SOME FABRIC MADE UP (PRINTED?) WITH COLEMAN LANTERNS ON IT. SO THERE WAS A PIC FOR THAT. dONT MEAN TO SHOUT BUT I "HATE" THAT DAMN CAPSLOCK KEY.

[CharlieL]

I don't know about thrifty anymore, i think i used enough electricity to use up ALL of the money you guys saved just reading all 360 pages of this . She who must be obeyed will NOT even think about a "homemade" trailer. she insists on a commercially made one, but hey, that way i won't have to buy it ( because i think they are all a P O S waiting for more dollars to fly out of my A$$ and fix their shoddy work). But i do dream Foamies! LOL
Thanks to all of you for the informative, sometimes wild, sometimes bewildering read. GL and great camping to you all, I will return to LURK mode now.

Charlie L

[GPW]

One quick read of one of the “commercial" RV trailer forums will reveal an industry fraught with PROBLEMS .... all designed, naturally to take your Money , and lots of it too ... Big Mistake ...JMHO !!! (ask me how I know ) Cheaper to take her to a 5 star Hotel .... TRUE !!! Do the math ...

[ghcoe]

Build the foamy for yourself and then tell her about all the attention it gets when you stop for gas, at camping spots, in parking lots. I will guarantee she will be camping in it with you in no time......