Thrifty Alternatives ..Building Foam Campers

[GPW]

Jim , Congratulations !!! "Now you know the rest of the story " !!!

[Mary C]

Congratulations!!! There is a lot, but if you post after reading we think you're really interested. I think there are great strides made as we foamlings continue to build and experiment with the many different ways of building a foamie. I hope you will begin your build and have a great time. Tell us about yourself and your life, your animals and your other interesting stuff about you as you build. just remember the thing we request because of the interest in foamies Please post pictures So I suggest you set up the camera 'New batteries and get a sample picture, dog, cat, wife, etc. so you will know how to post them, that is part of the build. Now get to work!!!!

Mary C.

[Eyedropper]

The tough part will be dusting off the laptop. I almost exclusively work on iPad these days, and it won't post pictures to forums. Guess I've gotta get workin'!

[Ned B]

Eye dropper, try using tapatalk , it posts images to the forum just fine& the forum is enabled for the app

[atahoekid]

Congratulations Jim, that is no small feat. We know for a fact that we've not come close to answering all the questions that might come up, so feel free to ask and if you figure out a new or better way, please share! Welcome to the world of Foamies

[GPW]

Odd, we’re always showing people our Foamies' , and a lot of them still ask " if it’s safe to tow at highway speeds ?” .. and “at what speed does the canvas peel off’ ? Rather than getting into a lengthy explanation, I just send them here... Still a lot of non-believers out there...

[atahoekid]

Traditional thinking dies hard. It takes an open mind to accept non traditional thinking. The concept was floated out there. A few of us thought about it, played with it, convinced ourselves it would work and took the leap. Everyone of us who builds a foamie, adds to the pile of evidence that this really works and works well. There will always be those who choose to dismiss us or who choose to build in the traditional method, but that does not lessen the fact that this is a viable option. It just means that this wasn't the method for them. In my opinion this method has many advantages but building in the traditional manner can still yield a fine teardrop. I just think and all other foamlings surely agree that this is the better way to go.

[Wobbly Wheels]

Of course, one could turn around and question why on earth anyone would frame a trailer the way one does a garden shed...and expect that shed to survive hurricane winds and driving rain every time they tow it down the highway.
It's no wonder they all leak: sticks and staples are for craft projects...not trailers

I think the other thing worth noting is the bias a lot of people seem to have in favour of 'manufactured' goods over hand made ones. Anyone who's ever made anything for sale has seen it.
Knowing what I know today, I would buy what I've seen on these pages long before I bought pay for an overweight, overpriced RV....and get a lot more than 5 years out of it.

Look around at the Coleman/Fleetwood roof warranty fiasco: they had those one piece plastic roof caps for popup that were supposed to be impossible to leak. Well, we heard something similar about the Titanic. Now there are a whole lot of pi$$ed buyers who are on the hook after the company (FTCA) closed its doors.

I think most of us would be pretty skeptical if someone offered us an RV that did not and could not leak...ever....even if it's warrantied....
From what I've seen, most manufacturers won't stand behind (under?) a brand new roof for any more than 12 months.
Look at how many people on here leave their homebuilt (and therefore somehow 'inferior') trailers outside year round with no leaks...

Ok, ok...rant over....

[GPW]

Both of you have most valid arguments !!!
Foamies' ....The “Thinking “ mans Trailer !!!.... (Ladies too) ... It just makes sense huh ? ...

[eaglesdare]

The funny thing is that when I decided to build mine, I had no pre conceived yay or nay about it. I just thought it sounded good, thrifty and lightweight. I do remember mentioning it to others and I got the strangest looks. Perhaps if I had more build experience in me I too, might have been a naysayer.

[GPW]

Eagle ... You just “thought” ... my point exactly ...
All that’s in the past , we now KNOW that Foamies’ really work , and hold up well even in adverse conditions... all well documented...

I still get strange looks when I tell others about the trailer construction material ... I just laugh!!!

[Bogo]

MP ... 75% Mineral Spirits (common paint thinner ) and 25% Polyurethane varnish ... It's even OK to use the really cheap stuff ($5.00/gal) , because you want it to PENETRATE deep into the wood !!! Four or 5 really wet coats really seals the wood very well ...pay special attention (more coats ) to all end grain and any voids in the plywood ...
If I had my druthers (what's a druther? ) I'd set up a big tank and soak all the cut out parts in it for a week ... Wood is like little tubes weakly glued together (like a handful of straws , probably same basic material ) Once you can fill the tubes or at least waterproof (plastic coat) them , water has no place to sink in (soak and rot)... as much ...
You know you've put enough on when it won't soak in any more ...

I've wondered about using a vacuum bag to encourage it to go in like they do with vacuum infusion.

[Jack B.]

It's been tickling around the back of my mind for a while, where do you find $5.00 a gallon varnish? And is it oil based varnish. The cheapest oil based they have at Menards (a regional big boxer around here) is in the low thirties dollar wise.

Jack

[GPW]

You likely won’t find any deals on poly at the larger stores ... We’ve found it at smaller hardware, and Mom and Pop paint stores ... Not name brand stuff , more "generic” ... It’s out there ...

Shopping thrifty is just about being aware of your surroundings , and accidentally running across a deal and being able to recognize it ... It was like me looking for a garden hose , and accidentally seeing a Clearance sale on cushions ... a “thrifty” state of mind ...

Likely suspects for savings .... places going out of business , old stores , Recycling centers (habitat) , construction sites (ask first) ,renovators , friends garages ... anyplace likely or not that something will turn up that you can use ... Everywhere you go , keep alert for a deal ... Shopping “Zen” !!!

[Wobbly Wheels]

Not sure if its weight would preclude it from being a trailer skin, but I ran across this recently. No internal structure needed, just stitch the panels together, soak, and inflate. I wonder if this is one of those things that will be commonplace 20 years from now...looks kinda like GPW's FoamStream writ large.

Concrete/Canvas Tent (Video)

A 10m^2 roll of 5mm cloth is $650 (Can) and weighs 80kg - it ain't light, it ain't thrifty, but it would be the last word in protection from bears, stray tree branches, frozen turkeys...and long-range flying pumpkins