Thrifty Alternatives ..Building Foam Campers

[eaglesdare]

no, never got that nailer thing.

cutting the foam is not my problem. it was building that stupid frame with all the short wood pieces and all those stupid spaces. i understand the need for a flat surface now for sure. we did not have a flat surface. hubby did help me, he said don't worry about anything, while he is not a master carpenter, he is a rough carpenter, and says this will work.

i think i have only used a drill for screwing 1 other time a few years ago. so that was a learning curve there and again a pita. having to keep swapping out the pre-drill bit with the real screw bit, ick. hubby wished he had recorded me though, he said it was funny watching me. the first time i tried it after he showed me was the best. i was determinded to get that darn screw in. hubby kept asking if i wanted him to do it, he kept saying he'll show me one more time. but i kept refusing. i kept trying to get that darn screw in, but nothing i did was going to make it work. so finally hubby did take over. turns out the drill was on reverse! i ended up breaking off a pre-drill hole bit intot he wood, hubby took that one like a real man.

now the sad part is that we are building this stupid sandwich floor in 2 sections, since nothing comes in the sizes we need. so i am seriously thinking about dumping this idea. you know i could be done with this if i just used wood for the floor. so this darn sandwhich better be saving me weight.

and steve, were your ears burning this morning as i had a few choice words i said here about your 3 hour floor! i think i have been at this for 3 days! and its only 1 section.

[eaglesdare]

here is the pic with the lip/box/frame whatever. i stuck a piece of wood in there so you can see what i am talking about.


and this is the tube for the wires. this doesn't show it very well, but it sticks out about 1/2 inch. that piece of foam in stuck in there to act as my 1/2 inch bracer.



now if i can find my jig saw i will cut the foam and fill in my floor spaces, then i'll take a pic of that stupid floor. hoping to find the saw this morning and get back to work on it.

[GPW]

Eagle , just Relax, have a cup of Tea and a cupcake ... All that’s EASY , remember we talked about runners to protect the shell (spacers!!!) Just put them where you need them eh !! You don’t need to think about just the floor but the whole “box" , and how it will fit on the trailer .. We went through all this before , remember ???

[linuxmanxxx]

Now Louella you see my company number in my signature. I'm going to stick my neck out and say if you want to call me and I'll walk you through the easiest ways to get this done as well as how to find the flat area to work on it with. Use the tb3 and nailer and the glue is what makes the strength never the screw or the nail they are just temporary fasteners till the glue dries. Another thing is once the outer frame is built square it and then except location to match your cross rails, you never have to use the measuring tape again. Take the 1x2 and butt it on one end and just draw a line on the other end where it matches the inner edge and go cut. That alone is the biggest time saver you can find as the overall size is already set and as long as you keep it square, the inner runner lengths just need to be board to board. I just use a utility knife to cut the 3/4" foam after using all methods that is the quickest if you can wield the knife without slicing yourself all up that is. Starts peeling the foam and not cutting it get a fresh blade and then it gets easy again. Honestly the not measuring is how I built a third of a camper in 3 days. I have a cutoff saw and measure one and if many are needed just stack the cut one on the next piece of board match the blade and cut it. Lots of ways to cut time and corners and not sacrifice your quality of build and trust me they were NOT being used on the first one that took 3 months to build lol.

[GPW]

Eagle , there ya’ go ... Professional Help !!! I’d jump on that !!!

[eaglesdare]

i am getting there. i went out with my jig saw, cut another piece of the luan and have that glued down right now. started to cut the foam, when i realized i made another mistake. i should have traced out the shape for the foam PRIOR to attaching the luan!!!!!!!!!

hubby came home for lunch and said "not to worry, once its down no one will know anything is wrong but me" so i am good (as long as this works).
i guess my main problem with this was that stupid frame building. i will admit i am enjoying this now that things are starting to fall into place. hubby said he would help me more with the second section of the floor. i will also admit, i can not wait til this floor is done and i can move on to the foam walls (short ones).

[GPW]

If Hubby said "not to worry" , then all's Good !!!!

another page out of history gives us another "Natural" finishing alternative that is non toxic and made from Plant , not Oil ...

Remember oilcloth .... canvas painted with Linseed oil ... worked for thousands of years ... and like everything else needs a touchup every year or so , depending if you store it inside or out ... Slow drying , but can be accelerated Slightly ... and THRIFTY !!!!

[linuxmanxxx]

Louella for the other half make a quick trip to harbor freight if you have one close and get the 18 gauge nailer/stapler almost always 19.99 or cheaper and get 2" brads to do the frame and 3/4" staples to put the luan on the frame and your frustration levels for the 2nd part will be almost none. You poor dear I couldn't imagine doing a sandwich/torsion box floor or wall with screws. If you have a small compressor get the nailer and you won't ever regret it cause it can used all over your house.

[eaglesdare]

i mentioned it to the old man (compressor and nailer) he said "no". so we will do the other section with screws and glue. but he is going to do most of that one. i am going to try and finish this one section today (doubt i will get it done, but i am going to try). i think we are expecting rain today or tomorrow. hoping for tomorrow.

you know i built the floor frame on the trailer frame, so that i knew it would fit. perhaps that is why i think its messed up off the frame for the actual assembly. but once it goes back on the trailer frame, i think its going to fit right in perfectly.



now i have a question about that foam spray stuff. does it dry hard? does it stick to what ever you spray it into? does it stick to foam boards and/or metal?

[KCStudly]

Like Great Stuff? It dries firm like foam XPS. Not really hard, you can stull crush it with your thumb, but it is not spongy and will not spring back fully. Sticks to most things, sometimes annoyingly so... like on your fingers .

Not sure about sticking to metal, probably depends on the surfaces texture and cleanliness. I used it on a metal door jamb in concrete block on time, but I did not try to peal it off so I can't say for sure if it was truly stuck on, or just filling the void.

I have limited experience with it, tho. I believe that they have different varieties, some that expand more than others, etc., and I couldn't tell you which one it is that I have used (work related projects... "here, use this. Doh-de-doh dope, okay." The low expansion types are usually said to be for windows, so that they don't expand too much, squeezing the jamb so tight that the sash binds up.

[eaglesdare]

yes, exactly like the great stuff. do you think it would stick to the foam boards we are using?
i have these side rails, and they aren't flat, they are a "V" shape. so i was thinking of putting my foam panels up like i would normally, and then filling in those "v" shapes with the spray foam.

[KCStudly]

A picture would probably be helpful.

[pete42]

I think it needs something to press against
Just today I sprayed some max expanding foam into a foam box the size of a six pack
the can said fill to 1/3 of size needed I went to lunch came back it box was full.
it will fill the void you mentioned
pete

[eaglesdare]

well just got back from the docs. at first he was thinking i had a woman's problem with brusitis? anyway he pretty much ruled that out. then he took x-rays. he ended up saying something is happening back there but i just don't know what. it seems he can't see clear enough, so a cat scan is being arranged. your spine is suppose to pretty much line up the whole way. when he follows my line, at the bottom (l4/l5 area), it stops being straight and there is a big gap there no aligned. its just all bunched up in my lower back. so he says he understands the pain. also he wants me to have physical therapy 2-3 times a week. i know i have insurance, but i also kow insurance is not going to cover all of this. so i am not sure how much of that i will put up with, or i should say, how much i can afford. you know i have a camper to build. i have my priorities!

[pete42]

Louella
say it isn't so those who haven't known the joy of having a bad back just don't know what their missing.

I have spinal stenosis the spinal column is growing closed pinching my spinal cord, lot's of fun
besides that I need a total left knee replacement.

I know everyone is different and response to treatment differently the one thing that helped me was
when they stretched my back with a medieval looking rack type thingy.

here's hoping you get treatments and get to feeling better.

pete