Thrifty Alternatives ..Building Foam Campers

[eaglesdare]

ready for a couple of pic?

ok now remember though, this has turned into a hybrid. not all foam, and not all wood. very little wood really. but in some spots it did not look like the foam was going to give it much support. granted if we had more time and/or warmer weather, we might have been able to see how much more support foam covered spars would have been. but that wasn't the case. i was taking all the help i could get, and i was thankful for it.

this group of tearjerkers were the best. considering i was only out of surgery 5 days, they built this teardrop shell. i want to say THANK YOU to the chesapeake tearjerkers group.

ok on with some pics, not sure in what order they will come out, but i will try to get them in some logical order.

bulk head going in


one wall up and porta potty will do just fine.


2 walls up


wood spars in

[eaglesdare]

need more foam


scoring foam


roof on, looking from the inside, you can see the scores


setting the roof for the bend


applying the bend

[eaglesdare]

both doors were cut out, they each have a curve at the top


the cut outs will make perfect halloween headstone decorations!

attaching roof to spars


i am sorry, i did not get pics of much else. seriously i just wasn't feeling up to it today. other did take pics so if i can find the hatch pics i will get some. but later on i can just go out and snap a pic.


here is the basic finished shell, of course i still need the install doors and canvas it.




hatch up, hey you can see the hatch in this pic. flip up and out counter. where folks normally put their counter, we have turned that into a bunk bed. so while the hatch is closed, we can flip up the counter from the outside and get to the under bunk bed storage and fix breakfast, or tea/coffee. great set up.

[eaglesdare]

ok now talk about light! it is light. i can lift the tongue, but did not want to push that, taking my recovery into account. but it is light. a little more weight will be added with glue and canvas, and of course supplies.

gpw i want to thank you for starting this thread.

now i have a deadline of april 15th. we are going to our first tearjerkers gathering for this year. can't wait. but the "campable" components need to be finished by then. i know this is going to be a work in process, but wish me luck in getting it to that "campable" stage.

and thanks for the pinking shears info. i will have to check out the sewing machine desk to see if i have a pair around.

now get to work gpw, and get yours done.

[eaglesdare]

oh one more pic, this is it behind my car



ok so two more
this is the flip up counter, in the down position

[GPW]

Wow !!! That's SUPER ...

[Miriam C.]

Great foamy! I love this! You should start a build thread separate from this big thread if you haven't already. Would be great to keep up with this thread and separate build journals. Things might get lost in this one!

[GPW]

Aunti M , Just didn't want to take up More virtual space with something many here might consider "unproven" ... Once we have a camp-able vehicle , and do a "test camp" (backyard) and the requisite "ride down the highway"... We'll do that ... If it's OK with Big Mike of course !!!

.... and there's still that "Bear" thing, yet to be resolved or tested ...

[eaglesdare]

thanks miriam, it means a lot coming from you.


as far as "proven" or "unproven", i have to say a build totally of foam in the shape mine is, i am not sure would be so sturdy. although it might be once the glue and canvas is on. i know the strenght is in the skins.

but as it stands right now, it is pretty darn sturdy. we were worried about someone leaning against it, right now as is, you can lean and there is no give.

that glue and canvas will only make it stronger.

there is wood in there, but seriously very little. the floor is wood, there is the half wall bulkhead, and a few spars. also along the inside there is a small piece of wood that runs the lenght of the inside. the thinking there was again about someone leaning against it.

and i have to admit, it is killing me that i can't get back out there to do more work on it. the weather is not great and still recouping.

[eaglesdare]

Aunti M , Just didn't want to take up More virtual space with something many here might consider "unproven" ... Once we have a camp-able vehicle , and do a "test camp" (backyard) and the requisite "ride down the highway"... We'll do that ... If it's OK with Big Mike of course !!!

.... and there's still that "Bear" thing, yet to be resolved or tested ...

who is going to test the "bear" thing? so far i haven't seen a test of a woodie teardrop.

[GPW]

Eagle , I'm "out" on that Bear testing business ... We don't have any around here!!! Maybe I could get an Alligator to nibble on it ...

Sturdy ... I found the parts on mine just taped together on the floor was extremely strong , just the foam ..

Now , having many years of building with foam (model planes ) and knowing how well that worked , I have the upmost confidence in this method .. and we have the distinct advantage that it won't be slamming vertically into the ground @ 150mph .. Something I've done with flying Foamies er, quite often .. and they survived ... mostly

I've camped in a pup tent many times in the past ... Sturdy , Not Really!!!! Bear proof , I don't Hope to think so ... I survived...

[eaglesdare]

i am with you gpw! last year was my last year for sleeping in a tent. this year i will have walls. bear proof or not. not many out there i believe that are bear proof.

this year i won't be pulling into a site after dark and trying to put up a tent. yippee!!!!!

i think our first gathering is about 5 or so hours away. so we shall see on the foamie/hybrid tear's maiden voyage.

we also have a long distance gathering planned for july. up in indiana. now if it makes it thru that one, that is all the proof i will need.

now i do have lots of foam left over. i think i need to check out a plane site. do you know if there is a beginners one out there?

[GPW]

5 hours or so ... You got the skin on already ??? I don't know if I'd want to tow it un skinned .

Oh , I get it ... distance ... not like you're leaving in 5 hours , or so..

[eaglesdare]

5 hours or so ... You got the skin on already ??? I don't know if I'd want to tow it un skinned .

Oh , I get it ... distance ... not like you're leaving in 5 hours , or so..

oh no! not going anywhere til its skinned. yeah the first trip will be about 5 hours away. hahaha

so i guess you don't have a beginner plane site? would love to put this foam to some good use. i know the boys would love that.

[GPW]

Eagle , here you go ... http://www.rcgroups.com/foamies-scratchbuilt-428/


And my plans album at Foamfly.com http://www.foamfly.com/gallery2/v/Photos/Glen/