Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hello Foamies,

I have been thinking and thinking and thinking..... so many different ways to go. I wanted your opinion on this plan. I want to use foam for all the pros that it has, like light weight and waterproof but I like the wood look, especially on the inside. So I am thinking I would make my own SIPs with FRP on the outside, luan on the inside, with a 1" piece of foam sandwiched in the middle. I like the clean look of the FRP and it seems like it will hold up well.

I am thinking, glue it all together with Gorilla Glue. Then cut the shape. I would also cut notches for the spars going through the luan and foam but not the FPR and glue those in with Gorilla Glue as well.

Any suggestions? Do you think the 1" will be strong enough with the skins added? Is Gorilla Glue the way to go or should I try something else?

Thanks

Dirk

Glued solidly , it should be Quite Strong ... heavy too ...

GPW wrote:Glued solidly , it should be Quite Strong ... heavy too ...

Too heavy you think? Heavier than just using plywood? I suppose it will be better than wood as far as being water proof. I have some free billboard vinyl that I could use but I am not sure how things would hold together as it is not porous like canvas. I have to see what that looks like before I decide to build with it. I have toyed with the idea of covering some foam with that but wasn't sure what to glue it on with.

Mainly, I want a nice finished look so my wife won't be embarrassed to go camping in it. BTW, I am going to look at a boat trailer this weekend for the magical price of FREE.

Dirk

No disrespect , but it seems the problem with “appearance” is upon your wife, she naturally will decide .... A Foamie , well done, can be a Beautiful thing , and a tribute to the imagination and ingenuity of the builder, as seem by the many fine looking Foamie trailers constructed here... Of , course it will not look like a $250K RV , but then we don’t camp where “they” do ... do we now ?

Good Luck on the boat trailer ... secretly , they’re usually much better constructed so better for our purposes , especially when they’re free...

For the walls and ceiling you should be able to use 1/8" thick plywood to keep the weight down. It is after all mostly a vanity skin...

The most likely SIP construction I'll use is Filon, foam, Filon. FIlon: (http://www.factoryrvsurplus.com/products.php?product_id=2122) You could add a layer of wood veneer to the inside of it and not increase the weight much. Veneer will cost more than plywood, but you could then parquet it and have whatever designs you want on the inside.

I'd recommend using vacuum bagging for the clamping if you make SIPs like that. With vacuum bagging you can get pressures of 5 to 10 lbs per sq inch. That's 720 to 1440 lbs per sq foot. Or in terms of standard 8lbs red bricks, that is equivalent to stacking on 90 to 180 bricks per sq ft. The higher the clamping pressure you can achieve, the thinner the layer of glue you will need to use which will mean a lighter panel.

Making your own SIPs, I'd also build in blocking for doors, windows, cabinet attaching, etc. You could also run the wiring through the walls. My plan is to install conduits for the wiring. The gray plastic conduit can be heated by a heat gun or in the oven and bent. When it cools it will retain the shape.