Two questions

[RogHodge]

First Wiring can I simply route or cut a shallow channel on the outside of the foam to run my wires? This would then be covered with another piece of foam and/or the canvas paint combination.
Second, This one may be a little more difficult. I am constructing the walls out of 1 inch foam with a layer of quarter inch ply on the inside. I plan to laminate these together as one solid piece. I'm coming to the point where I will be making my door. Should I put the door frame in place glued to the interior and then fill everything with foam or Build the wall as one piece and cut out the space for the door and build more conventional?
I hope that makes sense and look forward to your responses

[eamarquardt]

I like flexibility. If I were in charge I'd to to the Home Despot (or other store) and buy some cheap (read cost effective) poly tubing. It comes in various sizes. I'd embed it in the construction (foam, ply, whatever) and then use it as conduit to route wires through. Later, should you desire, you can add or modify your wiring by pulling additional wires through your poly conduit. It's easy to blow or vacuum string through conduit so you can pull wires with a "fish" line. Yeah a bit overkill to run tubing/conduit but my motto is overkill in moderation.

As far as your foam sandwich construction goes. I think that 1/8 ply would be more than strong enough if it is well bonded to the foam. 1/8" would cut the weight/cost significantly.

Not quite clear on your door question. I'd think it through and do what's easiest and most flexible.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,'

Gus

[RogHodge]

Gus, Thanks for the conduit idea I think it will be great. A good compromise. My only concern will be the tight corners but I don't plan on changing out the wires anyway.

I'm going with quarter inch just to have a little extra beef for mounting goodies, and so I don't kick through the walls. It was almost as cheap as the eighth inch. Also it will give me a little something to tack and glue my ceiling panels to

Yea, the door question doesn't make Any sense to me either. Let me try this again.
Imagine if you will a sheet of ply wood, so far so good. Now laminate to that a sheet of foam. There you have a wall, once the profile is cut that is.
Now then, In that wall there needs to be a door. The question basically is how an when to install the door.
My current leaning is to Glue the frame of the door and casing all to the plywood first. After that I will do the laminating of the phone. Once it's all one giant piece I will cut the door out of the plywood and have the interior panel already glued to the door.
Does that make any more sense?

[eamarquardt]

Me thinks one would want an opening and a door with solid wood at the edges versus foam. I think it would be easier to attach this "framing" to one side, fill the voids with foam, and then laminate the second skin on. I also think I'd cut the door opening first and fabricate the door separately rather than cut it out of the finished laminated wall.

Cheers,

Gus

[atahoekid]

I routed the wire on the inside of the foam since that was the side I paneled. I used the routed out groove that you described. I too thought about runningthe wire in wire loom, but couldn't justify the expense. I used 5mm underlayment as my inside "skin" to save weight. To give me something to bite into, I glued in blocks (Hard points) of 1/2" ply after routing out the foam. Plenty strong. I used 2" foam though. As far as doors go, I did it both ways. I built the wall in one piece hoping to cut out the door, insert hard points for the hinges and the latch and be done. Good theory, but unfortunately while cutting the wall panel, the blade in my jig saw flexed and I got a cut that wasn't plumb. I ended up squaring up the door cut out, building a new door to fit the opening and then putting in hard points where I needed to bite into something. I think I would build the door the first method again, but I'd need to figure out how to keep the blade plumb. The rounded corners were the big problem. Hope that helps and can't wait to see pics of the build.

[GPW]

JMHO, it was much easier for me to cut out the door frame and line it with wood , then measure exactly and cut the door to fit ... or ... you could make the door complete and then use that as a pattern for the door frame ... Either way , careful measuring and cutting is important ...
BTW, I did add a wooden frame around my door too ... all wrapped over with the canvas. Works fine !!! Several years now living outside , and not as much as an ant has gotten in ... Inside is “dry as toast” ...

My Foamie electrical system will consist of a 50’ HD extension cord (through a screened vent in the floor ) > GFI > a nice "6 way" ... Simple , easily replaceable ... even “on the road “ ...

[KCStudly]

I thought about using the p-tube as a conduit, but then decided that it would just add extra complication, cost, and steal space that could otherwise be used to fit wires into. I didn't want to cut anymore structure away than what would be required to fit the wires in with enough margin for pulling and air space (cooling).

Still a work in progress. I, too, am routing out channels on the inside surface of the foam that will be covered in thin 5 mm ply. I would be too concerned that anything on the canvas side would telegraph thru the finish surface no mater how fair you make it. i.e. even if you were to back fill the troughs with great stuff and sand it down flush, I still think you might be able to see the bond line thru the canvas.

I'm pretty confident that I will be able to pull wire thru the foam channels since I am making the cuts with nice smooth radii. Where there are hard transitions (like where the wire turns from the side wall to enter the bulkhead) I will always keep a length of pulling twine in the chase, and if need be pull a replacement in with any wires added later.

Good luck.

[RogHodge]

Thanks again to all of you who respond. It really is comforting to know that there's a group of quasi-intelligent semi-experienced people out there who are willing to pool their ignorance in pursuit of greater quality.
Please do not take offense at my sarcasm.
I think I will end up cutting channels in the outside of the phone. The electric system that I'm referring to would have to do mainly with interior and X terrier lighting. I will likely use LEDs and small gauge wire. It will save on weight and reduce energy consumption. Not that I care that much about the environment I just don't want to have to recharge batteries that often.
With a little forethought and planning I can make the channels coincide with some exterior decoration so that when the division is translated through the canvas it won't have such a negative appearance.
As far as doors are concerned I think I've got this one figured out and I will post another thread with my ideas and progress. There will be loads more questions in the future undoubtedly and I look forward to interacting about that.

* Just a quick note, I am pre-requesting grace on all my word usage and grammatical errors. I use voice dictation software now which makes posting a lot easier but it also results in some really goofy sentences.(this sentence alone was edited 4+times)

[GPW]

Rog , since Foamie’ trailers are a relative new concept , and with no one way to build one , the field for experimentation is wide open . so far most everything has worked successfully , so no problems , no worries .... Do It the way You want to ...

And remember , help will always be given here at “Foamwarts” to those that ask ...

[KCStudly]

It really is comforting to know that there's a group of quasi-intelligent semi-experienced people out there who are willing to pool their ignorance in pursuit of greater quality.
Please do not take offense at my sarcasm.

No, I think you nailed that one pretty spot on. Thought I was looking in the mirror for a second when I read that. Quasi, semi-ignorant.

help will always be given here at “Foamwarts” to those that ask

And even sometimes when you don't ask, or don't know that you need to ask. I would have never started my build (or even known what I wanted to build) if it had not been for TNTTT.

Build on.