Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I have been researching TD trailers for a long time, I even have a frame (needs a lot of work but it was cheep). However, I have another idea.

I really like going camping and off roading. I have looked at bed (pack) racks like this one: https://www.allprooffroad.com/05tacomatrailarmor/tacomabedracks. These start around $400 and go up from there. They are nice because you can attach a lot of stuff to them, however, they have no way of keeping your gear from the weather. So I looked at truck caps, camper shells, toppers. They go by a few names. I have been looking at these for my truck for quite some time. However, they start around $1500 for a very cheap one and start around $3k for a solid "pro" grade one. Definitely beyond my budget.

I have steel tube (1"x2"x1/16"wall) that I am currently using as a ladder rack on the aforementioned trailer that I got cheap. It holds a lot of weight. I can also weld. I also have 3/4"x3/4"x1/16" square tube. I actually have a lot of this.

I am thinking I can build the basic bed rack out of the 1x2 and finish the "frame" with the 3/4" tube. Then use the "Foamie Method" to fill and seal it into a reinforced camper shell. Assuming I can attach the foam to the steel I am looking at around $100-150 investment.

So my questions are:

Can you attach foam board to steel?
Will the canvas w/glue hold to steel? Or will I need an intermediate material?
Does this have even a remote chance of actually working?

I have been designing and redesigning a camper for my truck also. I suggest you cover the frame with plywood and then canvas. You can use the foam in between the framing for insulation which can be glued to the plywood. There are obviously more knowledgeable builders on here so maybe this suggestion will start with some better ones.

All the new folks lean heavily on plywood usage , those experienced here tend to avoid it , and anything that can ROT ... ( or de laminate ) It’s about The FOAM ... Time to re-think the standard method ...

I think its a good plan, but I would line the interior with Luann before you put in the foam. ( self tapping screws. Then glue,the foam to the luan, the key thing would bne to use a gluenthat sticks to metal ( or cover it with Luann before the canvas goes on which will probably give a nicer result).
Tom
Or new thought , use 2 inch foam, and just carve out for the cross members so its a solid peice.
Tom

That's an awesome idea! Thanks

Now I just have to google how to stick wood to metal ...

There aren't many glues that stick to metal, epoxies being the most likely. The big issue will be heat/cold expansion /contraction. Foam doesn't really change size, steel or any metal does quite a bit.
I would build the foamie part to sit inside the metal, it will self support, and the metal will hold the loads on the roof.

If I built it self supporting how thick of foam would I need? The bed of the Tacoma is 65" Wide X 63" long. From the top of the bed sides to level with the top of the cab is 20".

Not to change the subject but are most of the builders on here no longer using wooden construction? Are foam builds the new norm? Thank you.

Goos , the idea of a foamie camper is still pretty new to most folks , and there is still a lot of negative speculation from the Old School campers (Die hards) ... However , from all our many successes here we can see Foam as a viable option for some people in the future ...

2" foam will support hundreds of pounds, I will have three kids sleeping on the roof of my tear. Only the door frames have any wood reinforcement, the rest is foam on edge.

greygoos wrote:Not to change the subject but are most of the builders on here no longer using wooden construction? Are foam builds the new norm? Thank you.

Wood rots, and must be insulated, it is also heavy. I have serious damage from a hatch leak on my first tear, GPW'S wood tear failed in Louisiana humidity. The current trend for car makers in the USA is to give no tow rating, thanks to lawyers and MPG mandates. A foamie will be hundreds of pounds lighter, easier on engine transmission and brakes, rot proof, well insulated, quieter, easier to move by hand, cheaper, and much less tool intensive to build. The painted canvas skin many foamies use is also mostly self healing, and easier to repair in almost every way.
I've taken the process and used it to make super lightweight boats, which are just as tough as a plywood boat.

So just to make sure I got it down, at least in theory:

1) Gorilla Glue (messy but cheap) foam to foam during the build
2) Coat everything in TBII (thinned?)
3) Cover with Canvas
4) More TBII
5) Primer and paint

Should that do it?

[edit]

Will 1 inch foam work since it wont be supporting any weight directly on top of it?

[/edit]

Thelgord wrote:So just to make sure I got it down, at least in theory:

1) Gorilla Glue (messy but cheap) foam to foam during the build
2) Coat everything in TBII (thinned?)
3) Cover with Canvas
4) More TBII
5) Primer and paint

Should that do it?

[edit]

Will 1 inch foam work since it wont be supporting any weight directly on top of it?

[/edit]

I do not recommend thinning the TBII, full strength makes a better bond.
Put the paint on the canvas, not TBII. Use oops paint to saturate the fabric, then apply the color you want
1" foam would be fine, I believe the first foamie tear was built of 1" foam.

Thanks! You have no idea how much the members hear helped me out.

Row , not to disagree, but we’re fully supportive of a thinned TB2 “Sizing”coat ... ^ #4 as above . The idea , not a “bond" , but saturating the individual fabric fibers thoroughly with glue , completely eliminating the individual fibers from being contaminated by air or holding moisture under the paint ...( Poor mans waterproofing ) Once each fiber has
been saturated with the sizing mix (Thinned 25% glue -75% Water) and dry , the primer and paint can be applied with assurance of the entire surface being solid and impermeable ... Water being so intrusive as we know it is will affect any untreated canvas fibers even under layers of paint ( ask how we found that out ) ... Water WILL find a way in and rot the canvas eventually, should there be un sized fibers left !!! True !!! ... We noticed this the most as the canvas wrapped under the floor and is glued ...unsized canvas fibers absorb water and rot eventually .... another reason we now Highly recommend building a”drip edge” or "skirt" onto to the bottom of the trailer... eliminating many problems when water collects on the underside of the floor...

Note; We’ve done this “sizing” for many many years now with our Oil paintings (ART) ,before the GESSO (primer) and that step assures any of the 'bad’ ingredients in the oil paint will not rot the canvas later on ( hundreds of years later on ) ... it’s a canvas which is exposed to air on one size , increasing possibility of damage .... So logically , on a trailer protected , properly prepared fabric should last a Long time ...

This is just more of the things we’re learning the hard way ... hoping others may benefit from our humbling experiences ...

And now with all this new learning , it might be time to start designing an entirely New Foamie trailer for everyone ... The New, Generation 2 , taking full advantage of what we’ve All learned ... and new materials available now ... ...that and it’s too COLD to build , so we can do some armchair trailer building ... Another project to add to the list ...