Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hello, the Nutmeg https://tinyurl.com/y4ajglwr is passing through a third winter inside a tent-garage, and everything appears shipshape.

One thing that I've wondered, is the lifespan of a foamie. I used 10oz canvas over 1.5" EPS, glued it on with Titebond III, and painted it with Glidden Gripper and a high quality exterior latex paint. The woodwork was finished with polyurethane spar varnish which now needs some touchups. Last Fall I jacked it up off the ground to prevent flat-spotting the tires. I'm also happy to say that I've never had any vermin issues. Structurally, it appears to be sound after a number of trips, although it does swell & shrink slightly. I'm glad that I used traditional timber-frame mortise & tenon joints and fully glued all parts together. After all, the shocks of traveling on and off roads might be compared to earthquakes!

So how long might I expect the Nutmeg to last? How old are others' foamies? Have any been repainted and significantly repaired after long use and storage outside and inside?

There is also another reason that I ask. Last summer, my neighbor asked me to build a traditional stick-built shed for him and then he balked at the price of the materials. I'm thinking that a shed built like the Nutmeg, with a treated wood frame, EPS infills, and canvas PMF might be a solution that he could accept. Also I've thought that this construction technique might be useful for extended temporary shelter after a natural disaster, maybe for weeks to months. It might also be a good technique to make a semi-permanent summer cottage or hunting cabin.

Far as wood + PMF goes, long as the structural stuff is sound, and you keep up with the outer coatings as needed, forever.

Steel rusting and moving parts of the trailer are the weakest links, ideally all the rest comes off so those bits easy to maintain and / or replace as needed.

Even stored outdoors, but man a garage sure does help!

But nothing can just be ignored forever, entropy rules, Rust Never Sleeps

John61CT wrote:Far as wood + PMF goes, long as the structural stuff is sound, and you keep up with the outer coatings as needed, forever.

Steel rusting and moving parts of the trailer are the weakest links, ideally all the rest comes off so those bits easy to maintain and / or replace as needed.

Even stored outdoors, but man a garage sure does help!

But nothing can just be ignored forever, entropy rules, Rust Never Sleeps

Reminds of an old-timer’s riddle-
“Why does steel rust?”

Lack of use...

Well, i'm glad that I did a very careful job of painting the chassis with Rustoleum, including touchups after assembly. But I wouldn't use Rustoleum again.

If I ever need to repaint the chassis, it shouldn't be too difficult. The cabin weighs only about 500lbs and so with (four men or) some levers, jacks and sawhorses, I can easily unbolt it (8 bolts), lift it, and pull the chassis out. Then I'll use a rust conversion paint such as Paint Over Rust or another similar product. These products are not cheap, but these paints polymerize the rust into a tough permanent coating and it will be the last time that it needs painting.

About the cabin, I used western red cedar for three reasons. First, it is naturally rot and insect resistant. Second it is dimensionally stable. Third, it is about 2/3 the weight of pine or other softwoods. The downside is that it is relatively weak, and that's why I took the time to carefully make mortise & tenon joint that were glued and reinforced with stainless steel screws.

Let me make a special point about the use of metal fasteners for joints that are exposed to the weather. Aside from corrosion (especially with plain steel fasteners driven in cedar or PT pine), as the seasons change with wide swings of temperature and humidity, then expansion and contraction of the wood vs the fasteners will 'work' and eventually loosen the joint. Ship- & boat- builders named this as 'nail sickness'.

The more we learn , the longer our trailers last … How long ? FoamStream is going on it’s Sixth season ( living outside uncovered ) … After the last “renovation “ , it’s better than it ever was …

I can't remember when the foamie was built, 2009 or 2010? But the canvas covered foam is completely still in tack and water proofed. However, last year we found the wood has rotted out. So I guess if you take care of that wood, there is not telling how long they can last.

Eagle … doing that FS renovation we found out how EASY it was to redo the trailer , removing the bad wood and replacing with Better materials this time … the foam shell was very cooperative … You might want to re do your Foamie , it was the First one eh ?? Wouldn’t take much … ( use the Mix this time ) Maybe you can figure out those Mousey “Wally windows” … They were COOL and have never been repeated … yet …

Naw I am done with my little foamie.

Remember I went to the dark side and bought a Travel Trailer. I have to be able to stand and move about now. Plus I normally have 5 traveling with me. Needed more room.

We do understand , no worries …

Idea : You know someone else may want to rebuild it , it is famous for being the first time someone didn’t think I was CRAZY … ( thanks for that ! ) ...restoring old trailers is done a lot here … sell it !!! You never know , it might show up one day in the Hall of Fame , all redone … or in the Tiny travel trailer Museum , next to TPCE …

Well its for sale if anyone wants it. Make me an offer!

Eagle , if I lived closer I’d get it just for the restoration … After renovating the FoamStream we found out how easy a Foamie rebuild really is …