Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

What is the definition of 'skinning'? Is it any material used as a protective or strengthening cover for a different material? I ask because I'm trying to finalize what I'll be doing for my TTT next week. I'm intrigued by the canvas covering over plywood. Is it 'permanent' and does it stop plywood checking or just cover it up?

Thanks for posting this ?? slowcowboy, I'm watching with interest, hoping to learn more.

thanks,

Dan

Last post was a year ago.
Everyone keeping there secretes to themselves?
I too am interested in this question.

PM me if there's a problem, I don't want to be a toe-stomper.

fm-usa wrote:Last post was a year ago.
Everyone keeping there secretes to themselves?
I too am interested in this question.

PM me if there's a problem, I don't want to be a toe-stomper.

I got to this party late, only getting interested in
teardrops earlier this year.
Many threads are very old and not active for a year
or more.
While there is some good info available here, I have
found many, many links that are dead in a lot of threads.
It sucks to do a search, have the joy of finding a hit,
only to find a dead link that supposedly held the answers
to your questions.

Ya, kinda caught that scenario on old threads.
I did read a lot and did searches.

EH, I tried.

.

Ok, here is one list, may not be complete but some ideas.

house paint
auto paint
polyurethane
shellac
varnish
epoxy
canvas
painted canvas
resin
fiberglass
waterproof vinyl
aluminum
stainless steel
copper
rigid plastic such as filon
plastic drop cloth
truck bed coating

must be others

Ya was thinking about that truck bed coating. Around here I think it is called Rino Lining . Its sprayed on. Has anyone used it as under coating?

Rferg800 wrote:Ya was thinking about that truck bed coating. Around here I think it is called Rino Lining . Its sprayed on. Has anyone used it as under coating?

I did mine in " Spray on Rhino lining " Look in my photo album the silver teardrop. Yes I would do it again, yes it was expensive to do. PM me any questions

With your liner, what did you do around your doors and windows? Did you spray after install or before? Im curious about the thickness of the liner hindering the trim and frame of door/window.

On my teardrops I've used FRP for the roof and galley hatch with great success. On my larger builds I've used it for the entire exterior (Sides, roof) and it makes a great, maintenance free, easily washed or painted surface.

I'm still in the planning stages, but at this point I think I'm going to use paint over the plywood skins. One of the following products:
http://protective.sherwin-williams.com/ ... oduct-6795
or
http://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeown ... 1131783261
I plan to keep my teardrop trailer in a barn when I'm not camping in it.

I too am in the planning stages and looking for the lightest skin that's also waterproof.
Being lightweight, the paint used should be pliable to keep from cracking.

Sears had a Weatherbeater paint that dried to a firm rubber. But that was bad to the house used since water got under the skin and rotted the wood. Curiously I took a piece and folded it over, it did not crack, it didn't even make a sound when held to my ear.

I used ACL. Aluminium Composite Laminate.
It has a few other names as well, but is a product commonly used in the sign writing industry. It is also being used a lot for cargo trailers and truck bodies. Here in New Zealand we have it available from several manufacturers, usually in 3mm or 4mm thicknesses. It is made up of (in the case of the 4mm that we used), a sheet of about 3mm plastic composit, with about 0.5mm of aluminium laminated on each side with painted (or powder coat) finish on both sides, or with the sheet I used on the roof was white on one side and "mill" (bare alloy) on the other. The side sheets we used were red on one side and yellow on the other, we used the red side. The sheets come in a variety of sizes from the usual 1220x2440 (8'x4'). I used 3m x 1.5m sheets for the sides and a 4.8m x 1.5m for the top. This one went from the drawbar all the way over the roof and down to the bottom of the hatch.
It is rasy to work with, it curved over the roof and hatch easily and if you want to put sharp bends in it you just rout a groove in the back of the bend. Cutting is easy with any sort of saw or a router, or you can use a Stanley knife and snap it. l used jig saw and a multi tool.
Would I use it again? Without hesitation! I was easy to cut, just glued on the sides, top was glued with screws around the perimeter, covered by the alloy trim.
It was really quick as once it was cut and glued on it was finished.
As it is used in the sign writing industry, it is made to withstand the out door elements.

Danidog wrote:What is the definition of 'skinning'? Is it any material used as a protective or strengthening cover for a different material? I ask because I'm trying to finalize what I'll be doing for my TTT next week. I'm intrigued by the canvas covering over plywood. Is it 'permanent' and does it stop plywood checking or just cover it up?

Thanks for posting this ?? slowcowboy, I'm watching with interest, hoping to learn more.

thanks,

Dan

It is permanent, the plywood will not check underneath as it will not weather. If removed the fabric will tear off the top wood layer with it.
Follow my signature link to find the instructable with plenty of pictures.

rowerwet wrote:

Danidog wrote:What is the definition of 'skinning'? Is it any material used as a protective or strengthening cover for a different material? I ask because I'm trying to finalize what I'll be doing for my TTT next week. I'm intrigued by the canvas covering over plywood. Is it 'permanent' and does it stop plywood checking or just cover it up?
Thanks for posting this ?? slowcowboy, I'm watching with interest, hoping to learn more.
thanks,
Dan

It is permanent, the plywood will not check underneath as it will not weather. If removed the fabric will tear off the top wood layer with it.
Follow my signature link to find the instructable with plenty of pictures.

Canvas over ply. I had scrap drop cover and leftover paint, so doing a test was a no brainer.
Yes it will take the top layer off.

I'M CURIOUS
Has anyone tried a softer covering where it gives when bumped but not so soft as to flap in the wind?
We know about the framework keeps panels from flapping but the covering needs to be attached so, aerodynamically speaking, unattached panels don't lift.
I've worked with fiberglass and once you hear a cracking sound, water seeps in unless you routinely keep it waxed.
.
I ask cause I have a GoldWing and the plastics are soft enough to bump or press on and not deform or crack. Tho spider cracks are showing up in the interior paint but not the clear coat.
The plastic is ABS but it's not 100% ABS. I priced ABS sheets, HOLY-MOLY is it expensive. But to home brew folks it's reasonably cheap when doing small repairs.
Some have taken PVC pipe, sliced and heat flattened it out but that's usually for repairs. Besides, overall PVC is heavy.

Repainting canvas every 2 or 5 years is not all that difficult due to a Teardrops size. A thinned refresh coat on a teardrop will take just less than a quart.
IFNC (I'm frugal, not cheap.)