Is 1/4" plywood thick enough on the front?

[mikeschn]

Hey guys,

I'm getting ready to skin my Baja Benroy. (Insulation is going in as we speak!) I was going to skin it with 1/8" plywood and paint it, but I don't think the 1/8" plywood can handle a stone very well.

Do you think that 1/4" plywood is strong enough? OR how thick should I go.
:
Mike...

[Frank]

Mike,
I used 3/8" on mine and cut a 1/8" grove across it every 1 1/2", about 3/16" deep this allowed it to bend more easily, also wet it with a water sealer. You will be bending yours long ways which will be a lot easier. I see where you are not going to use a metal skin which I also did. This would surely make me want to use the 3/8". You will be able to sand the small lines (where the cuts were made on the inside (bottom side) of the plywood giving you a smooth surface to paint.

Just my 2 pennys worth.

Frank

[mikeschn]

Yes, I remember your cuts on your plywood. I was hoping not to have to do that. So maybe if you could test 1/4" plywood for me...

Just grab a hand full of gravel and throw it at a piece of plywood and tell me if it pierces the plywood. You don't have to be too fancy. Just throw it at about 70 MPH.

Mike...

P.S. The inside surface will be against the pink stuff. i.e. polystyrene!!!

Mike,
I used 3/8" on mine and cut a 1/8" grove across it every 1 1/2", about 3/16" deep this allowed it to bend more easily, also wet it with a water sealer. You will be able to sand the small lines (where the cuts were made on the inside (bottom side) of the plywood giving you a smooth surface to paint.



Frank

[Frank]

OK! OK!!
Have to use Linda's car though, don't want any rocks bouncing back hitting my vehicle's. Let me see what I can find around here and we'll do a real "red neck" test.
Frank

[R Keller]

How about a slingshot test? You could make a small test panel and try different sized/shaped rocks. Make sure to anchor the test panel so that it absorbs the full impact. That'd be a fun afternoon.

A while back I took a hammer and screwdriver to a small test panel I made consisting of 4mm (5/32") Finland Birch plywood and Dow Styrofoam ("blue board"). The panel resisted my assaults amazingly well. But the Finland Birch is a bit tougher than most of the 1/8" stuff around. I will have an aluminum skin also.

My guess is that most rocks (all) would bounce off of 1/4" ply with minimal damage. Especially with a foamboard backing. But I'd be interested in knowing for sure. Maybe if a really sharp rock hit it just right, you'd get a puncture. Then again, mabe the stuff shatters.

Hmmm...I may have to try this myself!

Rik

[BufordT]

Hey Mike,

How wide is the Baja?

I used FRP on my Grasshopper but you can't get it in anything except 4 ft wide. You can get it 10 and 12 ft long.

Now if your baja is 5 ft or wider. Use 1 four ft wide panel down the center and cut 2 six inch wide sections to give you 5 ft. Then cover the seams with some kind of strip. Giving you racing strips down the center.

You can paint the panels almost any color using Kylon plastic paint.

Buford
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[Larry Messaros]

Mike,

It's amazing what it can take. I built a small camper for my '81 Datsun 4x4 in '82 and we did a lot of travelling in it both on and off road, and it stood up very well. I skinned the camper with standard fair aluminum for travel trailers and it did not have any support underneath. I used styrofoam insulation in between 1x2 ribs. I didn't have any problems with rocks going through the aluminum. I can't remember the exact gauge but my guess is about 22-26.

You can take a look to see some pictures I have on my website.

http://www.puppycuts.ca/camper/camper.htm

PS Great forum. I like the format.

Hey guys,

I'm getting ready to skin my Baja Benroy. (Insulation is going in as we speak!) I was going to skin it with 1/8" plywood and paint it, but I don't think the 1/8" plywood can handle a stone very well.

Do you think that 1/4" plywood is strong enough? OR how thick should I go.
:
Mike...

[mikeschn]

I was thinking 1/4" plywood, backed by polystyrene, and painted with that really hard boat urthane. I'll have to wrap the curve with 2 layers of 1/8" ply.

Buford, the Baja Benroy is 6' wide.

What I might do is just run with the 1/4" plywood, and if I run into a problem down the road, I can add a 4 x 6' piece of the frp!

Mike...

[mikeschn]

Hey Larry,

Nice web page you have there. I see you've already deceided to do a teardrop. Have you deceided on a design and size yet?

Mike...

Mike,


We (actually it's mostly me!) have decided to build a teardrop trailer. I still have some convincing to do with my wife and where do you put 2 teenaged girls?? I guess the design criteria stage will help decide where the girls will sleep.

[Larry Messaros]

Thanks Mike.

No I haven't decided yet. I would like to stay with the traditional teardrop but I do have some plans sketched out that would include a table to fold down to a bed and 2 bunk beds for the girls. The size would be about 6x10 and about 5 feet high. What we found when we went camping in our camper is that we only used the camper for sleeping. We would eat inside only if the weather wasn't cooperating. We did find that the size worked very well and was extremely comfortable. I just have to expand it to accomodate 2 girls and 1 very large Standard Poodle who is more like a bull in a china shop!

I ordered a set of plans form Desert Teardrops, but I am still in the planning (wife talking) stage. My idea is to keep the kids and dog in the back of the Dodge Caravan while my wife and I are in the teardrop.

Larry

Hey Larry,

Nice web page you have there. I see you've already deceided to do a teardrop. Have you deceided on a design and size yet?

Mike...

Mike,


We (actually it's mostly me!) have decided to build a teardrop trailer. I still have some convincing to do with my wife and where do you put 2 teenaged girls?? I guess the design criteria stage will help decide where the girls will sleep.

[mikeschn]

That's exactly what I have built. You can see the blow by blow construction details as I build, here
http://www.mikenchell.com/teardrop/live.html

and the archived pictures here
http://www.mikenchell.com/live/index-frame.html

BTW, we folded down the table last night and tested bed. i.e. we slept in it last night. It was a wonderful nights sleep!!!

Mike...

:D Thanks Mike.

I would like to stay with the traditional teardrop but I do have some plans sketched out that would include a table to fold down to a bed and 2 bunk beds for the girls. The size would be about 6x10 and about 5 feet high.