FoamStream...

[atahoekid]

Crazy like a fox!!! I'd build another foamie in a heartbeat before I build anything out of wood. I just need to figure out how to remove the wood from the floor and I'll be real happy. I'm pondering an aluminum/foam/plywood composite panel, wood on the interior which will also give a surface to screw and mount to. Just thinking.... If I trip across a good frame, I may try to convince the wife that I should sell the Road Foamie and build an even better TTT.

[GPW]

A “better TTT” ??? Hold on , I thought you did an Excellent job on the Road Foamie ...

After much searching , comparing , we decided to go with an OSB floor ... naturally ,well treated with “the mix" ... that should eliminate any problems , and still be affordable ... I’ll need 3 sheets for the FS... Buying a really good grade of plywood would be really expensive ... and still would have to be treated ... Thought about a composite floor , but never came up with anything as good as the OSB , which is much less expensive too ...

Having built a wooden TD first , doing the best job I knew how at the time (even used the mix) We still had almost immediate problems with the wood surfaces, requiring more sanding , filling and re-painting ... grrr!!! ... I’ll never build a wood trailer again , not for this humid environment ... The Foamie has sat outside now for 2 years and has required ZERO maintenance... That works for me ... ... and I’m Crazy ...

[atahoekid]

I am happy with the way the Road Foamie turned out, but there's that old saying about good enough never being good enough.... Just dreamin' right now. I'm kind of bored without a project on the boards

[GPW]

Yeah , no kiddin’ ... the Road Foamie turned out really Cool !!!

Maybe time to start designing your Foamie “dream Trailer” ... Now that you have all this positive foam experience , you may do things “differently” this time ... dreaming on paper helps too .... get a cheap notebook and make some drawings of your ideas ... you don’t have to be Picasso to draw a trailer ... Keeping drawings allows you to visually compare or combine ideas ... That will keep you busy for a while ... There are endless ways of building a Foamie , with most any shape possible ...

[GPW]

Back to this project ... we keep having trouble finding the stringers ... Everybody has 1X2 furring strips in 8 ft. lengths ... Nobody has 10 ft. the local lumberyard has offered to rip some 10’ 1X4s and make me some , but unless their cut is Exact they won’t fit the rib notches without some “modification” . grrrrrr!!!! The notches were machined out to exactly fit the common “1X2 furring strip” , which would be perfect if I was building an 8’ trailer .
The question now becomes do I butt join the stringers on the last 2’ section and just stagger the joints , or do I join the strips with something more exotic like a half lap joint, metal mending plates, center hardwood spine insert ... ???
The 3.5” thick foam goes over all of that and the skin over everything ... Should be strong enough eh ? Got 10 stringers plus the 1X4 top rail (full length), 6 ribs ... Schmaybe’ I’m “overbuilding “ ...

[KCStudly]

Half lap and stagger them end for end sounds good to me.

[GPW]

OK, I can do that ... Thanks !!!

[Wobbly Wheels]

Long lengths for boats are usually made up by scarfing, but that's more because they have to follow a curve where a half lap would leave a hard spot. Scarf joints might be easier depending on what you've got for tools (I don't recall).

At any rate, I think making up lengths might be a better way to go for your stringers (longerons ?) anyway. I don't know if it's the same there, but here the 1X2s you get tend to be the garbage that couldn't be milled into studs since 1X2s are generally a cheap and disposable construction asset. Obviously you'll high-grade the pile for the best lengths, but making up your own lengths will let you cut out the bad sections so all your stringers are straight and clear.
Not being able to get 10' lengths might work out to be a "glass half full" kinda thing...

[KCStudly]

+1. Good point.

[Ned B]

Half lap and stagger them end for end sounds good to me.

+1 on this, nothing wrong with this method, if you get fussy About it, you could line the joints up with the ribs.

Also, if you're going to rip them or have them ripped from wider stock, you will get better grain generally from wider boards ( they are usually from the center of the log)

[GPW]

Here’s my “thinking points" ... the stock 1X2s fit exact into the CNC cut notches ...(see pic) The slight radius left by the cutter at the bottom of the notch fits exactly the standard (rounded edge) 1X2 ... If I cut some full length ones , I’ll have to either round the edges to match (bottom side only ) , or worse cut the notch edges square Not really a problem , just more work ... Got 11 of em ... and they HAVE to be cut Exact width to fit ...
Not that half lapping (or scarfing ) some shorter ones together isn’t a lot of work ... The half laps would coincide with a rib notch ...
The most strength would be with the full length ones , but I don’t think it’s THAT critical ... Just the frame/skeleton alone should be pretty Strong , add the 3.5” foam , a skin ... and the strength of the tube shape , and it should be a lifetime (my lifetime) proposition.. barring Bears and frozen turkeys , of course ...

So you see my dilemma ...

[GPW]

Now then ... Due to a lack of sufficient Coffee consumption and the early hours ... I had another idea ...

Could eliminate the stringers , ignore the notches completely and use the "lightening holes" to run 1.5” PVC pipe through to serve as stringers ... That would be “different” and a great place to hang all kinds of things from ...and about a Gazillion attachment points ... PVC comes in 10’ lengths ... ..... More Coffee !!!

[KCStudly]

I think the 1x2 stringers would be more practical than the PVC. Screw any thing you want to them and they are a flat surface (even tho they are at various degrees to earth). Sure if you need a coat rod or towel hanger, you could put a shorter length of round through the lightening holes, but the firring strips are more thrifty, aren't they?

Stop thinking, drink 3 more cups of coffee and BUILD!!!

You could have the stringers in with the ribs standing by now... (or are you still holding out for materials to build the floor? I've lost track.)

It sure would be nice to see "the bones" starting to come together.

[bonnie]

+1 for what KC said. I'm overthinking things at my end too. I have the furring strips and I am going to use them. Let's get cracking!

[mezmo]

GPW,

Just get the spars ripped from a better quality 10ft 2x10 or such
and where they coincide with the ribs just use a hand wood file-rasp
to round over that location at the rib to fit. There is no need to round
over the whole length - just fast sand the edges enough to knock off
the sharp corner so it doesn't hurt to handle them - one or two fast
passes with a foam block sander for that. Of course if you have a
router with a round-over bit that'd make it easier too. From my
experience, finding a "good" 1x2 or 2x2 is very rare. Cutting down
the larger dimension plank is not guaranteed either but if you pay
attention to the grain/growth rings it can work very well. No need
to do scarfs or half laps and the time it'd take to do them.

Just one way to look at it...

Cheers,
Norm/mezmo