Thrifty Alternatives ..Building Foam Campers

[Bogo]

Thinking about those sheets of fiberglass drywall tape. It should be possible to use sheets of it over corners and edges, but under the canvas to strengthen them some.

[GPW]

At the store , we picked up some FDTape (cheap) ... Pretty Strong , very thin ... Going to try it out as soon as the kerfs are cut ... It should add lots of extra strength where we need it ... The plan was to use the tape over (outside) the kerfs to reinforce the foam at it’s thinnest part , the bottom of the kerf cut where the foam is the thinnest ...

Really , it’s cheap enough to put everywhere the foam needs a little extra strength, under the canvas .. I’m thinking , nose , roof , and floor To wall join...

[Jack B.]

Okay. First off, my trip to N.O. in June has been dropped. The lads decided to save money and go camping up north. I tried to tell them about the food down there, but n-o-o-o-o-o. So I shan't be showing up on your doorstep to ask about the meanings of life.

And now to the real issue at hand. If it ever warms up and stops raining up here (two phrases you would never expect to hear in MN this close to June) I would like to give my ultra-lite (folding perhaps) camp sleeper trailer for the recumbent trike and/or bike build a try. My question to you GP (since you plane guys know it all) is what would shrink the fabric the tightest over a light wood or PVC framework? Should I go varnish or paint? Diluted or full strength for the first coat/s? Of course there'll be a couple coats of paint for the final layer, but I want things to be quarter bouncing tight as the old army movies say. I'll be borrowing a quarter to test it so I'll know if it's done right.

Jack

[GPW]

Jack, maybe that might be a “good thing” ... it’s already hitting the 90’s in the daytime ... Early May was Nice , now it’s just Hot and Humid ...

just thinking , put it on damp , stretch it out nicely both ways ,fasten the edges , let it dry ... That should get it good and tight ... The paint should shrink it even more ... In the old days on planes , we used “Dope “ ( No not that ! ) This was a nitrocellulose lacquer made for fabric covered airplanes , and that shrunk the fabric very tight , too tight sometimes , causing warps on light wings ... Nice finish , but flammable, and it does melt foam . For a trailer , Gloss Latex seems the best these days ... a bit Heavy for planes , but perfect for trailers ...
You could always make a quickie scale model to try it out ... Another test ... that’s always the best way to find out eh !!!

[Wolffarmer]

The airplane people have several alternatives to the old nitrocellulose doping. I can't recall all the names now. Stits? Also they don't use canvas now. Dacron or something.

Randy

[mezmo]

Hi Jack B,

Maybe this website would have some info you could use:
http://gaboats.com/
Also a lot of kayak websites have info on covering with
shrinkable dacron [heat shrink I believe, but don't quote me
on that, I may be 'mis-remembering' the shrinking method.]

Cheers,
Norm/mezmo

[kudzu]

Maybe this website would have some info you could use:
http://gaboats.com/

One bike trailer made that way would look particularly good behind this velomobile: http://www.mosquito-velomobiles.com/
It's light but not exactly thrifty.

[GPW]

Just a minor consideration for camping Trailers , while the modern materials may offer some benefits , they usually are not Thrifty... And , as with any fabric covered framework , there is the matter of repairability and ease thereof ... Things happen , holes get punched (rocks, limbs , Bear claws )... nice to be able to add a quick patch when needed without resorting to special glues and fabrics ...

Sorry for being so "old school” ,but those “old” materials are readily available most anywhere, and can always be found “on Sale “ .. Thrifty... the reason most of us are here...
I’ve been through all this heat shrink coverings business with airplanes ... Many different types of films and fabrics... each having it’s pros and cons... All were a bit Pricy ...
One interesting covering we found was “polyester sheathing” from the fabric store ... It was strong and Cheap ... and would heat shrink ... Still the careful application of the fabric (any fabric) was more important to the look of the finished product than what material was used. A neat covering job , produces a good looking finish ... Sometimes tedious, but it should be an un-hurried task .. Especially on a fabric covered framework as that’s what you see ... A bad covering job makes even the Best framework look like (your word here) .. And that goes for Foamies' too ...

I guess we should discuss the methods of covering more ... the little details we usually gloss over ...

[Mary C]

I plan to use canvas and tb II. I am almost gonna be ready to do the sides pretty quickly (soon).. I will glue on the wood spars too. so get your info ready. Glen your build really looks good. I am in the process of cutting my foam and have found that the saw zaw works pretty good.

Mary C.

[Jack B.]

Don't know what all ya'lls's problem is with bear caws. I've always been rather fond of them, especially with a tall glass of milk.

I remember from reading all those books on old airplanes when younger how much they liked to burn hot and quickly.

I'm wondering if a layer of the fiberglass drywall tape/sheeting added over the painted fabric of an ultra-light trailer might add considerable resistance to punctures and such without adding too much weight. Or if it might even be able to do the job on it's own - sans fabric. I've never worked with it so I haven't a clue to its properties.

Should the fabric be sized with the diluted glue mixture before painting to help set its shrinkage?

Jack

[GPW]

Bear claws ... love em’ , but I’m on a Diet ... grrrr!!!

Jack , I think (OPINION) the Fiberglass tape should go Under the canvas ... Strong and much prettier that way ...

Personally I don’t want to size the fabric prior to attachment because I WANT the shrinkage ... Want it to fit like a tight sock , further holding everything tightly together ... ... and unsized and slightly dampened (spray bottle of water) the canvas/fabric retains the ability to be stretched over curves ,rounded edges, etc.

But I do want to “size" the lines we’re going to cut ... a very thin mixture of Elmers white glue (non waterproof) painted along the area to be cut ... The reason is , it’s the only way you’ll get a truly clean cut on the fabric with out the edges unraveling (note: spray starch may work , yet untested ) ... and loose threads make a mess of your nice edges (seams ) ... The reason for the non waterproof glue is so when the paint or other glue is applied, the thin sizing just melts into the other glue (T2, paint, Gripper ) creating a good bond between the two ... It’s only a cosmetic thing, not really necessary , just neater ...
I forget who originally suggested that , but it sure is a good idea ...!!!

Those old planes ... back when we used to make stick and fabric covered planes , when they crashed , they basically disintegrated , so a quick shot of glow fuel and a few well spoken words and we held an impromptu Viking Funeral ... Poof !!! Gone, up in smoke, in seconds...
My Foamie planes , no matter how badly crashed , always seem to survive and are easily repairable ... The main reason I originally choose to build trailers out of foam ... It may not be “structural” , but it’s TOUGH !!! ... One only has to look at Catherines' trailer to see how much damage a crash caused ... very little ... a tip over in a wooden trailer would not have done so well .... we’ve all seen those videos ...

Mary , so looking forward to your progress!!!

[Jack B.]

And just think. If you do a foam sandwich floor and seal the wood r-e-a-l-l-y well you can hang a small outboard off the back and put across the bayou with your drift line out. Half seriously thinking of a 2"-4" foam layer under the floor and some PVC pipe detachable pontoons for just such an endeavor. Sometimes there's a nice little island just a bit off the shore of an inviting pond. Small houseboats to double as campers on trailers just cost to dang much and are way too heavy for smaller vehicles to pull.

Just went to the big store and the price of 2" pink 4'X8' is $26.00. Guess I had best start thinking about buying before the petroleum prices take things to the next level of pillaging and plundering my wallet. The bead board is a bit more than half that for comparable sizes but I still have some small, nagging qualms about using it.

The only marks I've seem from bear claws are stretch marks.

Jack

[GPW]

$26.00 is a good price .... For some unknown reason , they don’t carry the 2” Pink or Blu around here and the local insulation dealer wanted $45.00 for a sheet and that was supposed to be Wholesale ... Something wrong with that eh !!!


You mean like this ? I believe we covered that in the Big thread...

[Jack B.]

In my opinion, to do that type of build it would have to be a stand up. And then you would need a deck to stand on. This is a boat and we want trailers. My idea would still be a trailer first and a boat (sort of) second, and only for short times of convenience. Whimsy perhaps, but then that's what I do best.

Jack

[ghcoe]

Sometimes there's a nice little island just a bit off the shore of an inviting pond. Small houseboats to double as campers on trailers just cost to dang much and are way too heavy for smaller vehicles to pull.

Funny this should come up. I think you will like this. Perfect for a foamie....

http://vimeo.com/sealandercaravan/trailer