Thrifty Alternatives ..Building Foam Campers

[GPW]

Strong, Smooth , and Thrifty !! Thanks Mary !!!

[GPW]

And off on another associated project ... Solar lighting for Foamies' ... Trying to avoid the large investment (and complexity) in a Solar panel(s) that would power everything and require much wiring, storage battery, controller , frame mounts, etc. , we prefer something more versatile and smaller . Individual solar devices that could multitask , and be easy to just put in the Sun without any wiring or mountings .

We saw this and thought this (or something like it) would be very Handy for trailer use... an efficient Solar “lantern".. sorta’ ... Runs on one AA battery ... one little solar panel ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFpzkyP6DCU On dark days , you could charge it off the TV battery , it’s only one little AA battery so won’t put a dent in your car battery charge...

[GPW]

Well then ....after all this , there are still some who are saying "having built stuff with foam before. all I got to say is "no, thanks" its meant for insulation for a reason.” ...

I know , consider the source, but it appears there are some who will Never accept Foamies' ... Too bad ... their loss for being so closed minded..

[atahoekid]

Some people will never let a little thing like evidence or proof get in the way of their thinking. We have proven long ago that this works well. To me that's their loss. I am absolutely certain that this is the best way to build. I've been talking to a coworker who's been thinking about custom building a house with ..... are you ready??? structural foam panels!!!! What kinda crazy thinkin' is that??? . (maybe I can collect the scraps and build another Foamie!! thrifty!!)

[GPW]

Mel, with all the new technology it would seem all this has been well calculated as to performance... Problem is the building industry is still stuck on stick framing... it’s all they know , all they can do , so are “resistant” to change... It’s sorta’ like when cars changed over to computers , Putting many of the little guys out of work who didn’t want to learn the new stuff... ( or buy the new Expensive diagnostic eqpt. ) With material and Energy prices constantly rising , it would seem that SIPs are a Good idea ... Scraps would be nice to "test” eh ...

[atahoekid]

You got that right GPW. Technology and material design brings better methods. Sometimes I wonder though. Is it the tradespeople who are slow to change or is it the consumer? When we're talking about tiny trailers they are one and the same person. Do builders keep stick building because that's all they know or is it what the cosnumer expects? Same with foamies. Do builders build stick and ply trailers because that's all they know or is it because that's what they expect. Might be a case of circular logic... That being said though, there are some classic things that shouldn't be messed with...

[GPW]

Mel, I think it’s like a loaf of bread.... why is it shaped like that ??? Tradition!!! When teardrops (little trailers) were first made as rolling shelters for migrant workers .... all they had was wood and stick framing, canvas ... Which over the years became another “Tradition".. As we know , people are Very reluctant to change from what’s worked for them in the past ... That and all the tradesmen I know can only do what they were taught how to do.... The “traditional way” ... New methods take time and effort to become familiar with and slow “production” .... cost more time and money at first... So they stick with what they know ... and what the unknowing public expects ... It’s only the Thinkers and Experimenters who try the new materials and techniques , which if successful , later become traditions...
With new methods and materials , why not take advantage of the technology .... Because they don’t know how !!! Makes then feel ”uncomfortable “ with their abilities ... I ran into a lot of that with my crew , when I built my house and Studio ... They would say , this is the way we do it , then I’d have to step in and instruct them how I wanted it done ... There was some confusion on their part which eventually worked out well, after a few ‘disagreements’ in technique... But it all worked out just fine!!!

If you can remember when the first Plastic (synthetic materials) tents came out ... and everybody still wanted Canvas tents (tradition) , but after time , most tents now are Plastic ... Things change , slowly, but they always change eventually !!!
I think it’s really Great we now have a choice ... Build what you want , and what you know how to do ...

[rowerwet]

don't forget the big reason for doing it the way it always was, economy of scale. SIPS cost more (now) initially because there are plenty of mills set up to crank out dimensional lumber, plywood and siding. SIPS being the "new" tech doesn't have the competition and mass supply behind it. Things like energy prices and regulation will change that, slowly.

[KCStudly]

Also, SIP's frequently require site work by cranes to erect, which adds to the cost of home building, whereas the size and weight of a piece of plywood is such because it is what a typical (healthy) man can handle.

[Jack B.]

Here's a page from a site for building small boats that has some good advice on applications to what's going on here with the Foamers and Foamettes using glue, fiberglass tape/fabrics and thin plywood. Make sure you dig around into the rest of the site. Lots of little things to stimulate the old (and not so old) imagination synapses.

http://www.portableboatplans.com/tips-from-builders.php

One never know what might pop into the old grey matter from an unforeseen tangent do one. Reminds me of the time I was lost in Madagascar for nearly three weeks with nothing but food and water. I thought I would die.

Jack

I'll put this on both foam streams.
Get it.

Jack B.
Teardrop Master

Posts: 124
Joined: Fri Aug 24, 2012 11:42 pm

[Jack B.]

Oh, we be such underachievers around here. This guy is building himself a velocycle. He's going to skin it over with glass I'm sure, but he's made the ribs from foam strips to get the shape right. Then he's made the shell of foam strips as in strip plank construction like in boat building. Of course he's a retired John Deere engineer so he does have a bit of a leg up on those like this mere mortal. If you go check out his stuff make sure to move up through the months to see his progress.

This would be a way to get complex curves that flow into one another. Strength would be my main concern, but a couple of thin layers with overlapped seams and a good solid fabric/glue/paint outer garment would make it sturdy enough I bet.

http://thetinkersworkshop.blogspot.com/ ... rk-on.html

Jack

[kudzu]

OMG, a hybrid foamie velomobile! That's brilliant! (Though I'd use something other than a Terratrike as the base.) Jack, thank you so much for that link.

[GPW]

With the size of those bicycle pods , it might be easier to just carve out a split block(s) of foam and then hollow it out to suit ... simple , quick ... sand it, glass it, and Bob’s your Uncle .... Carving foam is REALLY EASY ....

[Jack B.]

I hope foam is easier to carve than turkey. I only say that due to the amount of stringy tendon material that I'm coming across in my sandwiches made from the thanksgiving turkey I've thawed recently.

Pretty sure I'll not be working with fiberglass mixtures at this point since I've avoided doing so so far in my stumbles . . . I mean adventures. Which of course leads me to my real question. What the best thing to do/use to fill in the less than perfect outer surfaces after you've carved in foam? My few attempts at finish forming things comes out looking more Dali than Vermeer. Would glue and foam chips work for filling in gouges and non structural cracks? I figure a good sanding is the final step to any techniques.

Jack

[Jack B.]

Oh, and my uncle's name was Howard on my mother's side. I know next to nothing about my father's side of the line. They weren't close by any standard you could come up with.

Jack