hard shell rooftop shell popular mechanics magazine

[123jay]

3nero posted about hard shell rooftop shell from popular mechanics magazine thanks 3nero
http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=60165#p1083949
Has any one build one ? I was thinking (what's burning) I getting a chuck wagon fiberglass component kit .
What if I order 40 feet of top flanges and Kerfing (wrong spelling) the fiberglass to the shape in the plans .Can the fiberglass be fixed easy. are better to just go with wood .I think it be cool to have the m100 trailer chuck wagon top and a fiberglass tent and even cooler if you could use the bottom as a pond boat
So dose anyone have more Picture are better may have built one .Might be dreaming to big.
Thank you

[Dale M.]

Fiberglass if done proper is a very solid, impervious material that holds up well..... Most fiberglass bodies can be repaired from cracks and impact breakage by sanding or grinding out damaged area, and laying up layers of cloth and resin to repair damaged areas, then sanded to match contours of body and then painted.... It not a difficult tasks just rather messy and resin has a short pot life once mixed with catalyst and any spills or drips need to be cleaned up immediately and sanding the patch creates a very fine, very irritating dust that gets everywhere (best wet sanded)....

I have repaired several fiberglass boats and car bodies in past while most of the work is pretty simple if you know the process involved... The sanding and contouring phase is just the messiest but it can be managed with a little care...

One just has to be aware of how the chemistry works.... Most critical part is knowing the ambient temperature and getting proper amount of catalyst into resin..... To little catalyst and cool weather and resin may take days to set, to much catalyst for high temperatures it may "go off' very fast and get hot and brittle and crack.... BUT those scenarios are the extreme....

Lots written on fiberglass and resins (and epoxy resins) on web, suggest independent research and deciding for one self if "repairs" are within your abilities, but for working with fiber glass composites any tools uses in wood working work just fine on the material...

You can eve use a mold to shape the parts you what (boat?) I have use many things to create shapes even forms built out of chicken wire and plaster or carved in Styrofoam and covered with plastic wrap....

Dale

[123jay]

Thank you Dale for the fast reply
I think for me having the choice of a open trailer ,then the component chuck wagon kit I can change it as I go and will be light to hang from the garage roof when not using. With the sleeper I can do soft sides are hard sides .trailer no chuck wagon. and with some trying to sell the tents for $2500 to 4000 I bevel I can do for less than $400. using the fiberglass kit and 1/8 ply wood .If I can get a hold of them before they leave I will get 16 feet of top rail to play with
Again thanks Dale . looks like a boat to me