Imminent Foamie Build. or not! Help Needed!

[SeaFoam-ie]

Imminent Foamie Build. or not! Help Needed!
Sent: Wed Dec 16, 2015 4:09 pm
by SeaFoam-ie

My intro: I live in Tallahassee, building in Iron City (SW) Georgia. Age 64.

I have enjoyed 3 wks of cruising this site. I've waffled tooo long. Now the S**t must hit the fan! Build must start, Foamie, or not... Foamie Emergency!! -- Warning! This is a multiple TD builder, brain picking excursion! Enter at your own risk! [ I will take my iphone on this materials quest and build, for documentation, and will submit progress reports to tntt as build progresses. ]
GPW, Bonnie (I see Bonnie has similar build) I am heading out in the morning to South Georgia to start 2 builds with my friend Robin (Welder and Body Man). We have Th and Fri to get as much done as we can. I will be taking my base trailer, HF 40 x 48 (12" tires) to pick up materials then modify. Robin is building off ebay plans ( http://www.ebay.com/itm/TEARDROP-Camp-T ... 280817289f ) on an old 5x10 trailer. I want to build a Foamie similar to your (GPW) Camo build (bonnie), but with rear hatch. I hope to find some 2" foam at a S. GA HD (saw about 10 sheets there 10 days ago...). There is none around here (Tallahassee). Suppose I better get 5 sheets to be sure... I want to be sure that I am doing it right, having read so many different methods on this site. I have bought enough 8 oz drop cloth (w/o seams) for exterior and have some heavy bed sheets for other areas. Got 8 oz of GG and a roll of 3" glass tape for joints, from HD (in duct work area). I have a Gal. of Exterior Oil Primer from the past and 1 Gal of water-base deck Restore, (for bottom?) on hand... Robin will be using Epoxy and Varnish.
Questions:
Is TB2 still the best to attach the canvas over 2" Foam?Then to coat? I’ve also seen Gripper and other primers used.
How many Gallons of Glidden Exterior Paint does it take to do a 4x8 canvas TD including the bottom?? I just passed up a 5 Gal Gidden Exterior flat (tan mis-tint) for $30, Drat!. I will be wrapping the bottom also, to waterproof and attaching to trailer when done... with another wrap to secure body to trailer JIC (just in case). I want to pass this camper to my yet to be born Grandkids , in good condition...
I am considering a sandwich - light 1/4" ply/3/4" foam floor with 1"X boards around perimeter and attachment points, for light weight (insulated). Does anyone have a plan for such?? I am planning (in my seat of pants/64 year (at the foot of masters) life of experience, engineers head...)...
Is there specific ideas for a 2"foam Hatch that details hard edges for attachment at piano hinge top and at bottom? Please reply today to help get me started or recommend another tntt Foam builder who can help. Thanks, Brian (SeaFoam-ie)
PS - I also have a 4x8 sheet of the plastic shower covering (PFD; ptf? or whatever?...) that I was considering as the bottom layer of the floor. Will anything like GG, primer?, etc stick to that stuff? Robin (who builds Hot Rods from scratch) has sufficient steel square tube and angle to expand the trailer, tongue, while keeping it Light. Axle will be cut and lengthened to keep wheels outside, with hangers moved out or not? TBD. Frame and basic structure will be ASAP (by Cmas!) with other aspects - in due time... If this goes well, Robin ( I may join), may begin TD production in SW Georgia. Not much demand for Custom Hot Rods around here anymore... Over and out! Come Back?

[rowerwet]

TBII is the best for sticking canvas to foam, mostly because it adds strength to the skin, but also because it can be molded back into shape with an iron, just like the foam. Paint isn't as hard when cured, or heat moldeable.
TBII is not the best for making the fabric impervious, once it is stuck, fill the fabric with exterior paint. Depending on how big your tear is, 5 gallons might do half of a small tear, the more oops paint you can get, the better.
For the finish color, the higher the gloss, the easier to wash.
My Mercury hatch is shaped the opposite of a normal tear hatch, but the basic hinge attachment is the same, glue a 1x board to the top of the hatch to attach screws to for hinge attachment. I make holes into the foam with the end of my drywall saw, or the bit attachment in my drill, then stick the nozzle of the PLpremium tube into the hole and pack it with PLP, letting the glue push the nozzle out as it fills the hole. Do this every 6" or so, then glue the board to the foam with more PLP so that it covers thsese "anchors" into the foam. Then wrap the board and foam with fabric to tie it all together.
Do the same to to mount a board at the bottom of the hatch, and to the hinge point on the tear body.
I recommend the live plastic hinge for galley hatches as it has no holes to leak, is much lighter, and much cheaper, both of my tears have it as the galley hinge.
There is a specific glue to stick FRP to stuff, not much sticks to FRP as it is plastic with fiberglass strands in it for strength. My foamie floor is plywood, I used some oops deck paint to coat it, but most on here like the fence post coating tar, regular old PMF will do the job just fine IMO.

[SeaFoam-ie]

rowerwet,
Tks for your reply. Good ideas. I got 6 sheets of 1.5' Iso board and am going to use it. We will see what happens...

[SeaFoam-ie]

rowerwet,
Tks for your reply. Good ideas. I got 6 sheets of 1.5' Iso board and am going to use it. We will see what happens...