Thrifty Alternatives ..Building Foam Campers

[GPW]

… a re-affirmation ...

[dancam]

I haven't settled on what will be used to secure the sheets to the foam panels, but Glidden Gripper, Great Stuff, or an adhesive that doesn't require evaporation to set are being evaluated through research of others' tests as well as some testing of my own.

All the Best,
Jim

Pl premium worked very well for me securing frp to foam. Not sure at all about nrp but it would be a product to test anyway.

Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk

[John61CT]

Is there an acronyms glossary somewhere?

PI
FRP
NRP
?

TIA

[GPW]

No , you have to read it in context … actually it’s a test we inserted to see who reads this thread and who doesn’t …

PL = a kind of adhesive
FRP = fiberglass reinforced panel
pmf = poor man’s fiberglass
? = we don’t know
YW AT J61

[John61CT]

Thanks.

Would that be ​Loctite PL-300?

[KCStudly]

I've always taken it like this;

PL is kind of a generic reference to any of those general polyurethane construction adhesives from Loctite. 'PL' is their brand name. There are several grades. In context this may even be assumed to be shorthand for PL Premium.
PLP is a specific reference to PL Premium
PL300 is a more specific reference to the blue caulk like stuff (stays rubbery) that is specifically intended for hanging foam board.

[jim_manley]

Hmm.
Did I just get "told" by the newbie?

"Schooled", schmaybe ... see, I really did earn that diploma in Foamology by reading every post in this thread - how else could I know about "schmaybe"?

And, who you callin' "newbie" ... I've been building trailers since when they had stone wheels (and not yet round!) while I was wearing an animal skin draped over one shoulder and yelling, "Yabba Dabba Dooooo!", when the bird's tail got pulled at the end of each shift

Now, what the heck did I come in here for ... ? I can't even remember whether I'm a geezer or a codger!

[GPW]

Personally I think that Diploma is a really Good idea !!! We should use it !!! After reading through this thread completely ,let’s face it , you deserve it !!!

This should also qualify You to go forth and teach the enlightened methods of the Foamie Trailer so all may have a place to stay on the road … schmaybe‘ ???

[jim_manley]

Personally I think that Diploma is a really Good idea !!! We should use it !!! After reading through this thread completely ,let’s face it , you deserve it !!!
This should also qualify You to go forth and teach the enlightened methods of the Foamie Trailer so all may have a place to stay on the road … schmaybe‘ ???

Hey Glen! Have y'all dried out from Himmicane Harvey's wrath? Hope all is dry and safe there - can relatives of Mr. Toad be expected in the dog's water dish soon?

Anyone who makes it all the way through every post here has to be classified as "lacking a lucid interval" (aka "loopy"), so issuing the diploma to the afflicted is the least we could do (literally - right now, the sweet words of nothingness we currently offer won't get you a foofy drink at a green-logoed purveyor of caffeine).

Since I am an edumacator as well as an engineer, fabricator, and spinner of endless e-mail yarns, I'm thinking seriously about writing the definitive book, at least in virtual form, summarizing the very wise tips, techniques, and procedures presented in the more sagacious posts here (not any of mine, of course! ). Given my 200+ wpm typing abilities (a professional hazard we software developers suffer) and gift/curse for gab, it shouldn't take more than a month to complete ... a month of Sundays ... with Blue Moons, that is!

Harbor Freight is having a 25% off coupon sale on Labor Day, but the coupon specifically says it doesn't apply to trailers. In fact, I've never seen a HF coupon that can be used to buy a trailer - did they just close a loophole that existed for a while, or are there coupons for discounts that large occasionally issued that can be used to buy trailers? I've seen price cuts in their ads to as low as $239 for the 1195-pound folding 48 x 96 inch, 4-lug tire model, and $329 for the 1720-pound 48 x 96 inch, 5-lug tire model (IIRC), but those didn't require a coupon.

[GPW]

JM , From my experience , Harbor Freight always has a SALE right after I buy the item I need…
For example , I just bought the $499 generator on sale for $426 , After the transaction was comnplete , they send me a brochure with the same exact item for $399… grrrr!!!

[alchemist77]

Has Anyone seen these videos? what are your thoughts and do you know of others?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjwW3308Ah0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lqit8U0XtDc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=us8o8eNV9To

I keep hearing about PMF and how to do it but pictures go a lot further.

[GPW]

David , covering with fabric is really easy if you take your time and plan things out . Some things to be aware of is good surface preparation, thorough glue coverage , and fabric shrinkage . But it does work very well, and also patches easily and neatly if needed …

It’s been said many times … “ Covering is an unhurried job ! ”

[Fiddlin'Billy]

DONE!!!!

Hello, my name is Billy and I'm in the process of amassing parts for a Foamie. I will start a build journal and post the requisite pet photos in the appropriate thread.
Here are some tidbits I'd like to add to this never ending tome.
The south does not have the market cornered on hot weather. Iowa gets into the 100s and high humidity with long stretches of 80s to high 90s for most of June July and August, and lately that has spilled over into April, September and October. We don't have hurricanes (thank God) but we do have tornadoes and wicked thunderstorms with high winds and the other nastiness that comes with that.
It also gets well below zero here in the winter - 72 degrees is not cold please stop saying it is. And it's NOT relative, cold is cold and 72 is freaking warmer than my thermostat in winter - put a sweater on.

What else....?
I gotta say, to continue to tell someone they just have to read this thread before they start (or to learn the build methods) is a bit ridiculous. Better to update the master list of build journals or point folks towards George's build since he's refining the process so nicely. I had to keep the browser open at work for 2 full weeks before I got smart and started emailing links to whatever page I was on at the end the day. Before that, when the browser was closed (accidentally by my co-worker who shares the computer and tolerates my duty shirking) I would have to click through a cARpload of pages because there is no "go to page x" button. It's a good thing the subject matter was so compelling and I had libations waiting to help ease the thread drift. I think there was a nice summary of the novella a few posts back. So much has happened in the ?!?!ten years two months?!? this story has been told. I hope folks are in good health and that the foamies are still intact.

I find the dead links and unviewable photos, of which there are many (seems like all links in the stickies) to be off-putting (like this post, eh? ).

I do have a question about that sledge hammer test and I thought someone else asked it too but it wasn't answered.
Was the sledge taken to a piece that was on the floor or some other surface? It seems to me that a better test would be to build a box and hit IT with the sledge. My suspicion is that it would create a big HOLE. Sort of like standing on a big stick while it's on the ground as opposed to standing on it while one end is elevated - snap! I'm still building a foamie, but I think that particular test shows nothing if it was done in the flat. The photos of the foamie that tipped while driving is the best example of durability. If only there had been a repair made instead of more driving leading to disaster.

I hope no one is offended as I can come across as a bit blunt when typing.
Wait, I need a couple more emojis

There.

[KCStudly]

Congratulations on making it thru the big thread and welcome to the forums!

You can, in fact, select and go straight to any particular page of a large thread, just click on the "page XX of XXX" indicator in the header and it will open a window that you can input the page number you want to go to.

The sledge hammer question is really a moot point. Show me a traditional stick built TD owner that will let you swing a hammer at their build. It is a meaningless comparison. Compared to a traditional stick built with reasonable wall skins (most experienced builders recommend 1/8 ply, or 1/4 at the most), damage would be similar in my opinion. the more important question is, which one will be easier to fix?

[ghcoe]

or point folks towards George's build since he's refining the process so nicely.

Thanks for the plug. Welcome to the forum.