Slow Build in Oz

[Westy]

Mick, you are probably being a bit precious with regards to this plywood and causing yourself much grief.

Generally, the process is, fix the ply to the frame, cover it with your preferred outer layer- fibreglass, PMF or aluminium sheeting and seal it so that it is waterproof. Your outer layer creates the seal against the elements.

You're not building the Titanic so no need for all this super strength plywood.

I went PMF using hessian (burlap to out Yank friends) and 10 odd coats of paint. I've not had one issue in the 3 years it has been subject to the weather.

Just chill and go with what is available.

Westy

[MickinOz]

Mick, you are probably being a bit precious with regards to this plywood and causing yourself much grief.

Generally, the process is, fix the ply to the frame, cover it with your preferred outer layer- fibreglass, PMF or aluminium sheeting and seal it so that it is waterproof. Your outer layer creates the seal against the elements.

You're not building the Titanic so no need for all this super strength plywood.

I went PMF using hessian (burlap to out Yank friends) and 10 odd coats of paint. I've not had one issue in the 3 years it has been subject to the weather.

Just chill and go with what is available.

Westy

Wanting waterproof glue and easy to bend is being too precious?
I'm not looking for super strength - just don't want to have a lot of work delaminate.

The trouble is - right now nothing is available.

[PaulC]

And with the attitude you are taking, nothing ever will be.

Check out the Bondal range of waterproofing products for r timber. I used it on all of my builds.

Cheers
PaulC

[MickinOz]

And with the attitude you are taking, nothing ever will be

What a rude thing to say. What part of wanting to ensure the roofing ply I buy has a waterproof bond and is thin enough to bend, and wanting to inspect before I buy constitutes "taking an attitude"?

Anyway, I went into Home Hardware today to find they have a pack of 4mm marine ply in.
So problem solved.
$75/sheet, but ah well, at least they have it.
And I got to slide some sheets out and check the faces and read the branding

Check out the Bondal range of waterproofing products for r timber. I used it on all of my builds.

I bought Bondal marine polyurethane for the mix. One of the Aussies (edgeau?) recommended it.

[MickinOz]

Took time out this weekend. Attended the TTXT500 Muster in the Barossa.
Won a trophy for longest ride to get there.

Best bit was one of the other exhibitors (Kym) arrived with a teardrop in tow.
Second outing for his brand new Little Guy Rough Rider.
Didn't take a lot of arm twisting at all to get a look-see.
They are built here in Adelaide and are very nicely constructed.

Seems Little Guy campers is the owner and one assistant. A lot of the work is farmed out, such as chassis, a lot of cutting, etc.
They build/assemble about 40 units a year, according to Kym.

Got a good look at the kitchen/rear hatch assembly.
The hatch is steel framed and skinned with what looks like thin fibreglass sheeting.
Rest is plywood I think.

North of $20K with all the options selected, I think.
Sounds a lot, but it's damned nice.
Fridge, microwave, electric brakes, upgraded mudguards, mount for a motorcycle on the drawbar, serious looking off road tow hitch, BIG off road tyres, full size queen mattress, super duper roll out canopy, etc.

[tony.latham]

North of $20K with all the options selected, I think. Sounds a lot, but it's damned nice.

When you're done with yours, take another look at that price and see if your opinion has moved north or south.



Tony

[MickinOz]

North of $20K with all the options selected, I think. Sounds a lot, but it's damned nice.

When you're done with yours, take another look at that price and see if your opinion has moved north or south.



Tony

Well, when you put it like that......

It is a lot, but it was damn nice.
Still, If I apply myself, I expect to be less than half that for a decently built camper.

[MickinOz]

And so begins the wood butchering.
Bought some timber, cut a couple 9 foot side rails and cut some housed joints for the cross members.
Happy with the way they came out.

[MickinOz]

Floor frame assembled.
The 'drop will be 61" x 106" internal measurements

[MickinOz]

Got me a floor. It's been slow, but I do a little every weekend and see a little progress.
5'1" x 9'.
Frame 2 3/4" x 1 3/4 longitudinal, 2 3/4" x 1 3/8" transverse joists.
10 x 3/8 bolts hold the frame to the trailer chassis.

[Shadow Catcher]

One thing to remember, You are building an aircraft not a tank

[MickinOz]

I do try to remember that.
The thing is the long sides of the trailer are only 4 feet 6 across.
That timber frame is the entire backbone of the box.
It is what widens the trailer to allow the floor to be 5 feet wide, and the two long members will also take the side walls.
If I'd settled for a double rather than a queen size mattress, I'd have not needed the frame at all, I could have screwed the walls and floor straight to the chassis.
No regrets now I've laid on the five wide.
The walls will be 17mm ply, not intending any wall framing at all.
I'm much inspired by this build:
viewtopic.php?f=50&t=29535&start=30

[MickinOz]

P.S.
Before I started the floor, I calculated the weight of the frame and extra floor sheeting.
Using the ply I have, 2400mm x 1200mm x 15mm, weight of a sheet is 22kg.
The trailer chassis cross members aren't spaced or shaped right for supporting a sheet, so I'd have had to add some more cross members, but leave them out of the equation for now.

Adding the timber frame and making the floor 2700mm x 1550mm x 15, weight is 49 kg.
So for an extra 27kg / 60lbs, I went from 32 square feet of floor space to 45 square feet.
I reckon that is a fair trade, me and the missus were never going to be comfortable in anything less than a queen size bed.
I've been keeping a bit of a running total of the weights added and subtracted. Haven't weighed it for some time, but the tracking suggests I'm about still under 200 kg (440 lbs) at this point. I reckon I'll bring it in around 400kg.

[MickinOz]

Well I've successfully turned 2 x 2400mm sheets into 2700mm sheets.
They are not perfect to my eyes, but my super fussy DIY mate said, "Heck, they came up alright mate."
While I obsessed over the adequacy of 85mm of overlap in the join, he laughed and said "You're not building a tank."
Seems to be a common theme.

Joined sheet D face.JPG (43.1 KiB) Viewed 3873 times

So hot here.
Over the border in Victoria 30,000 people have been told to leave East Gippsland.
If they are not out by 09:00, the roads will probably be closed and they'd better hope their bushfire survival plans are adequate for the worst fires we've ever had.
Add in 15,000 from the cancelled Falls Festival, and there's a chance the highways in Victoria will become giant carparks.
Fire commanders on the news are using phrases like "only so much authorities can do", "people need to be personally prepared" and "leave now, can't guarantee your safety, etc".
Here in South Oz, the Adelaide Hills and Kangaroo Island are in strife.

South Oz.JPG (47.58 KiB) Viewed 3873 times

NSW is cactus

NSW.JPG (27.33 KiB) Viewed 3872 times

[MickinOz]

Forecast is for 44C (111F) today.
It was only 42 yesterday.
I should be sitting at my desk sorting out receipts and things, getting ready to dump the whole shoe box on my accountant's desk so we can file my tax return.
Or, I could be taking advantage of the hot dry weather to wash the carpets.
Suppose I could load the dog in the ute and take him down to the beach for a swim.
Maybe that'd knock some more loose hair out of his coat and reduce the need for carpet cleaning.

Instead, I'm sitting here looking at the generic Benroy plans.
The plans call for a 19 inch radius at the front, and the same at the rear to smooth out the transition from curved to straight at the rear.
The 4mm marine ply I can buy locally is hardwood, and looks really inflexible. I expected to at least flex it easily in the rack at the shop, but got a bit of a shock at how stiff it is.
Will it bend a 19inch radius without cracking?
Should I increase the radius to 24 inches, to give myself a better chance?
Given the tear will be closer to 9 feet long than 8 feet, would there be an unacceptable loss of head room at the front?
Should I do away with the 19mm radius at the rear and just use a single radius a bit shorter than 48 inches?

Trouble is - I like the Benroy profile as drawn.

I really like this viewtopic.php?f=50&t=29535&start=214

If my camper comes out as nice as caseydog's I'll be very happy.
He used some sort of skinning material he got from Home Depot. It appears to have been dead simple to bend around any radius you choose, and the visible screws look cool to me.
That material ain't gunna happen here. I've never seen a Home Depot in Australia.

I have found a place interstate that sells fibreglass sheet off the roll.
Choices 1.5mm, 2.0mm and 2.4mm thick.
I'd go for 2.0 or 2.4mm thickness.
Price isn't significantly higher than plywood.
Just gotta persuade them that "pickup only" is too hard for me - and negotiate a freight option.

If anyone for South Australia knows of a source in this state I'd like to hear of it.
I've tried a couple of caravan places in Adelaide and the repair guy in Port Wakefield, no joy.