Rebel Foamie - A Squaredrop & Pup Journey

[Reubal]

Hey everyone, I want to start by thanking everyone for all the years of knowledge, experience, experiments, trials, and errors you have put your effort into that us new folks could learn from. Over the past year I have been designing cargo conversion layouts but alas my weak Ford Edge can only manage so much weight, so I have decided that if I have to go lighter and smaller than I want to, then I will go REALLY light, so foamie it is.

I am in Los Angeles, and we are an XPS deadzone, so right now that is the main thing that I am waiting for. I placed an order from a company in Florida this past Friday for 20 pieces of 1" 250 (I'll be doing 2" walls, but laminating 1" pieces). I got an email Monday morning stating that their supplier if completely out of stock on everything - blue and pink of any thickness, except they do have 15 sheets of 1" 2x8 250 in stock. Nope. So I'm waiting to hear updated availability. My next best option is driving to Las Vegas and bringing it back - and I am always up for a Vegas trip, but I can't fit anything longer than 5.5' in my car. So I wait. If anyone has any sources for 1" 4x8 250 that will ship to CA, please let me know.

I have been unable to find decent and cheap flat trailers in the area. Most are either too heavy duty, too expensive ($2000+) or both. Obviously Harbor Freight is our most economical solution, but I'm willing to pay up to $1000 for something better and stronger. I priced out local lightweight steel (you all know that the total weight is so low on these), and the steel alone came to just over $900 locally, and then I'd still have to weld it and buy axle/wheel/tires, etc, so I ordered a 5x8 Aluminum from Northern Tool. I was fine with the cheaper steel trailer, but the aluminum had free shipping, so cost less than paying to ship the steel one. That will arrive in the next two weeks.

So in the meantime I am sourcing all other materials to get ready. It's a squaredrop with minimal rounding for PMF adhesion. It will be a 6x8 floorplan, 5' tall from floor to top of walls. (so 5'2"-ish to the top of roof)

The basic plan is:
Base: NT aluminum 5x8 ** widened to 6x8 with aluminum L channel on top of the trailer.
Wheel/Tires: upgrade 12" bias ply to 14" radial
Floor: Waterproofed 3/4" OSB bolted to the frame, bedliner underneath + 1" 250 XPS + glued vinyl plank flooring
Walls: 2x1" 250 XPS with 1x2 aluminum run up through the side walls for roof rack on top.
Back door: vertical lift-assist - DIY built
Windows: One on each side will be eBay used RV windows.
Main Door: I don't want to spend the crazy money on a VT teardrop door, so I'm leaning toward DIY. I have read SO MUCH on this, and I really want the reliability and seal of the manufactured door, but I don't want to spend the money. I have about a month to get my plan in order on that.
Skin: Tightbond2, HF canvas, paint on top. I will be exploring ways to get a smooth coat on the PMF. I don't need it, but I want it, so I WILL figure it out. (or not) And I plan an 80s retro paint job.


Interior layout will be sleeping sideways on a 4x6 bed leaving ~4' of available floorspace, to include shelves, fridge/cooler, AC, and 2500wh solar battery setup. Sideways sleeping is the only reason for the 6' widening of the trailer. The bed will be a raised platform about 16" high for storage under, and the bed will convert in two directions. It is divided in half so that I can lift the rear half up to have an inward facing couch, or I can lift the front half up and have an exterior facing couch. I won't be doing any real cooking out there, so no galley, I will just have a nice open back to sit and chill with my Border Collie facing the scenery.

I work 45 hour weeks and am allowed ZERO time off, and it has been over 3 years since I have had anything that resembles a vacation. I took my pup tent camping in Joshua Tree for a single night last October and was reminded why it has been 20 years since I have tent-camped. So the plan is to make a weekend getaway trailer for me to take the dog out to BLM land or campgrounds for a night or two so I don't go crazy.

And I don't have any photos yet to share, so here is my adventure pup bestie out at Joshua Tree. I promise this thread will be full of build photos as soon as my trailer comes in and then the foam.

Thanks for a great community, and I'm going to need a lot of help!!!!

-Reubal

[John61CT]

USHIP.com for bids to transport your foam

[saywhatthat]

lot of luck with you build

[Reubal]

USHIP.com for bids to transport your foam

I'll look in that! Thanks!

With regards to fiberglass vs PMF and foam choice, like most people, it's a matter of cost vs needs. I will mostly be hot weather camping in 110F locations, so foam choice is mostly informed based on insulation factor followed by strength. And since I have no experience with fiberglass fabrication, it would be really expensive to experiment with, and that's aside from the additional costs of material even if I were able to get it right. I don't doubt for a second that you are correct that there are other great options, but I'm also not trying to reinvent anything here, I just want things to go as cost effective and as smoothly as possible, so I decided to just replicate what all the other experienced builders have done before me. Thanks for the tips, though, and I will keep them in mind as I get closer to finalizing decisions.

[Wolfgang92025]

Reubal,

I know what you have to go through to get foam in So Cal. We were camping in Nor Cal and I happened tp stop at a home depot.
Bought the needed foam and tied it to the roof get get it back to San Diego. No that I live in a colder climate, its easy.
Good luck with your built......

BTW, looks like you have a great camping buddy.

[Reubal]

I haven't heard back about my foam order. I think what will happen is I will get my NT trailer in, build that, and then drive it to Vegas to get the foam. It will actually cost me more than double for the gas to Vegas and back than the shipping from the FL foam company, But I'd also be able to pick my own pieces, while I would be stuck with whatever pieces in whatever condition they get to me from FL.

I've been pricing out aluminum - I wanted to use 1x2 rect tube for my door jams and door edges, but that has come to over $700. I'm going to have to read through the build that used the sheetmetal flashing for the door frames again. I have a plan for the aluminum - I don't fully understand the flashing process.

I suppose I should get a trailer hitch on my car and start practicing maneuvering a trailer.

[Reubal]

QUESTION:

For minimal frame foamies (for the sake of argument, let's say NO wood at all) just PMF over 2" XPS, how well does it handle a couple solar panels on top or an awning on one side?

I'm certain the structure can hold the weight no problem, but I'd be concerned about airflow UNDER the solar panels causing lift on the roof and/or body, and also the air pull on a side mounted awning also causing structural issues while driving.

What about a stand up paddle board on the roof?

Unfounded worries?

Thanks!

[John61CT]

No, any significant weight up there requires more traditional framing.

As you mention, static loading is irrelevant, it's the forces under load at highway speeds that must be accommodated

and panels have a huge airflow resistance even without wing effects.

My plan is a metal tubing spaceframe exoskeleton spec'd to support 800# on the roof rack.

The foamie "living pod" then slides in within that, can be used as a work utility platform without the pod.

The roof rack could also accommodate a RTT for kids or guests coming along, but getting away from "tiny" there.

A raising mechanism for both elements is the bigger challenge, figure the pod shell's top half is suspended, gets pulled up, from the bottom of the roof rack.

[Reubal]

Thanks for the great reply, John.

And to be clear. My trailer is aluminum and I will be either welding or bolting (4) 1x2 aluminum rect tube uprights to the frame and up through the walls, and then a crossbar connecting them over the top of the foamie, and they'll look similar to traditional roof racks. The plan is to keep the crossbar as low as possible, maybe even flush with the roof, to minimize air going under.

I have no problem using the thin flexible sheet solar panels glued directly to the top of the foamie, but I've also done a lot of research into solar panel angles, so I'd like to at least have the option to go with rigid positionable panels if I choose. I'd rather not go with portable, "suitcase" panels as I spend a lot of time away from camp while hiking, and would rather have something "permanently" attached to the trailer and not just sitting in camp free to take.

Thanks again!

[John61CT]

Those so-called semi-flex panels are crap, won't last more than 2-3 years on average with regular use, as opposed to decades with traditional framed panels.

And all panels require a ventilated space below, heat buildup is meltingly huge otherwise.

So long as you have that strong metal frame (not a foamie anymore IMO) just design and fab the rack you want.

Tilting can double your actual Ah/day input to your bank.

[Reubal]

Good to think about.

It WILL be a foamie. I had watched reviews for the panels that showed good output, but I wasn't aware of the heat issues due to no air circulation. It looks like I will either go back to the portable panels, or explore/experiment with rooftop wind redirection.

Thanks for the feedback!

[tony.latham]

Those so-called semi-flex panels are crap, won't last more than 2-3 years on average with regular use, as opposed to decades with traditional framed panels.

And all panels require a ventilated space below, heat buildup is meltingly huge otherwise.

So long as you have that strong metal frame (not a foamie anymore IMO) just design and fab the rack you want.

Tilting can double your actual Ah/day input to your bank.

John:

My ETFE Renogy panel is fine after three years. It's the cheaper PET panels that are junk. Or at least most of them. Ventilation? My panel is never more than about 10º warmer than the roof surface.

That's the real world, not something I read on a forum somewhere.



Tony

[Reubal]

Thanks Tony, that's good to know. I'm always interested in seeing/hearing real world first hand experience.

[Reubal]

Well, after reading this post&thread: http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=44671 , I have now changed my direction. Getting the XPS to Los Angeles was still proving hard, And the tent trailer, while not what I originally wanted, will end up being a cheaper and quicker build, and it will solve my issue of a secured rack for rigid solar, paddleboard, and more, and I can now even consider adding the weight of a solar shower.

The Kodiak truck tent should be here tomorrow. I am PRAYING for an email today from Northern Tool that the aluminum 5x8 trailer is on its way, but I'm not holding my breath.

I only posted this update because I'm sure you get a lot of people over the years that START a build and then disappear, and I'm not disappearing, just changing gears.

So the Foamie Square is now a Trailer Tent. I won't have much to say until I get the trailer and then I'll detail everything in a new thread over in the Non-Traditional Design section. I have a lot of time to plan, and I think I have planned a fairly unique take on an equipped tent trailer. We can only wait to see how it turns out.

Thanks again for all your info, answers, and support.