Flyin’ Gypsy - 6x10 vardo style Foamie build

[pchast]

You are doing well...

My only comment about your equipment list..
Carry those water jugs empty to your camping spot.
Each one full will weigh 40 to 45 lbs. As much as 220 lbs total.

That will tax your target tow weight.

[BrianInVA]

You are doing well...

My only comment about your equipment list..
Carry those water jugs empty to your camping spot.
Each one full will weigh 40 to 45 lbs. As much as 220 lbs total.

That will tax your target tow weight.

Thanks Pete.

Since I lengthened the tongue so much, three feet, and lengthened the bed by a foot and a half, the axle is no longer in the center of the camper. I ended up making the 6x10.5 footprint hang about 6” over the rear and 18” to the very forward point of the “V” shaped bed extension in the front, making the balance more similar to that of a boat trailer than a typical 4x8 utility trailer. I figured if it was too tongue heavy, I could fill some of the five gallon jugs and put them in the rear of the camper for “ballast.”

But you’re right, easier to fill them once I’m at my destination. I’ll keep one full for the journey, just to have a fresh water supply at hand.

I do have a Water Buddha portable “surfer’s” shower that is pressurized by a hand pump integral to the unit. I’m seriously considering putting a shower stall base in the camper with a simple hole and hose through the floor that would empty into a bucket outside, so I could shower inside the trailer, with a shower curtain on a hula hoop. I could just sit the Luggable Loo on the shower base and store the hula hoop and shower curtain when not in use. But I do have a five gallon aluminum water pot with spigot to heat water for a shower with the Water Buddha.

I’ve used this combination effectively when the five gallon water heater in the 30’ travel trailer in which I live (my version of a tiny house) needed a new circuit board and was out for several weeks. So maybe this will be one of the few foamies with an “inside stand up shower”?

4363E1F5-1D1D-4E48-B47A-1B7F163E6295.jpeg (52.27 KiB) Viewed 1260 times

05BC6360-D8AC-41C5-9F8F-DA91DBAFAD4F.jpeg (265.23 KiB) Viewed 1260 times

[BrianInVA]

Every time I get the blackened oak flooring of the trailer cleaned up, my kitty has to “help”; she walks over it with muddy paws!

CF3656B1-D7EA-4053-82C0-7478B31BD31A.jpeg (224.86 KiB) Viewed 1242 times

[GPW]

Typical !!!

[BrianInVA]

I finally got to the point of working with the 3” xps. Since I’m building a vardo style Foamie, I need arches for each end. I followed the instructions for drawing a large arc here:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ykzQurvEqOo

683F8683-4EC7-4DC1-9B0C-FE1E63CEB8BF.jpeg (139.82 KiB) Viewed 1206 times

I’m using the Hot Wire Foam Factory 4” hot knife with their Crafters Power supply and their Adjustable Sled Guide to hold the hot knife. This was my first try with the hot knife and using the sled guide to steady it.

52E8C017-AF6E-4216-825E-EB7A77DB0053.jpeg (136.74 KiB) Viewed 1206 times

The first arch turned out ok but far from perfect. My biggest mistake was in trying to hurry up the cutting with the 4” hot knife. Frankly because I’m cutting 3” xps instead of 2” I think I was trying to hurry it and bent the metal wand of the hot knife. It’s easily straitened but this Crafters level hot knife and power supply is way too slow for 3”xps.

First arch:

359625B1-0C69-46D1-A85C-20E7E8F1174F.jpeg (150.15 KiB) Viewed 1206 times

[BrianInVA]

Tracing out the second arch:

4882D6E3-0407-47F5-8B8D-E4D5B7461715.jpeg (127.35 KiB) Viewed 1210 times

Second arch:

58C376C0-D33D-4050-B236-3F3CED60ED5C.jpeg (149.37 KiB) Viewed 1210 times

The two arches compared. They’re actually fairly decent and definitely usuable considering this was my first try with a hot knife:

421F7B0D-4A83-4EF9-AE6D-F2AF989DCF32.jpeg (131.59 KiB) Viewed 1210 times

[BrianInVA]

This video shows the (relatively slow!) speed of cutting 3” xps with a crafters grade 4” hot knife and power supply:
https://youtube.com/shorts/OE2HrF8hGHk?feature=share

[BrianInVA]

The templates for the curved roof xps sheets, from cutting out the arches for each end. I’m making the arch 12” tall; I’ll cut kerfs every three inches in the xps sheets with a circular saw for the bend.

F57722C3-2791-4562-8630-2DE581C7477D.jpeg (448.87 KiB) Viewed 1175 times

[BrianInVA]

By the way, I didn’t ask (!) but when I inquired about using their glues for a Foamie camper, and if anyone had ever done so previously, the folks at Hot Wire Foam Factory were intrigued and offered a discount if I’d give them feedback as they had no documentation from anyone who had, if they could use photos of my build on their website. So no freebies but a decent discount, and I’m going to be brutally honest.

First critique - while their Craft level 4 inch hot knife foam cutter and power supply eventually cut this 3” foam, it took FOREVER. I bought the cheapest power supply. I’m sure one of their better power supplies would have made the 4” hot wire cutter work more quickly.

I had purchased Bosch jigsaw blades specifically made for cutting soft materials including rigid foam insulation. I used it for my first cut, to cut blocks to insulate the frame, but that blade wanders so far and wide it was completely useless.

The hot knife, while very slow in 3” xps, cut a nice straight line as long as I went slow. If I tried to hurry it, the wire bent easily, but it was just as easily bent back.

8005D47D-4247-4804-ACDF-FD6BDCAD3973.jpeg (107.21 KiB) Viewed 1174 times

[BrianInVA]

Cutting kerfs in the xps every 3.5” with a circular saw. Unfortunately the xps gums up the circular saw blade and makes the kerfs wider in spots.

242E7ED8-D8BF-43AE-AD08-F84468E54ED5.jpeg (160.27 KiB) Viewed 1140 times

[BrianInVA]

Playing with my iPhone:
https://youtu.be/bmjhyx3J4ZI

[BrianInVA]

The Foam Fusion glue I’m using to close the kerfs was really thick. I could hardly get it out of the bottle, but I suspect since it got down to 30• last night it was half frozen LOL

B1BDB878-8354-4A8C-8AA8-6AB3A152FCE9.jpeg (334.37 KiB) Viewed 1106 times

Regardless, it fit into the arch forms quite well.

Once I apply the pmf to the inside of the roof panel it should be quite rigid.

BB9124AC-AD12-4782-9F8D-AE8EC1F04A15.jpeg (379.38 KiB) Viewed 1106 times

[BrianInVA]

The Foam Fusion glue I’m using to close the kerfs was really thick. I could hardly get it out of the bottle, but I suspect since it got down to 30• last night it was half frozen LOL

DEFINITELY my mistake here.

I took the Foam Fusion bottle inside and put it in a pan of hot tap water and by the time the tap water had cooled to room temperature, the Foam Fusion had returned to the look and consistency of Elmers Glue. It was very easy to apply in that (proper!) consistency, and I went back and “injected” it with their 8oz squeeze bottle into all the kerfs that looked like they needed more.

[GPW]

Coming along nicely !!!

[BrianInVA]

Last night I applied the first layer of the pmf to the interior side of the first arched panel. I used muslin bought in a ten yard package from Amazon and the Foam Fusion glue. At room temp the Foam Fusion pours on and spreads easily. I prepared the xps surface with a wallpaper perforator from Amazon and used a wide spatula from Harbor Freight to spread the Foam Fusion. The muslin was starched out and pressed onto to glue by hand. The Foam Fusion held it firmly. After I had the whole panel covered I applied a second thin coat of the Foam Fusion over the muslin. Overall I’m pleased with how it turned out for a first effort at this process.

This photo is just before I finished glueing the muslin to the arched roof panel.

7E035488-978B-4CDA-A0A2-0F0575F3249C.jpeg (275.34 KiB) Viewed 1049 times

I put the thin coating of Foam Fusion on top the muslin last night. This is what it looks like today. The adherence is quite strong but I’ve never tried Titebond II to compare it.

2D4FC26E-6C06-4029-A418-B37E6E6E3094.jpeg (384.22 KiB) Viewed 1049 times

I have lots of pieces of xps and some Titebond II so I’ll do some tests comparing the adhesion of both that and the Foam Fusion to the muslin.