Fiberglass and/or epoxy finish on sides and roof?

[Esteban]

I'm a noobie trying to decide what to build. I'm tall. I want to build a 5 ft. wide, inside dimension, by about 10 ft. long Tear Drop. It'll be built atop a custom made trailer frame.

I'm not "in love" with the look of aluminum sheets and trim for the sides and roof. The limitations of readily available sizes of aluminum sheets constrain my design to no more than 5 ft. wide, plus a small fudge factor Steve T. the builder of FishInn shared with creative use of trim.

I looked up alum. sheet prices and posted them in a thread in the Trailer and Chassis Secrets forum:

I made a trial alum. sheet order from SAF.com:
1 sheet of 0.063 x 60" x 144" ($2.78/sq. ft.) $166.80 (front and roof).
1 sheet of 0.040 x 60" x 120" ($1.76/sq. ft.) $88.00 (hatch).
2 sheets of 0.040 x 48" x 120" ($1.76/sq. ft.) $140.80 (sides).

The cost from SAF.com would be $395.60 to skin a 5 ft. x 10 ft. TD with alum. sheet. I didn't figure trim pieces into the estimate. This is over a 100 lb. order, so shipping would be free.

I like Filon. It costs a budget busting $3 per sq. ft. with much more waste from cut offs than using alum. And I'd still have to install the same amount of of alum. trim.
I'd appreciate feedback and ideas, pro and con, from those of you who've used fiberglass and/or epoxy paint for your outside finish.

I bought Steve Fredericks cd. It's full of good ideas. I don't want to build a "woodie" which is the direction his lessons demonstrate.

I'd be pleased with a TD built with plywood for the sides and roof that are fiberglassed and/or painted in epoxy paint.

It could eliminate most of the alum. trim pieces, too, which I prefer for a cleaner look and water tightness.

An advantage, I hope, to using fiberglass and/or epoxy paint is that it frees me to more easily build my TD wider than 5 ft. The cost *seems competitive* to using alum. sheets and trim for a 5 ft. x 10 ft. TD.

Resolving this will get me a few steps closer to giving the muffler shop a frame plan and the go ahead for sparks to fly.

Thanks in advance,

Steve B. aka Esteban

[asianflava]

You can go wider than 60in. You will have to buy your aluminum skin from a semi traler repair place. It comes on a roll that is 101in wide.

[mikeschn]

Steve,

Take a look at Steve Frederick's build albums, or buy his CD. Lots of fiberglass information...

http://www.steve-frederick.com/page4.html

Mike...

[PaulC]

Steve, I used fibreglass sheeting on Number 1 and have just started gluing Number 2 with the same. I went for the f/g mainly due to the fact that aluminium is so hard, and expensive, to get in the sizes we require. I love it and it is tough as nails on my offroader. Just my thoughts.
Cheers
Paul

[Esteban]

Steve,

Take a look at Steve Frederick's build albums, or buy his CD. Lots of fiberglass information...

http://www.steve-frederick.com/page4.html

Mike...

Mike, I guess due to my long-windedness above you missed that I purchased, and am pleased with, Steve Frederick's CD. I plan to use many of his inside out building techniques. I don't want to build a woodie with a clear finish like Steve F. does so well. I don't need my TD to be that much of a work of art. I also don't want to have to keep redoing varnish every few years to protect it from UV damage.

I'm more inclined to use screws to attach the sides to the floor and frame and want to "hide" them under an attractive, durable, waterproof skin like fiberglass and/or epoxy over plywood if it's reasonably doable and not too expensive. I'd also rather round over the edge of the rooftop where it meets the sides and minimize the use of aluminum trim

Steve B.

[Esteban]

Steve, I used fibreglass sheeting on Number 1 and have just started gluing Number 2 with the same. I went for the f/g mainly due to the fact that aluminium is so hard, and expensive, to get in the sizes we require. I love it and it is tough as nails on my offroader. Just my thoughts.
Cheers
Paul

Paul, Did you use a manufactured fiberglass sheeting, like Filon? Or did you fiberglass it yourself kind of like glassing a surfboard?

Filon and alum. trim might cost about twice what skinning with alum. alone would cost...so even though I like the look it's a budget buster.

I live near the ocean. There are lots of local surf shops. Maybe I should ask a surfboard glasser to help me figure this out.

Steve B.

[Esteban]

kayakrguy used a paint that gives a look I like.

And WOW Nice Paint Job, all shiny, what the heck kind of paint is that to go on so nice and with a brush????

Interlux polyurethane paint by any chance???

mkw

It is Petitt Topside Marine paint..it goes on with a foam roller and then brush out the bubbles--one stroke, one direction....

Jim

[PaulC]

Steve, I used f/g sheet, made in Germany, very similar to Filon, I think. Over here it is the most economical way to cover a TD.
Cheers
Paul