TD Walls bowed out -does my TD have gas?

[Keith B]

Okay.. the drawing below is over exaggerated just to get the point across.. but basically... the measurement at the floor and the measurement at the top of the front bulk head and the measurement at the roof are all the same, 60".. however, in the middle of the wall both are bowed out 1/4". If you put a square on the floor it wont line up with the wall, and both side are bowed out. I checked square and it's right on - it's just simply like the TD has turned into a balloon, pushing out, so to speak. Is this one of those, "just gotta live with it" things. Typical plywood probably had a bow in it and the 1/2" interior framing just wasn't enough to keep it flat. Any suggestions? If this is just the way it is, well shucks, because it's going to be tough to get the doors to close flat too.

[Dale M.]

Plywood will take a curve...

When you install sleeping compartment/galley wall you can probably pull the warp out of the plywood....

Dale

[Keith B]

That's what I hoping for...

[doug hodder]

Keith, another idea...take your doors and when you aren't working with them, lay them flat...don't leave them standing/leaning, they can get cupped and it's not a fun time to flatten them out at that point...just my experience...Doug

[Keith B]

Hey Doug.. I just did that tonight. I put them on the floor and parked the front of the Jeep on them.. think that'll be enough weight. But I still have the problem w/ the walls themselves.... in hind sight... it's purely in my design fault...the front bulkhead needs to be further inboard...NOW I KNOW why these are cylindrical and doors in the middle.. dang me.. I might have to do some "unique" design on the exterior w/ steel or something to flatten the walls out.

[doug hodder]

Don't sweat the walls till you get the bulkheads in...if the ply is still a little green, you might want to clamp and straighten it up, especially at the door opening while it does it's thing with the moisture content...that's about all you can do at this point. It'll be fine, and the bulkheads will straighten and strengthen it up tremendously...also...windows will help flatten a door as well as the hinges that Grant sells...they have saved me on the last 2....Doug

[Miriam C.]

keith,
If you are framing around the door perhaps you can put a header across the entire side. The side door framing should help too. Are you framing around the window too?

[Keith B]

Thanks for the tip Doug.. I have some 2x2x1/4" steel. Maybe I'll clamp it top to bottom to flatten it out and work on something else for a couple weeks.. but you know.. TD FEVER.

[Keith B]

Miriam.. the walls are done and stood, finished on the inside.. they just cupped outward, most likely shop heat is messin w/ me or they were already cupped, or both... either way, I'll have to make it work - WAY to much work to scrap it now..plus, I want to finish it and enjoy it.

[asianflava]

Yep wait till the bulkheads and cabinets are installed. They will square it up. A front bulkhead/cabinet will give the nose a lot of strength too.

[Ira]

My right wall at the galley end bowed out from exposure to weather (had to build it outside), and I couldn't fix it. Had to build the hatch to follow that bow.

She ain't an engineering thing a beauty, but at least I can usually close the hatch in under 5 minutes.

[toypusher]

Thanks for the tip Doug.. I have some 2x2x1/4" steel. Maybe I'll clamp it top to bottom to flatten it out and work on something else for a couple weeks.. but you know.. TD FEVER.

Keith,

I would advise you try putting a couple or three spars in along the top (just temp or whatever keeps the top of the wall evenly spaced) and then use angle iron or something really ridgid and straight to put along the vertical of the outside walls and clamp it together in the center were the bow is. Middle of the door openings should work. Just leave it clamped until you get your bulkheads in place.

Hope that makes sense.

[Keith B]

Thanks all. I secured the roof for now and put some stiffeners on the wall and pulled them in just over a 1/4".. hopefully the ply will cure and dry like that so when I remove them it'll end up being flat. Like Ira - I may just have to have a one of a kind engineered TearDrop - a unique, one of a kind, must see, never to be recreated dream camper on wheels. At least they're both bowed out so it's all pretty even - see, gotta look for that silver lining. Thanks again everyone.

[Hamcan]

Keith in your repy to Miriam you say the inside of the walls are finished.....so I assume that you have not finished the other side of the plywood.....could be a major reason that your walls are cupping.

If one side of a peice of wood is sealed and the other not, cupping will occur when the unsealed side absorbs moisture and the sealed side does not and/or the moisture in the wood cannot escape out both sides evenly. Plywood is very susceptible to this because of the crossply layers.

Food for thot.

Regards, JG

[Keith B]

When I said finished, I meant.. exterior skin is on, framing and insulation in and interior skin is on - no more opportunity to add headers, etc.. I've got 'er clampped up in a "negative potion" to hopefully correct the problem as the fresh "off the shelf" lumber dries in the heated shop. I should have known better. When I do finish cabinet work I almost always let the trim lay in the house for about 30 days to "do it's thing"... none-the-less, I'm moving forward and hopefully my "persuasive clamping" will help out.