Filon FRP siding

[SaGR]

Got a sample of Filon G-III in the mail yesterday.

I'm assuming you take the plastic coating off when it's applied?

It's actually a bit heavier than I expected, but it's nice stuff and very flexible yet rigid (if you understand what I mean). It'd follow the curves with ease.

[Mark72]

I think there may be some confusion about what is being called FRP. To me this stands for fiberglass reinforced plywood. This is the product I used on my Jim Dandy build, I got it staight off of a wrecked truck box at a local truck dealer. It is made of 1/2" high grade plywood that is bonded on the inside with a coat of textured fiberglass and is covered on the outside with slick finished fiberglass. This stuff has some very good advantages the most important is that my 54" tall by 9'10.5" long sides are cut from one constant peice of material. The strength of this material lends lots of flexability to design concerns. While my walls are insulated I didn't have to worry about strength in the framing I just laid out the framing to coinside with my needs for cabinet attatchment etc. and filled the voids with polysteyrene insulation and then covered them with my oak paneling. As far as availability goes, When I went to Apex trailer service to buy my aluminum for my roof I aked about this material. The parts room counter said they do get this material in for repairs to trailers and boxes.It usually comes in a sheet the length of a semi trailer and that they just cut off what they need and they may have it on hand or they may not. I think this may have an affect on the price as the job it is ordered for may pay them for the material. Apex is a reginal if not national size company so there may be one in your neighborhood if you are wanting to try this stuff on a future build.

Mark

[Podunkfla]

I think there may be some confusion about what is being called FRP. To me this stands for fiberglass reinforced plywood. This is the product I used on my Jim Dandy build, I got it staight off of a wrecked truck box at a local truck dealer. It is made of 1/2" high grade plywood that is bonded on the inside with a coat of textured fiberglass and is covered on the outside with slick finished fiberglass. This stuff has some very good advantages the most important is that my 54" tall by 9'10.5" long sides are cut from one constant peice of material. The strength of this material lends lots of flexability to design concerns. While my walls are insulated I didn't have to worry about strength in the framing I just laid out the framing to coinside with my needs for cabinet attatchment etc. and filled the voids with polysteyrene insulation and then covered them with my oak paneling. As far as availability goes, When I went to Apex trailer service to buy my aluminum for my roof I aked about this material. The parts room counter said they do get this material in for repairs to trailers and boxes.It usually comes in a sheet the length of a semi trailer and that they just cut off what they need and they may have it on hand or they may not. I think this may have an affect on the price as the job it is ordered for may pay them for the material. Apex is a reginal if not national size company so there may be one in your neighborhood if you are wanting to try this stuff on a future build.

Mark

Well Mark... What most of us think of as FRP is prolly "fiberglass reinforced plastic" panels.

Check out this Google search for same: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe ... tnG=Search

[Bodyman]

I tried Poly Max on my first teardrop I sprayed vinyl roof adhesive and had very good adhesion. But heat still expanded it something terrible on the roof I ended up using TPO roofing with good results. The sides are still Poly Max and are livable as long as it is not in direct sun. I will never use the stuff again.
On my second build I used FRP using Henry's adhesive on the sides and TPO on the roof . I did paint the FRP. I would definately use this again
Randy

[steve wolverton]

On my second build I used FRP using Henry's adhesive on the sides and TPO on the roof . I did paint the FRP. I would definately use this again

Is TPO the same stuff as FRP?

[Bodyman]

Is TPO the same stuff as FRP?[/quote]

No TPO is a commercial roofing Thin, flexable,white on the face gray on the back.
Randy

[mikeschn]

Bev used PVC on her teardrop. Chip used TPO. If you look at either one of their albums, you'll get a feel for what it would look like on your teardrop. The end result is about the same.

Mike...

[sandman]

I was doing a search here and saw Gage's post about the frp bathroom panels that you buy at Home Depot and he stated that his source told him that they shouldn't be used on the inside of a teardrop. This crushes my hopes since I bought 4 of those panels at Home Depot a few months ago. It's hard to believe that a panel made to go into a moist environment like a bathroom would be unsuitable for the inside of a Teardrop.

Since I have learned much info here, I am going to heed Gage's post and NOT use the bathroom panels I bought since they will not work. Is there any other materials sold by Home Depot that WOULD be suitable as interior ceiling panel. I want my ceiling to be white, easy to bend around the radii of the curves inside my tear. What would you guys use???? I don't want visible screws showing in the panels, can I get away with gluing the ceiling panels in place without the use of screws?????

[SteveH]

I used some white painted wood paneling that I got from Lowes. Seems to be working fine.

[Podunkfla]

I was doing a search here and saw Gage's post about the frp bathroom panels that you buy at Home Depot and he stated that his source told him that they shouldn't be used on the inside of a teardrop. This crushes my hopes since I bought 4 of those panels at Home Depot a few months ago. It's hard to believe that a panel made to go into a moist environment like a bathroom would be unsuitable for the inside of a Teardrop.

Since I have learned much info here, I am going to heed Gage's post and NOT use the bathroom panels I bought since they will not work. Is there any other materials sold by Home Depot that WOULD be suitable as interior ceiling panel. I want my ceiling to be white, easy to bend around the radii of the curves inside my tear. What would you guys use???? I don't want visible screws showing in the panels, can I get away with gluing the ceiling panels in place without the use of screws?????

I don't know any reason why the FRP panels sold at the big box stores wouldn't work fine for interior use in tears? It isn't RV resistant for exterior use, but inside should be just fine. It does expand and contract some with temperature changes... but so does wood. As long as you leave a little expanding room at the edges and cover them with some molding it would make a nice ceiling material. I have installed hundreds of sheets of the stuff in restaurant kitchens and baths... It is very durable. I have seen some very thin plastic at Lowe's that is not FRP; and I doubt it would be a good choice. Maybe that is what Gage is talking about?

[foolsfortune]

What if it was just screwed into place every foot or so so it could expand and contract at a rate other than what the wood....would?

It could be trimmed with your angle edging where needed and sealed up so that water din't get under it.......

So??? What if??? Mines just an enclosed DIY utility trailer....but I do want it to look purdy.

[Jeeper92]

I need a little clarification, if those panels at lowes arenot FRP what are they? they say FRP? Im soooooooo confused. When can i get the correct panels? Thanks. Heck buildign is hte easy part, siftign through all the info is the hard part

bob

[Miriam C.]

I think there is a difference between FRP and Filon. If you check the RV places they might be able to get you some panels at a good price and make sure you are getting something for outside.

Filon G-III Sidewall

Filon G-III is a durable, semi-rigid fiberglass sidewall panel material. The gel-coated surface is highly scratch and abrasion resistant with excellent weathering characteristics. Filon G-III ultra smooth sidewall panel is an ideal replacement for aluminum and provides an excellent surface for painted or applied graphics.

G-III series products are available in a variety of thicknesses: 0.045", 0.05", 0.06", 0.07", 0.075", 0.08", and 0.10". The panels also come in a variety of colors and sizes up to 108" x 700'. G-III series products are designed to provide excellent thermal stability, offering continuation of the Filon tradition of providing a low maintenance product.

Filon G-III Flyer 65107

Technical Data Information 65108

(Filon G-III replaces Filon RVF)


I think the difference might be the gel coating on the Filon panels. They are made for sidewalls and outside use.
http://www.kemlite.com/filon_frp/GIII.cfm
_________________

[Podunkfla]

I need a little clarification, if those panels at lowes arenot FRP what are they? they say FRP? Im soooooooo confused. When can i get the correct panels? Thanks. Heck buildign is hte easy part, siftign through all the info is the hard part

bob

"FRP" aka: Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic is a generic name any manufacturer can (and do) use to describe a variety of products. Many are not made for outdoor use. All the FRP I have bought from the big-box stores is the indoor variety. I have used a lot of it to line the walls of restaurant kitchens, meat cutting rooms, bathrooms and I've used it cut into 2' x 2' squares for suspended ceilings. It holds up very well for these applications. I have also left a spare piece or two outside for a couple years just to see what would happen. I am sad to report it does not do well: the surface got dull and the material got very brittle. I have been told you can paint it with good auto or marine paint over a primer made for plastic and it holds up much better? I haven't tried it yet. I do think you would have to use a paint additive "flex agent" like they use for plastic bumpers, because it expands & contracts a lot.

PS: You should have seen the look on the poor guy's face a Lowe's when I told him I wanted him to use their panel cutter to cut up 85 sheets into 2 x 2' pieces! Believe it or not... they have done this two times for me (with a little coaching on how to set up some "stops" on their cutter). I have been to other stores and they wouldn't cut it at all?

[Gerdo]

Mark72,

What? Someone else has used FRP (Fiberglass Reinforced Plywood) I used FRP on mine. I know I used too much also. I hated the itches when cutting it in 98* weather but that is behind me now. It is holding up great. It deffinitly takes some planing ahead when building with it. I did some edge drilling to run wires to some porch lights and all fasteners are seen.

Sorry for the hyjack!

P.S. I did use FRP (Filon) for the roof and hatch covering.