Mike, Fiberglass roofing and siding

[Jeeper92]

there are no radius on my trailer, its straight lines all the way around. Picture the weekender on steroids

[Chuck Craven]

Oh that is even easier to glass. You can then use automotive paint and get the UV and a host of colors. After painting use a clear coat you have the same UV protection as cars have. I found that if your not very good at fiber-glassing Bondo and sandpapper works wonders on those opposes.

Chuck

[DBizer]

Luan Plywood may be used if it meets the following requirements.
1. It must be Type I (EXT) Exterior, which indicates that the panel has an exterior or
fully waterproof glue bond. This may also be indicated by the letter “P”.
2. Any of these three face grades is acceptable: OVL, CC, BB, with OVL (Overlay
Grade) being the minimum acceptable face grade.
3. Most panels are in 4’x8’ sheets. Acceptable minimum thickness is 5.2 mm, also
commonly available in 5.5 mm.
The types and grades of luan plywood are stamped on either the ends or the side edges (within
6” of either end) of each panel. Panels without these edge marks are of questionable origin and
should not be used. Most luan panels are manufactured in the Far East. Consistent quality and
panel warranty depend entirely on the manufacturer and the importer. It is important that the
luan panels come from an importer who maintains a quality assurance program at the
manufacturing mill.
NOTE: Extensive testing in the field has shown that using Type II (INT) interior glue
luan plywood will cause installation problems. The variable porosity and moisture
sensitivity of these panels can cause problems with adhesive bonding and panel edge
swelling.

This is part of a response to a question about luan plywood that was posted in a AWI (American Woodworking Institute) bulletin. Remember all plywood is not the same (search = plywood grading standards). Box stores tend to sell lesser grades of plywoods (imported plywoods have their own set of standards and are not regulated as closely. Lots of times, what "the box store" sells is'nt even luan, but is most likely Merranti.

Check with an area Cabinet maker or millwork for their sources of quality hardwood plywoods. Allot of times the "retail prices" from these "Wholesale" sources is nearly the same as the "Box store" price of of a far inferior product.

Many high end Kayak builders use TYPE 1 exterior luan as the skins of their boats.

Just my thoughts!!! Not all luan plywood is the same!!! or any other species or thickness.

David

[Jeeper92]

Ok to finish after its all build what would i need to do?
Pint it and be done with it?
Help me out please
thanks a bunch

[packerz4]

yes, I want to do it as cheaply as possible, there is something wrong with that?

No problem with being cheap Jeeper! I shop at goodwill and rummage sales all the time, and Freecycle... i find neat stuff and components cheap all the time because I'm cheap. but i also like to shop at those places because when i see stuff it gives me ideas, and inspiration to be creative.

I think the thing to remember is that you will learn a lot from trial and error. there is no way around that, and it's so valuable, it's worth embracing rather than trying to prevent every mistake.

just get to building, and deal with one issue at a time. if you try to pre-plan every step and fore-see every scenario you will never get your trailer built cuz you'll drive yourself nuts.

there really is no right or wrong way... look at steve's puffin, he just built it and it's still evolving... you'll always be changing things, and upgrading, it's the nature of: "Yep, i built that myself". post some pics. keep a blog of your progress, as things come up, people here will help, or you will be able to find your answers by using the search functions.

i'm not an expert, but it seems to me you should stay away from luan... bite the bullet and go with plywood. little more now will prevent more expense of repairs and labor and regrets later.

did you buy your trailer yet? if you are concerned about the size, why not go with an axle and custom frame? or build like mine is: find an old pop-up, and tear it apart to use the frame. that guy from canada just did that... i think ken hood?--- i see old beat up pop-ups all the time for $100 -$300, and you can use a lot of the lights, and stuff out of 'em.

maybe i should have pm'd you this post, but i think maybe it's some stuff that a lot of people might agree with?

best of luck to you... shut down the webpage for a few hours and have fun building! remember to post pics! i look forward to watching your progress.

Respectfully,
tk

[Chuck Craven]

Ok to finish after its all build what would i need to do?
Pint it and be done with it?
Help me out please
thanks a bunch

Give this place a look. http://www.raka.com/
If you give them a call he will help you over the phone. Give Steve Fredrick a PM he may have other places to get good info from.
He has a how to do Epoxy very short curse on his web site. Steve Fredrick has some good info on his web page also. If you use the slow thin epoxy and put on 3 or 4 thin coats it can come out looking very good.

Chuck

[Chuck Craven]

I am using (B C X fir plywood) for the roof, then fiber-glassing it to make it water proof. Then my plan is to use Vinyl contact cemented over that. I have done glasswork before and have had poor looking results. But I have learned a lot from this forum and if it looks good I will just paint it with automotive paint and forget the vinyl. The sides will be stained and CPES from Rot Doctor and spar varnished.

Chuck

[Jeeper92]

thanks for the inout,
A custom trailer is out, way too much money, i like the idea of buildign it on a 4x8 anyway,. I also like hte idea of building it for as cheap as possible nad under 1000
You are right Im gettign the trailer tom or sunday and jsut gonna put a floor and sides on. Ill worry bout the interior as i go. I like the look of my design, its not a rounder trailer its more boxy, like my jeep.
thanks