How do you guys and gals do it?

[Ken B.]

I've got my frame and ordered my plans. I'd like to have finished wood sides on my trailer. I've seen in pictures many Tears that have finished wood sides with no evidence of covering screw heads on the outside finish. How were the bulkheads and galley cabinetry attached to the walls? I'm sure I'm getting ahead of myself here but so many ideas are going thru my head!

I spent yesterday trying to get my one car garage neaten Thasnd up so I can get going. Though I'm not a full fledged carpenter I do work in a shop with a large table saw and every kind of wood tool you can imagine so I'll be cutting my profile out at work. Thanks for any tips! Ken

[Steve_Cox]

I've seen in pictures many Tears that have finished wood sides with no evidence of covering screw heads on the outside finish. How were the bulkheads and galley cabinetry attached to the walls? Ken

Epoxy with adhesive filler and or countersunk screws with wood plugs.

[mikeschn]

countersunk screws with wood plugs.

I like the wood plugs!!! See the photos of Roly's build.

Steve Frederick doesn't go thru the walls from the outside. All his screws go into the sides from the insides. Naturally, you have to provide some material for the screws to bite into without going thru the walls.

Mike...

[del]

One way to hide the screws is trim over them.

You could attach the trim with glue and brads and hide them. Now I will let some body who has built one of these beauties jump in.

del

edit; this is Roly's trailer.

[Juneaudave]

Ya could glue wood strips on, using wedges, so you don't use nails or screws...

[Alphacarina]

I've seen in pictures many Tears that have finished wood sides with no evidence of covering screw heads on the outside finish. How were the bulkheads and galley cabinetry attached to the walls?

Use glue and a brad nailer to attach cleats to the insides of your walls - No screws or nails through from the outside needed, so nothing to cover

Don

[bobhenry]

I veneered luan over my osb subsiding with nothing but glue. Lotsa glue !
Used long 2x4 's on edge and pipe clamps to clamp them till set. Hasn't blown off yet with a little over 3000 miles and 2 seasons in the weather.
Someday I'll get the halo trim on it maybe.

[Sam I am]

I used trim around the perimeter of the tear to cover up the screws for the spars and where the walls attach to the floor. The screws for the galley bulkhead and front headboard bulkhead are exposed, but barely noticeable. I was too lazy to sink them below flush and make plugs!

[Mary K]

I used a Pocket Hole Jig to install the cabinets from the inside.




I also, skinned my TD sides (1/8 birch) and could have covered up plugs/holes if I had them.



Good luck with your build!!

[Roly Nelson]

Ok, I'll jump in here. One important thing. If you are planning on covering screws with wooden plugs, the easy part is laying out plug locations. Then it boils down to drilling through holes for screws, countersunk holes for screwheads, bandsawing hundreds of 1/2 inch dowel plugs, gluing plugs in and slamming them home.......Then after glue is dry, plan on sanding plugs down flush, with the grain, all the while holding the sander at all odd angles which will seem forever.
Roly

[RICHARD FURROW]

Whittled out of a solid redwood log?



Ricky

[Juneaudave]

Whittled out of a solid redwood log?



Ricky

Oh heck no...you can easily whittle out a plug or two from the home-made picture frame of your mother-in-law!!!

[len19070]

Mirrors, string and tinfoil. And, an smoke...lots of smoke.



Its mystical.

Seriously, with a raised trim Woody you just bolt/screw through the first layer of ply to connect things, roof spars, shelves what have you.

Then the raised trim covers all.

Happy Trails

Len

[planovet]

Whittled out of a solid redwood log?



Ricky

Oh heck no...you can easily whittle out a plug or two from the home-made picture frame of your mother-in-law!!!

[Frosteez]

OK here's my 2 cents worth. We have 3/4" plywood sides so I got some 1/2" angle aluminum, cut it to 6-8" pieces and painted some 5/8" screws. After drilling holes I just mounted the angle on what I wanted to secure and there you go. This is when you realize the tight working areas of a T.D.