New Old Guy From SW

[Igor]

I get "Preview" and "Submit" mixed up. Forgive me if I double post.':?'

New guy here. But I've been lurking for several months. I must say that I'm a member of several other forums and lurk at a few others (none related to teardrops) and this is by far the most generally helpful and friendly forum I have visited.':thumbsup:'

I must also say that I may never build a teardrop. I'm retired so I have the time. And while I retired from hospital social work, I grew up in construction, and have worked as a carpenter, so I probably have most of the required skills. Truth is though Ive gotten lackadaisical in retirement and Im as likely to buy a small factory built trailer (or Class B motorhome) as I am build a teardrop. But maybe the cheap stingy b******d (or the prideful wood butcher) in me will motivate me to build and not buy.

If I build, I'll probably build a Benroy profile on a TS utility trailer (which I have ) using the materials and methods many of you have already used. But I am curious about possibly using composite panels.

I have a friend who manufactures Structural Insulated Panels. His stock-in-trade is OSB and Polystyrene (non-heat vacum bonded) panels for residential construction, but he has fabricated other types of panels, including panels of FRP and polystyrene. And (as an example) he can fabricate a 4'x8'x2" panel consisting of a foam core with thin okuma plywood on both sides and aluminum or fiberglass on one side that weighs about 25lbs.

I'm not asking for an engneering analysis (he can provide me one at some point) but I'm hoping you guys can give me some preliminary general feedback. Has any one used vacum bonded composite panels of any sort in their teardrops? Does this seem like a wreck waiting to happen? (want to avoid that eh.) Greatest thing since sliced bread? Dubious undertaking?':thinking:'

There is a heck of a lot of useful knowledge on this forum and your posts have already been of great help to me but I haven't found any info on this topic. If some of you old hands could give me useful feed back I would apprecieate it.

Anyway I'm glad to be an official member.

Jim

[Miriam C.]

to the playground Jim. There are a couple of good TD's done in different kinds of vacuumed panels. One recently is very nice.

http://tnttt.com/viewto ... highlight=

Have fun an remember to keep the bubble oil level.

[Igor]

Miriam,
Thanks for the welcome and the info on "Skeletear". Neat looking design. And Im checking into the Polymetal Nudo panels oregonguy used.

Also, I did another search of the forum and found this thread:http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=7543&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=vacum

Not sure how I missed this long and informative thread (I may have to make this emoticon my avitar ':?'.) Anyway Im going to read the complete thread.

Thanks again,
Jim

[haul-all-day-rambler]

howdy neighbor.....nm or arizona??????

[mandy]

Hi Igor

I would so be hitting up my friend for laminated FRP panels that stuff is sooo expensive, next to the trailer frame that is the second most expensive part of the build. When you start your build I would love to watch it.

Oh yeah Welcome Neighbor.

[Roly Nelson]

Hi Jim, I don't know if you will be successful using that material you mentioned, so, I'll relate the experience I had with it, due to my many years of engineering practice and unexpected failures.

The bonding of the infrastational bi-lateral insul-panel, required extensive quadrilation and deformational pressure. This caused the failure of many of the intermediate transformed sections, which caused them to be severly mis-aligned due to the many inter-related pressure points, created by faulty fabrication and delebrius unaccountable flat-sided, uneven oblique surfaces. A lawsuit is pending and we expect to win! Anyone else involved should join this class-action suit.

Now Jim, if you can't understand any of the above gibberish, neither can I, since I made it up as I went along. Just thought I would throw you a curve, since you mentioned that this is the most informational board you have visited. By the way, we are the most humorus, also.

But, really, we are the most informative, most knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful group of trailer builders you will ever find on the net. I do hope you find the bonded-panel info you plan to use. Sounds like a pretty neat, light weight (my favorite) way to build a teadrop. Also, come on now, retirees either grab the bull by the horns and start a build, or they sit on the couch, drinking beer and watch the Oprah show. Take your pick, the TV or the BUILD! You gotta choose the build.

Now, order that trailer, load up on that lumber, glue and screws and get started. As an ex-carpenter, you have all of the skills, and we have all of the answers. If I haven't ignited your fire..........I give up.

BTW, I guess by being located in the South West, you must mean Southern California, so come on by and we'll talk teardrops.

Roly, just trying to get you to join in on all of the fun, so come on, don't let us down, get to building, ask questions, take pics, post em, and send me some money so I can finish my second trailer............

[teardrop_focus]

^ Don't listen to that ol' co0t. Send ME the money... I'm trying to get my first tear started...

I have a friend who manufactures Structural Insulated Panels. His stock-in-trade is OSB and Polystyrene (non-heat vacum bonded) panels for residential construction, but he has fabricated other types of panels, including panels of FRP and polystyrene. And (as an example) he can fabricate a 4'x8'x2" panel consisting of a foam core with thin okuma plywood on both sides and aluminum or fiberglass on one side that weighs about 25lbs.

25 lbs per sheet would be fantastic for building a teardrop, but I don't know how those residential panels would hold up in a mobile application...

I'd love to hear user Andrew/angib 's take on this... which is what you're asking for in your original post...

Good luck! I'll be watching this thread with interest... and, Welcome aboard!

[mallymal]

Good luck with the build! Wish I was retired and could devote enough time to getting on with my build!

All I would say (as a relative newbie myself) is that if you DIY build a structural insulated panel, you can plan the "cookie cutter" part so that all your openings for doors, windows etc, are framed at their edges.

Here's a pic of a commercially produced one being built...



Whereas if your pal supplies, say, an 8x4 rectangular panel with a foam core, as soon as you cut your tear shape, plus windows etc, you leave an exposed edge of foam.

Apologies if I've misinterpreted what you're planning, but hope it helps...

mal