Under deadline and stressed out, needing suggestions

[Hilltop Garage]

I have been building a teardrop (I though I would have been using by now) that I need to have ready by the middle of July. I'm stuck. I am building a woody and need to trim the outside edges. I don't know what to use. I have been thinking of making trim but I need to cut back on the things I am making for this camper or I will never go camping. I have tried using a wood trim corner edge but there is no way I can get it to bend enough. Whats your thoughts? Does anyone have a rubber edge trim on a woody? I am going to have chrome and stainless steal accents, how hard would it be to roll a corner edge in aluminum or steel? Any other suggestions?

[Miriam C.]

Wow now that is nice!

I used wood. It was planed down to 1/8" and it has bent nicely. You can steam it too. You can also use Alum. RV trim that is dead soft so you don't have to anneal it..............Depends on if you are covering screw heads and where they are.

Good luck.

[kennyrayandersen]

Seems like this might be a bad time to ‘rush’ it. Most trailer damage is due to sealing and that’s the stage you are at. Additionally if you read through a couple of the woody trim treads you’ll see that if you don’t do it right you’ll be doing it again, and it sounds like it can be a little tricky to get right. This is why though I LOVE the look of woodies due to being a LONG-time wood worker, I just couldn’t bring myself to do a tear like that.

If you really got to get out in a hurry, you might consider putting on some plastic RV trim, and then coming back in the late fall/wintertime and taking your time and doing the wood trim right. Some things are best not rushed.

[Barry and Darby H.]

Unfortunately, the only way to make a woody look like a woody is to use the wood trim. I personally went with knotty pine as I like the look, it was lighter than the oak I had planned on and easier to sand. That being said, It's your trailer and building it any way you want is what makes it your trailer. I'm sure you could find some stainless steel moulding that would make the bends you need but it may be a little pricey. Just being nosey but why the deadline ?? You have worked so hard on the trailer so why rush now ?? Believe me, I know you want to camp in it but don't rush it and regret it later. I went through the " I want this freakin' thing done "" stage too but worked through it and didn't rush and I'm glad I did. Your trailer looks great, I just want you to finish it the way you imagined it from the start and I think you'll be happier if you do. Just my 2 cents. Good luck and keep the pics coming.

[madjack]

...there is an old adage...the last 10% will take 90% of your build time...some random thoughts...if you are doing an epoxy finish, seal all the wood first...body and trim both...also, relieve the edges so they aren't sharp 90* bends...if there is anyway for water to get behind/under the trim, it will...the side pieces of trim can be made from almost any thickness and type of wood...for the top pieces, plane or have planed down the wood of choice to 1/8th or less...to make that long top curved piece, use a single long run and if needed, steam it...a steamer can be as simple as a camp stove and a kettle/pot of boiling water, or one of those shoulder carried steamers they sell for cleaning around the house...heck, even a good steam iron could be made to work...move the piece back and forth thru the steam until warm and wet...bend in place immediately and strap it down until dry, remove piece, add adhesive and apply...if you just havvta use metal, a length of standard RV insert molding, painted black w/black insert would look about as good as you could get out of metal...........
madjack

[Dean_A]

My trailer took me 4.5 years, and I missed a whole lot of self-imposed deadlines, cancelled a few trips, or just took a tent instead. Your trailer looks fantastic so far. Don't rush it. You'll regret it later.

[Laredo]

there is a "bendy" quarter-round available -- bought some about 9, 10 months ago at Lowe's for a moulding repair inside the bathroom (don't ask: water heaters fail).

Could you
(1) roundover (relieve or ease) your corners with a router or rasp, as madjack advised,
then
(2) route a rabbet down the backside (square side) of the quarter-round and use that as trim? You'd probably need to double-varnish it.

But it might still speed you along...

[Hilltop Garage]

Thanks for the help! I think for starters, I am going to try steaming the trim that I originally thought might work (its bindy but it wasn't enough). I think I should be able to get the trim on this weekend. I will let you all know what comes of it. If anyone else has an idea please let me know. Thanks again.

[eamarquardt]

Don't do the trim, yet! Go buy a couple of good tarps. Keep it wrapped as you travel and set the tarps up to provide protection against the wx when you are camping. Thus, buy yourself some time to figure out what you want to do and do it the way you want when you have time. Maybe you could put a finish over the finished areas to protect it a bit, in additon to the tarps, and then complete it a little later.

By the way, it "never rains in Southern California". I was 18 before I saw it rain during the summer. Had to go to Montana to see it! I simply didn't know it could rain anywhere during the summer!

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Gus