Silly Foamie Ideas

[Conedodger]

The thing about using foam is its easy to make interesting shapes with very little extra work. Having angles makes the structure stronger

This design, http://www.mehrzeller.com shows what i mean



Even inside

[GPW]

It is very unique... but may be beyond the capabilities of most builders ... Interesting to see the possibilities ... Thanks !!!
The sky's the limit !!! Especially when a caravan resembles a Cubist Cloud ...

[eaglesdare]

now that makes me want to scrap my second design and start all over. i love it.

[GPW]

Here's a silly idea ... Combining the Vardo round roof style construction , and kerfed foam ... Steam bent wooden ribs and stringers forming the inner structure (frame) , and in combination with the "tube" shape , should be exceptionally Strong ... yet light ... Much like an aircraft fuselage ... Easy to make a Standy , most any height you want ...
Anyone who has built a canoe should feel comfortable with a project like this ... The wooden ribs would attach directly to the floor (mechanical fasteners) The foam shell gets glued to the stringers/frame , all skinned on the outside ... The inner longitudinal stringers could be attachment points .. for the interior ... so the interior fixtures could be built first , the foam added once the inside is finished ...

Optional rounded nose would give it an Airstream -ish look ...


Just exploring more possibilities .... ones that don't require an Engineering degree...

[depatty]

Don't see the FoamStream is a silly idea at all! Only problem I can see with building it is the double-curved front/top pieces.

I've been trying to wrap my head around that for a while now. Want to build a Vardo/Conestoga/BeerCan type/shape but with a rounded/pointed front to make it easier to pull with a smaller car.

Any ideas on how to layout/form that part in the double curve?

[eaglesdare]

not sure myself. but was thinking of laying foam, then sculpting it to the shape.

[KevinR]

Hey mezmo,

That's a good idea, making the front and back the same. They make carbon fiber body panels for racey rabbits. I'm sure a hatch is produced somewhere. Very light weight. Probably more than I'd be comfortable spending but it would be cool.

If money was no factor you could probably piece most of a teardrop together with those carbon body panels. (but if money was no factor I'd be over on www.myyacht.com)

[Wobbly Wheels]

Only problem I can see with building it is the double-curved front/top pieces...Any ideas on how to layout/form that part in the double curve?

I'll let you know - I'm putting the head and sit-down shower in that part on mine so I don't need full standing headroom - the 'foam-stream' profile is about the best shape for that space I think.

I'll just glue it up in foam and have at it with a surform to remove the parts that aren't a trailer...my yard will probably look like I've been running Smurfs through a woodchipper by the time I'm done, but you gotta do what you gotta do !

There's a link here somewhere to a thread by a fella who did a foamie for his motorcycle. He did the plug for a glass nose cone on his the same way. That thread really shows the versatility of this stuff. I'll look for the link...

[depatty]

There's a link here somewhere to a thread by a fella who did a foamie for his motorcycle. He did the plug for a glass nose cone on his the same way. That thread really shows the versatility of this stuff. I'll look for the link...

Saw that link the other day and looks like an interesting method for doing it in fiberglass.

What I was wanting to do is to cut/kerf the flat panel foam along the lines of the way a globe is made, which will mean kerfs in at least 2 directions. Not sure it's doable. May have to cut the rib shaped cross sections, stack, glue, and form them like I have seen done with plywood.

Just went out and measured the tongue of my trailer and looks like I've got 30 inches from the front cross member to make the curved part in. Gonna have to start making saw/foam dust and just do it.

[GPW]

I could see the top rounded part of the nose , just carved out of a block .... It can be white bead board too, which is cheaper and still would work ... Could be done like half a cone with a pointy V nose at the base... just kerf the foam to follow the cone shape (fanned out lines at the top rounded part )

For anyone thinking of the inner strip/rib idea , those would be almost 17' long ... by 1/4" thick ... by 2" wide ... easy to rip some strips out of a good board (or have the lumberyard do it ) ... a 18' board would probably give you all the wood you need ... readily available ... Just soaking the wood for a couple days would allow it to easily bend over the 3' radius, or bigger (?)

You guys up North can probably still get Green Hickory strips like they make sled runners with (or used to) That should be really strong , and easy to bend dry without breaking ... when dry it will be like iron ... Takes a while ...

[GPW]

Here's some measurements to best utilize the 4'X8' sheets of foam ... based on a 6 'wide (on the inside ) cabin... 6'3" tall in the center ...

[starleen2]

you could make a form and laminate all the stringers you need. what you see below are strips of 5 mm luan that are cut 3/4 wide and stacked five layers to give about an inch of thickness

Making the front curve – remember the ¾ inch lamenting strips in the first few photos (go back and you’ll spot em’) – they are for the front curve. I did this on the Ladybug and it worked really well – so I’m doing it again. Here you see it being glued together.

Gotta love them clamps

Done. I added a few staples to secure everything and prevent delamination. A little touch up with the belt sander will level any imperfections. Now I need to make one more like it – except in the reverse and then on to the framing. 50 # Bag of sand makes for a good weight

[GPW]

S2, EGG ZACTLY !!!! That would be one STRONG trailer with the foam and the fabric on the outside ... convenient attachment points all over the inside ... wouldn't need that many ribs , with one every 12" or so ... maybe not even that many ... no worries about water sitting on the roof ...

[jakie]

So I don't even have my first td done, and you are now tweaking my mind for my next endeavor....I sure like the foamstream idea!

[GPW]

So many ways to build a Foamie !!! Even in the non traditional manner ... We are so fortunate Not to be restricted to building one style of trailer ... Pretty much anything you can imagine is fair game for a Foamie build ...

Jakie, hang in there , I'm sure even more cool ideas will evolve as we continue with this ...