Silly Foamie Ideas

[jakie]

GPW. I love this design! The trundle bed, or folding couch bed like the squidget, plus the dinette area, and separate potty room, (for us middle agers, male and female), and the storage area in the nose, is exactly what I would like to camp in. The galley area is for those totally inclement days when cooking outside seems too much bother. In only 15 feet plus tongue. Amazing!

[mezmo]

Hi GPW,

Looking at your proposed wall attachment method for the FoamStream,
it looks like you're running into the old problem of insufficient attachment
that Mike S. encountered on his standy.

It appears that only the 7 ribs are attached to the side of the floor
mechanically and are thus in shear and then everything else hangs off
of them. Would it be better to have the floor extend out under the wall
bottoms and attach the ribs to a cleat mounted on the floor, with fillers
between them to give a uniform surface to the foam wall sections, and
then have the outside fabric wrap under the bottom of the floor for the
exterior anchoring? I would think that'd be a more secure attachment
and a better way to handle wall loads and make the walls and floor
into more of a single unit [of sorts] once all the final gluing and fabric
applications are done.

Also, how are you approaching the interior wall finishing? It seems that
may be an integral factor here too. Maybe pre-install the interior fabric
before attaching the foam walling to the ribs? It probably all depends
on the look you want - covered ribs or exposed wood finished ribs etc..

I know this is all new territory - exploring as we go - so nothing is set
yet on the various method(s).

Just curious,
Norm/mezmo

[GPW]

Jakie, Thanks !!! Still have some details to work out ...

Norm , That does make sense ... To let the floor support the wall ... May have to make another drawing ...
I was thinking about pre covering the inside of the foam panels like we did with the little one ... I had thought about either painting the inside or maybe even a wallpaper type covering ... But I still don't know ... Doing all that after , covering between the ribs would be a PIA , but allow a better joining of the foam to the ribs ... The plan was to make the entire wooden frame over a couple foam bulkheads , like on Tink's Dad's drawing , then just add the foam ... Each rib would be placed so they would overlap the seams of the foam panels , or fall out in the middle ... so I need to have a clean glue to foam join where the vertical panels join together and at the middle ribs ...
Since the stringers would float on top (inside ) the ribs , there would be some room to fit the covering behind them ... Either that or make some decorative interior panels and screw them over the stringers ... as an interior wall .... sort of ... Sorta' thinking like the inside will look like a conestoga wagon or the inside of a dirigible ...

I admit spending too much time pondering the Jules Verne trailer ... Going for a Vintage interior look ... For what that's worth ...

[GPW]

This does look better huh ??? Thanks !!!

Having built a good many rib/and stringer constructions in model planes , they seem flimsy until covered ... once again the skin is the strength and incorporates the framing together ... The addition of the foam panels over the framing , plus the canvas skin should make it quite rigid ...

EDIT:Just thinking I'd lose 4" of inside width this way ... Probably worth it for the extra strength .... The profile was designed to use full sheets of foam , no cutting (save the kerfs) , no waste ... 6 sheets for the outside of the 12' tube section ... Maybe just make the floor wider huh ... ???

[GPW]

Yet another drawing to better define the details ...

[GPW]

I can just imagine the inside would look something like this, save the ships wheel and mutton chops....

[Blotto Bros]

This will finally let me put to good use that old periscope and klaxon I just had to buy at an auction years ago.

The periscope will let me check for bears before exiting the trailer....and wire the klaxon to reverse lights as a backup warning.....now I just need to figure out the torpedo door port a potty emptying system!

[Dusty82]

...kind of gives an altogether different meaning to "Fire 1!" and "Fire 2!" don't it...?

Sorry, but somebody had to say it!

[GPW]

You guys are just too Funny !!!

[mezmo]

Hi GPW,

That second wall attachment drawing is exactly what I was suggesting.
Your comments after it, say it all.

All you'd need to do is to widen the floor the thickness needed for the 2
wall thicknesses. That shouldn't interfere with the number of foam sheets
needed at all. It'd just use a little more plywood - you'd have to cut it to
6ft [your dimension on the rough plan] anyway - so just cut it to 6ft 4in or
whatever the dimension works out to be.

The extra floor width to accommodate the wall widths could be
accomplished by using a 2x4 on the floor perimeter under the top sheet of
plywood on the floor. [The 2x4 to be sealed, or use a rot resistant wood
etc.] It wouldn't be that much extra weight and would provide a solid base
to attach the the walls and the cletes to, as well as a beefy place to
through-bolt the Foamie body to the frame.

Just feedback.

Cheers,
Norm/mezmo

[GPW]

Thanks Norm !!! Just a couple "adjustments" and we'll be OK !!!

[mikeschn]

Dad,

Did you ever see this arrangement... I used this in my Escape Hatch a few years ago... It's actually Rayvillian's invention, and everyone that uses it has to send him a nickel!






Mike...

[LDK]

This thread kinda went viral.

[Conedodger]

I think its called Foamieitus

[GPW]

Cone , actually , the word is ... AFFORDABLE !!!