Thrifty Alternatives ..Building Foam Campers

[GPW]

Gosh , I thought all of them stuck "good enough"... Once the fabric is overlapped on the other fabric, and the reinforcing strips added ...it's not going anywhere ... The Sock effect !!!

We know it doesn't blow off the sides going down the hwy. That's been tested ...

OK, we must admit , it's not the absolute Strongest , hardest , most bear proof way to build a TD , but It is Thrifty , very Light to tow ,well insulated ,and can be built with user friendly materials by folks without specialized building skills or tools ... and it doesn't ROT... All the original goals fulfilled ... Maybe just consider it as a "Hard tent"...

You know , I can't recall any destructive testing with hammers and sharp things being done on wooden TDs... We know what would happen ... and repairs would be "difficult" ... more so than a bit of spray foam and a patch ... which could be done most anywhere, even whilst camping ...if needed ...

[eaglesdare]

uh oh don't get gpw started again.
now having said that, i believe that if i take a crow bar i could remove the siding from the rv out back.

the sock effect works. at least for me and is it pat?, also gpw. so far my skin (canvas) is not coming off that foam on its own. and i know that no, none, zero , nadda leakage is going to take place at any of those seams. the only place leakage will/can occur is on my doors and hatch area. and that is because my doors were never made to size for the opening and the hatch isn't perfect. those issues are because of the way it was build, not because of the materials used. i am pretty confident i can make new doors and get them waterproof. i don't want to redue my hatch because it is tied in to the canvas. but with some more work i think maybe i can get it water proof. actually i forgot, but i did add the weather stripping so maybe the hatch is water proof, but i really don't want to test it. i feel better just keeping a tarp over it.

[Conedodger]

I have put what i think in the other post

I have made a youtube of all the videos in one so they are easier to view

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oifIp1mXnU

It plays in the order of the video numbers

I am not sure what Mike is doing at 41 seconds but it sounds painfull

[mikeschn]

I am not sure what Mike is doing at 41 seconds but it sounds painfull

The Exterior Latex Enamel that I used on wood and bedsheet caught me by surprise. That was me struggling to pull it off!

Mike...

[mikeschn]

Any idea where I can get 74" wide canvas, without a sewn seam in the middle?

Mike...

[elginrunner]

You can get up to 120" wide here but be ready for a group purchase, as they sell by the roll....

http://www.textilesforyou.com/number10.html

looks like seamless canvas is used for backdrops at theatrical productions... anyone have access to old backdrops for local productions??

[GPW]

PRICY!!! I think we can do better than that at a fabric store ...

[mikeschn]

I did find some 72" stuff here... by the yard. But I'd need to cut 2" off the bottom of the walls.

http://www.rosebrand.com/product222/72- ... nfo=Canvas

Mike...

P.S. It doesn't have to be 8 oz... it can be 6 oz, 7 oz, 9 oz or even 10 oz...

[elginrunner]

Wonder if heavy muslin would work for ya? 80" for less than 6$ yard...

http://www.chicagocanvas.com/muslin/

[mikeschn]

I had a real problem this weekend trying to get the bedsheet to lay flat and look good. That's why I'm looking the the kind of canvas that looks like burlap. So no, muslin won't work.

$6/yard is good... there must be some canvas out there in that ballpark!

Mike...

[Dusty82]

Here's a link to a supplier that handles seamless canvas up to 144" wide, and muslin up to 39' (yes, 39 feet) wide:

http://www.chicagocanvas.com/

Fair warning - it can be pricy, although some of it is surprisingly inexpensive for what you're getting.

EDIT: Oops - I didn't see that this link had already been posted. Nebbermind...

[GPW]

Mike , i know you'd like to go seamless , but if you can get the narrower widths at a good price , just think of a seam as just another chance for an overlap , a place where you have a double thickness of canvas .... Stronger!!!!! .... Just work the seam into the paint job .... I only had 3' wide canvas ... worked out fine , and I didn't have to struggle with one LARGE piece...


Sorry , but I don't think a Foamie will ever win a Beauty contest as compared to the many really Beautiful wooden TD's we've seen here... But there are other advantages to consider ...

[mikeschn]

Sorry , but I don't think a Foamie will ever win a Beauty contest as compared to the many really Beautiful wooden TD's we've seen here... But there are other advantages to consider ...

Still, I have to do the best job I can...

Mike...

[mikeschn]

I now need to figure out the correlation between the # numbers and the oz numbers...


For example, the link fern just sent me shows this...

* Cotton Duck Canvas No. 12 - 11.45 oz / sq. yard
* Cotton Duck Canvas No. 10 - 14.73 oz / sq. yard
* Cotton Duck Canvas No. 8 - 18 oz / sq. yard
* Cotton Duck Canvas No. 4 - 24.25 oz/ sq. yard


And I am looking for 8 oz...

Mike...

[GPW]

Mike , I know you have your Image to uphold , you being our Fearless Leader and all ... use more primer... sand in between coats , It can get very smooth ... Naturally , we're all expecting your Foamie to be the Best yet ... You show us the way !!!!!

I believe the smaller the number the heavier the canvas...