Thrifty Alternatives ..Building Foam Campers

[atahoekid]

As I am attaching stuff to the floor of my trailer, I am using epoxy so that I don't put more holes in what is already an unfortunately porous substrate. There's gotta be something better. Maybe a fully fiberglassed pan, aluminum, maybe even properly supported foam? I'm looking at what I'm building and I worry most about the floor. I think the life of my foamie will be limited by the life of the floor. There's gotta be a better material for the floor. I'm not worried about wood in the interior. It's just the floor.

[GPW]

Mel , I also consider the ply floor on my Foamie as being the weakest link ... as you may know , I’m considering a built up “board” floor like the Old timers did .. worked for them eh ! ... any "incidental damage after the fact" would be easier to replace than a whole floor ... Picking the right wood shouldn’t weigh any more than a ply floor ... My ply floor was ridiculously HEAVY , the single heaviest component next to the HF trailer weight ... grrrrr!!!!

[Ratkity]

Feathers? Did someone say feathers? I have a a lot of feathers from my orange winged Amazon parrot from molts. I dunno why I save them. They are lime green and sometimes with bright orange, cobalt blue and yellow. Probably not big enough to put on an arrow (maybe a dart?) LOL.

GPW, if you want some, let me know. I'll mail em to ya!

Hugs,
Ratkity

[GPW]

Rat , Kind offer, but hold onto them ... Don’t know where this is going yet ...

[SteveW]

While not cheap, I'm actually considering getting in touch with the company that built my sunroom for my flooring. The walls and ceiling are 3 inches thick and made of foam sandwiched between powder-coated aluminum. Light, super strong, guaranteed to survive cat 5 hurricanes, and will probably outlast me.

[Tiredoldwhiteman]

Mel , I also consider the ply floor on my Foamie as being the weakest link ... as you may know , I’m considering a built up “board” floor like the Old timers did .. worked for them eh ! ... any "incidental damage after the fact" would be easier to replace than a whole floor ... Picking the right wood shouldn’t weigh any more than a ply floor ... My ply floor was ridiculously HEAVY , the single heaviest component next to the HF trailer weight ... grrrrr!!!!

1/2" white cedar boards laid up edge to edge liberally coated with your majik juice...A biscuit joiner and biscuits...ought to last a good long while...1/2" foam over the boards and that covered by some luan-like 1/4" ply should be plenty strong and plenty light weight...Only an inch and a quarter thick (max) so as to not lose too much headroom...

Just a thought...

[GPW]

This may sound odd, but my CT has a board floor , with what looks like formica over it ... I was thinking linoleum would work too ... no ply to rot or delam’ .
Just a thought , leave out the biscuits , so the wood can expand and and contract on it’s own , and it facilitates removing one , if there is a problem ...
I see cedar fence boards on sale Cheap around here all the time ... http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R ... reId=10051

[linuxmanxxx]

Sandwich of .5 underlayment (luan) on both sides is rediculously light and extremely strong. I have 18 and 12" centers alternating so can shoot nails cleanly thru crossmembers and only using 3/4" foam and 1x2 and can walk on it supported only on the ends with almost no deflection. Going any thicker is just a waste of space and weight since it is that strong that thin and it comes out barely over an inch thick total. If the luan got boogered throw another sheet over it and keep trucking and still light with minimal effort to maintain it.

[atahoekid]

While not cheap, I'm actually considering getting in touch with the company that built my sunroom for my flooring. The walls and ceiling are 3 inches thick and made of foam sandwiched between powder-coated aluminum. Light, super strong, guaranteed to survive cat 5 hurricanes, and will probably outlast me.

I'd bet those panels come in predetermined sizes and you could probably buy some and cut them to fit. Not a bad idea. Let us know when you get a price on those. If it can stand the live load, those panels just might be the right thing for getting rid of the weakest point of the build.

[GPW]

Not weak point , but weak link , meaning ROT and de-lamination .... Plywood itself IS the problem .... all this talk of using Plywood for this , luan for that is just asking for trouble in the future ... IMHO
Trying to AVOID it’s use all together...

[eaglesdare]

speaking of: i believe today is a payday. since hubby took all the wood from me for his shed door, i think i am going to get more. i do believe i am going with a sandwich type floor. the more you talk about rot and delam, and seeing mike's pic, i just don't want to use that stuff. but now i wonder what i should use for the bottom layer and top layer. i'll figure something out though.
depending on the weather, coming up in the next few days and the weekend, i am hoping to start on the floor.
but i also have a garden i am working on now, so that will take some of my time. and my back went out on me. its been gone for 1 and 1/2 weeks now. i have a docs appt next wednesday. so we'll see what i can get done. my mind says get r done, but my back says something totally different, and its not rated pg.

[GPW]

Eagle , hope your back feels better ... mine's acting up too making me somewhat GRUMPY .... grrrrrrr!!!
Here’s what I plan on going with next time ... Simple ,Cheap , nothing to de-lam or worry about ...

[linuxmanxxx]

Eagle the best underlayment is at home depot and is .5 thick and is made with glues that are already water resistant. Use that top and bottom and just coat the bottom with the black stuff and put linoleum up top and you'll be good to go. If you pick up some of the 30nf you can use it for the linoleum as well and its waterproof so it adds another layer of protection as well. I have a current 4x8 floor built and supported on 2 containers on each end and can walk on it with almost no deflection and I only used 3/4" foam to make it that strong. I'm building 40" high cabin and when I finish I'll get a weight and publish it. I'm using only an external frame around the foam and like 4 vertical runners in my side walls and no horizontal and will do my normal sandwich. I'm thinking it will wind up in 600s or lighter and will know in about a week.

[GPW]

Steve.... OK, you have us “drooling” .... Please !!!

[eaglesdare]

linux pics please! would love to see it. remember i am a visual old gal

when you talk about that stuff from home depot can i get that stuff at lowes? we don't have a home depot nearby for this kind of thing. are you also talking about luan?