Thrifty Alternatives ..Building Foam Campers

[GPW]

I really Like the idea of a “Group build “ !!! Lots done in a short time , and you have plenty of Help !!! Much harder to do by yourself , the third hand is always needed... .. and a Festival too ...

[linuxmanxxx]

If someone is going to do a mass group build thing it is best to sit down and plan it all ahead and plan what sections can be built away from the camper and incorporated in so that you can better utilize manpower and space. Obviously only so many people can troll around on the trailer during the build and if you have measurements already down to the smallest tolerances, you can have someone cut spars and build them away from it all and then just slap it all together sectionally and do the old assembly line that henry ford taught us all about to the most efficient means possible. Anyone wanna come to texas and group build on one of my builds head on down.

[mikeschn]

Awesome photos Louella....

So when is the next Louella Festival?

Mike...

[eaglesdare]

well here is a funny (not for hubby though). i made homemade potatoe salad. it went out back to the food table. a few (many) hours later hubby brings in the remains. that was on saturday and on sunday he eats a big bowl of it. do i need to go into any details after that? i feel for him, i really do. he spent some time on the bathroom floor, called in sick today, and will more than likely take tomorrow off also. he has just started to keep stuff down. but let this be a warning to all with picnics and bbq season coming up. throw away any mayo/potatoe mixture dishes! do not bring them back into the house and never eat them. throw them away.

any time anyone wants to come on by and park a tear or ttt in the field just bring it!

[SteveW]

Well, it's a start. I got a few of the pieces for the frame cut. Still have the mounting points for the removable foamie to cut, and then it's time for welding. At that point I guess I can start a build thread since things will be getting put together.

[SteveW]

Got to Lowes to look for panels the other day and they had all kinds of stuff except what I wanted. The stocker said that was their slowest selling aisle of all and that they usually have to get a whole bunch when they reorder, so they don't reorder very often. Luckily he checked one of the other stores nearby and they should have plenty. Now to get the trailer done so I have something to bring them home with.

He lied. Went to the other store, and they didn't even have a spot on the shelf for the 2" panels. Said they haven't had them in months. Guess I'll need to drive 1000 miles north and pick some up.

[GPW]

SW, check the local Industrial Insulation Suppliers , they usually have it much cheaper than the box stores and in Big sizes too ... Check the better lumberyards ... The box stores seem only to cater to the weekend restorers/decorators...

[KCStudly]

SteveW wrote:

At that point I guess I can start a build thread since things will be getting put together.

Why wait? You have a pic and have started your build. Go ahead and start a build thread! It is a good motivator to keep things moving on your build (well, at least for me it has been).

Looks good so far, but make sure that you do a good beveled weld prep and have really solid welds at those miter joints between your tongue side rails and frame rails. If you know what you are doing you will be fine, but the reason that most people have the tongue rails pass under the front cross member is because it puts far less stress on the welds holding the tongue to the trailer. You will need to have full strength and no compromises in those weld joints.

[GPW]

KC , you make all this look so Easy ... but we know better ... Having done some FAB work in the past , it’s a very complicated and precise operation , that really requires Great tools and a nice FLAT fab table/platform/jig , and an obsessive attention to Detail ... Putting things together on the garage floor just isn’t hitting on .... well, you know ... I respect the guys that are able to glue up a workable trailer under such conditions ... But after seeing yours , the “standard" just won’t be the same anymore ... HF trailer now looking kinda’ scary ...

[KCStudly]

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Glen. SteveW looks like he is off to a good start, and so far as I can tell he knows what he is doing just fine... but it never hurts to state the obvious sometimes because even if he knows what he is doing there may be others out there that could use a little constructive guidance.

We all do at times. Sometimes I over engineer (No, you're kidding me. Yep-per, I do.)

[SteveW]

Hah, I have NO idea what I'm doing. I'm versed with wood, but this is my first go with metal. However, the guy who will be doing the welding for me is about as good as they come. I'll definitely pass your words on to him and see if he has any additional suggestions for beefing up those joints. This is uncharted territory for me, so feel free to offer out any advice you feel might be beneficial. I'm pretty good with (constructive) criticism.

[GPW]

SW, metal is similar to wood (well sorta’ ) just much harder to cut and shape ...
Best advice .... The Welder is Everything !!!
For my little chopper bicycle projects , I can live with my crap welds , but when I need the real thing , I rely on one of the guys in the band who is a retired welder and KNOWS what to do ... Nothing like Skill and Experience to get the job done correctly ...

Here he is getting after my first TD using my ancient crackerbox ...

[SteveW]

So if the welds on my design are good, it should be fine? Would it benefit to put a plate underneath the weld joint or something? My axle has already been ordered based on the height of this frame, so I can't easily just move the a-frame underneath the other frame, or I'd have to drop my ball another 2 inches.

[KCStudly]

Full penetration welds and proper weld quality should result in a joint at least as strong as the base metal. A fish plate on the bottom is not a bad idea, just in case either of these two conditions are not met fully.

You may find that you will have to make a minor adjustment to your draw ball hieght once you are up to full towing weight, anyway. Not hard or too expense to change the draw bar for one with the proper offset.

[crumbruiser]

I do love the big thread. Has anyody except me, thought about building a foamy roof top carrier? It could be built a lot more aerodynamic. It could be made to fit the car a lot better. Just look at how the bottom front of the carrier swoops upward, catching the air.

Frank