Another foam standie...

[bonnie]

Project Glacier will likely live up to its name for the next little while. .

I wish I were moving at such a "glacier" pace. I've spent the last two weekends (re)building two doors. Really?? Two whole weekends plus a Friday... Now that's SLOW!!

it's been a month for me and I'm only part done.

[atahoekid]

Yes, but your doors are unique and artistic. Mine,,, um, welllll, they open. Hang in there. Those doors will be quite the attention getter. Let's see, your building a teardrop trailer (unique) from foam (unique, again) and you have round Hobbit style doors (very unique). Why do I get the feeling that you like taking the unconventional path??? Honestly, I applaud you for approaching the build your way.

[bonnie]

That was sweet of you. I, thankfully, will only have one door. And yes, I think it's unconventional and loads of fun.

[GPW]

One might consider that the very fact of building a Foamie’ camper is definitely taking an unconventional path in the first place ... Much design and construction diversity has expanded what we consider a “camper" ... Creativity seems to be more easily expressed in foam , more so than wooden ones that usually follow some sort of Plan ... Foamlings’ seem to prefer to “roll their own” ...

[bonnie]

tis very true. I think the fun is in the vast and wonderful personalizatin of the proocess.

[Wobbly Wheels]

Dunno about you folks, but I tend to approach a problem by figuring out what the solution is and working backwards from there to make that solution happen. When I wanted a trailer, but didn't have the truck to pull it, 'conventional' wisdom would say that I needed to first buy a bigger truck...which isn't an option at the moment. Building a trailer conventionally wouldn't solve the problem and, for our needs, a 'trailer' is defined as a standie with an enclosed head and galley. I have talked to a lot of people over the course of this build who would simply never think to build their own rig, and that's unfortunate. Look at all the great work here by people who profess to little or no relevant skills when they start, yet they go at it with steak knives and paint brushes loaded with all sorts of products, just to see if it will work. That's exactly the same drive that motivates people to sail oceans and climb mountains.

My hat is off to everyone who grabs some foam, sees it through, and gets out camping next to people whose rigs are depreciating faster than the loan is getting paid off. We live with myriad influences that all seem to steer us to sit on the couch watching tv and eating processed food until our health deteriorates. Kudos to anyone with the spark to try something they haven't done before.

Plus you get exactly what you want, which is only slightly cooler than the feeling of accomplishment when you get out using it.

[bonnie]

what WW said.

[GPW]

W2 ... True Dat !!!!

[atahoekid]

Couldn't agree more....

[bonnie]

[quote= Kudos to anyone with the spark to try something they haven't done before.
Plus you get exactly what you want, which is only slightly cooler than the feeling of accomplishment when you get out using it.
[/quote]

I so want to be camping. Can't yet, but oh boy, I so want to.

[Wobbly Wheels]

I hear ya bonnie !
I can already picture waking up in mine next to my favorite fishing spot...

[eaglesdare]

it is a wonderful feeling taking that new foamie to the site. no matter what time you arrive, there is no problems. if you arrive at reasonable hours, you can set up. if you arrive at ungodly hours, just pull in and hop in the camper to sleep. it really is a wonderful thing. i love mine so much. so far everytime i get to the sites, i still think about what a pain it was to set up the tent, and then to have to take it down.

you all will love it too.

[atahoekid]

i still think about what a pain it was to set up the tent, and then to have to take it down.

That thought alone is what keeps me plugging along. Camping next to my favorite lake, wonderful. Not having to set up a tent and take it down, PRICELESS. Time to get out to the garage and put a couple of hours in on the trailer before I head off to work this afternoon.

[Wobbly Wheels]

I live up on the west coast of BC, but I grew up about 4 hours inland in the semi-arid interior (a few pages back for 4 pics).
Camping has always meant leaving the city with everyone else trying to get away on Friday night and getting to the site after dark to set up so I can be on the water at first light. Then I break camp late Sunday afternoon and miss the evening hatch.
Serviced campsites are a rarity here unless you go to one of the big commercial campgrounds and the timing means that, unless I skip out of work early, I'm getting there in dying light. I don't know how many times I've set up a tent in the headlights - I'm sure I could do it total darkness by now, lol.
A trailer means, not only do I roll in, level it, and call it done...but I can probably even make those last few casts of the day.

Anyway, enough rambling....I GOTTA get back to building soon

Until I do, I'm plugging away on some of the little stuff. I posted this in another thread, but this is the roof vent that came off the camper I scrapped out. I don't think I've seen one that's made from aluminum rather than plastic. If you recall, the original incarnation of the roof was a pronounced curve from side to side so I needed a horizontal plane to mount the vent to, henge the foam curb. Like a skylight in a house, it will also keep water out so long as the joint between it and the roof is sound. I will be incorporating it into the roof glass, so leaking should never be a problem (bears and frozen turkeys notwithstanding )



Vents are great and all, but I wanted a way to be able to take advantage of that cool shady air under the trailer that the dogs enjoy when the temps get into the 30s (high 80s) in the peak of summer. A while ago I was scrapping out an old projection TV. There are a few of them around still and for many people they're no longer worth the cost of bulbs and light engines, so you can get dead ones for free if you bring a friend to help haul them away (they're big but not heavy, being mostly air space).

There are several pancake (PC) cooling fans but the main fan is a two speed squirrel cage that puts out some pretty respectable CFMs. Here's the one I've got:

There's also a large optically precise mirror inside the carcass as well...

I formed a plug for a diffuser out of foam, laid it up with glass, and sanded out the foam with a Dremel:

I need to make a vane to help direct the air to the end and glue it in, then I will most likely make a hardwood vent to trim out the front.
I figure I'll duct the air through a vertical piece of 3" ABS up from the wheel well up into either the dinette seatbox (curbside) or galley cabinet (street side). I haven't decided yet whether to use a SPDT switch for two-speed operation or a rheostat for speed control....probably the latter.

[KCStudly]

Nice work!