FoamStream...

[eaglesdare]

host a gathering! there are folks down your ways.

[GPW]

That certainly is a Good idea huh ? I’ve got the Beer... The only one I know of around here is Rosey , and she’s still busy building her Foamie ... Which BTW we can’t wait to see finished , seeing how Cool her boat came out and all ...

[GPW]

Just more thinking ... I modified the design of the kerf cutting tool to include a built in edge guide that slides along in the previous kerf or edge ... Just couldn’t find a practical 10’ fence to cut along ... this seems Much easier ... Compact , Simple ... Easy to use ...
Like Leonardo said : “ Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. ”

[GPW]

And More ... Waiting for the glue on the ribs to dry (4 done now) ... made another drawing of where the rib attaches to the floor ... This seems like the best I could come up with , the ribs fitting into 3/4” wide slots on the floor plate , assuring proper alignment ... and the floor plate gives me an extra 1/2” of height inside , so I can actually walk under the rib in the middle standing upright ... Making the floor plate out of 1”X4” allows a little “reveal” when I apply the wainscoting /storage pockets half way up the wall ... decor... If I slightly round the inside upper edge it would serve as a sort of shoe molding.. sorta’ ..

The bottom plate also provides a smooth transition to the 3/4” ply front Nose floor rib , yet to be cut out ...

[mezmo]

Hi GPW,

To give additional attachment strength to your rib and bottom
plate connection you can glue in short lengths [width of ribs]1&1/2in
square pieces of your rot resistant wood [not pressure treated] on each
side of the rib, better yet [but a bit more fiddly] rip the square cross-section
diagonally into two triangular cross-section pieces - a small saving in weight
and a bit more elegant looking - and glued in they'd look and act like the
epoxy fillets in the stitch and glue boat method reinforcing the interior
corners created by the rib and plate dadoed butt joint.

Or maybe just glue or epoxy foot long pieces of your fiberglass tape
[if you've any left] with a 6in length of that each on the rib's sides and
the floor plate.

I know the exterior fabric skin overlap is the ultimate overall connection,
but I was thinking that ensuring the assembled rib structure is 'rigid' and
static and "square" where it needs to be, will be necessary in order to
be able to easily envelope it with the foam slabs. Precision cut ribs should be
precisely set up eh ? Ha ! If the stringers don't hold it "square" by themselves
once installed, you may also need to do some temporary interior diagonals
for triangulation to hold it in "square" too. Once the foam and skin has the
exterior set/rigid, you can then remove the temporary interior diagonals.
'Don't know if that'll be a problem, but I thought I should mention it. As I'm
sure you know, if "squareness" is achievable, it just makes assembly/fabrication
so much easier.

Looks like you will soon be Very busy !

Cheers,
Norm/mezmo

[GPW]

Thanks Norm, doing everything I can to keep it “square” ...
Yes , going to be busy bee, much to do ...

[GPW]

Ribs all assembled and dry ... all match exactly ... Promising !!!

[GPW]

Found this from a while back ... Look familiar ???

[aggie79]

GPW,

Instead of cutting the dado slots for the rib ends, I'd use 2-3 pocket screws at each rib end and butt joint the ribs to the baseplate. Just as strong and much simpler and quicker.

I'm not sure of your assembly method, but if/when you set the ribs/baseplate assembly on the trailer floorboards, you could - one at time - remove the pocket screw and use longer pocket screws to go through the base plate into the floorboards.

Take care,
Tom

[GPW]

That’s a Cool idea Thanks !!!

[KCStudly]

That is a cool idea, but I would still dado into the base board. That way you can "match set" the base boards when you do them, helping to ensure that the formers are aligned accurately from side to side on the camper.

$.02.

Happy to see progress. Something tells me that you will finish before me. Simple and thrifty, too.

[GPW]

KC , mine is going quickly because I didn’t make my own Custom trailer .... that and yours is much more complicated than mine ... Very COOL indeed , just more complicated ...

[GPW]

Got the trailer cleaned up a bit , wire brushed the rust , painted with gray Rustoleum ... Wheel lugs rusted to the bolts ... soaked them with liquid wrench .... hoping they come free.. . Pics as soon as it gets light ...

[GPW]

Trailer A ways to go ... but looking better ... have to cut some of that long (6’) tongue off , add new coupler ... Definitely get some new wheels and tires ...

[KCStudly]

Looks like a great start!

Those upward facing strut channels (that apear to have wires and leaves(?) in the tops) look like water catchers. Might want to drill a few drain holes...if not already there, or be sure to seal them to the floor very well. Looks like a place for stuff to fester. Maybe relocate the wiring to were it will be accessible, then squeeze some foam into the slots with sealer/caulk/glue to fair?

Sturdy frame, should suit your needs very well.