CT Interior Walls Question

Converting Cargo Trailers into TTTs

CT Interior Walls Question

Postby BC_Explorer » Sun Jan 20, 2013 6:49 pm

After a cold, and constantly wet (rainy) winter (and a few months to go yet), the interior walls of my CT did not survive unscathed. The walls are melamine coated fiberboard and are now wavy and bowed significantly in some spots at the joints between the screws which are spaced at 12" intervals. The ceiling is FRP paneling from Home Depot which I thought would be a good product but I am very dismayed to see that it too, is wavy and distorted.

Needless to say, that although I wanted to change the interior layout this spring, re-doing the interior walls and ceiling was not part of the plans and they now need to be replaced. Before I go through this again, can anyone recommend a different product to use. I was thinking of going to with a quality then painted plywood this time around but not too sure if this will be ok or not.

Regardless of what product recommended and ultimately used, next winter I will be putting a small electric heater on a timer that will come on a couple of times per day for about 1/2 hour. Hopefully this will prevent a repeat next winter...
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Re: CT Interior Walls Question

Postby CurtMarsh » Sun Jan 20, 2013 7:45 pm

the tile board that you used,(melamine board) is designed to be glued yo a substrate. When you screwed tt to the stool ribs in your ct you caused it to have nowhere to move when it expanded due to h\temperature or. humidity. The existing panels are now ruined but you could glue new ones to the plywood panels in your trailer. Do NOT use any nails or screws or you will cause the same effect. I have used that material for years as bath tub liner and it works fine if it is allowed to expand and contract at will. Curt
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Re: CT Interior Walls Question

Postby lmajeff1 » Sun Jan 20, 2013 8:43 pm

I insulated the walls and ceiling of my Autowagon then I used t11 siding. To date no problems with the interior.
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Re: CT Interior Walls Question

Postby BC_Explorer » Mon Jan 21, 2013 6:21 pm

CurtMarsh wrote:the tile board that you used,(melamine board) is designed to be glued yo a substrate. When you screwed tt to the stool ribs in your ct you caused it to have nowhere to move when it expanded due to h\temperature or. humidity. The existing panels are now ruined but you could glue new ones to the plywood panels in your trailer. Do NOT use any nails or screws or you will cause the same effect. I have used that material for years as bath tub liner and it works fine if it is allowed to expand and contract at will. Curt


Thanks. So with the melamine board glued to the plywood, the glue is pliable enough to allow the melamine board to move a bit? The concern, I have is the temperature swings, meaning over 100 F in hot sunny weather then down close to freezing temps and where the rainfall is measured in feet per year in the fall and winter months which means a ton of cold humidity.
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Re: CT Interior Walls Question

Postby Bkcreation34 » Mon Jan 21, 2013 6:58 pm

I saw this and I am going through the same results. I used tongue and grove pine paneling and I have two bubbles one on each side of the CT. It is horrible I put all the work in it and I saw that and it was sad to see that. The harsh cold winters our bad does anyone know of a good fix for me on the bubble it is about 5 feet on each side of like 4 of the pieces of the tongue and groove paneling. And how to fix this for next winter so I don't have to worry about it. The ceiling was fine it held up so nice and no damage to that but just the two walls. : (
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Re: CT Interior Walls Question

Postby CurtMarsh » Mon Jan 21, 2013 9:07 pm

i have never used the melamine panels with that great a temp change. The humidity changes in a bath are that great though, and maybe greater,the adhestve works well for the humidity changes as long as you have no mechanical fasteners including trim nails through the panel. Curt
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Re: CT Interior Walls Question

Postby 8ball_99 » Tue Jan 22, 2013 9:55 am

FRP works great. But like others said you need to attach it to some kind of plywood. You can't attach it directly to the metal studs.. You don't have to just glue it on they do make plastic rivets for FRP.. I've used the stuff in everything from commercial bathrooms to two different cargo trailers. Works very well when its installed properly..
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