The Most Thrifty Foam Camper

[GPW]

I believe we read that the earliest TDs and camping trailers were developed by the migrant workers to easily go from job to job. Camping at the job site . (Please correct me if I’m wrong ! ) Makes sense eh !
I can only imagine these were Very simple , and probably constructed with whatever scrap/salvage was available ... wooden frames, old car axles /wheels ... Probably cost Very Little ... If anything save a little labor .. something light to pull with the old clunker at then 2 way FM road speeds (40 mph)
Just wondering if we can make a camping trailer from NOTHING !!! All Salvage ... Real Old School !!!

There’s free trailers and Foam to be had out there ... just for the looking ... Many choices of coverings mean you can skin it with what you want ... or can find ...

Could be a Fun little “side" project ... a place to use those scraps and surplus from other builds ...
Only rule is ... Spend NOTHING !!! or last resort , spend VERY LITTLE .... ... There’s just gotta’ be a great feeling of accomplishment to build such a vehicle with only your wit and resourcefulness !!!

[Dirke]

I keep thinking about pallet material. There are always free pallets around. I thought I might try and make the spars for my td out of the larger boards and save the smaller ones for firewood. Of course, being Dutch, my first thought is to use the smaller boards for the sides and the rest for the frame. Build a 4x8 sheet out of it, cut the shape. Then cover the whole thing with material. then just fill in the roof with boards and do the same. Might look a little lumpy if the boards didn't meet up flush.

Trust me, I am ready to start doing some dumpster diving to cut the cost down on mine. I don't know if I will be able to get free foam but I am doing my best to find a free trailer, hopefully one with some windows and stuff to salvage.

Might look like this:

[GPW]

Old Dutch saying ... “a Free trailer is better than no trailer" ... (sorry, I just made that up )
There’s plenty of free materials out there , it just requires some looking around.... and not being in a hurry ... more time for looking !!!

[Dirke]

We live right on Lake Michigan. There has to be hundreds of old boat trailers around, just have to find one. I have asked everyone I know to be on the lookout. So far I have some leftover flooring that my sister gave me, a couple of billboard tarps from my uncle, and a lots of scrap wood. While I wait for my trailer I am going to try building a storage box for the tongue out of a couple of copy paper boxes (inspired by the box test in the big thrifty thread). I figure I can't start working on the walls until I know what my trailer will look like just in case I have to change my design a bit, so I am going to work on a couple of accessories.

[RandyG]

Hmmm, this sounds like a great project for a kids bike TD trailer. We get shipping crates at work all the time made from lauan and 1x8's. Looks like a freebie to me. Now I just have to see if my kids will want to put in the work.

[eaglesdare]

i just want to say i love your avatar. lol one of my favorite movies right there!

[GPW]

D’, sounds like a good start !!! careful what you wish for .... sometimes you end up with more free trailers than you can use (ask me about that ) .... “when it rains , it pours “ ... trailers ...
But then again you can trade the surplus for what you need ... All comes down to what I call “The Fine Art of Salvage “ ... or using the religious method ... “seek and ye shall find” ...


Randy , Good Luck getting kids to do any work ... you may have to “pay" them to work on their own trailer ...

[Dirke]

i just want to say i love your avatar. lol one of my favorite movies right there!

It is a great movie, actually, this thread gave me the idea. I am a bit of a scrounger. So is "Where Eagles Dare" or as Clint Eastwood called it, "Where Doubles Dare
because they used so many stunt doubles in the movie.

The packing crates sound like a good deal. My friend made a chicken coop out of one. Lots of good free wood there.

As far as surplus trailers go, I could always give them to someone else who wants to build a TD. Not quite ready to turn them all into TDs and sell them but it's a thought. Of course as a lot of you have probably experienced, I already have about ten different TDs that I have thought of building. So, I could make them all reality but my yard isn't big enough.

[GPW]

Get a bigger yard .... Where Foamies Dare !!!

[GPW]

Seriously , once you find some materials , anything is possible ... it does require some “backyard Engineering” and a bit of creative visualization (imagination) , but it is possible to build a foamie (or ? ) camper “on the Cheap” ... The acquisition of materials is the biggest effort... like a “Scavenger Hunt”... put the word out , tell your friends what you’re looking for ... check local sale forums (like craigslist) ... and generally be Aware of anything salvageable ... I can’t pass a trash pile anymore without at least a cursory glance..
The Foam , free or cheap we find mostly around here is the big blocks of beaded foam ... and being the same density as the Blue or Pink form , is perfectly acceptable for camper building ... and it does shape and sand nicely as exemplified with our paddle board blanks .
Choices of skinning material is all what you can find or have on hand ... I’ve got a collection of old towels and was thinking about using that as a thick skin .... only thing is it may be a bit of a “textured" finish once painted ... a Fuzzy Foamie ... Old bits of fabric , no matter what color or print you use are all homogenized with a coat of paint ... and speaking of paint , check the paint stores /areas for the “reject “ exterior paint , usually the wrong color for someone, so is sold dirt cheap ... Also check the paint recycling places in the area ...

This has become a “hobby “ for me now (Thriftiness, it’s the Economy eh ? ) ... I’ve even found some really Cool "band clothes" (costumes) at the local Thrift stores... Clothes I couldn’t find or afford anywhere else. I’m into old retro bowling shirts ... must be watching too many Sopranos reruns... A little Laundering/Dry Cleaning and ... bada bing !!!

[Dirke]

Well I just hit the Salvation Army store for a couple of sheet for my tongue box project. $1 each. Not too bad. It reminded me that they often have bag sales at resale shops and church rummage sales. Usually $1 for what ever you can fit in a paper grocery bag.

[GPW]

Another Good resource!!!

[TJinPgh]

Choices of skinning material is all what you can find or have on hand ...

Back in those days they probably didn't concern themselves too much with skinning it. Some good paint or shellac probably took care of most of that.

I've been wondering... has anybody ever used shingles for the roofing material? Can usually find some extras of those lying around after a roofing job. The stuff on the roll might be even easier to work with.

Heavy, though.

[GPW]

Shingles have to be overlapped to work right ...They wouldn’t be my first choice ... Keep looking !!! Something Always turns up ... and the more you look the better the chances eh !!!

RE: Skinning .... We know Now through Science and Engineering ,that’s where all the tension and compression forces are , on the surfaces of the material ...The inner layer is in the “neutral zone” ... look what a simple skin does to a common piece of foam !!! Some of the Old Timer trailer makers might have missed that , but the Old canoe builders Never did .... Always that layer of canvas on top , painted with White Lead...

We’ll just keep skinning Our projects ... I KNOW it works , through much “testing” ... more Science !!! And chemistry

[TJinPgh]

My comment about skinning was in context to the comments about how teardrops started. Just saying, back then, it probably wasn't something they gave much thought about. Probably just used heavier dimensional lumber for the sides on the earliest ones. Much like the thought of using pallet material.

Readily available and no doubt cheap. Would be rather heavy by the time it was done, though, I suspect.

With regards to shingles. Overlapping them wouldn't be the big problem. Keeping them down in the wind could possibly be, though.

If you used the roll style shingles, though, you probably wouldn't have a problem with either.