Sawtooth XL Build

DanCooper

Adventurer
I got over my laziness spurt and did a search in the Storage Solutions forum for carpet and glue (lots of carpet on plywood in that forum). It seems that 3M spray adhesive is the way to go. At least one user said he had had carpet stuck down with spray adhesive in his truck for years and it had never come loose. So 3M spray adhesive it is. And carpet tape for the edges and transitions.
 

paddlequest

Adventurer
Another source for information from a user with experience would be skersfan (I think thats his username on here)...he built a pod style teardrop for sale for a while (called the Ouray I think...really nice trailer) and put shag carpet on the insides of his. He was pretty strong about it being warm and quiet and not show the nicks and bangs that plywood can if you carry things inside the trailer. I have a Hiker Trailer off road teardrop on order from Lead Dog Motorsports in Las Vegas and I am strongly considering putting some sort of short loop shag carpet on the walls for all of the above mentioned reasons. I will look forward to seeing how yours turns out!

Given that you have had mold issues previous, that is one of my main concerns about the carpet, particularly since I travel through Central America regularly and the humidity here is a concern. Do you have any concerns about that?
 

tgreening

Expedition Leader
Thank you for the reply. I was wondering if the carpet is easy to pull off. Since it went into a Wagoneer, is it adhered to metal?

Thank you again.


Yes, straight to the painted metal. I couldn't say how hard it would be to remove once fully cured, but the piece I had to reposition wasn't very interested in coming off.
 

DanCooper

Adventurer
Another source for information from a user with experience would be skersfan (I think thats his username on here)...he built a pod style teardrop for sale for a while (called the Ouray I think...really nice trailer) and put shag carpet on the insides of his. He was pretty strong about it being warm and quiet and not show the nicks and bangs that plywood can if you carry things inside the trailer. I have a Hiker Trailer off road teardrop on order from Lead Dog Motorsports in Las Vegas and I am strongly considering putting some sort of short loop shag carpet on the walls for all of the above mentioned reasons. I will look forward to seeing how yours turns out!

Given that you have had mold issues previous, that is one of my main concerns about the carpet, particularly since I travel through Central America regularly and the humidity here is a concern. Do you have any concerns about that?


Thanks for the info. I had already bought some plush cut automotive carpet for this project when I read skees fan's post. I'm not a fan of shag carpet, primarily becasue it seems to attract litter and dust, then hold onto it like a magnet to iron filings. The first house I ever bought had shag carpet and I fought it like the monster (fro me) it turned out to be. But the nex hunting camp over from mine has little cabins with shag carpet on the walls and ceilings and the owner swears by it The one with the pink shag has a sign on the door, "Honeymoon Shack." I do not ever want to shine a black light in there.

As for the mold, I am dragging this out of the Pacific Northwest as soon as I can, and down to the Southwest. In Alaska, we generally have low humidity, so I am not too concerned. The mold issue arose for me because not all the wood surfaces had a finish on them. The finished surfaces did not have mold, just the unfinished surfaces. From this sparse evidence I conclude that if I treat the mold by killing it, then finish it with a good primer and some paint, the mold should not return. I suspect there is someone reading this build thread who knows more about mold than me and hopefully will correct me if I'm wrong. Politely I hope.
 

DanCooper

Adventurer
Yes, straight to the painted metal. I couldn't say how hard it would be to remove once fully cured, but the piece I had to reposition wasn't very interested in coming off.

Thanks for the info. I'm pretty sure it will be the same with the primed and painted wood. Of course, it may just pull the freaking paint off.
 

DanCooper

Adventurer
I had to move the rain gutters over the door up 1/2 inch because the doors would touch the very ends. But they are on now.

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Also the ceiling light and fan.

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I'm thrilled they work. The fan is a monster. I'm going to enjoy the fan a great deal.

I cut the carpet to 2inches over dimensions.

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I laid the carpet in the cabin so it could relax more overnight.

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Tomorrow should see the laying of the carpet and the final hanging of the doors (I need to put sealant under the hinges and put the bulb seal on the interior lip. Lordy how I look forward to that!). With some luck and a little help, I may get the windows installed as well. I hope to have the trailer mostly done by the weekend because I am losing my bed on Saturday to my brother's grandkids (little twerps) and I need a place to sleep.
 

DanCooper

Adventurer
Yesterday I took a fall while working on the trailer. The hitch caught a fold in my trousers while I was walking past it and pulled me off balance. So today I was slower due to some soreness. But milestones were reached regardless. The carpet was laid on the floor with double sided tape on the edges and spray adhesive in the middle parts.

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I am pleased with the way it turned out. I did not get to carpeting the wheel wells yet, but hopefully, I will get it done tomorrow. In the process, I learned that blood comes out of the carpet really easily with cold water. I also learned that if you can't see the razor knife, don't put your hand anywhere you can't see your hand.

I installed the bulb seal around the doors. Once I again I am happy with the result. It causes difficulty closing the doors, but I will work on the strike plates soon. Regardless, it looks good.

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You can see the fan trim is installed in the last picture. I ran the fan while installing the carpet and the windows. Really, really nice. As you can tell from the next photo, it got warm today.

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And since it was so warm, I installed the windows and quit for the day.

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Tomorrow's plan of the day is doors, wheel wells, two switches for the "porch lights", two reading lights, and trim out the fan connection hole. I also will put some sealant around the windows on the exterior, and some around the exterior wheel wells, below the galley hatch, and anywhere else I think may need it. Someone in dire need of black silicone came into Home Depot this morning before I arrived and bought every bit on the shelves and in back stock. Ha! I found some at the Ace Hardware store. Good stuff too!

Plus the other 101 details before I am satisfied that it is complete enough to hit the road.
 

tgreening

Expedition Leader
You won't quite as big a fan of your...uhm, fan, when you're stuck inside on a hot muggy rainy day and you can't open it. A cheap option is the fan covers they sell for those types of fan so you can still use them in the rain, or something like the Maxxfan (my favorite). The first option is fairly cheap, but kind of clunky looking. The 2nd option is anything but cheap but it's nice and streamlined looking, even when fully open, and can be had with a remote and thermostat option.

I figure it's something that you hadn't thought about (I didn't) but will discover pretty quick.
 

DanCooper

Adventurer
tgreening;2325319I figure it's something that you hadn't thought about (I didn't) but will discover pretty quick.[/QUOTE said:
You are right, that did not occur to me. Hmmmm. I will await the event and see how unbearable it becomes, and implement a solution based on the amount of discomfort I suppose. The Maxxfan isn't that expensive, so if it is a BIG problem I will put one in. However, the trailer is so small that a remote control is really not necessary.
 

DanCooper

Adventurer
Thanks, Jess. I'm not quite done with carpeting, as I'm still working on the wheel wells. I finally read the instructions on the can of spray adhesive, so I'm slowing down the process and letting the adhesive "cure" a bit before I stick the carpet on, and letting the glue set up. The last pieces of that should go on today.
 

tgreening

Expedition Leader
You are right, that did not occur to me. Hmmmm. I will await the event and see how unbearable it becomes, and implement a solution based on the amount of discomfort I suppose. The Maxxfan isn't that expensive, so if it is a BIG problem I will put one in. However, the trailer is so small that a remote control is really not necessary.


I would imagine the remote less version would save some money as well (is there one?). I can assure you though, it will leak like a sieve when it starts raining. I have one directly above the toilet in my 5th wheel. The level of discomfort rises exponentially between drop 1 and drop 10. :)

Your trailer is looking good. This design has been one of my absolute favorites. I had managed to mostly put it out of my mind after the original was completed, but you had to go and start another one. I have enough projects already without being teased into another one thank you. :)
 

DanCooper

Adventurer
I would imagine the remote less version would save some money as well (is there one?). I can assure you though, it will leak like a sieve when it starts raining. I have one directly above the toilet in my 5th wheel. The level of discomfort rises exponentially between drop 1 and drop 10. :)

Your trailer is looking good. This design has been one of my absolute favorites. I had managed to mostly put it out of my mind after the original was completed, but you had to go and start another one. I have enough projects already without being teased into another one thank you. :)

Thank you very much. It is not as perfect as I would like it to be, like the galley door, but I think I will have a good time in it. Here it is with the exterior almost completely finished. It is parked at my brother's house so I may sleep in it tonight. Just behind is a little creek, so I can be lulled to sleep . . .

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I am thinking I should get a rattle can of black bed liner and do the frame and fenders. Anyone have thoughts on that?
 

paddlequest

Adventurer
Looking reallly good. I think the blacl accents of the trailer and fenders is a good idea. I look forward to seeing completed interior shots.
Cheers and happy trails!
 

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