I might suggest you visit the "Wood Boat" forums. Many wood boat builds are detailed in construction methods and apply to these structures as well The furniture is a structural part of most small boats. Building a camper is alot like building a boat, both are designed to keep water out, tips such as weeping holes in framing apply too allowing what water or condensation does get in to dry or drain. :snorkel:
How to make a good camper shell?
- Thread starter Ndmker
- Start date
I plan on making my cap/camper from Nyloboard. Its made from recycled carpet and you can get it sandwiched in fiberglass. comes in 4'x8' sheets (or custom) 3/8, 1/2, 3/4 and 1". sandwich 2" rigid foam in between to make SIP panels. I should be starting within next month, I am a building contractor so I like the fact I can use my tools.
Well, it's not a "camper shell", but it's freakin' light and has over 10K miles under it so far....
http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=44293
This is the build journal for my fiberglass/epoxy/honeycomb composite teardrop trailer. Pay special attention to the later ramblings where I discuss what I would have done differently. In the meantime I've built a second one which has racked up ca. 6K miles. Neither has had any real issues.
Hope this helps!
Whitney
http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=44293
This is the build journal for my fiberglass/epoxy/honeycomb composite teardrop trailer. Pay special attention to the later ramblings where I discuss what I would have done differently. In the meantime I've built a second one which has racked up ca. 6K miles. Neither has had any real issues.
Hope this helps!
Whitney
LivelyZach
New member
Several years ago ,I built a TTT(tiny travel trailer) think teardrop in size 4 ft x 8 ft,making it as lightweight as possible was the goal.My framework was built utilizing PVC pipe .The basic idea was a success ,the finished product weighed half as much as a similar design in wood ,though I used PVC sheets for the wall sheathing...not taking into account eventual degradation from exposure to sunlight..The framework is still intact ,though the sheathing is long gone.Its now used as a cold frame sheathed with clear vinyl .My point being that perhaps you might consider a framework similar to the one I constructed way back then ,utilizing other materials for outside sheathing instead.
offroadkiwi
New member
Yes.
westyss
Explorer
You are getting a lot of good info here, from my experience the Sika you plan to use must be for the right application. it’s been a while but from memory Sika 252 is for bonding products together and if the two materials are different a certain amount of beaded Sika to form a “Sika gap” is required, for example when bonding aluminum onto fibreglass I used an amount of 252 to have the ally sit off the glass by 3mm, that way when the sun beats on it the ally will expand faster and more than the fibreglass but the Sika will allow for the movement, if no gap the seal between the two will eventually break.
Sika 252 is not uv stable so a sealant is needed to cover it, I used Sika 292 I think it was, Sika has tons of good info for different applications.
I like wood and have used it often trying to encapsulate it but invariably the epoxy will developer small cracks and start to let in water unless a fabric is used.The fastener will be a duct for access too and eventually rot that area, most wood that is kiln dried still has a high percentage of moisture in it unless you use a high quality marine ply but lots of $ these days.
Sika 252 is not uv stable so a sealant is needed to cover it, I used Sika 292 I think it was, Sika has tons of good info for different applications.
I like wood and have used it often trying to encapsulate it but invariably the epoxy will developer small cracks and start to let in water unless a fabric is used.The fastener will be a duct for access too and eventually rot that area, most wood that is kiln dried still has a high percentage of moisture in it unless you use a high quality marine ply but lots of $ these days.