New guy- square-drop build questions & thoughts

[Wm Hill]

Greetings, long-time lurker, first-time posting. I'm in the design and scrounge process for a square-drop camper build. I have a few questions that I would appreciate some input on. We have a full-sized teardrop (Braxton Creek Bushwhacker plus 15 DS) but we want something for backwoods boondocking during kayak season. I'm trying to keep costs down where possible, but I want to build it to last.
I picked up an old Palimino pop-up frame that I may use if I can't find something bigger/better. With this frame, I won't be able to go 5' wide without fender wells. I think 5' VS 4' would be advantageous if the Misses were to come along. Also, I'm not a fan of the smallish 4:80X12 tires. These things I can deal with, but some of my nagging build questions are:

* I plan on using 3/4" plywood with studding/bracing just in the corners, and 2X3s for the roof rafters. Is this a sound idea, or should I frame it on 16" centers and use a thinner plywood? It will only be a fair-weather unit, so insulation isn't going to be a factor.

* Exterior finish? I have seen a mix of feedback on doing a bedliner finish. Would I be just as well-off painting? I have no interest in doing a skin on the exterior. I'm looking to do an olive-drab military theme. A little bit of rustic flair is ok.

* Roofing? Could I just paint/bedliner the roof? Thoughts on Elastomeric roofing paint? I plan to bondo over any screws, fasteners, seams, etc.

Any thoughts and experiences you can offer will be greatly appreciated.

 

[pith helmet]

A little bit of rustic flair is ok.

I am interested in hearing what the experienced members say. I am also playing with the idea. From my reading and asking around, a foam and thinner ply sandwich seems like a good plan.

@billiebob has what looks like a fairly simply but strong built square drop that seems to get a lot of use. Seems like he just used 1/2 OSB that he painted.
I also have the 4.80x12s which I think will be unavoidable for my base trailer. I plan a hard-side pop-up, which is really strange. I mocked it up to see if it would work.

Also, I like the idea of a Rick Flair themed trailer, but maybe I misread....

 

[1000arms]

It was a number of years ago, and the plywood and Rustoleum paint may have changed, but, you might find the following interesting:

A while back, I designed and built a small camper trailer to tow behind my Jeep. 45 degree angle at the back for departure angle. Same size rims and tires as on my Jeep. Same track-width. Torsion axle stubs. I welded up my frame with a receiver hitch front and rear on the trailer. Pintle ring inserted in to the front receiver on the trailer. Pintle hook in the rear receiver on my Jeep. Tongue long enough that combined with the pintle hook-ring setup, I could turn with the tongue more than 90 degrees from straight ahead towing, without Jeep body to trailer body contact. The trailer body was built out of 2x layed flat and 3/8" plywood, with 3/4" plywood floor. Silicone on every joint and sheetrock screws. No insulation or interior sheathing, so very easy to see how all the joints held up. I painted the outside with Rustoleum white metal paint. I towed it across the US. It spent a lot of time in the Pacific Northwest rain (and some snow), but had no leaks when I sold it 5 years later.

I "glued and screwed" every bit of the perimeter, on every panel, to something solid. The "glue" did the sealing and the screws pulled the panels tight and clamped them until the "glue" cured. I was careful to avoid pushing all of the "glue" out of the joints.

I painted multiple coats of Rustoleum metal paint (white) and let the ACX plywood soak up all it could, especially the edges. It was just ACX plywood from the store with the cheap orange buckets.

The camper trailer was easy and cheap to build and seal.

From my post in https://expeditionportal.com/forum/...amper-build-thread.232554/page-3#post-3025194

 

[Xtreme XJ]

You might want to coat the raw wood with a resin or both resin & fiberglass then the bedliner... I've done a small project with the liner on raw wood and it did OK, but some cracks & bubbles, I believe there are folks who've had issues with applying it just to raw wood. Wood shrinking as is dried out and such.
It might not even be an issue now a days or with certain liners, but I'd really pick their brains, maybe it's just an added prep step... sanding ??
Not sure, might save some frustration down the line...

 

[Teardropper]

* Exterior finish? I have seen a mix of feedback on doing a bedliner finish.

I know of a handful of teardrops finished with bed liner over bare or primed plywood. And the wood checked.

I highly recommend fiberglassing the cabin using epoxy (not polyester resin) before using a bed liner.

Tony

 

[Teardropper]

I plan on using 3/4" plywood with studding/bracing just in the corners, and 2X3s for the roof rafters. Is this a sound idea, or should I frame it on 16" centers and use a thinner plywood?

Weight adds up fast during a build. This is my "framing" system. It's called sandwich wall construction. Note the mortises for the cross members to fit in.

That's 3/4" skeletonized plywood with 3/4" foam board. You will get condensation inside without insulation on cool nights.

Tony

 

[1000arms]

@Teardropper 's book: Building a Teardrop Trailer: Plans and Methods for Crafting an Heirloom Camper

 

[Wm Hill]

My trailer has been modified a few times. From the phone call "Dad yer Grandson wants to go camping".... and me going "I am not sleeping on the ground" to done and camping was 3 weeks....

From this.
View attachment 766709

To this in 3 weeks and $200.... The roof at this point was that $12 blue tarp. The campstove was my Dads, from the 1940s. The "drybox" picnic basket was a Wedding Gift 40 years ago. The table cloth $1 in a garage sale.
View attachment 766710

With such a small investment I have tried a few times to destroy it. I knew the 5x10 commercial trailer with a 3500# axle would survive but I wanted to test the OSB BOX.... and the plate glass windows.... Forestry roads, logging spurs, crossing beaches and creeks going way too fast trying to find weaknesses..... nothing failed even tho the trailer was often airborne. Now content with the integrity I am driving a bit saner as I double my investment with solar and batteries and kitchen equipment.

I used to think once the layout/design was finalized I would start fresh with composite insulated panels, proper RV doors and windows but I see no reason to spend the money. OSB, 2x and 1x lumber, deck screws and PL400, with hardware store gate hardware just work. Even in winter conditions.

View attachment 766723

I dig a lot of your proven ideas. I love the door over the fender deal.

 

[Wm Hill]

Some of my ideas should have been left unmodified. That fender was a perfect height for a seat. With the taller tire everything is 3" higher. No longer perfect. And with the skinnier track the fender is almost gone. A better idea might have been a shorter tire on the Jeep.

Every year new ideas change what we like. Today I'm leaning more to a CJ2 or CJ5 and smaller everything. But the basics including the solar in progress will stick.... I'm liking more like this CJ5 today with Rubicon running gear.

View attachment 766768

Some of my basics might never change. Match the trailer width to the tow vehicle width so you can use the factory mirrors and so you can see the trailer in both mirrors reversing. That is number one for me.

And since I love driving without doors.... but often NEED doors touring the trailer has to have secure door storage.... hence I built my own trailer.

PS note the $12 blue tarp roof. This was BC Overland Rally in 2017.

View attachment 766769

Those doors survived the brutal driving too. They hang from hinges salvaged from 2 wrecked Jeeps. And I have more Jeep hinges in the garage and driveway.... definitely the cheapest, most secure way to store Wrangler doors.

View attachment 766770

Always think outside the box.

Technique is one thing. Ford Chev Dodge all use the same technique. Design differentiates them. But technique can be an advantage if you are willing to accept the risk of ignoring the status quo, what everyone else is doing.

Number one.... pick one priority and focus on that. My focus was COST and what can I recycle.... $$$ were my focus plus what must it do... For me

It had to hold a regular mattress. It had to carry the TJR doors. It had to be cheap. It had to be a hard side trailer with ZERO setup, ZERO packup. The bed had to be roll in, roll out, ZERO setup.

6 years later the focus is a pure electric kitchen, ZERO propane ZERO white gaz

Solid advice. In reference to width, I have 76" of frame to work with, which is wider than I would like for towing purposes. I think I will trim back the frame wings to keep everything inside the tires. This will give me 55" of interior width. Not quite the 5' that I wanted, but it eliminates needing to build as a deck-over. That would have required a body lift at the axle or an 8" floor joists to clear the tires. That will take a full mattress Vs a queen. I'm going to have to add length to the frame to get to the desired 9' length. (7' interior, 2' rear access kitchen).

High on my list of priorities is a slim profile to get into the nooks & crannies that my commercial camper can't reach. The width plays a big role in that.

Also, the budget comes into play. I've found someone local parting out a camper and hope to buy some windows on the cheap. I'm pretty used to using barn hardware. I've built quite a few projects here at home.

The zero set-up is pretty high on my list too. I want to be able to drop it in place and head out with the kayaks and hiking boots.

I hope to get everything figured out and supplies purchased by mid-April when (hopefully) it'll be warm enough to work outside. Thanks for the help!

 

[1000arms]

You might want to check out @IdaSHO 's work with Monstaliner and GacoRoof in the following posts.

Roof coatings

After a really bad experience with Hy Tech coatings in Florida, I won't be using any of their products anymore so I am looking for an alternative roof coating. Theirs is like many others except they add tiny ceramic balls for insulation. I know I have seen others mentioned on here like Gaco but...

expeditionportal.com

Idacamper2.0 Color change, please let me know your thoughts.

Thanks guys The wife thinks I should make the round vent cover into a rising moon..... :ROFLMAO: But even with my OCD, no way I bothering with the vents any further. They fit the bill, and are designed with function in mind. They are both stainless, and I could have left then as they were...

expeditionportal.com

Idacamper2.0 Color change, please let me know your thoughts.

Thanks guys I've started the reassembly. compartment door hardware installed, water fill port installed, shore power port installed, etc etc... And also very happy to report the fresh taillight buckets, redesigned ;) I was really not excited about the boxy buckets, I had started, so I...

expeditionportal.com

GacoRoof

100% Silicone Roof Coating GacoRoof 100% Silicone Roof Coating creates a seamless membrane to seal and repair existing roofs and permanently protect against leaks, permanent ponding water and the damaging effects of severe weather. GacoRoof is available in several colors to enhance the...

gaco.com

GacoFlex S2100

Cleanable Solvent-Free Silicone Coating GacoFlex S2100 is the only cleanable solvent-free 100% silicone coating in the industry to resist dirt pick-up even after years of exposure, thereby maintaining significantly higher whiteness and solar reflectivity than other silicones. S2100 offers the...

gaco.com

 

[Wm Hill]

You might want to check out @IdaSHO 's work with Monstaliner and GacoRoof in the following posts.

Roof coatings

After a really bad experience with Hy Tech coatings in Florida, I won't be using any of their products anymore so I am looking for an alternative roof coating. Theirs is like many others except they add tiny ceramic balls for insulation. I know I have seen others mentioned on here like Gaco but...

expeditionportal.com

Idacamper2.0 Color change, please let me know your thoughts.

Thanks guys The wife thinks I should make the round vent cover into a rising moon..... :ROFLMAO: But even with my OCD, no way I bothering with the vents any further. They fit the bill, and are designed with function in mind. They are both stainless, and I could have left then as they were...

expeditionportal.com

Idacamper2.0 Color change, please let me know your thoughts.

Thanks guys I've started the reassembly. compartment door hardware installed, water fill port installed, shore power port installed, etc etc... And also very happy to report the fresh taillight buckets, redesigned ;) I was really not excited about the boxy buckets, I had started, so I...

expeditionportal.com

GacoRoof

100% Silicone Roof Coating GacoRoof 100% Silicone Roof Coating creates a seamless membrane to seal and repair existing roofs and permanently protect against leaks, permanent ponding water and the damaging effects of severe weather. GacoRoof is available in several colors to enhance the...

gaco.com

GacoFlex S2100

Cleanable Solvent-Free Silicone Coating GacoFlex S2100 is the only cleanable solvent-free 100% silicone coating in the industry to resist dirt pick-up even after years of exposure, thereby maintaining significantly higher whiteness and solar reflectivity than other silicones. S2100 offers the...

gaco.com

I will look into those for sure- Thanks!

 

[1000arms]

I will look into those for sure- Thanks!

You are welcome!

 

[texman]

check out my build. ¾" ply, epoxy coated and duraback coat on top of that. custom frame and timbren axles

texman trailer

 

[Wm Hill]

check out my build. ¾" ply, epoxy coated and duraback coat on top of that. custom frame and timbren axles

texman trailer

now THAT is quite a build!

 

[texman]

Holler if i can help.