Option for Off Road Camper Exterior "Skin"

[weekender]

I just got an email from eBay showing rolls of something called Filon. It has a removable protective film on it. It looks like rolled aluminum but sounds like fiberglass. What is this stuff and how do you install it?

 

[Teardropper]

then on the backside insulate it with spray in foam or foam board and then skin the inside with whatever.

Wouldn't that gum up the internal framing and make for a big mess? Foam board works wonders.

Tony

 

[ottsville]

I just got an email from eBay showing rolls of something called Filon. It has a removable protective film on it. It looks like rolled aluminum but sounds like fiberglass. What is this stuff and how do you install it?

Filon is the fiberglass sheet used on mass market RV's. Glue it to foam or something rigid as a backing

 

[ottsville]

Let me throw this out there.... Why not just skin it with aluminum with nothing other than the frame behind it, then on the backside insulate it with spray in foam or foam board and then skin the inside with whatever. Seems like that would be a pretty light and insulated way to do it. Don't understand laying plywood down on the outside and then skinning over that with aluminum?... Enlighten me..... thank you

In many cases the plywood is the structure, be it skeletonized or whole sheet.

 

[PacificNorthWestJeeper]

In many cases the plywood is the structure, be it skeletonized or whole sheet.

Gotcha... Just thinking how heavy plywood is and by using a 4x8 sheets of 6061 aluminum (referred to sometimes as aircraft grade) it would be alot lighter and just as strong. I get its expensive but.........

 

[opp]

For off road road You can not do any better than foam over glass real fiberglass hand laid .with woven glass .Easy to fix .What will knock a hole in aluminum are Filon .Will be just a small scrape .Have you ever try to repair crapfilon. . . Any small leak wood will die . Then the trailers we have are made to last a 100 years are more with lite upkeep. The foam glass are made to flex together

 

[Lord Humongous]

Hey all, so I'm currently building a 5'x10'x30" camping trailer. Its definitely overbilt, sleeping arrangement will be a RTT. The 5x10 box will house slide out kitchen, 48 gallon water tank and misc storage. I still have more work to do like building doors ect but starting to think about this skinning dilemma. The box is structurally sound and does not need insulation. I was thinking about using an aluminum diamond plate because I like the look and weight. What would be the minimum gauge for this not having a substrate? Also thinking about using HDPE plastic sheet. I dont know much about plastic but supposedly it's used for hockey rinks so it's super impact resistant and relatively light weight?

 

[Teardropper]

Hey all, so I'm currently building a 5'x10'x30" camping trailer. Its definitely overbilt, sleeping arrangement will be a RTT. The 5x10 box will house slide out kitchen, 48 gallon water tank and misc storage. I still have more work to do like building doors ect but starting to think about this skinning dilemma. The box is structurally sound and does not need insulation. I was thinking about using an aluminum diamond plate because I like the look and weight. What would be the minimum gauge for this not having a substrate? Also thinking about using HDPE plastic sheet. I dont know much about plastic but supposedly it's used for hockey rinks so it's super impact resistant and relatively light weight?

Lord:

A 48-gallon tank? That's a lotta weight–as you know. We do three-nighters just fine with seven gallons. For longer trips, we'll throw an extra jug or two in the back of the truck.

HDPE expands and contracts a lot and has poor UV resistance. (Milk jugs are made from the stuff.) It's not light and I know of no adhesive that sticks to it.

Yes, aluminum is lightweight of course but the square footage of diamond plate you'll need for your 5 x 10, will still add a LOT of weight. Just the weight of sheets of .040" aluminum always amazes me.

Tony

 

[billiebob]

A 48-gallon tank? That's a lotta weight–as you know. We do three-nighters just fine with seven gallons.

Depends on what you need water for and for how many.

Me, single mostly, rarely the wife comes. So I need some drinking water.... 2L is plenty for me for a few days. Add in coffee and cooking, another 2L so a gallon will see me thru a week. Add in I live where the water is pretty pure and scooping a bucket from the lake is likely cleaner than bottled or municipal water and I can go a month without water.

I'll drink this water anyday.