My concern with using the big spray-in foam tanks is uniformity of application and just general messiness... my experiences with small cans of spray-in foam have convinced me that the product can be a wee bit unpredictable and hard to control...
As I've crawled around on the top of the shell, it's clear that there are numerous places where the foam did not fill the 1 1/2" space between skins. I'm just thinking that if the factory foam guy couldn't get the foam to fill smoothly, I might be challenged too. Foam board seems easy to work with, guarantees a solid, clean gapless layer, and allows the whole process to proceed at a more leisurely rate. Well-glued, I think it will provide the structural rigidity required.
If anyone on this board has used the big foam tank application, I'd like to hear about it.
Onward!
Dick
![[image]](http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr249/denlou4525/Avion%20rebuild/2013-02-10004_zpse8980dd9.jpg)
Unless your camper is constructed differently than mine you do not have a consistent 1 1/2".
I got 2 layers in (1"), the remaining space varied from 1/2", 3/8" and 1/4".
I called it a day at 1" but you could install something like the foil bubble wrap insulation to cap it all off.
I did alot of research on contact cements and settled on good old Wellwood,it has good heat resistance (160-180) and it's waterproof.
If you have not done alot of laminating, you want to use a roller and pan to apply the contact glue.
Make sure the camper is level and square before you start, once the boards are installed and you use the stick foam along the edges the camper gets very rigid.
Any questions feel free to ask.
Dennis
A couple of questions:
How did you insulate behind the end caps?
Are you reusing or replacing the inner skin?
Do you foresee any problems with the build-up of wiring between the foam and the skin? There are a few ribs in mine that have strips of the aluminum skin material riveted to them as shims. Clearly, the original builders wanted an even surface along the ribs to avoid deformation of the inner skin once installed.
Another question: does the skin in the Cayo run side to side or lengthwise? My C11 is three long sheets running lengthwise. I've been thinking that for a homebuilder, side to side would be easier to deal with and install neatly...
That's it for now. Again, thanks for the pic!
Dick
D1trout wrote:
There are a few ribs in mine that have strips of the aluminum skin material riveted to them as shims. Clearly, the original builders wanted an even surface along the ribs to avoid deformation of the inner skin once installed.
Dick
There are a few ribs in mine that have strips of the aluminum skin material riveted to them as shims. Clearly, the original builders wanted an even surface along the ribs to avoid deformation of the inner skin once installed.
Dick
Dick , when I did the front end repair on mine I noticed those rib shims . They were on the next to the last rib to where the front plastic attaches . At first I was puzzled . I took one side off and ran a straight edge spanning several ribs and they lined up perfectly , the side with the shim in place missed the last rib by 1/8" . Then it dawned on me that the shims were there to compensate for the thickness of the plastic end cap that goes under the front to back aluminum skin . At least that is my theory . Did you find shims any other place except the next to last rib before an end cap ?
'68 Avion C-11
'02 GMC DRW D/A flatbed
D1trout wrote:
A couple of questions:
How did you insulate behind the end caps?
Are you reusing or replacing the inner skin?
Do you foresee any problems with the build-up of wiring between the foam and the skin? There are a few ribs in mine that have strips of the aluminum skin material riveted to them as shims. Clearly, the original builders wanted an even surface along the ribs to avoid deformation of the inner skin once installed.
Another question: does the skin in the Cayo run side to side or lengthwise? My C11 is three long sheets running lengthwise. I've been thinking that for a homebuilder, side to side would be easier to deal with and install neatly...
That's it for now. Again, thanks for the pic!
Dick
A couple of questions:
How did you insulate behind the end caps?
Are you reusing or replacing the inner skin?
Do you foresee any problems with the build-up of wiring between the foam and the skin? There are a few ribs in mine that have strips of the aluminum skin material riveted to them as shims. Clearly, the original builders wanted an even surface along the ribs to avoid deformation of the inner skin once installed.
Another question: does the skin in the Cayo run side to side or lengthwise? My C11 is three long sheets running lengthwise. I've been thinking that for a homebuilder, side to side would be easier to deal with and install neatly...
That's it for now. Again, thanks for the pic!
Dick
The end caps are a little tricky, first off you have to do pie slices, then where the end cap radius is there can only be a little over 1/2" thick insulation at the rear, the inner and outer radii don't match.
I used all new skin...
![[image]](http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr249/denlou4525/Avion%20rebuild/2013-02-16002_zps6c785746.jpg)
Not sure if you can make it out but I ran the sheets length wise.
You can see in the photo that my wiring is on the insulated side.
Tiki hit the nail on the head, the shims space out the aluminum for the end caps, otherwise the sheet would buckle, compound curve !
I stressed over installing the long sheets but with a little help from my GF I ended up with one very small buckle which falls behind the overhead cabinets. once the sheet is in position and you push it into the curve it will pretty much stay put with one person holding it.
If you want an idea of how I went abt. it let me know.
These were posted but I'll put them up again.....
![[image]](http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr249/denlou4525/Avion%20rebuild/2013-02-10003_zps6ff35d70.jpg)
![[image]](http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr249/denlou4525/Avion%20rebuild/2013-02-11002_zpsb54fb7ee.jpg)
I'll be back to you tomorrow abt. the cylinders.
Dennis
Measurements this morning suggest a pretty uniform 1.5" thickness throughout the main body of the camper. I don't know about under the end caps yet - it's rainy horizontally here in drought-stricken CA so I'm not at work in the rig. As for the shims, each of the ribs in the main body, above the windows, is shimmed out 0.015". Below the windows is not shimmed. Presumably this gives smooth interior planes to mount to.
More when the rain stops.
Dick
I found it easy to work with, the only downside was it gets hairline scratches relatively easy.
Being I planned on painting this was of no concern to me.
I ended up using this alloy because it was readily available and I got a very good price on it.
Dennis
I am back working at the project
finished the bed overhang , it just needs a lid, drawer handles and wiring for the 4 12 volt outlets
Cheers
Michael
![[image]](http://s1310.photobucket.com/user/skindeepfx/media/20141207_142806_zps4daf44a3.jpg.html)
![[image]](http://s1310.photobucket.com/user/skindeepfx/media/20141207_142833_zps3e123ccf.jpg.html)
Dick