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Perhaps the other ideas, like EPDM or fiberglassing the plywood..
Perhaps the other ideas, like EPDM or fiberglassing the plywood..
....I have a large roll of EPDM in my garage (1/8 inch thick). I bought it for emergency repairs on our TPO roof (yep, you read right: EPDM material to patch TPO, using special sealant). I've already applied 2 patches over the years (from a 10-LB tree trimming blade head that dropped over 20 feet onto the roof of our camper, creating a pin-hole in the TPO). The 2 inch by 1 inch and 1 by 1 inch patches are holding well after 5 years.
Anyhow....the reason I mention my 150-foot roll of EPDM: I've been experimenting with this rubber material for a few years, and it just seems like it would be an excellent cushion/barrier under either a metal roof, or under the TPO itself (!)
Wood-shedding this idea further: it may be (it MAY: but do your research 1st with the EPDM manufacturer) an excellent intermediary between say a marine plywood roof wrap, and an aluminum skinned roof. Both as a sound insolator/isolator, and a plywood decking protective barrier and with a slight thermal break property.
I'm not partial to the cheap c%*p RV makers use as aluminum corrugate (it is so thin, it is almost like a pie crust plate). Why don't you source a roll of real aluminum like Airstream uses ???? Far more robust.
S-
Silver
2004 Chevy Silverado 2500HD 4x4 6.0L Ext/LB Tow Package 4L80E Michelin AT2s| Outfitter Caribou
Is there a glue that will stick between the EPDM and aluminum?
We are getting expensive here are we not? Maybe just line-x the whole roof (if they make white line-x) and call her done?
2001 F350 Lariat CC 4WD 7.3 PSD dually, chipped, 4" SS exhaust, 350 hp, Rancho 9000's, front receiver, front & rear Roadmasters
2009 Arctic Fox 990S, storm windows, Cummins/Onan, FastGuns, Torklifts
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Right now I am getting closer to needing to come up with the skin design for the roof. If I use aluminum and need something to go between the aluminum and marine plywood, how do I attach the aluminum to the plywood without using fasteners? It would be a shame to have a true one piece aluminum roof with zero holes, then mess it all up with leaky rivits.
Right now I am getting closer to needing to come up with the skin design for the roof. If I use aluminum and need something to go between the aluminum and marine plywood, how do I attach the aluminum to the plywood without using fasteners? It would be a shame to have a true one piece aluminum roof with zero holes, then mess it all up with leaky rivits.
You secure around the edges under the seam bead which is caulked or putty. The center is kept from flapping with the roof vents and anything else you secure on the roof. No need to use rivets or screws any place else.
Since you made the frame out of steel, you will need to predrill holes and then secure with the screw that also secure the seam trim.
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Further, how hard is it going to be to obtain and manuever 8.5 feet by 22 feet of 0.050 aluminum...
Further, how hard is it going to be to obtain and manuever 8.5 feet by 22 feet of 0.050 aluminum...
My father and I did a 38' Park model trailer in one piece. Only issue was getting the roll up on the roof which we did with out farm tractor. After we got it rolled out, it was easy to slip here and there to get it in position.
After we were sure we had it in the right position, we temporarily secured a couple of roof vents (dry, no caulking) to hold the sheet in place. Then it was just a case of beating the edges of the sides and trimming as necessary.
Due to the curve in the front, you will need to decide how far to run the roof material. On the frat it is easy, but on edges, it will become a pain quickly trying to round the ends while keeping a good seal. That is why they use the corner bead for sealing the raidus front.
And remember, the siding goes on first, roof last.
2015 Ram 3500 4x4 Crew Cab SRW 6.4 Hemi LB 3.73 (12.4 hand calc avg mpg after 92,000 miles with camper)
2004 Lance 815 (prev: 2004 FW 35'; 1994 TT 30'; Tents)
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Is there a glue that will stick between the EPDM and aluminum?
Is there a glue that will stick between the EPDM and aluminum?
....always thinking cost/durability, this is what I would do if I were to build a steel-caged truck camper:
-simply paint brush coat all my steel framing with elastomeric-acrylic rubber coating (a kind of super EPDM) rather than a whole-cage EPDM membrane;
-rivet the aluminum sheeting to the EPDM coated exterior cage, using the elastomeric-acrylic rubber coating as a mult barrier;
-affix cedar frame stays to the coated steel cage as a)framework for in-wall wire runs and AC/DC wall outlets and lighting; b) framework for finished RV wall paneling;
-have an accredited foam applicator spray the equivalent steel stock thickness (1 inch ?) of E-84 Class 1 fire rated spray foam to the entire inside cage/shell, thereby permanently locking the aluminum skin and rib-cage and cedar wall/ceiling framing stays (I would personally only use Eastern white cedar, rather than the cheap inferior western red cedar);
-do wiring and electrical fixtures, and install windows and roof vents, then add inside RV wall paneling & trim & bamboo flooring over closed-cell underlayment flooring foam (all over marine-varnished marine plywood sub-floor).
*I would kill many issues this way: absolutely rock solid skin-to-cage composite structure; superb insulation, with fire mitigating foam along with excellent sound barrier (STM yet to be calculted: Standard Test Method airborne sound transmission level); virtually no chance of EVER developing a water (or, air(!) leak); elimination of inside condensation (cedar/foam acting as thermal barrier to a degree); and most importantly: speed of build is accelerated.
![[image]](http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk103/jhrodd/image_zps13c7f942.jpg)
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* This post was edited 03/15/13 09:07am by an administrator/moderator *
1999 F550 truck conversion
recycler wrote:
you could always just do like i am and fiberglass over the plywood making it a one piece roof put you some waxed shimming on the sides to wrap over so you can add the siding of choice later.. as for attaching the plywood grind the tubing for some bit and use liquid nails and and screws
you could always just do like i am and fiberglass over the plywood making it a one piece roof put you some waxed shimming on the sides to wrap over so you can add the siding of choice later.. as for attaching the plywood grind the tubing for some bit and use liquid nails and and screws
It does seem like fiberglassing the plywood would be the easiest and maybe cheapest solution. Considering fiberglass boats last like 30 years even when exposed to the elements...
I would use sikaflex, which I guess is similar to liquid nails, to fastent the ply to the steel...maybe with some screws too although I doubt they are needed.
Dan L wrote:
Interesting project, keep the pics coming.
Re: the frame twist, a few years ago I was working on a military vehicle project and on those with boxes on the back, ie, "campers" they used a special 3 point pivoting mount system that isolated the box from the frame. It was designed such that a moment could not be transmitted from the frame to the box.
Do some searches and I'm sure you can find some info/pics of similar mounts.
Dan
Interesting project, keep the pics coming.
Re: the frame twist, a few years ago I was working on a military vehicle project and on those with boxes on the back, ie, "campers" they used a special 3 point pivoting mount system that isolated the box from the frame. It was designed such that a moment could not be transmitted from the frame to the box.
Do some searches and I'm sure you can find some info/pics of similar mounts.
Dan
I have seen this 3 point system purposely used on an "Earth Roamer type" off-road build, either on the net, or a television documentary. For absolute frame twist security, it is the only way that makes sense, and I made a mental note of it. If one was to mount the box shell in two forward places on the frame, the cabover portion of the box is unlikely to flex different enough to touch the cab. The single point mounted rear of the shell can lift/travel considerably from the truck frame without shell damage.
On the other hand, I'm sure most TC's and Mini/Motorhomes do twist considerably more than their owners realise. As long as the shell is fairly homogenous, the bending stresses are not concentrated in one single area. It is the reason that windows, and now often doors, have rounded corners and the glass can somewhat "float". Marine windows are often entirely round. Boat structure cracks and leaks are even worse than campers, of course.
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Jfet wrote:
It does seem like fiberglassing the plywood would be the easiest and maybe cheapest solution. Considering fiberglass boats last like 30 years even when exposed to the elements...
I would use sikaflex, which I guess is similar to liquid nails, to fastent the ply to the steel...maybe with some screws too although I doubt they are needed.
recycler wrote:
you could always just do like i am and fiberglass over the plywood making it a one piece roof put you some waxed shimming on the sides to wrap over so you can add the siding of choice later.. as for attaching the plywood grind the tubing for some bit and use liquid nails and and screws
you could always just do like i am and fiberglass over the plywood making it a one piece roof put you some waxed shimming on the sides to wrap over so you can add the siding of choice later.. as for attaching the plywood grind the tubing for some bit and use liquid nails and and screws
It does seem like fiberglassing the plywood would be the easiest and maybe cheapest solution. Considering fiberglass boats last like 30 years even when exposed to the elements...
I would use sikaflex, which I guess is similar to liquid nails, to fastent the ply to the steel...maybe with some screws too although I doubt they are needed.
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recycler wrote:
the original one piece fiberglass roof to mine is about 45 years old and is in fair shape yet...
the original one piece fiberglass roof to mine is about 45 years old and is in fair shape yet...
Speaking of marine construction, here is a thread discussing good old fashioned painted canvas decks. Most important to note is that in this post, the gentleman mentions his ordinary painted cotton canvas has reliably served as a waterproof deck (roof) for 55 years. Quote: "The original painted canvas has been on my boat for 55 years. It's kept on the water all year long in a covered slip. I re-coat the paint every 6-8 years." EPDM is far from a new concept, except probably even more rubbery and durable than paint. EDPM would be my roof of choice.
I did try the lowball "painted fabric" idea on a plywood picnic table we received as a gift. The table was meant to disassemble and be transported for campouts, but the builder thought that if thin plywood was good, more was better, so he used 3/4 inch ply. It weighed a miserable ton and we finally left it permanently set up in our backyard. Anyone that has merely painted plywood in an effort to preserve it outdoors, knows that the raw plywood surface grain cracks within months.
Finally, in an effort to forestall chronic repainting, my wife let me have some old, semi-rotten, cotton sheets that we had used to start new lawn. I experimentally applied a very wet coat of ordinary leftover latex house paint to the tabletop and wrapped the sheet over, then immediately saturation-painted the dickens out of the sheet surface. Ten years later, the maintenence-free table top was still in great shape, but the feet had rotted off, so I threw the table.
My son also covered a low-cost homemade truck topper with thin painted cotton. The redneck topper was built with a superlight wood frame and styrofoam sheet. It had a plexiglass front and rear window incorporated and a rear door with a sealed plastic hinge. After the latex house paint was dry, it was very light, stiff and waterproof. He work-camped in it for a summer. Unfortunately, it wasn't fastened well to the truck box and eventually tore loose in a windstorm coming from the rear while parked. The aerodynamic shape apparently kept it on during driving. I don't know how long the surface might ultimately have lasted, but many quality latex house paints are rated for up to 50 years. Because it breathes vapor, latex is inherently less likely to peel as opposed to oil paints.
Wes
...
Days spent camping are not subtracted from one's total.
- 2019 Leprechaun 311FS Class C
- Linda, Wes and Quincy the Standard Brown Poodle