Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Thanks all for your input. I purchased my vinyl yesterday. I found a supplier who had some surplus 72" wide green vinyl used for commercial awnings. This stuff seems quite rugged. The best part is it was only $8.00 per yard.

I have read discussion on this board about skinning the outside with one layer and/or 2 layers of 1/8 luan. I am going with the single layer of 1/8 luan, applied 3 coats of exterior varnish and am going to use contact cement to glue the vinyl to the top. I will get some pictures once it is all in place.

Thanks again for your input, suggestions, ideas and information!

Don't know for shure, but I think I'd do a test on a scrap to make shure the contack cement is compatable with the varnish....it might have a tendency to lift the varnish. Bad deal if it does.

Great suggestion on the possible problem between the contact cement and the varnish. Reading the can, there is also a potential problem with contact cement eating the vinyl too. There are some solvent free contact cements out there or possibly vinyl floor adhesive might work. I am going to the local trim shop and see what adhesive they use when attaching vinly tops to car roof's. If there was a reachtion, I could have had a disaster on my hands. Thanks!

a lotta folks here have been using an outdoor carpet adhesevive to attach their aluminum...I be it would work wonders in your application...look for Herny's 663 or an equivalent product...they are latex rubber based and would not affect the vinyl
madjack

If you want to attatch fabric to wood, with or without varnish or lacquer, use water base contact cement. Roll it on thin and let it dry thoroughly. When it is dry put it in place carefull -- it is CONTACT cement.

I'd put heavy paper over the whole surface with a long seam in the center. With the fabric stretched out, I'd start pulling the paper out and attatching the fabric carefully.

The new water base does not grab as bad or as fast as the old solvent base (don't use solvent base for a lot of reasons). You could scoot it around a little, but be real careful, if it sticks down it might be real hard to get it up.

Once it is in place roll the heck out of it with a J roller.

It is possible that you will have to recoat the back of the fabric, if it has a heavy weave.

Test that one.

Tests never hurt anything, really.

dave

I did a little research last year before I glued the headliner (that mysteriously got pulled down) in my 18 year old daughters 87 Corolla . There are glues especially made for vinyl tops and headliners. I think they are water based, do not grab quit so quickly, and are probably like the water based adhesives dwgriff1 mentioned.

In my case, I could have used Elmers. She cracked that poor old Toyota up not 2 months after I went through that thing and detailed it out. On the bright side, she wasn't hurt, and assures me that she has matured at the ripe old age of 19.

Are you still around Buck? I see in your gallery that you have the vinyl on. I was wondering how you ended you attaching it and how well is it holding up?

Thanks,

Hi,
I'm still considering using marine duck canvas on my teardrop. If it is good enough for old wooden boat tops it should work on a teardrop, too.
I think I saw one on eBay a year or so ago that was done this way.
Kris

If your looking at vinyl take a look at this. think someone else used it can't remember who it was.
http://yourautotrim-store.stores.yahoo.net/dipltoma.html

Chip used that PVC stuff on his first tear,,he glued it down and away he went...seemed to work for him.

Actually , a good paint job holds up well !!! and is quick and reasonable ....

Just a response to the first part of this thread.

DO NOT USE POLYMAX..... IT HAS BEEN TRIED

The thermal expansion properties will drive you crazy. It comes alive with bubbles and veins when it gets warm. I applied it in the wintertime and now that hot weather is here, it doesn't lay too flat.


sid n side

I was going to use Henry's 663 to put on my "diamond plate" material. It WOULD NOT DRY when the tonneau material was glued to the foam. Even after letting it set for a day, I could still pull the two pieces apart and the glue was still wet. I don't know if the two pieces wouldn't let the solvents out or what but what I tried to use it for, it didn't work. It did, however work GREAT for applying the carpeting to the inside walls.

Experiment, experiment, experiment before you start in on the tear. If anyone has an idea on why the glue didn't dry, please let me know. I'm curious.

Jeff, a couple of thoughts on the Henry's...it is primarily designed for applying outdoor carpet to a wooden deck...which gives it much more air exposure for setting up...MUCH more than applying it to Al and other non-breatable surfaces...also, many have stated in using it to apply Al on their trailers that it took anywhere from a few days to a week to setup properly....just a thought or two.....
madjack

madjack wrote:...it is primarily designed for applying outdoor carpet to a wooden deck...which gives it much more air exposure for setting up.. it took anywhere from a few days to a week to setup properly....

Yeah, I figured because it was being used for carpeting that it would set up quicker. I didn't have a week to let it set up so I went with contact cement on the final product.