The dumb question is the one never asked ... here goes!

[Ron Dickey]

Could a frame be built and then sheet metal be attached nailed, screwed, glued to the ribs then add insolation and inside wood.

Why does it need to be glued to a wood sheet .... would not that bring the weight down a whole bunch??

[bdosborn]

I think it sure would dent easily. You'll need awfully big doors to get the inside skin on. Check out this site for info on a square tail tear.
http://www.tinytears.cc/
Bruce

[mikeschn]

Wood is glued to a frame to give it racking strength. Sorta like your house. When the stud wall is standing there, it can rack easily. once you add wood on the outside and drywall on the inside, it no longer racks. Even thin wood, like 1/8" or 1/4" luan adds significantly to the strength.

Mike...

[asianflava]

Yeah like a gusset except it covers the whole thing.

[angib]

Could a frame be built and then sheet metal be attached nailed, screwed, glued to the ribs then add insolation and inside wood.

Which is exactly how all commercial trailers are built, so you can do it this way.

Commercial trailers use fluted or corrugated aluminum - is that because it allows them to reduce the thickness of the aluminum, or is it because it allows them to put the frames further apart, or is it to stop the siding from 'panting' and then coming off? Were old trailers, with smooth aluminum siding, made with thicker skins?

Andrew

[JunkMan]

Which is exactly how all commercial trailers are built, so you can do it this way.

Commercial trailers use fluted or corrugated aluminum - is that because it allows them to reduce the thickness of the aluminum, or is it because it allows them to put the frames further apart, or is it to stop the siding from 'panting' and then coming off? Were old trailers, with smooth aluminum siding, made with thicker skins?

Andrew

Andrew, I think the ribbing on the aluminum does both, it adds strength, and helps to avoid "panting" or "oilcanning". I haven't torn apart an old smooth sided trailer, but I think you are right, they did use thicker aluminum.

If you have ever scrapped out an old travel trailer or pickup camper, you would be surprised how little material is used when building them. With the exception of a brace or two placed in corners, the only plywood on the walls is the inside paneling, and it is usually very thin.

Considering how most of us are building our trailers, with the exception of the guys that are building for off road use, we are way overbuilding them, especially the frames. Of course, considering how small our trailers are, this is not a big problem. If we were building 20 or 30 foot campers, we would be in serious trouble

[angib]

If you have ever scrapped out an old travel trailer or pickup camper, you would be surprised how little material is used when building them. With the exception of a brace or two placed in corners, the only plywood on the walls is the inside paneling, and it is usually very thin.

Welcome to the Buford and Andrew lightweight club!

When it comes to old trailers, I can only talk about old British trailers, but the result seems to be the same. Minimum cost and, probably less importantly, minimum weight meant that the builders learnt what to leave out.

But when looking at old trailers, I do note:
- The framing is made of lovely quality wood - simply unobtainable in Britain today (you guys should stop complaining about wood until you've seen a British wood yard).
- The joints were well made so that the framing was self-supporting - really the ply was only needed to stop racking (twisting) as the framework was strong enough to hold up the body on its own.

Andrew

[BufordT]

If you have ever scrapped out an old travel trailer or pickup camper, you would be surprised how little material is used when building them. With the exception of a brace or two placed in corners, the only plywood on the walls is the inside paneling, and it is usually very thin.

Welcome to the Buford and Andrew lightweight club!

When it comes to old trailers, I can only talk about old British trailers, but the result seems to be the same. Minimum cost and, probably less importantly, minimum weight meant that the builders learnt what to leave out.

But when looking at old trailers, I do note:
- The framing is made of lovely quality wood - simply unobtainable in Britain today (you guys should stop complaining about wood until you've seen a British wood yard).
- The joints were well made so that the framing was self-supporting - really the ply was only needed to stop racking (twisting) as the framework was strong enough to hold up the body on its own.

Andrew

I saw a show the other day about rebuilding an old Pakard Car. The cars were built to go 100,000 to 200,000 miles the man said. And that was on the type of roads they had back in the 30's and 40's. Most of the plans and the tears that were built back then used a lot less metal and more wood than we use today. They held up fine on the roads back then and most of the roads back then were what we would call today off-roading roads. I've said it before and I'll say it again. We are building a teardrop trailer her people. Not a trailer for a teardrop.

Bufordt

[Ron Dickey]

Which is exactly how all commercial trailers are built, so you can do it this way.

Commercial trailers use fluted or corrugated aluminum - is that because it allows them to reduce the thickness of the aluminum, or is it because it allows them to put the frames further apart, or is it to stop the siding from 'panting' and then coming off? Were old trailers, with smooth aluminum siding, made with thicker skins?

Andrew

Andrew, I think the ribbing on the aluminum does both, it adds strength, and helps to avoid "panting" or "oilcanning". I haven't torn apart an old smooth sided trailer, but I think you are right, they did use thicker aluminum.

If you have ever scrapped out an old travel trailer or pickup camper, you would be surprised how little material is used when building them. With the exception of a brace or two placed in corners, the only plywood on the walls is the inside paneling, and it is usually very thin.

Considering how most of us are building our trailers, with the exception of the guys that are building for off road use, we are way overbuilding them, especially the frames. Of course, considering how small our trailers are, this is not a big problem. If we were building 20 or 30 foot campers, we would be in serious trouble

Junkman

here might be an example see the sides the front has reinforced plywood, but the sides do not. they are however not smoth.

http://www.rqriley.com/imagespln/b-camp3.jpg

Ron D.