Floor Thickness

[TN_teardrop]

Thanks everyone for your reply's. Now where to go from here? I will post pics of my progress, hopefully to start the flooring this weekend.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.

[bobnlyd]

i started with an old zieman ski trailer and after some added square tubing layed some 24 ga galv sheets then some 1" ply subfloor waterproof,sturdy and some insulation

[GuitarPhotog]

The floor of my 65-year old teardrop is just a piece of 3/4" plywood. It isn't insulated, and it isn't coated with anything. When the trailer was built it might have had a coat of paint, but not so these days.

I rely on my 5" foam mattress for insulation under me, and rely on the integrity of "real" plywood for floor strength. My trailer has a chassis of welded 2" angle-iron with the cabin frame made of 1" angle iron covered with 0.050" thick aircraft aluminum riveted with aircraft-style (two-sided) rivets.

The trailer has survived untold miles in its lifetime (I've towed it almost 8,000 miles in the three years I've had it) and I believe it has benefited from the simplicity and the fact that it's not over weight and over-engineered.

This reflects my experience only YMMV. But a trailer doesn't have to be over-built or over-engineered to be strong and light and long-lasting.

<Chas>

[rick e]

My first teardrop floor was a 2x4 flat with 1/2" top and bottom. I used 1 1/2" ridged insulation in between. Teardrop #2 had a 3/4" floor no insulation. Teardrop #3 had a 1/2" floor, no insulation. Each trailer got lighter as I went. I don't believe I would ever insulate a floor again. My suggestion would be, build without any insulation. If for some reason you want it, pull the mattress out and add in the ridged foam between the floor and the mattress. Put the mattress on top without another layer of wood. My first teardrop was fully insulated with wood inside and out, and weighed 1800 lbs. The third one has no insulation and weighs about 800lbs. It has only 1/4" plywood over a frame work skeleton. Number one and three have both been used in weather below freezing with no issues. I just added an extra blanket, when I did not have shore power to run my small heater.

Woodbutcher that is a real beauty, can I ask is it #1,2,or 3?

[H.A.]

,,,.

[ChasCABQ]

I've got a 3/4in. marine ply floor with no insulation. With an air mattress in cold weather we were cold so we added a sheet of foam carpet insulation on top of the floor with a piece of carpeting on top of that - much improved. The air mattress was too bouncy so now we use a 3 in. memory foam mattress topper on top of the carpet and are quite comfy even in sub-freezing weather.

I had that same cold experience camping on an air mattress in the back of my 4Runner. Air is the worst insulator. I switched to a foam mattress and had no issues after that. I'm planning my first build using bare 1/2" or 3/4" CDX right on the trailer frame with 6" foam mattress inside. I need to save weight so I can easily tow behind my 4-cylinder Outback.

[roymeo]

Thanks everyone for the thread. I don't even need to start my own to ask 1/2" or 3/4". It sounds like there's no outcry that 1/2" just doesn't work, so we'll be going that direction.

[Kaz]

I don't know how well it penetrates but I found driveway crack sealer works really well for waterproofing. Spread it with a bondo spreader in think coats. I did three coats in one afternoon. water cleaning up and easy to spread. Each coat only took about 15 minutes each with about 2 hours between coats.