FBJcreation wrote: 1) I am going simple to keep down weight and just doing 3/4 inch walls and floors.
2) My thought is to bolt the outer walls (& floor) through trailer frame rather than the floor and glass the interior corner (or use an L bracket) to tie them together.
3) Not going to bother insulating walls or floor. I've spent way many years of wilderness camping and the mattress on the floor will be more than enough insulation even in winter.
4) I'll do an epoxy of the wood in and out to seal, waterproof, and strengthen said walls and floor.
5) Anyway thoughts on this? size of bolts? 3/6"? 1/4"? Did some searching on tnttt and didn't easily find a discussion on this, though is it likely there some place. Thanks all.
* Sounds like familiar territory for me, since I also intended to go "simple", by using 3/4" plywood w/no insulation, mainly bolted together, employing steel brackets, PL adhesive, and
mostly stainless bolts, washers, & nuts. I did go overboard in using double or triple the amount of adhesive, coatings, lock & hinge hardware, and packing the 4x8 with equipment that's normally carried externally, but integral to my design. Thus, though intended to be simple, it turned out to be complex, and very heavy for its' size.
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1) 3/4" plywood is very strong, but not lightweight...by using steel angle & corner brackets, and gluing every seam and joint twice, it needs no supporting spars or bracing (though I, in my usual fashion, did use 1/2" oak boards to create inner bracing around the doors, windows, and A/C unit).
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2) My
base floor (1/2" birch plywood) is bolted to the frame using eight 3/8" carriage bolts, then a 1/4" Luan sheet was glued over it (to cover the semi-recessed bolt heads) with TB2, then then entire perimeter of the floor was Tek-screwed down with thirty-eight screws into the tubular steel frame. The walls are simply bolted to the floor using the steel brackets (and PL adhesive, of course...I used 10-12 cartridges during the initial build, and several more since modifications began).
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3) Since I camp in Texas and Oklahoma, only in Spring thru Fall, it never occurred to me that insulation might be needed, since I provided for both heating and cooling enough...but dealing with condensation without insulation requires that I always have sufficient airflow inside. And I used to use two foam mattresses, sheets, blankets & comforters, but now a simple fold-up mattress and a summer weight or winter weight sleeping bag make it simpler.
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4) Instead of using epoxy, and/or fiberglass to waterproof the wood on my trailer (I'd never had much luck when using either, before), I opted to use the "mix" (polyurethane/paint thinner) to saturate the plywood (practically plasticizing it) and then use outdoor equipment enamel to provide color & UV protection. Once again, I doubled & tripled the # of coats used, but it was worth the trouble. Any of the three wood-covering methods would work fine.
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5) As I previously stated, I started out with 3/8" carriage bolts, and also with 1/4"-20 stainless carriage bolts (+ acorn nuts or nylocks, fender washers, too, all stainless...over two hundred $$ worth), and added in specialty theft-resistant bolts, and numerous size and length Spax or Tek screws (where needed). All bolt & screw-holes were sealed with PL (which also makes a fine way to prevent non-locking nuts from backing off).
* Yes, it seems I overdid the strength/weight aspect of what was originally intended to be a sub-1000 lb sleeping trailer for my wife, but became a heavyweight Franken-trailer when I assumed sole ownership of it (she never told me that she was claustrophobic...a sealed 4x8 is a bit too tight for her tastes). good luck with your trailer, and
keep it simple.